Words: Tommy Parry
Back in high school, having a muscle car is what many boys yearn for. Well, along with one or two other things, but a senior with a sports car is a high-status fella on the verge of growing up into a bold young man. Mark was fortunate to have had a 1985 Camaro Z/28 – with just 20,000 miles – throughout high school, where he intended to keep the car stock. However, once a few years passed and Mark grew tired of the novelty of the stock Z/28, he got a hankering for a little more grunt.
The first step for more horsepower came in the tried-and-true form of an LS motor, harnessed by a reliable, robust and available T56 gearbox. This particular motor was a junkyard special: the 5.3-liter version making such a splash in the budget performance community. The motor is bored to LS1 specifications and features Diamond pistons, 8.5:1 compression, Cometic head gaskets, ARP head studs, Comp Cams’ turbo cam, an intake and a throttle body from an LS6 and, finally, a Bosch 044 fuel pump and a Magnafuel 4303 fuel relay system.
Mark would exploit the engine’s low compression with a sizable Turbonetics TC78 turbo, and then embark on the mighty goal of fabricating a set of turbo headers with his friend. This was his first turbo build, but bravely, he procured a lot of 3” tubing and collectors from Mandrel Bends and started welding.
The beautiful result was made even prettier after Mark sent his headers off to QC Coatings for a ceramic coat. Very impressive for a first attempt, or even a tenth for that matter.
With the motor running on 110 octane, the turbocharged LS made an impressive 703 horsepower and 734 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. Additionally, the powerband was quite broad and fairly progressive – though still slightly laggy with that massive snail.
Now, with more power than a Corvette ZR1 on demand, Mark wisely upgraded the drivetrain with a Son of Tranzilla TR6060/T56 and a McLeod RXT clutch, which could easily handle 1,000 horsepower. To top it all off, Mark screwed on a MGW shifter.
To aid in general handling, but even more to help apply that incredible thrust efficiently to the pavement, Mark went for a set of Ground Control shocks and springs, and a BMW K-Member. In conjunction with a set of 15” Prostar wheels and a pair of Mickey Thompson ET street radials adorning the rears, Mark made good use of the power on tap. Yet, he felt unsatisfied.
Spooling that massive turbocharger took too much time for Mark to be truly happy with the configuration, so he started making tweaks to ramp up boost just a little more rapidly. First, he increased compression to 9.5:1 and tacked on some Brian Tooley Racing valve springs to prevent float, some 317 heads, a new set of eBay headers and, lastly, a pair of GT35 twin turbos. Instead of going for a ball-bearing single, he went the long and often challenging (and expensive route) of twins, but he’s a grown man, and as he says, he can waste his money as he likes.
As the big single already generated plenty of heat, it’s a good thing he added a set of fourth-generation Camaro fans and a Triple Spec Pass custom radiator. A front-mounted intercooler would help keep some of those engine temperatures stabilized, as would the hood slats.
With the powerplant sorted out, Mark added a little bit of style to the interior. Having a red fabric interior in tip-top shape provides plenty to look at, but he wanted a subtle touch which would suggest modification without shouting it. A custom dash with Auto Meter gauges, a gauge pod on the a-pillar and a Vintage Air system did the trick.
Not only did the air conditioning system fit nicely in the cramped engine bay, it kept Mark from suffering heat stroke on a muggy midwestern mid-day drive. Not too much sense in cruising around in a muscle car if it doesn’t make you feel cool.
