1968 Camaro SS Restomod with Supercharged LT4
1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Owned for the last 12 years and has been through four upgrades with the most recent featuring a $30,000 paint job. Art Morrison front clip with C7 suspension arms with modern suspension geometry (6 degrees of caster) and increased travel adjustable coil-over shocks (all the way around). Rear suspension is a Speedtech 4 bar triangulated rear with R-bars (adjustable angle rod-ends) and frame connectors. Wheels are forged Boze with 255/35/18 up front and 295/35/19 in the rear with Continental Extreme Contact.
14” 6 piston Wilwood brakes up front and 13” 4 piston rear with an CPP adjustable bias double 8” master cylinder. I happen to prefer vacuum assisted brakes, so that’s the way it’s built. Engine is a Connect n Cruise package from GM Performance Supercharged Gen V LT4 engine that puts out over 700 hp and 625 hp to the rear wheels with a tune. Transmission is a Tremec T56 Magnum which is required for the 650+ ft/lbs of torque that the engine creates. Features a Quick-time scatter-shield bellhousing and a Centerforce dual-disc clutch with hydraulic TO bearing. Driveshaft is a 3” aluminum one that connects to a Currie crate 12 bolt rear running 3.73 gears with posi. Theoretical top speed is over 200 mph, but with the coefficient of drag this car has, it probably won’t go over 185 mph, but I’ve never gone over 120mph and that was on the track.
The interior is TMI with my own design featuring houndstooth fabric and adjustable reclining seats. The rear seat has been cut down for the mini-tubs and was custom upholstered to match the front. The console is custom made by my local upholsterer and the floor features German square-weave carpet and floor mats. It also has a 3-point seat belt system.
The front radiator is from Entrophy out of Chicago and features a dual stage fan setup, the second fan doesn’t come on until 221d, but I have a manual override switch to turn it on during traffic. The engine gets hot because the supercharger is turning over 20,000 rpm, it takes several hours for the engine to cool down. The engine cools itself well because the cowl induction hood acts as a heat extractor, rather than a fresh air intake as they were originally designed. I’ve also extended the oil capacity with an additional oil cooler mounted up front, stock capacity is 10 quarts, this one takes 12. There’s also an additional air to water intercooler mounted up front that is a closed self-contained cooling system with a sump. All three systems must be maximized, oil, intercooler and radiator to keep these engines running correctly.
Body and paint were done by Frankfurth Restoration in Sequim and features a bare metal repaint with a PPG base coat/clear coat taking over 500 hours. All the glass was replaced as well as the trim. As a black car it shows every flaw or minor scratch, but as you can see from the pictures it’s almost perfect. The car was never an RS, but I added the correct RS fenders and used the Detroit Speed electronic headlight system so there’s no vacuum control that was used on the 68’s.
The gauge cluster is a Dakota Digital running their BIM 01-2 module that connects to the E92 ECU, most of the signals run through the CANBUS. The fuel system is a Rick’s tank with GM factory in-tank pump (PWM) that utilizes the FPPM (fuel pump pressure module) that connects to a fuel sensor at the tank. The fuel sensor sends a signal through the FPPM and then the ECU determines when to crank up the fuel pressure. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Gen V engines, fuel pressure is about 72 psi at the tank and upwards of 2,700 psi once it gets past the high-pressure pump in the engine which is a run by a 3-lobe rotor off the camshaft, even at idle these engines are running 1,500 psi. With GDI (gasoline direct injection) the fuel injectors are in the combustion chamber, not the intake or plenum.
In addition, this engine features VVT (variable valve timing) so it idles like a docile car, but the cam profile increases with rpm, once you floor it, you’d be going straight. Acceleration is blistering and it still scares the shit out of me once you get past 4,500rpm and hear the whine of the supercharger. It pulls like a freight train and never runs of torque, it’s a spectacular engine, essentially a race motor for the street. A lot of modern ZL1 Camaro guys overdrive the supercharger and you can easily crank it up to 850hp, but it’s more than enough for me.
It has a shift light at 5,800 rpm because the human mind cannot shift fast enough at higher rpms before you hit the rev-limiter at 6,800 rpm. It also has a fuel-disconnect switch on the clutch that helps take the pressure off when you’re shifting. The car has no modern driving aids like stability control, launch or ABS, it’s an old school hot rod done with my take on modern technology. You can drive it as fast as you feel comfortable with, on the track it’s really nice, the Porsche guys don’t like to be passed.
The only thing that has been able to out-run me are modern Superbikes, most everything else I leave in the dust because it has a power to weight ratio of 4.3 pds/hp, compare that to a Hellcat with 840hp which is 5.3 pds/hp. I never built it as a street or drag racer, I built it because I was intrigued with the technology of the LT4 engine and I wanted the best driving Camaro I could design. Everyone who’s ridden in the car says it’s the fastest thing they’ve ever been in. Everyone wants to race you, so it’s hard to be cool and stay off the throttle. It still gets 20 mph gallon when you keep it in overdrive at 70 mph.
If you want a top of the line Gen V Restomod and don’t want to want 2 years and pay 250K, then this car will fit the bill.
For more information or details contact Dave at (206) nine, nine, nine 8138.
- Make: Chevrolet
- Model: Camaro
- Type: Coupe
- Trim: SS
- Doors: 2
- Year: 1968
- Mileage: 10800
- VIN: 124378N319909
- Color: Black
- Engine size: Gen V LT4
- Number of cylinders: 8
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Transmission: Manual
- Drive type: RWD
- Interior color: Black
- Safety options: Back Seat Safety Belts
- Vehicle Title: Clean Want to buy? Contact seller!