When I bought the car 26 years ago, I never imagined where we would end up.
It had a fresh .30 over 327 with a mild cam, a Turbo 350, and a 10 bolt with 2.56 gears! It was my primary car through college and into my early work career. In 2000, I went to get something out of the back seat, but when I leaned the passenger seat forward and stepped inside, my foot went through the floorboard! That began the downward spiral! The further I dug, the more rust I found, so I ended up stripping the car down completely.
Originally, I was planning to build a true street drag car. I replaced the floor pans and installed a NHRA legal 8-point roll cage.
Then life intervened, and the car began a 16 year hibernation in my garage.
During the coming years, I began to get really interested in the Pro-Touring scene, and decided to go that direction with the car. For years, I didn’t have the time or money to build the car, so I spent my free time studying, researching, trolling the web, and gathering ideas. Luckily, I found the Godfather of Pro Touring, Mark Stielow, very early, and read his Pro Touring book several times. The internet, especially Lateral-G.net, was a treasure trove of information for me, and I spent the next several years looking at many different cars and all the new parts being developed for First Gen Camaros.
A friend of mine once called my car a “belly-button Camaro cuz everybody has one!” This comment resonated with me, and I became determined to create a car that was not only a mixture of modern technology and classic style, but also a car that reflected my own vision of a Bas Ass Hot Rod!
Further down the rabbit hole I went, and I rebuilt the entire car from the ground up. Every nut, bolt, wire, etc. is new. The only part of the original car that is left is the subframe, firewall, dash, and inner body structure. Every bit of the exterior sheet metal is new. Since I already had a roll cage and subframe connectors installed, the chassis was very sturdy and square. As I am sure all of you know, nothing about these cars ever goes together easily. All of the aftermarket parts that are “made for” these cars rarely fit perfectly the first time…OK…Never! Needless to say, the bodywork on this car required a ton of time and money!
I could talk all day about what it took to build this car, but let’s just jump to the highlights.
BODY:
Completely new sheet metal (doors, roof, trunk, hood, everything!)
Custom Made Solid Lower valance panel with no fog lights or holes (Couldn’t find a single car online that didn’t have lights or holes, so had this piece made out of fiberglass.)
Billet Front Grille w/ Delta HID/Halo Headlights
New door and quarter glass
Fesler Billet Door Handles, Fesler Billet Hood Hinges, Fesler Billet Fender Supports
Fesler Flush Mount Glass front and rear windshields to eliminate the factory moldings.
No Chrome anywhere on the car! Every trim piece was either wrapped or powder coated to create the subtle clean look I was after.
Custom Wrap in Satin White Pearl
Entire underside of car is coated with Raptor Liner
Entire body interior coated with Lizard Skin for sound and heat suppression
SUSPENSION and BRAKES:
SpeedTech Tubular Upper and Lower Control Arms, SpeedTech Sway Bar, SpeedTech Chicane Kit, Viking Dual Adjustable Coil Over shocks Front and Rear, Unisteer Power R&P, SpeedTech Torque Arm Rear Suspension, Wilwood Manual 1” Bore Master Cylinder and Proportioning Valve, Wilwood 6 Piston Front and 4 Piston Rear Brakes
ENGINE:
2002 Cadillac LQ9 6.0L
Stock bottom end machined and rebuilt with new rings and seals
Stock 317 Heads with Short Side bowl Work, Valve Job, TSP Dual Beehive springs, TSP Chrome Moly Push Rods, Factory Rocker Arms with TSP Trunion Bearing Upgrade.
TSP Torquer V4 Camshaft .629/.615 Lift 231/234 Dur.
FAST LSXR 92mm intake, FAST Fuel Rails, Bosch 42lb Inj, TSP 92mm Throttle Body, RotoFab Cold Air Intake System
PRC Aluminum Radiator and Shroud w/ Dual 16” Spal Electric Fans
Mighty Mouse PCV Catch Can System
Holley High Mount LS Accessory Drive Kit
Factory GM ECU with SpearTech custom 24X Wiring Harness
Odyssey Battery and Trunk Mount Kit
Borla ProXS 3” Exhaust w/ H-Pipe
425rwhp/402rwtq
TRANSMISSION:
Phoenix Transmission 4L60e, Phoenix Transmission 3200 Stall, Driveshaft Specialist Aluminum Driveshaft
REAR END:
Currie narrowed 9”, Currie 31 spline axles, Strange Housing, Eaton TruTrac Differential, 3.50 Gears
INTERIOR:
TMI Door Panels, TMI Dash Pad, TMI Headliner, TMI Center Console, TMI Trunk Dress Kit, Corbeau Seats and 4 point Harnesses, Sparco Steering Wheel, Lokar Pedals, Power Windows and Locks, RestoMod Air Haymaker A/C system, B&M QuickSilver Shifter, JL Audio Stereo, Amp, and Speakers, AutoMeter UltraLite II Guages, GT40 Billet Window Switches, Clayton Machine Works billet Door and Window handles, and a custom back seat storage area built around 68 Corvette storage compartments.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
One of One!
It's like a ball of yarn unwinding, that has no end... Author DKz Garage
Hybrid Mode
