The first-generation Camaro is a dream car for many American muscle car enthusiasts. Whether it be the unique body lines, the engine options available for the time, or Chevy’s clever marketing, there’s no denying the impact the Camaro has had.
Over 50 years have passed since this Camaro rolled off the factory line, and in that time, creature comforts have improved drastically. We were given the opportunity to restomod this beauty with a modern sound system, interior overhaul, exterior styling upgrades, and some engine work to top it all off.
Upgraded Sound System
To bring this Camaro into the 21st century, we knew that the stock audio setup from 1968 wasn’t going to cut it. For speakers we added two 12-inch subwoofers by Infinity Kappa, a complete JBL speaker system, and powered it all with JBL’s 2000W stadium series amplifier.
For a smoother, richer listening experience we added Dynamat Xtreme sound dampening material throughout the interior, and a T-Spec 3.0-Farad capacitor. The Dynamat material throughout the interior reduces road noise and enhances listening experience (a common issue in older muscle cars).
To control all the new sound accessories, we added a 10.1-Inch Pioneer touchscreen receiver with Apple CarPlay.
With all these audio upgrades, the difference in sound quality is truly night and day.
Interior Modifications
The interior of the first-generation Camaro is no doubt unique, and timeless, but some creature comforts were missing in this 1968 SS. To fit the new head unit in this Camaro we had to build a custom radio mount.
The radio mount was hand built by our talented shop team to fit the exact specifications of the client using fiberglass. There’s no other like it, and we think it really makes the interior of this classic stand out!
Beyond the radio mount, we also custom made the rear backseat panels and fabricated a one-of-a-kind trunk box with motion-activated LED lighting.
To increase driver comfortability, we replaced the factory wheel with a black leather Sparco racing wheel. We added Corbeau RRX racing seats to match the new wheel.
Finally, to complete the interior restomod on this Camaro we reupholstered the carpet and repurposed the front bucket seats for the rear bucket seats. With these final touches, the interior looks like it rolled off a showroom floor in 2021!
Exterior Modifications
Moving to the exterior, we started off by replacing the chipped back glass. This allowed us to lay 3M’s 20% VLT Premium FX tint. Running along the side of the car we added some custom matte black hockey stripes.
At the bottom of the vinyl graphics, we also added some LS2 badging to hint at what’s under the hood of this beast!
Around front we also converted the factory grille to feature the hideaway headlights found on the RS Camaros. This was one of the more controversial upgrades around our shop, but it no doubt adds some uniqueness to this build!
With all of the other exterior upgrades complete, we opted to add some ceramic coating to protect this beauty from the elements. Before coating this Camaro, we completely corrected every square inch of paint for a mirror like finish. Ceramic coating is a no brainer for preserving your vehicle’s paint, and this Camaro should be good for over 5 years!
Engine Modifications
When this Camaro rolled into our shop, it had already had a fair bit of work done to it including the LS2 swap. For some extra flare in the engine bay, we powder coated an AEM cold air intake to match the paint and did the same with the coil covers.
With some extra flavor added to this ride, we also replaced the oil filter housing and reworked the axle seals as preventative maintenance. After combing through all of the mechanical components, we custom tuned the LS2’s ECU to unlock the full potential of this beast.
Build Debrief
When we took this build into our shop, the vehicle was already about 85% finished. The previous builder selected all the right parts for this Camaro, but didn’t spend the extra time to make it all work together.
The current owner inherited a lot of the current mods like the LS2 swap, leaving him wanting to give it modifications personal to him. That’s where we stepped in, to take this mostly finished build and make it something unique and complete for the owner.
Though restomod builds aren’t our primary focus, we always jump at the opportunity for them. This Camaro and our project Ranger are among our favorite builds because of the uniqueness of each. If you’re interested in rebuilding or restomodding your classic vehicle, feel free to reach out to us here for more details!
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