Chassis Prep
From whence all good things flow, the chassis received more attention than anything else in Brian's Camaro. You want to be able to bat the throttle and move forward rather than spin a white web off the back tires, so you bring parity to the suspension, make it capable of absorbing and distributing the torque with economy. Brian installed a DSE clip fixed with C6 uprights, tubular upper and lower control arms, anti-sway bar, and remote reservoir AFCO DA shocks sheathed with 450 lb/in coils. He welded in the subframe connectors and continued with the DSE Quadra-Link system out back. Wheel movement is tempered with another pair of AFCO DA remote reservoir dampers with 250 lb/in coils (the fluid canisters perch on either side of the engine, and are fixed to the 10-point rollcage).
Engine & Drivetrain
A mission like Brian's doesn't need a zillion horsepower or 1,000 pounds of grunt. Reliability, repeatability, and the flexibility of a stout torque curve are the goals. In this instance, Brian swapped out his supercharged big-block for an all-aluminum 376ci L92 that he'd upgraded with a Vengeance Racing Stage camshaft, beefier valvesprings, and an LS3 intake manifold and fuel injectors. Further, the less mass Brian had to contend with at the front of the car, the closer to an equal front/rear weight bias he could get. To put the engine in the hole, he used an F-body oil pan to gain the clearance he needed. He built stainless steel headers with 17/8-inch primaries and plugged them into a 3-inch system. For torque transfer, he used an LS7 clutch and pressure plate assembly spinning on an LS7 flywheel. He retained the Viper six-speed from his Pro Street combo and had Denny's build a steel driveshaft to connect with the DSE 9-inch (narrowed to 54.75 inches flange-to-flange) featuring 3.89:1 gears on a Detroit Truetrac differential and completed with 31-spline axleshafts.
Body
Here it's clean, trim, and unruffled. The Anvil carbon-fiber hood, decklid, and wing were left natural while Hot Rod Transformations in Hermitage, TN, applied the Zinc Yellow base/clearcoat. A smattering of tastefully applied event and product signatures give the car a nostalgia vibe that's difficult to deny.
Wheels & Brakes
The Camaro's perfect stance includes Rushforth Livewires, 18x10 and 18x12, fitted with massive, scary-looking BFG KDW 2 tires, 295/35 and 335/30, respectively. The brakes are dinner-plate large and straight from an '08 ZO6. At front, six-piston calipers clamp 14.4-inch DBA rotors. At the rear we find four-piston calipers and 13.4-inch rotors.
Interior
Even lashed-down road cars need creature comforts. As such, Brian installed Painless wiring to service the Vintage Air HVAC system and the Pioneer CD player. He fabricated a dashpanel to capture the full complement of Auto Meter gauges. New carpeting underlays the Procar seats that Brian swathed in leather; four-point belts are anchored at the floor and the crossbar of the 10-point 'cage. Brian depends on a Hurst shifter and, just in case, a fire extinguisher within easy reach.