Brian Schamber of Lancaster, California, has always been fascinated by how things work. He says it started with toys when he was growing up and progressed into, well, bigger toys, like bicycles, dirt bikes and eventually cars. According to him, “The more I learned, the more I wanted to know.” He (and his ride) sounds like the appropriate subject for this tech-themed, DIY issue.
The story of this ’67 Camaro RS/SS started when Brian’s parents decided to buy the car when he was only 11 years old. The vehicle was certainly not purchased pristine and ready to show. In fact, it had to be completely disassembled and it took multiple trips to get all of the pieces home. With that hurdle cleared, the challenge of turning a pile of parts into a drivable car still remained. But it put him on the path to where (and, in part, who) he is today.
The system is complemented superbly by nice upholstery by Velvet Touch.
Of course, our Camaro owner has had some help along the way. He took his ride to House of Customs in his hometown for the body and paint work. The crew there added the cool Copperhead Metallic color and shaved and smoothed the firewall.
For the audio system he went to Meece Car Audio they did a little more than a simple installation. The owner of the shop, Jeff Meece, made sure Brian got plenty of sound so the latter could still hear his music even with the engine growling. The front has two pairs of JL Audio C5 650 components, but the highlight visually and sonically is the pair of JL Audio 10w6v2 subwoofers powered by JL Audio’s HD750/1 amps. The four-channel HD600/4 handles the tweeters and mids. The signal source is a Kenwood DDX896 double-DIN head unit, mounted at the top of the custom center console. Two Optima Red Top batteries make sure there’s enough juice for the jams. The system is complemented superbly by nice upholstery by Velvet Touch. The front seats are Pro Car Rally; you’ll find a reworked original seat in the back.
Engine builder Billy Cooper was responsible for the final assembly of the 454 motor with B&M 420 Megablower and Edelbrock Performer Heads
The speakers can get loud, but not quite like the engine. Engine builder Billy Cooper was responsible for the final assembly of the 454 motor with B&M 420 Megablower and Edelbrock Performer heads. The rest of the performance mods consist of two Holley 850 double pumpers, Harland Sharp roller rockers and MSD distributor and ignition control. The Camaro also has a BeCool Radiator with dual 13-inch electric fans and built-in trans cooler.
Brian went with Weld Racing Pro Star wheels, 15 x 7-inch for the front and 15 x 9-inch for the rear. These are wrapped in BFG Radials. QA1 coil-overs with 2-inch drop spindles and Hotchkis leaf springs with QA1 shocks (1.5 inches lower) take care of the suspension. SSBC front and rear disc brakes supply the stopping power.
The highlight visually and sonically is the pair of JL Audio 10w6v2 subwoofers.
Somehow we have the feeling the work’s not done. Given his love for customizing his toys, we wouldn’t be surprised if Brian were to disassemble and transform his ’67 Camaro again. With all of the aggressive sounds from the motor and audio system he might need a quieter car to save his ears!
Text by Ben Oh • Photos by Jimmy Crook and Gus Rivera
When we left you last, Stella was finally on the road and ready to shred her new Nitto tires. The engine is complete and in the break-in process. A few hundred miles of fluid movement and dust shaking revealed a couple simple issues that needed to be addressed. Loosening exhaust bolts and new rattle noises always pop up, but nothing that a day on the lift and some turns of a wrench can’t fix.
Once the break-in period is done, we will swap out the transmission fluid with a Syncromesh liquid and she will be ready to daily drive. During that process we took the opportunity to prep and paint our new metal panels. We wanted the truck to look the part, so along with the rumble from the exhaust, a cowl hood is an absolute necessity.
Removing the rear bumper is a must-do modification as well if you’re going for the true sport truck look. The all-metal roll pan from AVS on the Web fits perfect and can be temporarily bolted in while we wait for our turn in the paint booth. Finally, a new tailgate from LMC Truck will replace the beat-up factory piece. With all the new parts painted and installed, we will coat the bed floor with a DIY bedliner kit. This is going to be an amazing truck when it’s all complete, but for now we have some work to do. Stick around and follow along!
[divider]SOURCES[/divider]
Auto Metal Direct
www.autometaldirect.com
Automotive Touchup Paint
www.automotivetouchup.com
AVS on the Web
www.avsontheweb.com
Eddie Motorsports
www.eddiemotorsports.com
LMC Truck
www.lmctruck.com
Optima Batteries
www.optimabatteries.com/en-us