It's been seven months since we've written anything about our '76 Camaro project car. We call it Project g/28, since 1976 was the one weird year of Camaro production that Chevy didn't build a Z/28. Second-gen Camaros were built in huge numbers in the millions, which explains their popularity even today. If you're one of those silent second-gen lovers who's been wondering what we've been up to with g/28, you're not alone. We've been getting a lot of requests for more g/28 tech, and I'm hoping we can deliver that soon.
We first introduced our '76 Camaro in April 2005, and over that time we've upgraded the suspension twice, first with Global West pieces, then with Air Ride gear. Our stock 305 small-block got replaced with a 383 stroker first, then our famous 350 Vortech Budget Sledgehammer 350, which made 448 hp for under $3,500. We replaced the stock Turbo 350 with a built unit from TCI, then a while later, with a five-speed overdrive Tremec kit from Keisler. We upgraded to Baer brakes, an interior from Year One and Classic Industries, wheels from Weld, tires from Nitto, and more recently, a complete body and paint makeover from renowned car builder, Alan Johnson, with help from Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes.
Since Alan Johnson worked his magic on g/28 in our April '08 body and paint issue, we've done precious little, except enjoy the rare and rewarding feeling of having a finished car. We did take some time to upgrade to throttle body fuel injection from Professional Products, and update our Air Ride suspension with a new Ride Pro e2 controller, but that's been it.
One thing I've discovered is that with a finished car, the bloom comes off the rose pretty quickly. It's great for a few months, then your mind floats to other projects. I hate to admit it, but g/28 has been sitting dormant in our underground parking garage at PHR central (plus, I've been driving the Chevelle so much lately). Today, I tried to fire up g/28, but as you might guess, the battery has seen better days, and it needed a jump start, which is a great segue. What project g/28 needs is a metaphoric jump start, not a complete ground-up makeover, just a few tweaks.
Ever since Ride Tech came out with their TigerCage product line, I've been thinking hard about that trick deal. If you remember the Air Ride Super Nova from our February issue, you'll recall it has this beautiful bolt-in 'cage that increases body stiffness and adds some extra occupant safety. It's also shamelessly easy to install. Ride Tech has been working to widen this product line, and has finally included the later years of second-gen Camaro. Apparently, there are some minor differences in the bodies of earlier '70-73 Camaros from the later '74-81 Camaros that required some changes for the TigerCage.
Back in our April issue, we also talked about Dart's new line of Sportsman High Performance (SHP) short-blocks, which happen to include a 400ci small-block Chevy with forged internals. I thought it would be nice to build a max-effort solid-roller street motor for the "g," with the Dart SHP as the foundation. Such an engine would be a perfect match-up for the other max-effort suspension, tire, and brake pieces already on this ground-breaking car. The cool thing about the SHP 400 short-block is that at just a tick under $4,200, it's still going to be a budget-oriented mill when it's done. We're shooting for a minimum of 600 hp, but it could go as high as 700.
For now those are just plans, so don't hold me to them as absolutes. I'm also looking for good ideas from readers, so if there's something new that you've heard about that you'd like to see installed or tested, drop me an email and briefly tell me about it (john.hunkins@sorc.com). All I know is that something's got to be done to rekindle the flame in g/28. Maybe the first thing I ought to do is head down to AutoZone for a new battery!
Got Something to Say? I want to hear from you.Drop me a brief email at john.hunkins@sorc.com.