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Long-Lost Friend's 1967 Chevy Camaro RS/SS Build Is Wholly Stunning

I remember watching Mel Gibson in the original Mad Max movie and thinking the writers had amazing but somewhat whacked-out creative minds. One constant playing out in the film was the need for the film's villains to forage and pillage for gasoline to fuel their hot rods. The idea that gasoline would no longer be a plentiful and affordable commodity was preposterous... at the time.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS 35 photos
Photo: blueshift_camaro Instagram
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS
The time has come to think about gasoline being a finite resource. America has not built a significant refinery on U.S. soil since 1977, political decisions to stem the flow of domestic oil have been implemented, and the rallying cry to buy electric cars has grown louder, and consumers are listening.

I am not a fan of electric cars. The closest I have or will ever come to 'plugging in' an automobile came years ago when I visited Williston, North Dakota, in February. I landed in Minot and rented a car for the 120-mile drive (193 km) to my hotel in Williston. Before leaving the rental car counter, the agent advised me to remember to 'plug in' at night. I had no idea what she was referring to until the next morning when I tried starting the car to make my appointment.

Unbeknownst to an Arizona boy, temperatures go to such extremes in North Dakota causing the engine's oil to literally freeze in the pan; it was that cold! Apparently, that plug protruding from the front grille was used to power the engine heater to keep the oil from freezing.

That brings me to the muscle cars of the 1960s. What an amazing period in American automotive history! The Mustangs, Camaros, and Chargers of that decade still attract admirers from multiple generations, young and old. Dodge and Ford recently announced the death of ICE-powered muscle cars in their companies, and others will soon follow. So, when I get the opportunity to write about a muscle car in whatever context, I seize the moment.

1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS
Photo: blueshift_Camaro Instagram
That brings me to an absolutely stunning 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS build courtesy of a long-lost friend of mine. That last time I saw Bill was in the mid-80s when we were cruising a shopping mall parking lot in his mother's Chevy Citation blaring Scorpions... Good times! Life has taken us on divergent paths, but I am thrilled he held onto his love of muscle cars as the proud owner of his classic Camaro.

Bill told me he bought the true RS/SS Camaro for $13,000 in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, and began a rebuild that spanned three years. The advertised 'ready for paint' car looked as though, in Bill's words, “had been in a war zone.” The bodywork alone took seven months and involved replacing 80% of the sheet metal.

The original 350 powerplant was replaced by a 6.2-liter Blueprint Motors LS3, producing 550 horsepower (558 PS) and 525 lb-ft (712 Nm) of torque. Holley conversion plates add to the unique appearance of the engine by hiding the wiring and plumbing of the body color LS3. Power is transferred through a dual-disc McLeod clutch to the 12-bolt rear end via a Tremec T-56 6-speed tranny. The motor also features CVF accessory drive serpentine setup and chromed headers.

The tidy interior was created by TMI Products with Madrid black leather, suede black, and blue body-matching stitching on the seats, door panels, console, and dash pad. Bill custom-made a carbon fiber dash panel that houses Dakota Digital gauges and custom billet switches for exhaust cut-outs, trunk release, electron parking brake, and interior lighting. The car has proximity sensing security, push-button starting systems, and LED lighting throughout.

1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS
Photo: blueshift_Camaro Instagram
After a year-long search for the perfect blue, they decided on the Still Night hue. Charly's Garage in Mesa, Arizona, topped off the radiant tone with a pearl blue topcoat that causes the blue to explode in sunlight.

The car is dubbed “Blueshift- 'the displacement of the spectrum to shorter wavelengths in the light coming from distant celestial objects moving toward the observer.'

Bill says, “In layman’s terms, this means something is coming up on you very quickly and is about to blow your doors off!”

Bill credits his wife Laura for her input and support; the original plan was to restore the '67 as a daily driver; Laura enjoys the vent windows of that model year, but plans to customize were implemented based on the condition of the car. Bill also mentioned the role the appreciation of Amazon stock played in the $200,000 build.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS
Photo: blueshift_Camaro Instagram
On all four corners Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 rubber hit the road mounted on Ridler rims supported by all-new and updated components front and narrowed rear suspensions. Braking ability is handled by 13-inch (33 cm) Baer Track 4 up front and SS4+ out back. To help drown out the roar of the motor, the couple outfitted the TMI upholstered trunk with a Kicker subwoofer and Infinity speakers powered by a Kenwood amplifier wired to a RetroSound stereo deck.

I am thrilled for Bill and Laura on their amazing final product and equally thrilled to reconnect with Bill.
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