1968 Camaro Tears it up at The Drag Strip With 2,400 HP

Problem Solver

Remember when Pro Street ruled the world of custom automobiles? The bodacious style wasn't without its faults, however. Oftentimes, these builds barely had enough power to turn their massive rear tires, which pretty much defeats the purpose. But in the case of Marc Lamude's '68 Camaro that was recently profiled at Hot Rod, that's not really a problem at all.   

Photos: Hot Rod

Suitable Candidate

Lamude may live over in England, but he's long been obsessed with American muscle. And eventually, he got his hands on his dream car - a '68 Camaro. Since these aren't exactly common in the U.K., he turned to the states to find one. And find one he did, a roller owned by Taylor Engines in Diamond Bar, California.

Wild Yet Tame

Lamond wanted to transform his Camaro into a proper street monster, something he could drive on rare rain-free English days. But he also wanted something that was mild enough in terms of driving dynamics to provide a pleasant experience. Thus, the basis of his engine was a 400 cubic-inch small-block topped with SB2.2 race heads and a pair of Precision turbos.

Dream Realized

Thanks to modern technology, that dream is now possible. MoTeC EFI and the right tune provide quite a pleasant driving experience, actually. As you'd imagine, all of the internals are forged, and the roller cam features a mild lift. And there's plenty to keep the turbo'd mill cool during those fair-weather drives, including dual air-to-air intercoolers and Pro Alloy radiators.

No Sleeper

Make no mistake, however, this Camaro is still a wolf in wolf's clothing. It looks more like a race car than a street car, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just that Lamude won't exactly be catching anyone by surprise. But with 2,400 horsepower on tap, he doesn't really need to.

Handling the Power

The beastly small block sends power back through a beefy TH400 transmission, which is equipped with a 4,500 rpm stall converter. That drivetrain sits in a custom tube chassis, with a 9-inch rear and Moser 40-spline axles. The rear suspension is a four-link with  Strange Engineering double-adjustable coilovers and four-piston billet disc brakes.

New But Old

Keeping with the race car theme, the exterior of this Camaro may look like it's of a late 60's vintage, but it's really not. In fact, Lamude made the doors, decklid, hood, and front clip from fiberglass in the comfort of his own shop. He also concocted the wing and rear bumper before laying down some highly attractive shades of paint.

Business Inside

The interior of this wild ride is equally all business, with a removable Momo steering wheel, racing seat, five-point harness, and parachute release lever. The dash and instrumentation are from MoTeC, while Precision Performance Products provided the Kwik Shift 1 shifter.

Bites Back

Altogether, it took Lamude two years to see his dream come to fruition. But needless to say, all of his patience and hard work obviously paid off. After all, if you're a fan of Pro Street builds, we can confidently say that this might just be the nicest one we've ever personally laid eyes on. Not to mention the fact that it has the bark to match its bite.

Photos: Hot Rod

>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Camaro right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!

For help with the service of your car, check out the how-to section of LS1Tech.com