Get your car in CHP!
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Mail: CHP Rides, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Continuing The Tradition
'68 ss 396 camaro
Carman & Darrell Cook
Lebanon, TN
Carman Cook purchased this '68 Camaro brand newat only 23. The list of options on the window sticker included the SS package, bumper guards, a four-speed trans, and more notably, the most powerful big-block offered that year, the 375-horse L78 396 engine. In factory trim this engine package included 11:1 forged pistons, a big Holley 800-cfm (Chevrolet rated) carburetor, a mechanical-lifter camshaft, and massive rectangular-port cylinder heads. These days, a set of Hooker headers and a Flowmaster transverse muffler system have been added. Almost 40 years since the Camaro left the showroom, Carman has maintained the factory paint, the interior, and the drivetrain in mint condition, while teaching his son, Darrell, many of the well-earned techniques. At the end of 2006 the keys to this very unique '68 Camaro were passed to Darrell after Carman's untimely passing. Now Darrell stays busy adjusting the solid lifters, waxing the Rallye Green lacquer, and taking the Camaro out for a blast through the gears.
Family Affair
'73 camaro z28
Dan Murphy
Pitman, NJ
Dan Murphy's '73 Z28 looks clean and moves, but he can't take all of the credit. His two sons, DJ (age 14) and Matt (age 11), selected the paint scheme, the wheel and tire combination, and the engine's appearance, while he helped out under the hood. The engine is a 395-inch small-block built and assembled out of Dan's shop (Unleash Performance and Automotive Heavy Truck Repair). Exhaust flow is routed through a 3-inch system, and the small-block's power travels through a TH400 trans with a 3,500-stall converter. The cowl-induction hood is a lightweight fiberglass lift-off unit. Best of all, the Camaro is more than a weekend cruiser; it's used as his daily commuter and for hauling the boys around town.
Haulin' Elco
'68 el camino
Greg Nuibe
Simi Valley, CA
This smokin' Elco belongs to Greg Nuibe and gets lots of attention with its glistening body and thumping exhaust note. Between the framerails lives a standard-bore 350 small-block with a cast 400 crank. With just 11.2:1 compression, the 377-inch small-block is able to run on pump gas. The top end is fitted with an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake, a Holley 750-cfm carburetor, Edelbrock Performer RPM heads, and a Comp Cams solid-lifter camshaft yielding 242/242 degrees of duration at 0.050 and 0.507/0.532 inch lift. The '68 El Camino is Greg's first project, and he's already clocked an impressive 11.39 e.t. at 117 mph.
Red Rider
'70 nova SS
Doug George
Cambridge, OH
Two-door '68-74 Novas make excellent musclecars, and Doug George's '70 SS is a prime example. For added power, Doug pulled the original small-block and carried it to Watson-Ruppel Performance, where they bored it 0.030 over and added a 3.75-inch-stroke crankshaft and other performance goodies from the Summit catalog. A reworked TH350 automatic trans transfers the power to the rear, where BFG radials then provide the bite. To save a few bucks, Doug purchased most of the new chrome and both bumpers online, via eBay. Inside, he replaced the stock instruments with a set of trick Covan's gauges. Plans include swapping out the factory 9.5-inch rear drums for a set of disc brakes.
Bigger Is Better
'69 Camaro SS
Don Gates
Mentor, OH
Whether it's the classic lines, ease of modification, or overall style, '69 Camaros are flat-out awesome to own, build, and drive. Don Gates owns this black-on-black SS, and it's completely restored to look better than new and has the performance to back it. Under the cowl hood, he dropped a 454 Rat motor to supply plenty of high-torque acceleration, which transfers through a TCI TH400 automatic and 12-bolt rearend with 3.08:1 gears. The deep black paint, white sport stripe, and glistening chrome have won Don a number of trophies at local car shows.
Calling All Caprices
'95 caprice 9c1
edward simmons
Hatboro, PA
The '94-96 police-package Caprices fitted with the LT1 engines offered law enforcement agencies a car with a well-tuned handling package and top-speed capability over 140 mph. Edward Simmons owns this '95 Caprice ex-New York trooper and knocked the performance level up a few notches with several mods. First the engine was rebuilt, balanced, blueprinted, and fitted with a pair of Edelbrock aluminum heads. Then he installed a set of Clear Image Automotive Tri-Y headers routed to DMH electric cutouts and Spintech Pro Street mufflers. Where the standard overdrive automatic once lived, Edward installed a T56 six-speed manual transmission and then replaced the 3.08:1 rearend gears with a 4.10:1 GM cog and an Eaton posi unit, while the add-on cowl-style hood features a pair of side emblems that read "Police Interceptor."
Red Hot Chevelle
'67 chevelle ss
Sam Camponescki
Wakefield, MA
Not many can boast what Sam Camponescki does. His '67 Chevelle has clocked only 26,013 miles on the odometer since he first purchased it new. The paint is original, but where the factory motor once resided, Sam installed a 502 big-block with the help of his son, Kevin, and Bob from C&E Racing in Milford, Massachusetts. The new Rat includes Edelbrock aluminum heads, a deep sump Milodon pan, and a Holley 850-cfm carburetor. For handling, a complete Hotchkis suspension is utilized, while Wilwood disc brakes are used to bring the 'Velle to a stop. Sam still rows gears through the original M22 four-speed and rolls on 15x10 Rally wheels with BFGoodrich rubber. The original motor, with only 6,000 miles, is safely tucked away in Sam's garage.