Frank was a helping hand through both transactions of the ’72 and a considerable help to Landry, so he knew the ins and outs of the car quite well. But, while Landry had done a fantastic job with it, Frank wanted to add his own spin to the car.

Upon meeting Frank at a local cruise, this author soon realized he wasn’t the typical “muscle head.” I could tell by the styling cues on the car and through our conversation about cars that he had an appreciation for all makes and models. He invited me to his house and showed me his Nova project, Nissan 370, and a Ducati motorcycle—he’s definitely a diverse enthusiast.

To Frank the second gen stands out among the first gens, which is precisely what he was after, but instead of the American muscle drag racing roots, those wide fenders deserve a nice, broad set of front and rear wheels, giving it the Pro Touring look. Frank wanted to stick with the SS roots and keep the old-school 396 engine to make his Camaro a little different from all the other Pro Touring builds out there done with LS engines.

Underhood rests the burley L78 396; for those who aren’t familiar, it’s one of the most potent factory big-blocks of its day with a claimed 375 hp. Actual numbers were higher, and displacement scales 402 ci; engineers kept the famous monocular “396” name, keeping corporate heads and insurance companies happy. Frank’s big-block uses 0.060 over Wiseco pistons in the factory 11:1 compression ratio. Other than a Crane cam, the engine remains stock. The fantastic thing about these L78s is the tech inside them; that compression ratio was unheard of in a production-built engine back then, as were forged rods, forged crank, and the beefy four-bolt main we all love and enjoy to this day. A chrome 4-inch K&N filter tops the Holley 750-cfm carb, drawing an appropriate air/fuel ratio into an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold. Sanderson headers pipe exhaust fumes through a custom 3-inch exhaust to Flowmaster mufflers.

Frank ditched the factory four-speed for a TREMEC TKO600 five-speed transmission complete with a Centerforce clutch and Billet Specialties shifter. He continued beefing up the driveline, changing from a 10-bolt to a shortened 12-bolt rearend with 4.11 gears, Moser 33-spline axles, and Truetrac posi from GearFX.

Performance suspension, braking, and overall stance are what Frank was after, so he converted the rear suspension to a Detriot Speed QUADRALink and used Corvette-style spindles up front for correct geometry and high-performance handling. Detroit Speed springs and JRi coilovers reside on all four corners to comply with the Camaro’s lateral-g demands. For improved braking ability, Frank upgraded to Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners and went with Forgeline CF3C Concave wheels for just the right look (18×9.5 up front and 18×12 out back). The Camaro rides on Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires, 275/35R18 front, and a massive 335/30R18 for superb traction. Camaros of the time came with relatively puny tires, so mini-tubs were weld in to clear the gigantic meats.

Frank liked much of the interior that Landry installed, but he’s always loved ’70 Camaro seats, so he went with a pair of those. Landry also made a center console, wired the car, and went with Dakota Digital factory-style gauges. He installed the Vintage Air A/C, the RetroSound radio with Infinity speakers, and a Billet Specialties steering wheel to finish the otherwise stock-appearing interior.

Some people leap at opportunities and some are more patient. Frank paused and made the right choices regarding his high school dream. Though Frank does wish he’d painted the car silver with black stripes and used a 632ci mill instead, both could still happen at some point—proof that most muscle car projects are never really done.

Bodywork and Paint: Steve Scearce of OAS Custom Classics
Paint: Factory black with white stripes
Front and Rear Bumpers: Stock
Headlights and Taillights: Stock