Daily Slideshow: If a Corvette, Camaro, and a Firebird Had a Child

The Cambird Z06

Although the 3rd Gen Camaro and Firebird don't have the best reputation in terms of quality and reliability, you can't deny that they are captivating cars to see on the road. These cars are easily recognizable and have been featured many times in media productions like the Knight Rider. Finding a 3rd Gen worth owning today is not an easy task and most of them have either been wrecked or rotted out in someone's backyard. If you are up for the challenge, then you will be able to unleash the potential of this chassis by putting in the work to address the downfalls of the factory car. 

This particular example was purchased for the equivalent of $1600 (The car was built in Norway) with the vision of it turning into the ultimate drift machine. The 85 Camaro body was mated to a donor 2003 Corvette Z06 chassis through a series of custom modifications. Follow along as we detail this ridiculous build!

>>Join the conversation about the Corvette, Camaro, and a Firebird mashup right here.

Mounting a Camaro Body onto a Corvette Chassis?

Although it was not straightforward, the team was able to mount an '85 Camaro Body onto the Z06 chassis by fabricating and modifying multiple components of the chassis. The major challenge in this undertaking was figuring out how to adapt the wheelbase of the Corvette, which was 5cm longer, to the Camaro body. Fortunately, much of the chassis was able to remain somewhat stock while the suspension mounting points had to be adjusted. 

>>Join the conversation about the Corvette, Camaro, and a Firebird mashup right here.

LS Swap Everything!

Using pure horsepower to initiate a drift is the most satisfying and exhilarating experience. To be able to achieve this loss of traction, the team used a 6.0L LQ9 with forged internals with a Procharger providing forced induction. With a conservative tune on 7.5psi of boost, the engine was able to put down 650hp which is extremely impressive for a simple build. A matching fuel system and cooling mods were added to ensure that this Cambird Z06 is endurance drift ready. A custom 3" side exit dumped exhaust provides a signature exhaust note that can be heard from a mile away. 

>>Join the conversation about the Corvette, Camaro, and a Firebird mashup right here.

Z06 Underpinnings

Don't let the body of the Camaro lead you to believe that this car is lacking a high-tech chassis. The C5 Z06 chassis extremely balanced straight from the factory and comes with a great suspension and brake package. However, the team wanted to increase their steering angle for drifting so they ditched the stock transverse leaf spring suspension setup in favor of coilovers. 

>>Join the conversation about the Corvette, Camaro, and a Firebird mashup right here.

A Serious Drift Machine!

Lastly, you may notice that the front of the vehicle looks like a 3rd Gen Firebird and you would be right. Even the body is a mashup of 3rd gen parts, most of which have been replaced with lightweight fiberglass units. The body is rounded off with custom fender flares and Lexan windows. The rear of the car sits on TSW Interlagos wheels with 295/30/18 Toyo R888 tires while the front sits on SR1 wheels with 245/40/18 tires BFGoodrich tires. Naturally, the car has a full roll cage and a stripped out interior since it will never be used on the street beyond a short cruise to local car shows. 

Overall, this homebuilt project keeps the dream alive for thousands of gearheads around the world who just want to build something fun and not worry about what anyone else thinks of it! 

>>Join the conversation about the Corvette, Camaro, and a Firebird mashup right here.

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