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1968 Chevy Camaro - Total-Pro!Cherry Bomb's "Disturbing The Peace" '68 Camaro Breaks With Tradition While Following It. From the April, 2011 issue of Popular Hot Rodding By Johnny Hunkins Photography by Robert McGaffin
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As you pull up to the stoplight, the staccato rasp of the open exhaust mingles with blower whine as the fuel-injected mill settles into an easy lope. Even at idle, all 427 inches of blown Gen IV LSX transmit a continuous shock wave of automotive terror through the chassis, steering column, gearshift lever, and floorboard. The car is alive, a brutal extension of your inner beast. Even here in Las Vegas, there's nothing on the road that can remotely touch you, nevertheless, your palms sweat profusely as your hands exert a death grip on the wheel. This '68 Camaro isn't even moving, yet depending on what town you happen to be in, you'd probably be breaking at least a half dozen statutes just by sitting still. It's that good. At the red light, the other lanes start stacking up with traffic, drivers alternately telegraphing fear, disgust, admiration, and envy your way. The SEMA show has just finished, and a kid with a built Mitsubishi Evo blips the throttle, its wastegate chirping like a sparrow on methamphetamine. You crane your neck to peak around the throbbing mountain of blower poking through the hood, and get a glimpse of the light just as it turns green. Gingerly, you nurse the clutch out, its dual ceramic discs grabbing smartly. You know First gear is a lost cause-even with the sticky Nittos-so you don't even try. Light throttle, and a short shift to Second nets a small chirp, then you feed the beast. It's still useless, so you let off and short shift again to Third. Out the corner of your eye, you spot the Mitsu, popping, whistling, and farting desperately to catch up. A little smile begins to form at the edges of your mouth as your right foot squeezes past the halfway mark. The banshee wail of the roots blower is now almost completely drowned by the scream issuing from the bright red glasspack side pipes. Suddenly, it's 1968 all over again, and you become one of the few brave pioneers to strap on a Saturn V rocket and ride the lightning into the Ionosphere-or so it feels. The speedo needle climbs precipitously, and just as it passes 80, the rear tires break loose again. If you had the presence of mind to check the rearview, you'd see a retreating Evo obscured by twin vapor trails of rubber, but instead, you crank in a touch of opposite lock to keep it straight. Two blocks away, a dog vomits. Nearing 100, common sense takes over and you slow the red and black beast. This ain't your car-you've still got to spend the next six hours getting photos in the can. That'll be kind of hard if you're trying to make bail. The big Baer brakes confidently tug on the chassis, snugging your seatbelt in a reassuring manner. Negotiating the route back to the parking lot takes you through the neighborhood, so some restraint is in order. You flip the toggle switch below the ignition cylinder, and giant unseen hands muzzle the hounds of hell, redirecting the exhaust through a set of real mufflers and 3-inch over-axle pipes. Stealthy it ain't, but at least now it can pass for legal. In the sanity that begins to take hold, you notice that this is not the typical ill-handling Pro Streeter. For one thing, you didn't have to dump the laundry to slow down from a buck five. Heck, it doesn't even pack a 'chute. It's actually got real brakes, and damn good ones at that. Baer six-piston binders chomp down on 14-inch rotors in front-same with the quad-piston calipers in the back. Good tires, too. The Nitto NT555s are indigenous to the Pro Touring set, so what the heck are they doing on a Pro Street Camaro? Less obvious to the casual observer, but way obvious to the driver and occupant is the top-shelf DSE suspension. On surface streets, the cornering prowess is shockingly good-its C6 Corvette-inspired front bits acting every bit the part. Instead of a stock leaf-spring setup, or worse, an '80s-era ladder bar Pro Street rig, the Camaro sports a DSE Quadra Link triangulated four-link in the rear. Looks like a Pro Streeter, built like a Pro Touring, but does both better than either. So what kind of twisted mind thought of that? The mastermind behind this '68 Camaro plot is 33-year-old Paul Banks, the owner of Cherry Bomb Exhaust in Loudon, Tennessee. Over the years, Cherry Bomb has concocted a string of high-visibility project cars to promote their brand-sometimes even giving them away to customers in sweepstakes. But this time would be different. As CEO, Paul wanted his dream car, and he didn't have far to go for inspiration. Cherry Bomb was founded in 1968, so a '68 Camaro was a natural canvas to start with. The Cherry Bomb name and its infamous glasspack mufflers and side pipes were an iconic part of the performance landscape of the '70s, so Paul and the Cherry Bomb crew-ostensibly product and marketing manager, Matt Graves-instinctively knew they had to tap into that ethos. Cherry Bomb's Camaro is understandably... Cherry Bomb's Camaro is understandably a calling card for their products, thus it has not one, but two exhaust systems. The top toggle switch alternates between a pair of open 4-inch glasspack side pipes, and a dual 3-inch exhaust going through Cherry Bomb's chambered Vortex mufflers and rear-exiting tailpipes. The bottom switch is for the driving lights. To help Paul and Matt turn the dream into a reality, they connected with the custom shop at YearOne in Braselton, Georgia. In collusion with YearOne's Phil Brewer and Kevin King, the Cherry Bomb guys took stock of the situation. In Cherry Bomb history, the years 1974-76 were significant watermarks. At that time, the sales and visibility of Cherry Bomb mufflers reached a peak that was so great, the company is practically synonymous with the era. "Back then, a car that was between six and 10 years old was real inexpensive, so that's what guys built. A '68 Camaro was the perfect car in 1974 because it was cheap and plentiful," Brewer says. The kernel for the idea quickly grew. Not only were they sold on the idea of taking all the visual cues from the mid '70s (à la blower through the hood, side pipes, Hurst shifter, hang-ten gas pedal, slot mags), they wanted something that was modern from a handling, driveability, and reliability standpoint. Knowing this tidbit puts an interesting twist to the Pro Street/Pro Touring comparison. In point of fact, neither build style had come to fruition by 1974. The blended design has alternately elicited praise and scorn from onlookers who first saw it at the 2010 SEMA show, where it debuted last fall. We fall in the "love it!" camp because the Cherry Bomb Camaro does pretty much everything we could ever ask a hot rod to do: It burns, it turns, it stops, and it pushes our nostalgia hot buttons. Moreover, the Cherry Bomb Camaro banishes the biggest styling violations of the '70s to the scrap heap. No radiused wheelwells, no tires sticking out beyond the wheel arches, no meaningless graphic treatments, and no abuse of chrome. Above all else, the motor would make the biggest statement, and for that, YearOne turned to Mast Motorsports. Instead of a blown carbureted big-block, YearOne and Mast went with a roots-blown LSX. The electronic fuel-injected 427 puts out 830 hp on 93 octane at 10 psi of boost, and looks the part of a street machine, thanks to a Blower Shop 8-71 huffer. What you don't see is a state-of-the-art air-to-water intercooler that makes use of a custom Afco intercooler and Hayabusa motorcycle heat exchangers. Mast's technological tour de force even uses a proprietary fly-by-wire throttle arrangement-it's spellbinding to watch the throttle blades in the Hillborn bug catcher automatically trim the airflow to keep the idle steady. Tuned to perfection, the Mast 427 fires up on command on the very first try-every time. We bow deeply in the direction... We bow deeply in the direction of Horace Mast of Mast Motorsports, who artfully crafted the Bomb's 427-cube LSX. Virtually all of the 8-71's blower surge has been eradicated, thanks to Mast's fly-by-wire fuel-injection setup. Power from the roots-blown mill is explosive, and dead-nuts reliable. The LSX bullet pumps out 830 hp at 10 pounds of boost on 93 octane, thanks to a pair of Afco intercoolers plumbed to twin Hyabusa heat exchangers. Backing that improbably modern powerplant is a triumvirate of severe-duty drivetrain hardware in the form of an American Powertrain-prepped Tremec Magnum six-speed trans, Atomic Twin dual ceramic disc clutch, and 3 1/2-inch DOM steel driveshaft. Few companies could've provided the requisite beefcake for a blown LSX while maintaining such a high degree of driveability, and Paul says that's why American Powertrain got the nod. Handing off over 800 lb-ft of torque just off idle to just any rearend and suspension would normally be folly-and that's why YearOne turned to a Moser 12-bolt (with 3.73 gears) and a DSE Quadra Link rear suspension. Every inch of drivetrain from the flywheel to the axle is built to take a beating, and that's exactly what Paul plans to dish out, starting with the 2011 Hot Rod Power Tour. Perhaps more than any other area of the car, the front end is what separates this "man" from the "boys." To see what we mean, just imagine the same car with an all-iron big-block, a stock-style suspension, stock brakes, and 15x3 skinnies. Quite honestly, imagining that isn't too hard, considering the spirit of this watershed Camaro. It's in this regard that the Cherry Bomb piece really shines. Starting with DSE's award-winning C6-based suspension and hydroformed framerails, this Camaro cribs a lightning-fast rack-and-pinion AGR steering kit, along with superior stopping firepower from Baer (Hydra Boost assist, too), and combines it with the relatively lightweight LS engine for a car that begs to be pounded hard around the twisties. Stand at a distance, and you are slapped in the face by retro design elements. The slot mags are more than faithful, yet large enough to meet modern needs. The side pipes tug at your heartstrings like Don McLean singing "American Pie." Visually, the blower barks as loud as any Marine Corps drill instructor in basic training. The Glasurit BASF paint on the Camaro is a historical tie-in to Cherry Bomb's traditional red and black colors, but the satin black treatment through the whole design anchors it solidly in the present. Graphically, the message is decidedly "fast-forward" not "rewind." Peer inside, and you're struck by vintage touches like the period-correct Grant steering wheel, the Mr. Gasket Hang Ten gas pedal, the stock-looking (yet powerful) stereo, and the Hurst T-shifter handle. To anyone who was old enough to know what a hot rod was in 1974, the Cherry Bomb Camaro will turn your heart into putty. But here's the real kicker: Nostalgic memories are seldom accurate to the way things really were. We forget the crappy clutches that burned up, the broken U-joints, no overdrive, the snapped axles, the blown head gaskets, the shredded and tossed blower belts, the diabolical handling of skinny tires, and the carburetors that defied all efforts at tuning. In a sense, the Cherry Bomb Camaro represents a real car that has all of the good with none of the bad. Anybody who says they don't "get" what this car about clearly needs a date with reality. So will the Cherry Bomb creation light the way for a new trend, or is it a flash in the pan? It's too early to tell on the basis of styling points, but we do know that guys are getting pretty sick of cars that just sit around. The "Disturbing The Peace" Camaro is designed to be driven hard and often, and that's a trend that is already taking hold.
| BY THE NUMBERS |
| '68 CHEVROLET CAMARO |
| Paul Banks, 33 • Loudon, TN • Built by YearOne, Braselton, GA |
| ENGINE |
| Type: |
GM LSX 427ci V-8 |
| Block: |
GMPP, LSX |
| Compression ratio: |
9.5:1 |
| Bore x stroke: |
4.125 x 4.000 |
| Rev limit: |
7,000 rpm |
| Oiling: |
Melling high-volume oil pump, |
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Autokraft 6-quart oil pan |
| Rotating assembly: |
Callies forged crank, |
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Callies H-beam rods, |
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Mahle forged pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
Mast Motorsports |
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"Black Label" rectangular-port LS7, |
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six-bolt, CNC-ported, 12-degree |
| Camshaft: |
Mast custom three-bolt core |
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hydraulic roller, |
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234/254 degrees duration |
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at .050-inch lift, . |
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648-/.676-inch lift |
| Valvetrain: |
Mast 2.200-/1.600-inch valves, |
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LS7 rockers arms, |
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3/8-inch one-piece |
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chromoly pushrods, |
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GM CTS-V "Caddy" lifters, . |
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700-lift dual nitrided springs, |
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titanium retainers |
| Induction: |
Blower Shop 8-71 supercharger |
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and Hillborn bug-catcher, |
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Gates 4-inch cogged belt, |
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3 percent overdriven |
| Intercooler: |
custom air-to-water with |
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Hogan aluminum intake |
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and custom reservoir tank |
| Heat exchanger: |
twin Hayabusa |
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motorcycle units, |
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front mount with remote |
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Meziere transfer pump |
| Exhaust: |
duh! Cherry Bomb 4-inch |
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glasspack side pipes, |
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3-inch dual exhaust, |
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Vortex mufflers, |
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and custom electronic cutouts |
| Headers: |
17/8-inch long-tube, |
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custom built by YearOne, |
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3-inch collectors |
| Fuel system: |
Aeromotive regulator, |
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twin Holley 255hp in-tank pumps, |
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65-lb/hr Bosch injectors |
| Ignition: |
GM Smart coils, |
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Mast M-90 WBO2 controller |
| Cooling: |
Be Cool radiator, |
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Edelbrock mechanical water pump |
| Accessory drive: |
Gen IV F-body with custom |
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Innovators West balancer |
| Engine management: |
Mast Motorsports |
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M-90 drive-by-wire with |
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wideband ECM package |
| Output: |
830 hp with 10 pounds |
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of boost and 93 octane |
| Built by: |
Horace Mast of Mast Motorsports |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
American Powertrain-prepped Tremec T56 Magnum |
| Clutch assembly: |
American Powertrain dual-disc Atomic Twin ceramic |
| Driveshaft: |
American Powertrain, 31/2-inch diameter, DOM steel |
| Rear axle: |
Moser 12-bolt with 3.73 gears and Auburn differential |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
Detroit Speed |
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and Engineering, |
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hydroformed subframe member, |
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C6 steering knuckles, coilovers, |
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DSE tubular upper and |
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lower control arms, |
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DSE splined swaybar |
| Rear suspension: |
Detroit Speed |
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and Engineering Quadra Link, |
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coilovers, DSE mini-tubs |
| Steering: |
Flaming River column, |
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AGR rack-and-pinion conversion |
| Brakes: |
Baer 6P six-piston calipers, |
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14-inch discs, front; |
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four-piston T4 calipers, |
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13-inch rotors, |
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rear; Hydratech |
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Hydra Boost assist, |
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Wilwood master cylinder |
| WHEELS & TIRES |
| Wheels: |
prototype slot mag by YearOne, |
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18x8, front; 18x12, rear |
| Tires: |
Nitto, 245/40R18 NT555, front; |
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345/30R18 NT555-R Extreme Drag, rear |
| INTERIOR |
| Gauges: |
custom, by Redline |
| Seats: |
ProCar recovered by YearOne |
| Rollbar: |
six-point custom, mild steel |
| Shifter: |
American Powertrain, billet Hurst |
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handle with reverse lockout button |
| Stereo: |
Alpine |
| Air conditioning: |
Vintage Air Gen IV Magnum |
| Steering wheel: |
Grant Classic Cruisin' |
| Wiring: |
custom by YearOne |
| SPECIAL THANKS: |
| YearOne build crew: |
Mark McDonald, |
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Johnny McDonald, Tony Rowe, |
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Jimmy Kerlin, and Kevin Orr |
| Paint by: |
T&T Paint and Body, Cleveland, GA |
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