Member Spotlight

1968 CAMARO CONVERTIBLE

Intakes and Keepsakes

My love of the camaro definitely started when I met my wife. It was her father's car and his dad's originally. My wife and I bought the camaro the fall of 2016 from my mother in law after my father in law passed. She didn't have much interest in the car and my wife understood the importance of the car. I did find some cool stuff when I removed the interior, including an old love letter from the 70s from one of my wife's aunts who daily drove the car to college.

The car mostly looks the same now as is did then. I had a new convertible top installed. The car was an original 327 and my father in law crudely cut a large hole in the hood for a tunnel ram dual quad setup. He liked to party so I put a small cowl hood on the car.

Making the car a bit more modern first involved upgrading the tunnel ram setup to a holley sniper efi setup that vastly improved startup and overall everything. Eventually the 327 ate a intake cam lobe that turned into broken valve springs it was decided an LS was the route it was going. The LS is controlled via a holley terminator x max and drive by wire throttle body. There is also a 7" digital dash that replaced the non functional gauge cluster. More updates to come.

I don't think we will even repaint the car. My wife is adamant she doesn't want to change. I will likely put a new set of wheels and tires on to change the current appearance and fit some disc brakes but nothing to take away how she remembers it. The camaro has shaped up to be the family car but I really enjoy my chevelle and lately my 88 dually with a cummins swap.

Builder Q&A

What motivates you to build?

Motivation has lately been driven by my kids. I want to enjoy these projects with them. I grew up with stories like these and enjoyed them very much. My hope is they will make similar memories.

What's your background with working on vehicles?

My back ground is pretty much as far back as I can remember hanging out in the garage with my father and some of his friends wrenching on cars/truck/boats pretty much anything mechanical. My dad was a mechanic by trade and out of necessity being the only son out of five kids who grew up on a dairy farm. I always tagged along and watched him on so many projects.

What needs to be done to it still?

I'm waiting to install tubular control arms and disc brakes. Very likely in the fall it's going to get a LSA supercharger off my chevelle when that car gets an upgrade. Also some much needed attention to the rear axle.

Best advice for anyone looking to build their dream car?

Find something you like a make every attempt to surround yourself with knowledgeable people. Don't worry about trying something new. Those are some of the best learning lessons. The car culture has changed but there are some incredible people to learn and draw inspiration from. Just see it through.