I purchased the original 1967 rs camaro in October 2001, as a complete car needing a little work. The plan was to clean up the engine compartment, do some suspension mods, and add some big wheels and tires. As I started up front, I found myself yanking the motor and removing the front clip. I then had to explain to my wife that this was just a small departure from the original plan (yeah right!!). With no idea what I was doing, My friend Dennis and I disassembled the whole car down to nothing, tagging and bagging everything as we went. My plan became Obvious that I would be building the car from the ground up with a modern theme without losing the 60's muscle foundation. Before going any further, I need to thank owner-builder Dean Livermore and the guys at "Hotrods by Dean" for letting me hang out and ask a lot of questions. There is a lot to be said about tricks and techniques when you're trying this for the first time. My first welding project was building a body cart using "scrap" square tubing from work. The whole car was then media blasted removing four previous colors, one being the original mountain green.

The next year was spent welding new rear floor pans, upper dash, DSE subframe connectors, and raising the tranny tunnel for extra clearance. Having worked on the inside of the car I gained confidence in my welding abilities to get started on the outer panels. I replaced the panel between the rear window and trunk, weatherstriping channel around the trunk, patches in both rear quarters, emblem and antenna holes, smoothed the firewall, and all body gaps were welded and filed for proper clearance. The body was once again disassembled and sent to paint. Crisp Custom Paint then blocked it to perfection, sprayed several coats of House of Kolor tangerine kandy and applied custom "rootbeer" rally stripes under several more coats of clear.

After picking the car up from paint, my goal was to have it finished in time for the 2005 Goodguys Southwest Nationals, which was about six months away!! ("rookie" thinking) My work keeps me very busy, so the only time I could work on the car was saturday afternoons. During the assembly, everything was turning out better than expected. Every detail became equally as important, what should have taken hours turned into days!! The show "Overhaulin" became to painfull to watch. Needless to say, I went to the show that year without the car. I slowed down on the project after that, until about one month before the 2006 Goodguys Southwest Nationals. With weeks to go, Dean and I were crossing things off my checklist every day after work. Another friend Criag Trujillo stitched up the headliner, shift boot, rear console and fill panels just days before the show. I remember installing the headliner just hours before needing to be at work the next day. The car was completed just in time for the show, the family and I had a great weekend together!

Spec Sheet:

Engine: 383 stroker, Eagle forged crank, Eagle 6" rods, Ross blower pistons, comp custom cam, AFR 210cc heads, TPI manifold, F.A.S.T. XFI ecu, 65 lb. injectors, ATI procharger 600b supercharger, Ron Davis Radiator. Motor build by Tuf-enuf performance engines, Phx. Ariz.

Drivetrain: Tremec TKO 600 tranny, Mcleod clutch and flywheel, McLeod bellhousing, 4" aluminum driveshaft, GM 12bolt rear with 3.73 richmond posi.

Brakes: Baer 13" track Eradispeed rotors, Baer 12" touring Eradispeed rotors

Suspension: Global West upper and lower control arms, Hotchkis 2" drop coils, Hotchkis 1 1/8 swaybar, DSE subframe connectors, Hotchkis 1 1/2" drop leaf springs, competition engineering slide-a-link, Bilstein shocks.

Wheels: Budnick brushed Shotguns 18"x 8" fronts 20"x 10" rears with BFG kdw 245/35/18 fronts 285/30/20 rears.

Paint: House of Kolor Kandy Tangerine with custom mix "rally" stripes by Crisp Custom Paint

Interior: 2001 camaro seats, custom aluminum console, autometer ultra lite guages, custom rear console, momo steering wheel, vintage air, brushed aluminum accents, special thanks to criag trujillo for stitching up headliner and other components.

Extras: Marquez taillights, Rock Valley Stainless tank, DSE steering box, DSE wipermotor, modified March serpentine system, and Ring Bros Hood hinges "brushed".


Special Thanks: "Hot Rods by Dean" Dean Livermore for use of his tig and many other tools and advice, Bob Ream "supertuner" for killing my hopes that I might be able to program my XFI, Cardenal Car Stereo, Dennis Lawhorn for all the help, Mom and Dad, and Most of all, my Wife and Kids!!