These days, custom Camaros are a dime-a-dozen. Since the fall of Chevrolet’s famed F-body in 2002, Camaro fanatics and musclecar builders have been taking more classic first-gen Camaros and turning them into works of art. Consider how the only “new” Camaros being built these days are coming from Dynacorn.
East Coast to West Coast, North to South, custom builders have been playing an endless game of hardball to see who could create the most eye popping F-body to hit the streets. With the debut of the concept Camaro in 2006, the game of who could build the hottest Camaro seemed ready for extra innings, until GM sent this ‘69 to the plate.
Known as a car collector and musclecar nut, Reggie wanted to build the ultimate ‘69 Camaro with the classic looks of the most popular Camaro ever on the outside, with the latest in GM/Chevrolet high-tech performance inside. The team of Bow Tie performance designers at GMPP was preparing to launch its new LSX engine block. Based on the LS engine series architecture, GMPP wanted the appropriate vehicle to show off this new Earth-shaking powerplant.
With the new concept Camaro taking the automotive show circuit by storm with its retro ‘69 looks, and Reggie’s interest in building a ‘69, the plan became obvious. Working from GM Design Center artwork from David Ross, they would take a ‘69 from Reggie’s car collection, and the specialists at GM Performance Division would revamp the chassis, suspension, brakes, and interior. Meanwhile, GM Performance Parts got the drivetrain ready, and together, they put together the hottest Camaro since the ZL1 first appeared in 1969. From start to finish, General Motors’ employees built the entire project in-house.
The new GMPP LSX engine block, designed in part by six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion, Warren Johnson. Based off the highly successful LS engine series, this block is a high-nickel content iron casting with six-bolt mains, precision CNC machining, siamese bores, and battleship-like construction. With a max bore size of 4.250-inches and a max acceptable stroke of 4.500-inches, this new block makes the LS engine the new powerhouse in GM performance.
Some might wonder why the new engine is iron instead of aluminum. When designing the engine, GM wanted engine builders to be able to use traditional displacement enlarging techniques to create big cubic inch monsters based on small-block architecture of 454 ci or larger. The LSX block features a thick deck and strategic cast-in strengthening to support high-horsepower turbo, supercharged, and/or nitrous-oxide combinations. To make the Reggie Camaro even more special, LSX block was selected for the engine build, along with a pair of prototype LSX heads.
The LSX heads are based off the LS7 7.0L V-8 heads found in the C6 Z06 Corvette. The heads feature six head bolts over the standard four (for a total of eight additional head bolts per head) of the LS series for increased cylinder head sealing in boosted applications. Handling intake duties is a new GMPP four-barrel intake manifold designed to match the rectangular ports of the LS7-style head. Available from GMPP, this manifold allows engine builders and enthusiasts to run a carburetor on an LS7 crate engine.
To make sure the motor was built perfectly, and could handle all the horsepower possible, GM enlisted the aid of Warren “The Professor” Johnson. For those few of you who have been living under rocks for the past 30 years, Warren Johnson has been racing NHRA Pro Stock since the class began in the early 1970s. He’s the owner of numerous NHRA records, including being the first Pro Stock driver to go over 180 mph, and later 190 mph. The Professor knows all about going fast, especially since he builds all of the engines that power his and his son Kurt’s Pro Stock entries.
GMPP sent the block and parts to Warren’s shop in Georgia for blueprinting, assembly, and dyno testing. Reggie himself was even on hand to help build the engine. Inside the short-block of the Reggie Camaro, Warren installed a Lunati forged crank, rods, and Mahle forged pistons. After making sure all clearances, tolerances, and gaps were perfect in the rotating assembly, the LSX prototype heads were fitted onto the block, resulting in a net compression ratio of 11:1. A custom-ground cam was procured to control the LS7 hydraulic roller lifters and the Comp Cams supplied upper valvetrain. An MSD 6LS Ignition Controller handles ignition duties. Since the LS series engines have no provisions for a distributor, the MSD ignition system uses the factory style LS crankshaft trigger wheel to control the ignition coil packs and timing.
On top of the new GMPP LS7-style carbureted intake manifold is an old reliable of the performance industry, a Holley four-barrel fuel/air mixer flowing 850 cfm and making sure the big motor never goes hungry for fuel. Dressing up the engine are polished accessories and custom valve covers. To give the engine a classic look, the coil packs for the ignition were hidden under and behind the air cleaner, so at first glance it looks like the engine has a distributor in the old-style position.
On the dyno at Warren’s shop, the LSX produced 641 hp at 6400 rpm, and 611 lb-ft of torque at 4900 rpm. What’s so incredible about these power numbers is the nearly flat power of the combination. By 3000 rpm the engine is already making 520 lb-ft of torque, and the curve gradually climbs from there to the peak of 611 at 4900. That means this engine produces more torque than some diesels. To handle all the torque and horsepower that the mighty LSX produces, Tremec transmissions was tasked with building a late-model Camaro T56 six-speed to transfer energy to a Moser-built GM 12-bolt rear.
Handling is controlled by front and rear suspension pieces from Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE). Founded by former GM engineers, DSE offers a coilover shock front suspension system that replaces the original first-gen’s original coil spring/ hydraulic shock design. Included in the DSE suspension are tubular control arms and Koni monotube shocks. In the rear, a DSE “deep tub” kit was installed, providing extra-wide inner wheelhousings and the components required to relocate the leaf springs inwards to accommodate a narrowed rear end.
Both were needed to mount the 12.5-inch-wide rear tires so the Camaro could have a decent shot at keeping traction under full-throttle. We say a “decent shot” because even with the 12.5-inch sticky rears tires, this car still gets wild and wacky under wide-open acceleration. Keeping the Camaro under some sort of control is handled by an aggressive four-wheel disc brake system from Brembo. Featuring large, cross-drilled rotors behind all four wheels, with six-piston calipers up front and four-pistons in the rear, stopping the ‘69 is no problem.
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