1969 Camaro - completely fresh, ground-up build!!

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Standard Description

COMPLETE GROUND-UP CUSTOM BUILD - OVER $180k INVESTED!!!!

Now, is it a Resto-Mod or Pro-Touring car? Well, it's actually a car built to drag that's way less “in-your-face” than a Pro Street car with some of the best attributes of a Pro Touring car (i.e., it handles, it stops and you can live with it on the street). Not a “sleeper” but more stock appearing than these other styles of cars. Don't look for the lazy-boy recliner seats, cup holders or A/C that are so popular with the Pro Touring crowd. You won't find full tubs, monster tires, a giant scoop or a chute, either. Basically, we wanted to build a car capable of running 9-second quarter miles AND winning an autocross. Mission accomplished!!

This Camaro started as a very original, unmolested 327 Powerglide coupe in white with a black vinyl top, D96 stripes and the style trim group. The car had what was believed to be 56,000 original miles. We found the car right here in the Philadelphia area where it was sold new. The car came with the Protecto plate, original owner’s manual, original engine (the original Powerglide had been replaced) and original interior. For having spent its entire life in this area, the car was amazingly rust free and incredibly solid. Zero rust in the floor, rockers, etc. – a 3x3 square of rust in each of the rear quarters and a bit of rust around the front and rear window channels. The car was like a time capsule and everything worked – even the original AM radio!

This is where the fun starts. We had a vision and a plan so we started to strip the car down right in our garage to just a rolling shell. At that point, we sent it off for phase 1 of the build, chassis mock up and media blasting. Phase 2 involved doing the little bit of metal work required and spraying some primer, as well as semi gloss black on the interior, firewall and underside of the car. Then, back to the chassis shop for phase 3, final mechanical assembly. We completed all the remaining fabrication, got the car wired and running and sent it off for phase 4 – paint and body assembly. After that, it was phase 5 – final assembly and mechanical shakedown.

Almost two years later, here it is – the car went back on the road in May of 2016. The quality of fabrication and workmanship that went into this car – as well as the quality of parts and components used – is second to none. In fact, some of it is so subtle you miss it if someone doesn’t call it out. This was a no-compromises, no-excuses build. Not a single corner was cut in pursuit of the perfect Camaro.

Here are the highlights:

•Detroit Speed complete front subframe, subframe connectors and quadra link rear suspension. Fully powder coated with upgraded adjustable coilovers, tow hooks, etc.

•Detroit Speed mini tubs

•Narrowed Moser 9” with 35 spline axles, 4:30 gear and a Wavetrack differential. Aluminum third member with aluminum Daytona pinion support

•Mark Williams 3.5”7075 aluminum driveshaft, hardened yoke and 1350 U joints

•Spin Tech 3.5” 304 stainless steel exhaust, x pipe and mufflers, with electric cut-outs (they are cool, but the car sounds incredibly healthy through the exhaust)

•Custom fabrication by Precision Chassis includes:

o10 point cage with removable swing out door bars, built to be as hidden as possible. Many, many hours went into getting this cage to perfectly hug the pillars, to get the main bar to follow the contour of the rear quarter windows and to pretty much disappear from the view of casual observers. Provisions were also made to install the Simpson 5 point harnesses and window net. The cage is NHRA certified to 8.50

oFabrication of the exhaust system. Again, many hours went into making it tuck up under the car without interfering with anything. No easy deal with a system this size. Beautifully tig-welded, It's pretty much invisible from view – you can catch a glimpse of the turndowns for the electric cutouts (note, in one pic we had not yet added the electric cut-outs and in the pic showing them, we had not yet added the cutout turndowns)

oComplete set-up of driveline, fabricated driveshaft safety loop, modified cross member, custom stainless brake lines, fuel lines and trunk fuel pump access panel, etc.

oThe wiring itself is a work of art. Impeccably done – made to be as clean and as hidden as possible. Note the custom electronics board under the passenger side dash. We wanted to keep the various relays and components together and accessible – yet invisible. What you won't see is all the work that went into making weatherpak quick disconnects throughout the system for easy servicing. The entire dash carrier can easily be removed by disconnecting just a couple of plugs. Of course, lots of other unique touches are everywhere – like custom built reverse and parking brake switches (note we converted the car from auto to manual and we are using a vertical gate shifter), fabricated gauge panel replacing the heater controls, switches to set the 2-step and control the fans manually, etc.

•Engine built by BES, dyno tuned by Tony Bischoff himself. Highlights include:

o434 cubic inch small block built on a Dart Little M block

oPump gas, 11.16-1 compression

oCustom forged Ross Pistons

oCallies Forged Ultra Rods

oForged Scat crank

oBES ported Trick Flow 18°heads. These flow better than 15°heads!

oBES ported Edelbrock intake

oCustom ground Comp Cams mechanical roller (yeah, it is big and nasty!!)

oT&D shaft rockers, Trend pushrods, Isky Red Zone EZ roll lifters, Jesel belt drive

oPro Systems carb

oCustom 2 step headers built by Lemon’s

oIn race tune, 742hp @ 7100, more than 650ft lbs @ 4500. In street tune on pump gas, 732hp!! Normally aspirated - all on motor, no "power adders"!!

oThe best of the best – no cheap parts. Complete build sheet, dyno sheets and all related info

•G-Force 4 speed, custom ratios, internals micro-polished and set-up for speedo – Long vertical gate shifter and McLeod flywheel with 1,000hp rated RXT street twin clutch. SFI Quick Time bellhousing with SFI approved clutch adjustment window (in case a soft lok clutch is ever used)

•Baer slotted/drilled disc brakes front and rear. 13” inch rear, 14” front. Parking brake set-up and Baer “remaster” master cylinder, Hurst line lock.

•Formula 43 wheels, Nitto radials (335 rear tires on 12” wheels). Extra set of Hoosier DOT Quick Time Pro rear drag tires on super light custom Bogart Racing Wheels - never used

•All original sheet metal except the Glasstek cowl hood (still have original flat hood in factory paint). Many, many hours went into fitting and finishing the hood properly, as well as fabricating the rear cowl vent (Glasstek cowl hoods don’t come with a vent!)

•All original stainless window trim, rocker moldings, bumpers, marker bezels, emblems, etc. All trim has been polished or re-chromed. We deleted the chrome door edge guards that come with the style trim group and the radio antenna

•All original seats recovered with Legendary interior materials, including new door panels and headliner, new dash pad, rear seat belts reconditioned. Various buttons, dials and interior trim pieces updated/reconditioned or replaced. Replacement dash carrier with 140mph speedo (still have complete and intact original dash carrier and original seat belts)

•Paint and bodywork by Bulldog Rod and Custom. Painted with House of Kolor blue. Tons of time into aligning, straightening and fitting panels. 6 coats of clear in total. 4 over the base blue, 2 more after the stripes were painted. Hours and hours devoted to wet sanding and polishing out the finish

•Many original parts with the car:

oFactory “born with” 327 (all of the accessory mounts and stock exhaust manifolds have been blasted and powder coated - manifolds ceramic coated)

oOriginal hood still wearing original paint

oDoor panels

oComplete dash (with working original AM radio)

oJack and tools

oOwner’s manual and Protecto plate

There are just too many details to list - every nut, bolt and fastener is new. All of the body assembly bolts are stainless steel, brand new date-coded glass, the list goes on and on. This car turns heads anywhere it goes. Take it to a cruise with hundreds of cars and the moment it fires up, everyone stops and stares. Just an incredible deep, healthy rumble that literally shakes the ground.

This build is completely documented with photographs from day one. Over $180,000 invested but you don’t have to take my word for it – I have every receipt. Additionally, photos can be found on the Facebook pages of Lemon’s Headers, Precision Chassis and Bulldog Rod and Custom – also see Socal_Camaros on Instagram, where the car has been featured a couple times.

The car has 125 miles and has been completely gone-through mechanically – no issues, no excuses. Everything works exactly as it should. This car is a total beast and yeah, it is not cheap!! But, hey, you get what you pay for!!

Oh – why is it for sale? Two reasons – I like projects and I’m onto my next one AND I have a new Viper ACR on order.