For the 1968 model year, the first-generation Camaro received side marker lights on the front and rear fenders, a pointier grille, as well as divided taillights. General Motors had also staggered the rear shock absorber mounts to subdue wheel hop, and high-performance trims were improved by replacing the mono-leaf rear springs with multi-leaf units.
On the suck-squeeze-bang-blow front, General Motors had finally added the Z28 in the sales brochure whereas the COPO program made the Camaro a true strip-slaying car with the addition of the 427 big-block V8 motor.
The car we’ll be covering today stands above the Z28 and the ultra-collectible COPO for three reasons: modern power, improved handling characteristics, and uniqueness. Assembled in California at the Van Nuys factory that closed in 1992, chassis number 124378L334835 is rocking a fuel-injected LS3 stroked to 416 cubic inches (6.8 liters) of displacement.
One of the most celebrated designs from the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit, the small-block engine is no junkyard salvage. Starting with an Edelbrock E-Force supercharging kit, the list of improvements beggars belief. Intercooled for good measure, this mill also boasts Oliver rods, JE pistons, CNC ported cylinder heads, a Callies crankshaft, Comp Cams lifters, valve springs, retainers, upgraded fuel injectors, and many more.
Rated on the dyno at 680 horsepower and 710 pound-feet (963 Nm) with 93-octane fuel, the LS3 is capable of 788 horsepower and 812 pound-feet (1,101 Nm) on E85 flex fuel. The latter numbers would make a brand-new Shelby GT500 blush with admiration, and the fury hiding under the hood is harnessed by a Tremec T56 Magnum connected to a Moser 12-bolt axle.
The beefy rear end is complemented by an Eaton TrueTrac 3.73:1 positraction differential and 33-spline axles. The Centerforce twin-disc hydraulic clutch has to be mentioned as well, along with Ring Brothers billet hinges for the hood and Anvil Auto carbon-fiber inner fenders and close-out panels. Repainted in red in 2015 under previous ownership, the Camaro sweetens the deal with a cowl hood, black stripes, a carbon-fiber spoiler up front, LED taillamps, a satin-black tail panel, and hideaway headlights.
Currently riding on 18-inch wheels mounted with Pirelli P-Zero Rosso steamrollers, the muscled-up restomod combines a Detroit Speed subframe up front with Ridetech four-link rear suspension. Coil-over shocks on both ends help the car in the corners while braking power comes courtesy of six- and four-piston Wilwood units that squeeze drilled and slotted rotors.
The interior is a sight to behold in its own right thanks to a fifth-generation Camaro ZL1 dashboard gifted with Dakota Digital instrumentation. The digital odometer currently indicates 1,840 miles (2,961 kilometers) of which the selling dealer has added just around 220 miles (354 kilometers).
Listed on Bring a Trailer with two days of bidding left on the ticker, the one-of-one 1968 Camaro stands on a high bid of $85,000 right now.
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. Full profile
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