Article: Tommy Parry        Image: Richard van Reekum   

It’s been his for nearly 50 years. Throughout highschool, Steve had quite the reputation with the local authorities, and eventually he wisely stopped driving this Camaro on the street and dedicated it to the drag strip. However, he got bored of going straight after a few years, which made him think about which way to take this build. With one suspension upgrade, he’d started his expedition down the rabbit hole, and the parts list grew and grew. Fast forward to today and the Camaro is turning, braking and accelerating like a modern Corvette.

“All I can say in my defense is that parts creep is a real thing as it relates to a project like this.  The original plan was to throw on some control arms, spindles, shocks, and more,” Steve admits. Now, the car is now equipped with a Detroit Speed’s subframe, subframe connectors and mini-tubs. Underneath and between those tubs sit a Chris Alston Chassisworks 4-link rear suspension, a Moser 9" full floating hub rear end and a pair of Varishock coilovers - which have a sister pair sitting at the front end.

It all rides on Forgeline wheels measuring 18x10” up front and 18x12” in the rear. Housed within those hefty rollers are C6 Z06 brakes with 14" front rotors and 13" rear rotors. Brake pressure and feel is improved by a 7/8" bore Wilwood master cylinder. Those massive brakes and 335-section rear tires make the new engine a safe decision.

For over 30 years, the engine and transmission were the same small block and T-10 that were in the car when the old pictures in this article were taken. Naturally, both have been rebuilt to run on the street. However, after years of highway cruising, it became clear the Camaro needed an overdrive transmission, so now the engine is mated to a T56 Magnum.

Steve eventually broke a piston in the old 327 and decided to replace it with something a little beefier. He had a 350 4-bolt main short block that came out of his father’s ‘69 GMC pickup, collecting dust in the corner of his basement for 35 years, which would look right in the Camaro’s bay.

The 350 benefits from a stroker kit, a nice pair of Racing Head Service aluminum heads and a Edelbrock retrofit roller cam.

“I had my good friend Mike Ratzloff, owner of Mike's Auto Service, put it all together. The package also includes a complete MSD ignition upgrade, an MSD Atomic EFI and a new Victor Jr. intake manifold, all of which make roughly 550 horsepower. I think my dad would get a kick out of knowing his old engine is tearing up the streets 50 years after he purchased the truck,” Steve says with a smile.

With the car in decent running shape, Steve started setting it up for the circuit. Of course, a Sparco fixed seat was the first modification he added after getting thrown around on the track; those tires generate quite a bit of grip. However, he couldn’t get the car’s balance to his liking, no matter what he tried.

“The front DSE shocks were non-adjustable and the rear Vari-shocks were double-adjustable. No matter what I did, I could not get the suspension to work the way it needed to. In addition, the rear coil-overs were simply too long to get my desired ride height,” Steve recalls.

Now the car runs four AFCO double adjustable shocks. With 4” stroke shocks at both ends, he can get the shock in the center of the stroke at ride height. He also runs stiffer spring rates all around: 800 lbs in front and 300 lbs in the rear.

As it stands, it’s still very much a dedicated track toy. “All the interior pieces I purchased for the build are still packed away in the shipping boxes and the Vintage Air that was planned is currently on hold. At present, the car is my autocross/track day toy - but as the evolution process continues, the emphasis is likely to change.”

To keep tabs on this shapeshifter over four decades in the making, you can follow Steve’s build thread here.