Vehicle Description
This 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Restomod is the kind of vintage beauty
we'd all love to build given the time and money to do it right.
With a powerful fuel-injected 6.0L LS V8 under the hood that's
ready to brawl, along with all high-end desirables like a slick A/C
interior and a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission, it combines the
look and feel of a legendary F-body with an up-to-date driving
experience that makes it a fantastic cruiser.
That bright Pearl White paint isn't what this Camaro was born with
(Ash Gold was the original shade), but there's no denying that the
change was an upgrade, because when this car shows up, it gets
everyone's undivided attention. Punctuated with an SS-style hood,
RS-spec hidden headlights, a black 'bumble bee' stripe around the
nose and a slick black vinyl top on the roof, it looks clean and
sleek with HUGE curb appeal. Paint and bodywork are very well done,
with straight, clean sheetmetal and a great gloss on the
basecoat/clearcoat paint that shows very little signs of use. Panel
gaps are great as well and the doors latch effortlessly, indicative
of not only quality bodywork, but a car that hasn't been abused
through the years. The White paint is uniformly shiny, with only
very minor imperfections and touch-ups to speak of, and the way our
lights bounce off the Pearl White panels is just a small preview of
how nice this top driver-quality finish looks in person. For any
Camaro, adding a chin spoiler and the ever-popular ducktail on the
back should be a no-brainer because the car looks naked without
them and flat-out awesome with them. All the stainless has been
polished, the chrome looks fresh, and you'll note that the badges
on the fenders read 'LSX', which is a cool tip of the hat to the
original design while advising potential competitors that this
Camaro packs a little something extra under the hood.
Inside, the white-and-black Houndstooth interior is beautifully
done and at a quick glance it looks like it mostly sticks to the
factory Camaro look. The Houndstooth seat covers closely reproduce
the original upholstery on the buckets up front and bench seat in
the rear, and all the supporting parts like the door panels and
headliner are in excellent shape, showing practically no signs of
use. Black carpets offer the correct weave and pile, are protected
with matching black floor mats, and the dashboard was fully
restored and includes a thick pad, fresh white paint, and wood
applique that really warms things up inside. The factory gauges
were replaced with a set of bright Dakota Digital units ahead of
the driver, and they're much sharper than anything from '68, while
the Rally pack gauge cluster inside the middle console are filled
with white-faced auxiliary units that cover all the engine's
vitals. A 3-spoke steering wheel with a black rim feels great in
your hands and works in concert with the chrome Hurst shifter to
give the car a much more modern feel from the driver's seat. An
upgraded A/C system uses the original eyeball vents to blow ice
cold air into the cabin, and the factory center console features
the same wood accents found on the dash and houses a Hurst shifter
topped with a cue ball that controls the 6-speed underneath. An
updated retro-style stereo lives in the dash, but after you hear
the way the fantastic engine sounds, you'll very rarely use it. Out
back, the spacious trunk was finished with matching black carpets,
and with details like this, you know nothing was overlooked during
this restoration.
Pop the hood and it's quickly obvious that the big money was spent
under the skin. Powering this restomod is a 6.0L LQ9 LS V8 motor
swapped-in from a 2001 Chevrolet that's running incredibly strong,
further augmented with an LSX drive-set, LS6 cold-air intake, and
block-hugging, coated long-tube headers. With a Dyno pull in 2019
netting a peak read of 403HP and 415 lb-ft of torque, there's
plenty of pop, and because this is modern motor the power is
delivered instantly to the wheels. It's also been dressed for show
with a custom motor cover and plenty of chrome and polished
materials throughout, so there's plenty of shine to back up all
that power. Modern electrics, wiring, and plumbing means that it's
dependable, the serpentine belt set-up helps the Camaro crank right
on cue, while a big aluminum radiator means no worries when you're
sitting in traffic. The quick-shifting transmission is a Tremec
6-speed manual spinning a custom driveshaft and heavy-duty 12-inch
rear end, all framed by a beautifully finished undercarriage that
features a snarky Magnaflow X-pipe dual exhaust system. An upgraded
suspension gives it vastly improved handling, power steering and
power 4-wheel disc brakes easily tackle the modern streets, and a
set of flashy staggered US Mag wheels (17-inch front; 18-inch rear)
wearing performance tires round out the extensive list of
modifications.
Sadly, we don't have enough room here to fully describe this
amazing Camaro and all its mods, but suffice to say there's no
question where the build cost comes from. Fortunately, to get all
the details all you have to do is call!
