1967 LT1 Pro Touring Home Built Hot Rod Camaro

Quit Your Day Job

For most car builders, their profession starts out as nothing more than a side hobby. This was certainly the case with Justin Smith, who started building cars for customers on nights and weekends while holding down a full-time job. But judging by his latest creation, this gorgeous '67 Camaro recently featured at Super Chevy, maybe he should quit his day job after all.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.

High Tech

Being a computer engineer by trade, Smith is naturally drawn to the high-tech end of things. But his taste in cars also leans toward the classics. This isn't his first dabbling with a first-gen Camaro, in fact.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Pro Detail

His last '67 was a pro touring machine powered by an LS2 that featured all sorts of touchscreens and high-tech components. Couple that with attention to detail normally reserved for high-end shops, and you've got some impressive output.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Man with the Plan

Smith's latest creation was built for a fellow tech geek, a computer coder named John Laderer. Appropriately enough, they named the Camaro "Bad Code." And the next step, after that, was to come up with a plan for this build.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Natural Choice

“John wanted a black ’67 Camaro with a modern chassis and drivetrain,” Smith explained to Hot Rod. “The Gen V LT1 was a very new engine when we started this project in 2014, so it seemed like a natural choice. We made custom headers and motor mounts to get it to fit.”

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Modern Ride

Quite a bit of work also went into the suspension to bring it up to modern standards. A CA Chassisworks front clip is fitted with tubular control arms and a beefy sway bar. The rear setup is all custom, and the whole thing rides on VariShock air springs and shocks for ease of adjustment.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Almost Fully Custom

Inside, the theme of the interior is all-business yet attractive. The front seats come from a BMW M3, the A/C from Restomod. Most everything else, from the center console to the dash, was custom made.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Subtle Changes

That theme extends to the body, which has been treated to a host of mods yet still looks like a '67 Camaro. And its solid black paint job only helps accentuate those changes.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Custom Flair

"We knew we wanted to add some custom touches, so we matched an RS front end with stock taillight assemblies," Smith explains. "The hood vents are close to original but modified to stand out more. The grille is custom, and the lower valance has been modified to fit ’69 Camaro lights. To clean things up, the windows were flush-fit and the bumpers have been custom fitted to the body.”

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

Home-Grown Talent

Since this killer Camaro was completed, the owner has logged thousands of reliable miles on it. And won a few awards in the process. And if nothing else, that's just another testament to Smith's incredible, home-grown talent.

Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy. 

>>Join the conversation about this 1967 LT1 Camaro right here in LS1Tech.

For help with your repair and maintenance projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.