Performance Online's LS Swapped 1969 Camaro

One Week Build

Super Chevy's Week to Wicked series creates an intense, challenging, and gratifying experience whereby a project car is taken from start to finish in the span of seven days. This particular 1969 Camaro was built for Performance Online, (POL) who supplied the MotorTrend folks with the Camaro's shell already painted and ready to go. 

Photos: Hot Rod

POL Project

The fact that POL had the body prepared gave the Week to Wicked crew a nice starting point. But finding the right 1969 Camaro to use as a donor for the build was not an easy task. As POL's Larry Ashley remarks, it was an intense search. At one point he even considered going with a reproduction body, but the challenge of obtaining a VIN steered him away.

>>Join the conversation about this POL LS swapped Camaro right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Task Failed Successfully!

Amazingly, what led to him finding the right Camaro was spelling the word 'Camaro' incorrectly in his search. Turns out someone spelled it wrong in the for sale listing, which meant it had been on the market for a while with no interest. When Ashley and POL owner Jim Chadick headed out to see the car, they found it was in even better shape than what the listing showed. They knew they had found the one.

>>Join the conversation about this POL LS swapped Camaro right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Ready-to-go Shell

Once the Camaro was in POL's possession, it was time to take it apart and get the body ready for its cosmetic upgrades. Some rusting and damage in the quarter panels led to the decision to replace those sections with new sheet metal. The body was then given the needed modifications to prepare it for the build. It was painted, finished, and delivered for the Week to Wicked build just 3 days prior to the project kick-off.

>>Join the conversation about this POL LS swapped Camaro right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!

Documented Build

The work started on Monday and with a number of 12-hour days in a row, the '69 Camaro was transformed into a real beast. There were issues that needed troubleshooting and fixing during the week, but nothing the crew couldn't handle. And the car was smoking its rear tires by Sunday afternoon. And what's cool is that the entire week-long build process was filmed like a TV show, which can be watched in the Hot Rod feature.

>>Join the conversation about this POL LS swapped Camaro right here in the LS1 Tech Forum!

900 Horses

The 427-ci built LS motor is mated to Magnum 6-speed transmission, which sends the power back to a Currie 9-inch rear. With a little help from the Procharger blower and 8 PSI of boost, the unit is capable of putting out 700 horsepower on pump gas. Add race fuel and turn the supercharger up to 14 PSI and you have 900 horses at your fingertips. It's safe to say the POL folks are happy with the result, especially Jim Chadick who's always wanted to own the '69 Camaro. 

>>Join the conversation about this POL LS swapped 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