Slideshow: What Could Have Been a Camaro

Pen to Paper

Ever notice how so many of thee stories start out: "one person had a dream." In this case, it might have been more like a moment of inspiration, but whatever it was, Hot Rod magazine published a conceptual pre-Camaro Camaro rendering by Steve Sanford, dubbed the 'Z/409', in September 2009. Interesting, but we wouldn't be talking about it now if Michael Feinstein, owner of Nostalgia Motor Sports, had noticed it and decided to see if he could make the drawing materialize in metal. It took him seven years but he was able to bring the concept to three-dimensional, drivable life.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Modeling School

The original rendering was a blend of both late ‘50s and early ’60s Chevys and specified 409ci power. Feinstein had model builder Rob Glucksman create a 1:25th scale mock-up to see how it would look in the flesh, and if it could be built. Glucksman set the pattern for later by using the roof from a '65 Corvair coupe on the body of '69 Camaro. Feinstein liked what he saw so the go-ahead was given for the real thing.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Execution

This is where we tell you that no perfect 1969 Camaros gave their lives to bring you the car you see here. Feinstein located a serviceable '69 Camaro rolling chassis on eBay and sent it to Magoo’s Street Rods in Canoga Park, California. The rotted floors were replaced with Auto Metal Direct panels, and then the cutting started. The rear third of the roof from a real '65 Corvair was grafted onto the Camaro body, attaching at a thinned portion of the Camaro's C-pillar. Camaros are wider than Corvairs, so the Corvair's rear window would no longer fit—but they were able to have a custom replacement fabricated in Finland. In the process, the drip rails were all shaved, adding a modern/custom element to the retro design.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Parts Bin

Magoo's also added a recess to the trunk lid, approximating the rendering's 1961 Chevy-style waterfall treatment, tucked the body-color front and rear bumpers into the body, and built the bowtie emblem from a '57 Chevy into the grille. Also like Sanford's rendering, a custom hood was built using a '67 Corvette stinger scoop.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Knock Offs

The build veers heavily into restomod territory with its rolling stock. Old-school Corvette knock-off look caps were fit to custom Evod billet aluminum wheels (18×8 inches front, and 18×10 rear). The wheels are wrapped in Nitto Invo tires (245/40ZR18 front, 295/35ZR18 rear), treated with red sidewall tape for that period look. The brakes were upgraded to Wilwoods all around, with 13-inch rotors.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Suspension of Time

To go with the sticky rubber, the entire suspension was rehabbed. A full Heidt’s Pro-G front subframe was added, and a Pro-G four-link with adjustable Adco shocks was installed at the rear—both tied into the chassis via subframe connectors. A rack and pinion steering set-up from a Ford Thunderbird improve feel and response from the lower Z/409 Camaro.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Zee 409

Without the 409 specified by the original rendering, this build would be just another LS-swapped restomod, but Feinstein wanted to do things the hard way. It's no easy task squeezing 498hp out of a W-series 409ci, Chevy's weapon of choice in NASCAR in the early '60s. A 1962 409 long block was sent to QMP Racing in Chatsworth, CA, who installed an Eagle stroker crank and 4.342-inch Ross pistons to bump the engine's capacity to 474ci. The engine was built using ported factory 409hp heads, an Isky cam, Comp valve springs, a factory intake manifold, and dual Carter four-barrels. The result is an engine that does indeed deliver 498hp, as well as a torque curve that stays above 450lb-ft from 4,000 to 5,700rpm.

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

Pretty on the Inside

Inline with the rendering, the completely redone interior features a full-size 1961 Chevrolet dashboard, narrowed to fit in the Camaro, in addition to a '61 console, armrests, wheel, and rear speaker grille. The seats are Camaro, but they're reshaped and covered in red vinyl with 1957 Chevy black-and-red cloud pattern inserts.

Sharp-eyed readers may be wondering where the fuel filler is hiding—it's located under a panel in the trunk. With the clean lines and lighter greenhouse, there's something a bit European about the Z/409, making it the car GM might have built in '61... in Germany. An Opel Z/409?

>>Join the conversation about this parts bin hybrid Camaro right here.

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