It’s been a while since I’ve actively searched for a project car; by that, I mean scouring the Internet and sifting through the classifieds. Lately, it’s been by chance, as with our Project F73 Camaro. It belonged to a friend of mine and the deal just unfolded by itself. Oddly enough, as soon as I got my hands on it, it immediately got torn apart and I really haven’t had a whole lot of seat time in it... and to think, I’ve had it nearly three years now.
The good news is, the chassis is pretty much complete, and the small-block 383ci should fire up any day now. I really have to acknowledge our friends at A&E Motorsports in Santa Fe Springs, California, who have done an incredible job and put together a top-notch second-gen. While the original idea was to wrap the exterior temporarily, there’s been a change of plans; instead, we’re going to finesse the body and give it a nice fresh coat of the shiny stuff—all of which we’ll showcase in an upcoming issue.
I’ve had the good fortune of driving a lot of cars over the years, but I’m really looking forward to this one. As you know, F73 is outfitted with all of Detroit Speed’s (DSE) suspension, including the front subframe, coilover shocks, adjustable Panhard rod, through-the-floor subframe connectors, and mini-tubs for the monster 335s out back. I will say, I’ve driven DSE’s second-gen and while it performs like a dedicated track car, the ride is plush and long trips are a nonissue.
I guess I’m just really excited and it’s hard to cover up that fact. This will be the first street car build I’ve been involved with in the past 10 years, the last being a ’78 Malibu. And as much as I enjoy the race car stuff, I’m already appreciating the fact that F73 will be perfectly driveable without having to be towed. That’s been one of the greatest fun factors with our C5 Z06. We drive it everywhere—locally, long distances—and that’s the goal of F73. Does that mean we’re retiring Twitch from any upcoming performance events? Nah, it just means we have to find a way to get both cars out at the same time.
Of course, I can’t leave without asking a question; this time, I’d like to know how you found your project car... or did it find you?