I’m not sure when it first started happening, but my admiration for the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro has been on the decline. I always respected them, on paper, because GM did try to swing for the fences while taking on the original Mustang.
As such, early Camaro specs didn’t mess around when it came to performance, with plenty of capable V8 options to choose from. Sure, there was the incredible COPO Camaro, or the SS 396, but there were plenty of other good engines too, like the 302 and the 350 ci V8s.
The only issue, as far as I’m concerned, is the styling. This is not a bad-looking car by any means, but the design is very… non-threatening, which isn’t an ideal look for a muscle car.
One way to circumvent this, at least for buyers nowadays, is to opt for a restomodded Camaro, which thankfully aren’t rare or anything, so odds are you’ll be able to find a really nice one, depending on budget.
The one we’re showing you today certainly fits the bill, and the reason it won’t come cheap is quite evident.
This is a 1969 model year car, powered by a 7.0-liter LS7 V8 engine, much like the one you would have found on a sixth-generation Corvette Z06 or a fifth-generation Camaro Z/28. However, this particular power unit also happens to be wearing a liquid cooled Kenne Bell supercharger, to go with its LS3 cylinder heads, 102 mm throttle body, tubular headers and custom exhaust.
The results are spectacular. Based on a dyno sheet provided by the seller, this car is putting down 820 horsepower and 709 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, which means that crank horsepower would be somewhere north of 900 hp. All that muscle is going straight to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, working alongside a Ford 9” rear end with 3.70:1 gearing.
In terms of exterior highlights, you’ve got the stinger-style hood, a red center stripe, retractable headlights, a rear spoiler, chrome bumpers, and a set of 18/20” Schott wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber. These bad boys measure 335/30 at the rear – thicc stuff.
Meanwhile, suspension components include a four-link setup with adjustable coilovers, plus a Detroit Speed subframe. Finally, this Camaro also comes with power steering and Wilwood four-wheel power-assisted brakes.
As for the interior, you get red leather front bucket seats and individual rear seats, a full-length center console with a Pioneer head unit, Vintage Air climate control system, a red-trimmed steering wheel, auxiliary gauges, plus a custom-fabricated dashboard, which looks tremendous – if you like this type of retro design, that is.
Overall, this may not be the absolute best restomodded first-gen Camaro we’ve ever seen, but it’s up there with some of the nicest ones. It’s certainly interesting and well thought out.