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1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS “Turbo L33” Restomod Puts Down 550 RWHP

The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro in SS specification is all things to all men and women who love cars. This pro-touring restomod, however, is a different kind of animal thanks to the rather unconventional engine it features – an L33 that General Motors used to offer in half-ton pickup trucks.
1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine 51 photos
Photo: Volo Cars
1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS with turbo L33 engine
Also known as Vortec 5300, the aluminum-block engine makes “550 HP at the rear wheels” or 650-plus at the crankshaft thanks to a thumpin’ great turbocharger. 536 pound-feet (727 Nm) of torque is on the menu as well, but numbers alone don't tell the whole story.

The ProCharger intercooler, 44-millimeter wastegate, Alky methanol injection, Holley HP fuel injection, LS7 roller lifters, LS6 intake, ported throttle body, upgraded pushrods, and dual valve springs need to be mentioned as well.

Offered by Volo Cars for $58,998, the Fathom Blue pony car with a Black Houndstooth interior “is fast, corners like a go-kart, stops on a dime, and will still cruise comfortably all day.” A true pro-touring build, if you will.

A custom brake system provides the stopping power with the help of a Wilwood master cylinder, C6 Corvette rotors, billet hubs, and upgraded pads. The underside has also been treated to upper control arms from RideTech, polyurethane bushings, Afco springs, Fox shocks, and a Hotchkis 3.0-inch lowering kit for the rear end.

So far so good, but the build sheet doesn’t stop here, oh no it doesn’t! The 4L80 automatic transmission isn’t bone-stock either, featuring Jake's Performance Stage 2 goodies, a billet triple-disc torque converter from Circle D, and a 3,400 stall.

All of that suck-squeeze-bang-blow is sent to a Strange chromoly driveshaft with custom joints to a Quick Performance 9.0-inch rear end featuring 31-spline axles and 3.25 gears. This ratio provides a good balance between performance and highway driving, exactly what you want to have in a pro-touring pony car.

In addition to the TMI interior that includes contoured seats and molded door panels, this ‘Maro also sports a couple of cup holders. A 3.5-inch screen serves as the finishing touch, allowing the driver to monitor vital engine information.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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