Two years after the first-ever Ford Mustang rolled out, General Motors caught up with the original pony car with the Chevrolet Camaro. And the wait was worth it considering the performance chops of the SS, Z/28, and the COPO 427 twins from the 1969 model year. However, this ‘Maro here is a little bit different under the skin.
The RS badge on the front grille stands for the appearance package that includes hidden headlights, but as opposed to the bone-stock pony, the Texaco Camaro from DuSold Designs rocks a supercharged V8 and a Trans Am throwback look that beggars belief.
Over the period-correct white paintwork, the pony-turned-muscle car is treated to red and black decals as well as Texaco branding as a tribute to the oil company’s involvement in motorsport. “Okay, right, now tell me more about that engine, will you?”
Not to be confused with the flat-plane crankshaft V8 of the Corvette Racing C8.R mid-engine land missile, the LT5 is a crate engine that also happens to be shared with the C7 Corvette ZR1. Thanks to the thumpin’ great blower on top of the motor, Chevy promises 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque (765 PS and 969 Nm).
Given this level of suck-squeeze-bang-blow in such an old automobile, DuSold Designs has also strengthened the chassis and upgraded the suspension of the Texaco Camaro. The Detroit Speed subframe is one of those mods, and as you can tell, the Forgeline CR3 wheels are wrapped in BF Goodrich Rival extreme performance summer tires.
Stopping power comes courtesy of Wilwood six-pot brakes, and opening the driver’s door reveals a steering wheel from MOMO as well as a digital instrument cluster in the guise of the MOTEC C1212. Available as a standalone part for the princely price of 3,850 bucks, the C1212 features a 12-inch diagonal and an anti-reflective screen.
Described as “more than just another 1969 Camaro” by its makers, this fellow here is restomodding done right by all accounts.
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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