Performance-car enthusiasts are a sentimental group, especially when it comes to their first cars. Al Noe of Cleveland, Ohio, is no exception. During the mid-80s his first car was a red Camaro RS/SS. Although he enjoyed that 68 Camaro immensely, he sold it to attend college. Years passed, but not the memories of that Camaro. By the late 90s, Al was a product manager for Mr. Gasket. One day, the good folks on the set of Horsepower TV asked him to stop by during filming with his 96 Impala SS. While there, Al noticed a red 67 Camaro on the set. That was all it took, and soon Al took the Camaro home.
This time, Als goals included creating a total car capable of doing all things; in essence, a street-worthy SCCA solo racer. To do this, the car needed to be capable of pulling 1G on a skidpad, run low 12s in the quarter-mile, get 18-20 mpg, and reach 150 mph. In essence, a great Pro Touring candidate.
The first step included removing the frame and disassembling the entire car. After the subframe came off, it was cleaned and powdercoated in semigloss black. To provide contrast, Al applied gray powdercoating to the control arms. Since handling is key to this theme, Al installed a 11/8-inch front sway bar with Global West 600-pound front springs, Edelbrock IAS shocks, and a complete set of Del-A-Lum bushings. To give the car that cool stance, Al added front spindles from Mark Stielow and a set of de-arched rear springs. For better steering response and road feedback, Al installed a steering box from a 92 police-package Camaro (B4C) with special fittings to adapt 67 Camaro power-steering hoses.
To motivate the Camaro, Al chose a 383ci small-block. Since better cylinder heads are crucial to adding horsepower, Al installed a set of Trick Flow aluminum heads with a Comp Cams hydraulic-roller camshaft. To actuate the intake and exhaust valves, he added a set of Erson 1.6 roller-rocker arms. But the induction system is where Als small-block is really set apart. An ACCEL/DFI SuperRam supplies the precise air/fuel mixture to fuel the 383ci. In the left wheelwell, Al has fabricated a cold-air intake system. This system is plumbed via a home-built ducting system to the SuperRam unit. To keep tabs on engine data, Al fabricated a custom instrument panel using a full set of Auto Meter gauges.
Transmitting the power from the 383ci is a Richmond five-speed transmission connected to a Currie 9-inch housing with 3.00 gears. To install the longer-than-stock transmission into the Camaro, Al modified a factory Camaro Turbo 400 crossmember to accommodate the larger five-speed unit. To ensure safety, Al added a Hays clutch and flywheel setup contained in a Lakewood scattershield. Because looks are equally important, Al contracted Keith Wright from Barberton Autocraft in Barberton, Ohio, to apply VW Jetta red paint. Since Al drives his car through a variety of climates, he added a Vintage Air A/C unit to keep things pleasant. But the best thing, as Al puts it, is "I can hop in, turn the key, and drive this car anywhere. I love cars that are built to be driven, thrashed, and abused relentlessly."