'02 25th Anniversary Z28
Chris Barry
Grand Rapids, MI
My Money Pit
Chris bought the car when he was 16 from the original owner. It had about 40K on the clock. Nearly 10 years later his third-gen has an LS1 and a T56 transmission and a host of other unrelated modifications. He perked up the engine with Cartek ported 243 heads, a Cartek cam, Weiand intake manifold, and coated stainless steel swap headers. The exhaust has a custom 3-inch Y-pipe going to an electric cutout and is then routed to a Hooker after-cat exhaust. The stock T56 works off a SPEC clutch and Pro 5.0 shifter and the clutch hydraulics are from an '01 Camaro. Chris lowered the Camaro with Spohn tubular suspension components, took the 13-inch front brakes from a C5 but kept the original rear discs. The rearend is still that miserable stock 7.5 10-bolt. Boyd Smoothie IIs, 18x8 and 245/40 up front and 18x10 shod with 295/35 Michelins hold this thing to the road. Chris did all the work on the car with the help of one good friend. Chris: "Wiring the car took the longest to complete as I wanted to retain my factory gauge cluster and integrate the LS harness to the third-gen body harness to retain the factory appearance."
'65 Chevelle SS
Paul & Carol Baker
Redding, CA
Baker's Blue Heaven
"We've owned this car for nine years. My son Erik and I did all the work with the exception of the paint and body. The paint is GM '07 Bahama Blue with added pearl and accented by bright-white ghost flames. Body and frame were media-blasted bare. We boxed the frame, stripped the suspension parts and painted them. Front and rear anti-sway bars have been added and the suspension was upgraded with custom rear control arms, Competition Engineering shocks, and shortened coil springs all around. Wilwood brakes are paired with rebuilt rear drums. The original 12-bolt has Posi-Traction with 3.36 gears, new axles, bearings, and seals. The 355-inch engine wears ported and polished Corvette heads, an Edelbrock Performer RPM cam, and 650-cfm carburetor. In reserve, a 150 shot of nitrous. Accessories are powered by a March serpentine kit and cooling is handled by a Be Cool core with dual electric fans. The headers are heavy gauge steel and have been ceramic coated. We smoothed the firewall and put all electronic components underneath the dashboard. Power is transferred through a 700-R4 with a 2,800-stall converter, Corvette servos, and a shift kit. The interior has been reworked to reflect the grey, black, and body color. The trunk holds two 10-inch ARC Audio subwoofers and two Rockford Fosgate amps. We mounted a Pioneer head unit under the package tray and put the remote control unit in the glovebox. On the driver side in the trunk is the Edelbrock nitrous bottle and on the passenger side is the battery and remote starter."
'69 Camaro
Bill & Pam Roy
Hurst, TX
Ferocious F-Bomb
It appears that 2010 is the year of the Tribute Car, commonly the pedestrian Camaro remade into the owner's favorite fetish. This is about having fun, not worrying about stickers or chalk marks. Rules are relaxed. Liberties are taken. As a result, nobody cares about the car's "authenticity." The important thing is that another piece of history is rescued from returning to the earth. In this instance, the Roy's have championed a Z/28, inserting an engine that is 200 cubic inches larger than the original, a GMPP crate that spins more than 500 horsepower right out of the box. The Roys added a Demon 850, HEI ignition, a March serpentine accessory drive, and a Kinney's 21/2-inch Flowmaster exhaust tract. On the practical side, we find a Griffin two-row core as well as Vintage Air HVAC. The powertrain consists of a Hays 11-inch clutch, a Tremec TKO 600 five-speed, Hurst shifter, and a Driveline Shop prop shaft with 1350 U-joints. At the terminus, a 12-bolt with Moser axles, an Eaton differential, and 3.42:1 gears. Coy wheels (17x7, 18x8) mask large power disc brakes. Amenities include power quick-ratio steering, Auto Meter gauges, and a new standard black interior.