Words: Tommy Parry
Roughly six years ago, Bernardo picked up this 350-powered ‘74 Camaro Type LT in the east of France. It had a little rust and the potential to be something much more. The previous owner had swapped the ‘74 body with a ‘70-‘73, but not much else had been done.
With the aid of some supportive friends and an appetite for knowledge, Bernardo would turn this slightly shabby Camaro into an incredible racing car for the street with modifications in every department and performance like few muscle car traversing the French countryside could hope to have.
Though he wasn’t a gifted wrench from the start, within the first year he had already addressed some of the shortcomings in the chassis, the suspension and the brakes.
Some of the standouts from the start were the Speedtech Performance Street Fighter kit, as well as their Torque arm. For better body control, he opted for Ridetech 3-way adjustable shocks at all four corners. With these complemented by homebuilt chassis bracing, G-braces, and subframe connectors, the car’s handling was incredible.
Soon, Bernardo installed an Edelbrock 350 Performer motor and fitted it with a Mishimoto aluminium radiator, Fitech Meanstreet EFI, MSD Pro-Billet distributor and 6AL-2 box.
Mods to the drivetrain came next. An ACT single disc clutch, a mechanical clutch linkage, a 4-speed manual, Strange chromoly 1350 yokes and their 3" chromoly driveshaft, an Eaton limited slip differential carrier and Ten Factory chromoly axle shafts provided the robust drivetrain and rear needed to harness the thrust of a twin-turbocharged powerplant.
With all the chassis and footwork modifications needed to support big power, he browsed the internet for some modestly priced turbochargers. After find a Banks TT kit on sale, he pulled the trigger and awaited a very heavy package on his doorstep.
In order to keep things from melting, he stuck a set of Mishimoto J-Line intercoolers in the space opened up after changing the radiator support and cutting into the fiberglass hood. Joining it was a Flex-a-Lite 160 fan and a homebuilt closeout panel.
Those weren’t the only additions forced induction required. As the Fitech EFI wouldn’t work with the turbos, he started searching for a suitable replacement. The MS3-Pro EVO seemed the logical choice.
Fuel delivery would also have to be improved to feed the thirstier, force-fed motor. A GPA-8 E85 fuel pump, Deatchwerk 88lbs fuel injectors, a Holley FPR and a Tanks Inc fuel tank provided the extra juice.
Next, Bernardo took off the intake manifold and cleaned the intake ports. Ensuring maximum airflow to complement the added fuel delivery was only sensible.
Then, in the interest of increasing the exhaust flow and reducing spool time, he sourced a set of 3” stainless steel tubes and began routing the straight-through exhaust. With Cherry Bomb Vortex mufflers at the other end, the turbochargers wouldn’t dull the exhaust note much.
His clever routing and installation placed the exhaust at the same level as the torque arm, higher than the subframe connectors. This fitment allowed Bernardo to lower the car another half inch, with the oil pan as the lowest item.
Some time spent tuning yielded encouraging results. At only 9 pounds of boost, the 350 comfortably spit out 600 horsepower at the rear wheels. As reassuring as this was, it entailed one or two issues. He realized then that the T10 gearbox wouldn’t be able to withstand the turbocharged grunt, and so he started beefing up the drivetrain again.
With a Speedtech full floater axle, a Wavetrac diff, a 3.25 gear ratio and a Bowler T-56 Magnum Stage II, he had a rear robust enough to handle and exploit the power levels. Plus, he could lower his cruising revs, improve economy and increase the maximum speed to an estimated 230 mph at 6,000 rpm!
Now with the straightline speed to rival most supercars, he wisely looked into upgrading the wheels and brakes. Underneath larger Japan Racing JR28 wheels, he’s currently running Wilwood 13" 6 pistons and 13" 4 piston brakes, though he’s considering the ZR1’s 15.5"/15" carbon ceramic rotors with Brembo calipers. He has the room, and with his new motor, he would be wise to improve the stopping performance.
Currently, he’s addressing two areas: the engine and the interior. A friend recently sold him a Dart Little M block with forged internals and 9.7:1 compression ratio. With a solid-roller 255/262 camshaft and ported Edelbrock Victor Jr. heads, he shouldn’t have much trouble making 1,000 horsepower at 7,800 rpm.
While he kept some semblance of civility with a thick layer of Dynamat, he also went down the racecar route with a full cage. Though this isn’t everyone’s idea of a comfortable cruiser anymore, the cage does improve chassis rigidity, and obviously contributes to safety. Anything this extreme needs a good rollcage, simply put.
Though this Camaro had an ordinary start, Bernardo took things to a level few builders ever manage to reach. With every aspect of performance considered, an excellent presentation and an intelligent selection of parts, Bernardo’s established himself as one of the most impressive builders I’ve come across in years.
Considering he’s been taxed an additional 30% on most of these parts, he’s shown real financial dedication to his project. He’s also completed this build in a tiny, 18x8’ garage, so we can only tip our hats to our clever friend across the Atlantic. To keep tabs on Bernardo’s creation, follow his build here.