A little history on this car…79 Camaro.
I came home after school one day, and this car was sitting on the lawn. My dad drove by it for sale (locally), and decided he wanted it. It was bone stock besides a shift kit, and due to that, the 130HP 305 would ‘spin’ the tires on the 1-2 shift (60mph) in the dry, and the 2-3 shift (90ish) when it was raining. Of course, being young and dumber than I am now, my friends and I had to verify that each time that it was driven.
I built the original replacement (another 305) for this as my senior project in high school. I joined the military shortly afterwards, and my father continued to tinker with the car. The 305 was removed, and the current 406 (actual small block 400 for those non-Chevy guys, fairly ‘rare’, all things considered) was machined by our builder (same guy that I had do Ray’s Supra), and assembled/installed by my dad. It made mid 450’s on the engine dyno, and over 500 lb/ft tq as I recall. Saunders Transmission did us up a TH350 too.
Right around this time I got out of the military and had some free time. Even back then (2002), trap speed was my primary focus, so we brought it to the track on the street tires. First pass was 13.xx@108 I think. Some dude felt for bad for us that he let us borrow some slicks, lol, and I think we went high 12’s.
Over the next few years, we purchased a slick/skinny package for the car, and I bought him a nitrous kit for fathers day (2005 I think) and that went on too. As the WOT list says, the car’s best time to date is a 11.2@123. For the last several years, the car has pretty much just sat, and we’ve said we’d tune it up ‘next year’.
Well, many ‘next years’ came and passed. Without getting too personal, it’s really hit home that ‘next year’, in regards to family, may never come. Over the last few weeks, I’ve shifted getting this car ready into overdrive, and the goal is to get it to Napierville before the season ends.
The goal-run a 10.99 (or faster) before the season ends. I see it as a realistic goal. The suspension has always been overlooked, and as the upcoming pictures show, it’s been removed, awaiting the new parts. The 60’ was always mediocre at best (1.6s as I recall). As you drag guys know, if we cut a 1/10th off of that, that’s 2 tenths on the big end. Combined with the suspension upgrades ( Caltracs drag shocks and springs, car already had traction bars which will have to be ‘good enough’ until funds allow for the Caltracs ones), I think the much cooler temps and wideband tuning of the nitrous will get us pretty close.
Anyway, here it is. Yes, it’s very, very dirty. It’s in desperate need of polish/wax/general cleanup. A halfass cleanup will happen before it leaves the property, lol.
He’s 79 ( my dad), and he likes SS emblems. I’m not going to stop him, and no one else will either, ha.
Interior. It’s in REALLY good shape, but obviously needs cleaning.
Engine. Needs cleaned BADLY. Lance, you’ll get the headers at some point. Carb is on the way back from it’s freshening up.
Trunk
Hope you guys enjoyed the read. In the end, the # it runs, or does not run, does not matter. It’s all about spending quality time with family. Enjoy it while you still can everyone.
-T