Richard found a ’69 Camaro through his buddy John Curra. It was an all-original, green six-cylinder car that had been sitting in a garage for over 30 years. If there was anything positive about the COVID-19 pandemic it’s that it provided Richard with the free time to dedicate seven days a week to work on the car. “I installed new quarters, Detroit Speed mini-tubs, two new fenders, and a cowl hood,” Richard says. “I got everything lined up and ready for bodywork and paint in a short amount of time.”
Nick Barreia out of Mahopac, New York, primed and sanded the body to perfection then sprayed the shell in Omni Hugger Orange pigment. Due to Richard’s deep roots in period-correct restorations, he had Tommy Forrest (The Artist) stop by to lay down the DX-1 white stripes for some old-school performance flair. From there, Barreia hit the car with three coats of clear then wet-sanded and polished the Camaro to a mile-deep finish. While that was going on, Tennessee Chrome Plating restored and polished the door handles, side mirrors, rear bumper, and other bits to a like-new condition.
Once more influenced by his restoration background, Rick went with a set of U.S. Wheel OE Series 657 wheels all around (17×8 up front and 17×10 out back) wrapped in Nitto NT555 R11 rubber (245/45R27 front, 305/45R17 rear). The stock-looking wheels give the car a slightly denounced attitude, while the contrasting stance sends a clear message that this car means business.
An over-the-counter GM 6L80E transmission and 3,000 stall torque converter readily accepts the power generated by the perky LS and sends twist to the Strange 9-inch rearend packing a Truetrac posi unit with 3.71:1 gears and 31-spline axles. It’s a solid foundation that has the utmost strength and quality with the ability to deliver uneventful highway manners and the capability to get this Camaro out of the hole in a jiffy.
Vehicle: ’69 Chevy Camaro
Type: Chevrolet LS3
Displacement: 376 ci
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.065 inches
Stroke: 3.622 inches
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum L92-style port with 68cc chambers
Rotating Assembly: Nodular iron crankshaft, Powdered metal connecting rods, Hypereutectic aluminum pistons
Valvetrain: Stock GM LS3
Camshaft: GM Hydraulic roller (0.551/0.522 lift, 204/211 deg. duration at 0.050)
Induction: Stock LS3 with Spectre element
Assembly: GM
Exhaust: Ultimate Headers 17/8 to 3½ collector (coated by Central CT Coatings East Hartford, CT), 2½-inch custom exhaust by VRD Customs, Borla Pro XS mufflers
Ancillaries: Vintage Air Front Runner accessory drive system, Rick’s polished stainless steel fuel tank, DeWitt’s aluminum radiator, all stainless plumbing
Output: 430 hp at 5,900 rpm, 425 lb-ft at 4,600 rpm
Transmission: GM 6L80E, GM 3,000 stall converter
Rear Axle: Strange 9-inch, Truetrac posi, 3.70:1 gear ratio, Strange 31-spline axles
Chassis: Roadster Shop SPEC chassis
Front Suspension: Strange single-adjustable coilover shocks, Wilwood Pro spindles, rack-and-pinion steering, stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension: RS four-link, Strange single-adjustable shocks, stabilizer bar
Brakes: Baer 11-inch rotors, four-piston calipers front and rear
Wheels: U.S. Wheel OE Series 657, 17×8 front, 17×10 rear
Tires: Nitto NT555 R11; 245/45R17 front, 305/45R17 rear
Upholstery: Black loop carpet, stock door panels by Al Knoch
Seats: Vinyl with white houndstooth cloth inserts by Al Knoch
Steering: ididit column, Classic Industries three-spoke comfort grip steering wheel
Shifter: Stock GM Horseshoe
Dash: Stock
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital VHX with console gauges
Wiring: American Autowire
HVAC: Vintage Air
Bodywork & Paint: Nick Barreia
Graphics: DX-1 Stripes by Tommy Forrest
Paint: Hugger Orange
Hood: GM Cowl
Glass: Auto City Classic (Isanti, MN)
Bumpers: Custom-painted steel front, stock rear
Chrome Plating: Tennessee Chrome Plating (Elizabethtown, TN)
So far Richard marks driving the car and showing it at the Syracuse Nationals as a highlight and he enjoys driving it on a regular basis. With that said, he claims building a car like this takes teamwork and would be remiss if he didn’t thank everyone involved. “My two sons, Matt and Rick, were a huge help, as was Al Knoch, Nick Barreia, Tommy Forest, Al Bonamici, and Danny Giustino. Without them, this car would have never come together with the quality and craftsmanship it has, especially in the span of just one year.”