The original drivetrain was shown the door in favor of a Gen IV 5.3 LS assembled by Wischmann Performance in nearby Valparaiso. While the displacement sounds modest, the engine uses a stock crankshaft, Molnar connecting rods, Wiseco forged pistons, and a healthy Comp Stage 2 Turbo camshaft with 0.605/0.598 lift and 226/231 degrees of duration.

GM aluminum heads feed a Holley Mid-Rise intake while Siemens Deka 80-pound injectors and Holley Terminator EFI system handle fuel and spark duties. A Holley Low-Mount front drive system controls the accessories all held together with ARP fasteners throughout. A Speed Engineering exhaust system, from headers to mufflers, give the Camaro an aggressive tone unlike the docile voice it came with.

Dave admits, the only thing missing is a blower. But that’s definitely on the to-do list.

Backing the LS is a GM 4L80E transmission assembled by Chad Fegley at The Shop Inc. equipped with a Circle D 3,200 stall converter. A B&M Mega Shifter commands gear changes while a Wiles Racing aluminum driveshaft connects to a Trick Chassis Ford 9-inch housing packed with 4.11 gears and 31-spline axles.

A UMI K-member anchors the front with tubular control arms, Wilwood spindles, and Viking Crusader double-adjustable shocks. Similar Viking hardware lives out back alongside UMI suspension pieces and Panhard bar. Powdercoated UMI subframe connectors help tie the F-body together while Wilwood four-piston calipers and 11-inch rotors provide the stopping power.

The wheel-and-tire combo capture the car’s personality. Skinny 17×6 JEGS SSR Spike wheels wear Mickey Thompson Sportsman rubber up front while 15×10 rears are shod in ET Street S/S tires showing where the Camaro’s priorities lie.

Inside, the IROC balances a race car meets street machine theme. Braum seats, Speedway Motors five-point harnesses, Hawks rollbar, Dakota Digital gauges, and a Billet Specialties steering wheel establish the vibe. Race Wire wiring done by Dave and Dylan keeps the electronics organized while a Kenwood sound system boosted with amps, includes strategically placed speakers, and a 10-inch sub proving that loud music and loud exhaust can coexist.

Creature comforts are limited. There’s no HVAC system. Priorities, remember?

Dave and Dylan handled the bodywork and paint themselves, spraying the Camaro in Metalux Rhythm & Blue accented with Silver Sky buried in SPI clear. A Harwood Daytona fiberglass hood hints at the LS beneath while Classic Industries bumpers, LED lighting, Hoffman door handles, and polished trim from J.S. Polishing complete the package.

But the parts and specifications only tell half the story.

The moment that mattered came when the project was finally ready to fire. “We didn’t know what to expect, so I had my wife come out and video it,” Dave says. It fired right up!”

Three-and-a-half years of late nights, busted knuckles, setbacks, and second guesses disappeared as soon as the engine came to life.

“The first drive was incredible,” Dave excitedly says. “We realized we actually did it! We took a car from the ground up and built a badass third-gen Camaro.”

The thing about project cars is that they rarely end when they’re finished. There’s always another idea, another upgrade, another reason to pull the hood open. For Dave Hergenrader, that’s just part of the hobby. The IROC started as a father-and-son dream, survived years in a hayfield, and became a rolling tribute to the way hot rods used to be built: with friends, determination, and more ambition than budget.

And if a supercharger eventually finds its way onto that 5.3? Well, Dave’s Monte Carlo proved decades ago that a little extra horsepower can lead to trouble.

Some lessons are worth learning twice.

BODYWORK AND PAINT: Dylan Schwarzenbach and owner
PAINT: Metalux Rhythm & Blue/Silver Sky, SPI clear
HOOD: Harwood Daytona fiberglass
GRILLE: Stock
FRONT BUMPER: Classic Industries
REAR BUMPER: Classic Industries
HEADLIGHTS: LED
TAILLIGHTS: LED Camaro replacement
DOOR HANDLES: Hoffman
POLISHING: J.S. Polishing (Colorado Springs, CO)