ACP FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com
Trade Ya
Aram Aramyan’s 1969 Camaro
BY NICK LICATAImages by Patrick Lauder
A

ram Aramyan is a farmer from Fresno, California, but he’s not the typical farmer you might envision wearing wire-rimmed glasses and jean overalls with a three-pronged hay fork in hand. Actually, Aram is a 30-year-old citrus grower whose family immigrated from Yerevan, Armenia, back in 2002 when he was just 7 years old.

“After we planted roots in Fresno, I immediately became obsessed with American classic cars,” Aram explains. “As an immigrant, making friends at school was difficult due to the language barrier, so with my newfound love of American muscle cars my parents bought my brother and I Hot Wheel diecast cars to pass the time. I had a fairly big collection but the car I played with most was a LeMans Blue 1969 Camaro.”

A stunning 1969 Chevy Camaro Z28 with a prominent supercharger and vibrant blue paint
Fast-forward to 2019 and Aram is driving a 2015 Camaro 1LE when a Facebook notification informs him a person named Roland from San Antonio, Texas, is selling a 1969 Camaro Z/28. Numerous discussions ensued between Aram and Roland regarding their Camaros and soon after, Aram ended up trading his 1LE for the Z/28 straight across. Roland liked the ’69 but was interested in owning a newer hot rod. One problem on Aram’s end was that the title on the 1LE was under his dad’s name, so he had to get his dad on board with the trade idea. His dad gave in, and Aram was able to secure a loan to pay off the ’15 before loading it on a borrowed trailer and making his way to San Antonio for the trade. “We exchanged titles, shook hands, and I loaded up the Z/28 for the trip back to Fresno,” Aram says. “To this day Roland and I have remained friends and chat about upgrades we’ve been doing to our cars.”

Aram drove the 1969 as purchased for about a year but always envisioned building the Camaro into a Pro Street beast. He gradually saved up money to swap out the stroked 383 for a stout 400ci Dart SHP small-block. Auto Machine Specialties from Fresno did the machining and bored it to 4.125 inches. Steve Moody took over assembly and loaded it with a 3.750-inch Manley crankshaft, Manley rods, and 8.9:1 pistons. AFR aluminum heads encourage plenty of flow in support of the polished Blower Shop 8-71 blower perched atop the Blower Shop intake manifold. A set of polished Summit Racing valve covers and Mr. Gasket Street Scoop “bird catcher” continue with the blinged-out scene and comply with the height requirement as stated in the unwritten Pro Street handbook.

Rear seat area of the 1969 Camaro Z28, highlighting the blue roll cage and black vinyl seats
Interior view of the 1969 Camaro Z28, showcasing a GT steering wheel, custom gauges, and a performance tachometer
Close-up of the polished aluminum fuel cell in the trunk of the 1969 Camaro Z28, paired with a racing-grade setup
Aram lets the small-block’s 1,154 hp sing to the masses via a pair of Hooker Headers 1 5⁄8-inch headers, which remain open and announce the Camaro’s presence well before its arrival.

Monster Transmissions supplied the bulletproof Powerglide transmission backed up by a TCI 3,800 stall converter. A B&M Magnum Pro shifter is accompanied by a trans brake and, of course, a line lock to encourage some stellar tire frying. Power reaches the pavement via a 9-inch rearend, 3.73 gears, and 35-spline Moser axles.

Detailed look at the supercharged engine in the 1969 Camaro Z28, gleaming under the open hood
QA1 tubular control arms, coilover shocks, and lowering springs provide the proper stance and a steady ride up front while an Art Morrison ladder bar suspension system also featuring QA1 coilover shocks and springs are a welcome upgrade from the stock underpinnings out back. Art Morrison subframe connectors tie it all together to keep chassis twist to a minimum.

Aram relied on the factory brake system front and rear while employing a Wilwood master cylinder and proportioning valve for improved braking ability. Rolling stock consists of 15-inch Weld Pro Star wheels on all four corners. Honoring the standard Pro Street appearance of bigs ’n’ littles, Goodyear Eagle 205/65R15s take residence up front while Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro rubber sized 29×15.5×15 fill the quarter-panels out back.

Inside, Aram consciously kept the 1969 Camaro’s spirit in check as the mostly stock-style interior includes the factory bucket seats, door panels, dash, black loop carpet, and slightly modified center console populated with aftermarket AutoMeter dials for additional engine information. The dash-mounted tach, six-point chromoly rollcage, and Simpson five-point harness reveals a business-only control center that foregoes unnecessary modern amenities. “I wanted the Camaro to maintain its 1960s roots,” Aram says, “which is why I took a minimal approach to the interior. No modern frills here, just old-school Camaro style.”

Close-up of the Wilwood brake system installed in the 1969 Camaro Z28 for enhanced stopping power
Close-up of the B&M shifter in the 1969 Camaro Z28, paired with a set of Pro-Comp gauges
Cameron Haney smoothed and prepped the sheetmeal prior to Bruce Simmons spraying the Camaro in a brilliant layer of House of Kolor LeMans Blue. He then added the white SS hood and trunk stripes in pursuit of that classic muscle car presentation. Most of the original trim was replaced with fresh chrome from National Parts Depot (NPD). Also from NPD is the steel hood what was carefully modified (big-ass hole) to make room for the protruding supercharger ensuring the Camaro maintains that malicious Pro Street demeanor while also resembling Aram’s favorite childhood Hot Wheel.

When you own a car like this, the idea is to have fun and make memories along the way, and in that 7-year gestation, Aram took building a car and making memories to the next level. “Since this car was my wife’s favorite while we were dating, I decided to use my dream car to propose to my dream girl,” Aram says. “So, we made a trip to Pismo Beach in the Camaro where I surprised her by asking her to marry me. Thankfully, she said she would, and four years later we are still going strong. It’s rare to find a girl who appreciates old cars, but she’s as passionate about this Camaro as I am.”

Close-up of a polished Weld Racing wheel on the 1969 Camaro Z28, showing its classic 5-spoke design
Sport-Comp tachometer with shift light mounted on the dash of the 1969 Camaro Z28
Detail of the fender louvers on the 1969 Camaro Z28, integrated seamlessly into the car's bodywork
Front-angle shot of the 1969 Camaro Z28, highlighting its iconic lines and high-performance modifications
Looking up to fellow Armenian hot rodders of the previous generation, Aram points out that Blackie Gejeian, Joe Boghosian, and, of course, Ed Iskenderian were all huge inspirations who helped guide his passion for hot rodding. He also wants to thank Matt Beal from Road Rage Performance along with Cameron Haney and Bruce Simmons for their help in transforming this Camaro into a gorgeous street beast.

“After owning the car for several years and gradually upgrading the car as money allowed, it’s finally where I want it—it’s just about perfect,” Aram confirms. “I want others to know that if I can build a hot rod like this, there’s no limit to what anyone else can accomplish. Always grind and stay humble and everything will fall into place. Hot rodding in America is the absolute best.”

TECH
Owner: Aram Aramyan, Fresno, California
Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28
Engine

Type: Dart SHP small-block
Displacement: 400 ci
Compression Ratio: 8.9:1
Bore: 4.125
Stroke: 3.750
Cylinder Heads: AFR aluminum
Rotating Assembly: Manley crankshaft, rods, and pistons
Valvetrain: Manley rockers, Comp 1.6 rockers, Manley 5/16x.033 pushrods
Camshaft: Comp Cams custom solid roller
Induction: The Blower Shop intake manifold, twin Holley QFT 750 carburetors, Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump
Power Adder: The Blower Shop 8-71 High Helix
Air Cleaner: Mr. Gasket Street Scoop
Valve Covers: Fab Valve Aluminum
Exhaust: Hooker Headers 1 5/8 inches, open headers
Machine Work: Auto Machine Specialties (Fresno, CA)
Assembly: Steeve Moody (Fresno, CA)
Ancillaries: Powermaster alternator, Holley 6AL ignition, MSD 8.5mm plug wires, Champion four-row aluminum radiator, Meziere water pump, SPAL 1,500 dual electric fans
Output: 1,154 hp at 6,000 rpm, 1,050 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm

Drivetrain

Transmission: Monster Transmission Powerglide
Torque Converter: TCI, 3,800 stall
Trans Mods: Trans brake and line lock
Driveshaft: Performance Driveline
Shifter: B&M Magnum Pro
Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch, 3.73 gears, Moser 35-spline axles

Chassis

Chassis: Stock front subframe
Front Suspension: Stock spindles, QA1 tubular control arms, QA1 coilover shocks and springs,
Rear Suspension: Back-halved, Art Morrison Enterprises ladder bar, 13/8-inch sway bar, 11/2-inch Panhard bar, QA1 shocks and springs
Subframe Connectors: Art Morrison
Brakes: Factory 15-inch rotors, two-piston calipers front, factory drum rear, Wilwood master cylinder, Wilwood proportioning valve

Wheels & Tires

Wheels: Weld Racing Pro Star 15×6 front, 15×12 rear
Tires: Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro 205/65R15 front, 29×15.5×15 rear

Interior

Installer: Carlos Chavez at Wall & Eades Upholstery (Clovis, CA)
Carpet: Black loop
Seats: Factory bucket
Safety Harness: Simpson five-point
Rollcage: Chromoly six-point by owner
Steering: Stock column, Grant steering wheel
Console: Stock retrofit for gauges
Instrumentation: Dash-mounted AutoMeter tach, AutoMeter gauges in console
Wiring: Painless Performance by Matt Beal at Road Rage Performance
Entertainment System: Open headers

Exterior

Bodywork: Cameron Haney
Body Mods: Mini-tubbed, shaved firewall, hood cut to fit supercharger
Paint: House of Kolor LeMans Blue by Bruce Simmons
Hood: NPD
Front Bumper: Stock (NPD)
Rear Bumper: Stock (NPD)

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