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From Stocker to Rocker
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Using modern bolt-in performance components to restore a classic Camaro's hot rod heritage
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Story and Photos by Brian Wood |
With the New Year now upon us, “Project Muscle” is on the verge of getting underway in earnest. In addition to commitments we previously had from a number of leading performance industry companies, even more have now stepped up to the plate, promising to make our “plain Jane” second-generation F-body one fine machine once the work is complete.
The great part of all this is that everything we're doing to transform the car calls for the use of off-the-shelf, bolt-in components. This, of course, is the focus of the project. Not everyone has the time or the talent to rebuild an engine, transmission or rear-end on their own, and buying the parts and hiring someone to do the work can quickly run into a whole lot of money. These days, however, thanks to some innovative engineering and production on behalf of a number of performance industry leaders, crate engines and numerous other bolt-in components make upgrading a vehicle for hot street and strip use a relatively painless, and very effective, way to go. A perfect example of this is the powerhouse ZZ383/425 small block crate engine that GM Performance Parts is supplying for our project.
Equipped with GM's legendary Fast Burn cylinder heads, the factory “stroker” motor's 383 cubic inches delivers big block-like numbers of 425-horsepower at 5400 RPM and 460 ft-lb of torque at 4500 RPM. According to GMPP literature, “The excellent air handling and combustion characteristics of the Fast Burn cylinder heads, combined with the ZZ383/425's 3.800" stroke, make this engine the benchmark against which all other 383-inch small blocks should be measured. And it's tough, too - the 4340 nitrided and induction-hardened crank and unique forged PM rods see to that. And, of course, it has the Fast Burn head's lightweight stainless steel valves and retainers for reliable performance at extended RPM. The ZZ383/425 gets a stout .509/.528 lift steel roller camshaft with 222/230 duration at .050 lift. Hydraulic roller lifters and GM's time-tested 1.5 to 1 roller rocker arms round out the valve train. The 9.7 to 1 compression ratio ensures that the ZZ383/425 is 92-octane pump-gas friendly.”
We will be topping our engine with a GM aluminum Eliminator Vortec high-rise intake and a trick carburetor from the “World's Fastest Carburetor Shop,” Pro-Systems, of Spring Lake , Michigan . We determined early on that an engine combination such as this would require a 4150-style carburetor. However, after talking to Patrick James at Pro-Systems, he determined we could get all the power of a Dominator out of a 4150 series carburetor by building a unit with their Dominator boosters and metering system. Patrick says the great thing about mixing these two carburetor concepts is simple - the 4150 now thinks it's a Dominator at wide open throttle, yet it retains the drivability of a 4150 carburetor. It's the best of both worlds, and we are sure looking forward to bolting this beauty on!
In addition, engine scavenging will be provided by a slick set of headers from Hedman Hedders, which have been ceramic coated inside and out by Performance Coatings, Inc. A complete 2 1/2” exhaust system from Flowmaster will insure that the exhaust efficiently escapes out the pipes while making some sweet V-8 music in the process.
Moroso Performance Products, of Guilford, Connecticut, will be providing most of the other associated engine components required, including performance plug wires, custom oil pan, fabricated valve covers, water pump, billet pulleys, chrome dress-up parts, and much, much more. Another great piece of bolt-in technology will be coming from the folks at Moser Engineering, of Portland , Indiana . They will be providing us with one of their complete 12-bolt housings, with custom alloy axles, wheel bearings, wheel studs, retainer plates, 30-spline Eaton Posi, 3:73 Pro Street gears, 1350 series pinion yoke, chrome cover and assembly. Racers and builders who have used these bolt-in units in the past are very enthusiastic about their ease of installation, not to mention their toughness and durability, so this will be a great addition to our street and strip brawler.
Getting all that power from the front to the back will be taken care of thanks to J.W. Performance Transmissions, of Rockledge , Florida , who have agreed to provide us with one of their super-tough TH 350 transmissions and an appropriate torque converter. In the suspension department, we'll be calling on Moroso once again, this time through their Competition Engineering division. We hope to utilize many of the components from their Stage One chassis package, which is designed for “street performance and mild bracket cars.” Plans call for the use of their frame stiffeners, adjustable shocks, engine and tranny mounts. In addition, we will be installing a pair of their revolutionary new Slide-A-Link traction devices. These bolt-on units offer the adjustability of a 4-link system and are a vast improvement over traditional “slapper bars.”
The last link in the power chain is where “the rubber meets the road,” as they say, and we've got that covered, too. A set of sticky Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tires will more than handle our traction requirements, and if all goes well, they'll be mounted on a set of aluminum Weld Pro Star wheels.
In the cockpit, a Sport-Comp Playback tachometer and a trio of Ultra-Lite gauges from Auto Meter will monitor all critical operations. Also, already installed between the buckets, thanks to Hurst and the Mr. Gasket Company, is a V-matic 2 shifter. This super-tough unit offers two modes of operation – in-line for daily driving and ratchet action for trips down the ‘strip. The trigger-operated reverse lock-out is approved for competition by both the NHRA and IHRA. It features the look of a manual shifter with its black rubber boot and great hand-filling brushed aluminum t-handle. Another new addition to the project is an outstanding steel cowl induction hood, courtesy of Goodmark Industries in Lawrenceville , Georgia . These folks make the finest steel aftermarket hoods in the game, bar none, and we're thrilled to add one to our Camaro, both for its great looks and to gain required clearance for the high-rise intake, carb and air cleaner. To top everything off, the crew at Illusions Custom Paint and Airbrush, in Bristol , Tennessee , has agreed to shoot the new paint on the car, which is an exciting prospect all on its own, based on the outstanding work that Allen and Mark Adkins, along with artist Mark brown, have turned out over the years. They have painted some of the best-looking hot rods and motorcycles ever seen, including a number of IHRA and NHRA Pro Stock, Top Sportsman, Pro Mod and Pro Stock Bike entries.
Over the course of the next month or so, Annette and Vernon Summer will be working to bring our dream car to reality. Annette, a Pro Street World Champion and Pro Modified competitor, and Vernon , a former Pro Stock driver and crew chief for the legendary “Dyno” Don Nicholson, will be transforming our plain vanilla F-body at their United Automotive and Performance Center operation in Aiken , South Carolina . From a dream and some wishful thinking a few months back, the “Project Muscle” Camaro project has really taken off, thanks to the generosity and support of a number of outstanding individuals and companies. By the time this report goes on-line, a number of the components will have been shipped to Annette and Vernon , and the work will soon get underway.
The February issue of CompetitionPlus.com will be jammed full of photos and detailed descriptions of each step of the rebuild. Remember, it's our goal to show how the average performance enthusiast can buy and install the kind of tough, top quality components that were only available to those willing to tackle the building on their own in years gone by. We're just about ready to start turning wrenches, so follow along as we bring this classic hot rod back to the performance status it truly deserves, as a born-again muscle car worthy of the name and the heritage of the great factory cars of the “golden age.” The best of the second generation Camaro clan was the 1970 Z28, with its 360-horsepower, 350-ci powerplant. With a four-speed transmission and 3:73 gear, it ran a best in the quarter-mile of 14.5-seconds at 100-mph during tests by Motor Trend magazine. With an automatic and 3:42 gear, the same engine combination produced a top mark 15.4 at 94. With modern engine and suspension technology and stickier tires, we aim to better these factory results by a considerable margin, hopefully dipping into the 12-second zone if all goes well. Stay tuned!
For details on all components included in Project Muscle, check out the ads in CompetitionPlus, or log on to the following websites: GM Performance Parts – www.gmgoodwrench.com Moser Engineering – www.moserengineering.com J.W. Performance Transmissions - www.auto2000.com/jw Auto Meter – www.autometer.com Flowmaster – www.flowmastermufflers.com Precision Coatings – www.headercoatings.com Moroso – www.moroso.com Competition Engineering – www.competitionengineering.com Pro-Systems – www.pro-system.com Mickey Thompson – www.mickeythompsontires.com Hurst/Mr. Gasket – www.mrgasket.com Goodmark Industries – www.goodmarkindustries.com Illusions Custom Paint and Airbrush – www.koolpaint.com
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