[CamaroPat]

I've owned my 1981 Camaro for nearly seven years now. A very close friend of mine owned it for two years prior. We left high school and the installation of the new engine lost some steam when my buddy Brendan's mom bought him a fourth-gen Z28 six speed for graduation. The 81 languished in Brendan's mother's garage for a spell, but she wanted the space for storage so Brendan sold it to me for $1,000. Tragically, he passed away only a few months later. Brendan and I were best friends through high school and we spent many an evening out in that car, cruising around and doing the stupid things young men do when armed with testosterone and a small block. That's the car's background and the justification for its high sentimental value. In its current state, the car has a fresh 350 (about three miles or so on it), equipped with long tube headers, a Holley street dominator intake, a cam with roughly .450" lift, 1.94"/1.50" valve, 76cc chamber heads, Edelbrock 750 carb, Accel distributor, coil and 8.8mm wires, 4 speed and pitiful 2.73:1 rear gearing. I've been into pro-touring since before the term was coined and well before I could drive (legally). PHR magazine did my homework for me with project g/28, so I'm going to follow the blueprint for the first incarnation of the "g", with the conventional suspension components. This week the car's getting stripped for new paint, a new tail panel, new rear frame rails, subframe connectors and a quick general restoration. Within the next year or so, the car will get four wheel discs, 17x9 American Racing Razor wheels and all the basic suspension stuff (tubular control arms, lowering springs, etc.). I've read quite a bit on this site and look forward to interacting with what seems to be one of the most knowledgeable online communities. I'll keep you all posted on the build. If any of you guys know any good tips or tricks for second generation Camaros, let me know.