1987 Chevy Camaro
Detailer's Dream
Over 15 years ago, Tony Bruno of Philadelphia purchased this Camaro as a daily driver. It caught his eye because there were only 794 LT models built in 1987. That same year, the RS six-cylinder model dbuted, but Tony needed a V-8. Instead of leaving it alone like most do with their daily drivers, Tony immediately started tinkering with it, and bolted on parts to make it faster. He made some improvements, but he felt those bolt-ons weren't enough. The engine had to go, and was replaced by a 383ci small-block Chevy built by Speed-O-Motive. This 525-horsepower stroker called for the rest of the car to be upgraded to handle it, and of course Tony was up to the task.
For the last 22 years, Tony has been detailing cars in the Philadelphia area, so it's no wonder he made this one of the cleanest third-generation Camaros we've seen. He's had his hands on over 25,000 cars, making his hobby a part of his daily life. Tony's been interested in cars from an early age, and can see the same thing happening with his 3-year-old son, too!
By The Numbers
Tony Bruno, 47 • Philadelphia, PA
Performance: 525 hp |
| Engine |
| Type: | early Chevy small-block |
| Power adder: | NOS 250-horse Pro-Fogger system |
| Block: | stock iron, four-bolt mains,
clearanced for stroker crank |
| Oiling: | Melling oil pump, 7-qt drag racing oil pan |
| Rotating assembly: | Nodular iron stroker crank,
Eagle H-beam rods,
forged flat-top pistons for 9.8:1 compression |
| Cylinder heads: | Dart Pro1 heads
with 2.08-/1.60-inch valves
and 215cc intake runners |
| Camshaft: | solid roller .600/.600-inch lift,
258/268° of duration at .050-inch
lift on a 108° LSA |
| Valvetrain: | stainless steel rocker arms
and double-roller chain |
| Induction: | dual 600-cfm Holley carbs,
Weiand tunnel-ram intake |
| Ignition: | MSD Pro-Billet distributer,
6AL ignition control box and
timing retard module |
| Fuel system: | dual Holley blue electric fuel pumps
with a stock tank |
| Exhaust: | Hedman headers, 2-inch exhaust,
and Flowmaster mufflers |
| Fasteners: | ARP |
| Drivetrain |
| Transmission: | 700-R4 with Hurst shifter |
| Torque converter: | 3,500 rpm TCI Street Fighter |
| Rear axle: | GM 10-bolt with 4.11 gears
and Auburn posi unit |
| Chassis |
| Front & Rear Suspension: | Competition
Engineering subframe connectors,
K-sport 2-inch drop springs,
and Koni adjustable shocks |
| Brakes: | Aerospace Components 10-inch discs
in the front, factory drums in the rear |
| Body |
| Stereo: | custom stereo
with dual 12-inch subwoofers |
| Gauges: | Auto Meter hood-mounted gauges |
| Paint: | custom Chevy flag emblems,
35th anniversary stripe |
| Wheels/tires |
| Wheels: | Weld Draglite front and rear |
| Tires: | Supreme Sport 165/60-15, front;
Mickey Thompson Sportsman
Pro 28X10.5-15, rear |
1972 Nova * Driveway Demon
John Caldira didn't always have muscle cars; his previous rides consisted of early Datsuns and an 11-second Dodge Neon. After being influenced by his friend with a '68 Camaro, he knew he needed a muscle car.
In January 2007, Jon was ready to buy. Unfortunately, he was overseas, stationed in Iraq with the Air Force. Reading online ads and e-mailing friends were his only means of contact with North America, and he would have to rely on them to find him a car. He found his special Nova locally, and began working on it as soon as he returned home. A little bit of tweaking and tuning earned him 12.20-second quarter-mile times. Jon's goal, however, was closer to the 9.50-second range. He first added a blast of nitrous to this mild 355ci small-block, and got a little closer with an 11.30-second timeslip. He realized this engine just was not going to allow him the power he needed. That's when a 406ci small-block took its place.
Soon after the swap, other parts of his car started to give up. Countless nights spent in driveways and at Mizzi's Automotive in Fairfield, California, were needed to get this Nova finished and ready to hit the track. The Nova isn't just a track car: "I wanted a fast, streetable car that didn't look like anything special," Jon told us. He drives the car to the grocery store, on the freeway, and takes several trips to the track. Future plans are to install wheel tubs (to get a little more tire in the rear), and build a ladder-bar suspension to hook harder.
By The Numbers
Jon Caldira, 27 * Dublin, CA
Best e.t.: 10.68/129.93 (on motor) |
| Engine: | 406 small-block Chevy, AFR heads,
Jesel beltdrive, Brodix intake,
1⅞-inch Hooker headers,
TNT nitrous Cheater plate,
Demon carb, MSD ignition |
| Trans: | Art Carr 8-inch converter,
custom-built full manual valvebody,
Turbo 350 trans with an Ultra Bell shield |
| CHASSIS: | stock suspension,
10-bolt with 3.73 gears |
| WHEELS/TIRES: | Weld ProStar 15-inch wheels
and 28x9-inch slicks |
| Body: | all metal, unknown paint job |
| INTERIOR: | full interior, bench seat,
lap belts, Summit aluminum fuel cell,
Grant steering wheel,
Auto Meter Monster tach
with shift light |
Mothers Picture Perfect Award
This is the place to show off your pride and joy to the rest of mankind, so we figure those readers who took the time to capture a really cool shot of their hot rod should get a little bonus. Mothers agreed, and decided to come to the party with some freebies for the best picture submitted to PHR.
Each month, the editors at PHR will sift through the images and pick the one with the best composition, lighting, and overall quality. The winner will get a cool assortment of Mothers products to keep his or her ride looking nice and shiny. Mail us a photograph or, if you're a modern guy, e-mail us a digital image. Remember that digital images need to be 300 dpi and, the bigger the image, the larger it can run. Also, be sure to include info on the car, along with your name and address. Good luck!