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The C7 Corvette Z06 has the straight-line performance to outgun a lot of other performance cars on sale today, but the car is mostly about being a serious performer in the corners. The automotive media hasn’t stopped chattering about its jaw-dropping capability on the track, a characteristic you can chalk up to its effective aerodynamics and Michelin Super Sport tires, among other features.
Imagine you’re driving down Highway 74 in Columbus, NC one fine day and you see this cool Camaro with a huge hood scoop coming toward you. You think to yourself, “What a nicely tricked-out, blown ’69.” But as the car passes by you mutter, “That was a ’67, not a ’69.” While your mind is trying to sort out how you misidentified the Camaro from the front and then the side, you check your rearview mirror and see the back end of a ’70 Camaro driving away! About this time, you’re starting to think about alien control of your mind. So in order to preserve your sanity, you whip a quick U-turn and catch up to the Camaro at the next traffic light. The owner, Billy Edwards, assures you that your mind is sound and that his really cool Camaro is actually a hybrid of ’67, ’68, ’69 and ’70 body panels and trim parts!
I started this journey when I found out that the 1965 Comet Cyclone I had found back in ’03 was previously owned by the legendary Dyno Don Nicholson. The supporting paperwork stated that Dyno had later given the car to his head mechanic, Dave McGrane.
Dave had been on Dyno’s team touring and racing the funny car circuit back in the ’60s. The team of Nicholson, Earl Wade, and Dave McGrane had nearly 50 straight wins under their belts!
In May of 1964, I was passing by a Lincoln-Mercury dealership, and noticed this beautiful black ’64 Comet sitting in the showroom. It was the Cyclone version, which had a 4-barrel 289 and a 4-speed. I had to stop and look at it - what could it hurt? To make a long story short - I left with it.
In 1966, I took it to the track to see what it would do. It was not impressive, but I had fun. I went back the following weekend and ran a little better. By this time I was getting hooked. We fitted a Hurst shifter, Hooker headers, and some cheap cheater slicks.
My neighbor Marie was the original owner of my wagon. Marie was a school teacher working in the China Lake, CA, area. Her parents lived two doors down from my house. They wanted her to have a heavy car for safety when she traveled home. Well, then she moved back to San Jose and the car was too big for her in town. She told me that one day she drove the car into her garage and said that she would “never drive that car again.” I believe that that was in 1969.
Time: 1-2 hours
Tools: standard socket set, standard wrenches
Cost: $300 (new), $30 (conversion)
Tinware: factory style or aftermarket boxed rear control arms (new bushings included), or weld-in boxing plates (new bushings optional)
Tip: When replacing older rear control arms, use quality polyurethane bushings to help stiffen the rear end and reduce deflection.
Performance gains: positive gripping power to help eliminate wheel hop.
(continued from Project Car: ’55 Bel Air, 2 Door Hardtop)
Project ’55 Bel Air: April 2014 Update
Project ’55 Bel Air: May 2014 Update
Project ’55 Bel Air: June 2014 Update
Project ’55 Bel Air: July 2014 Update
Project ’55 Bel Air: August 2014 Update
Project ’55 Bel Air: September 2014
Project '55 Bel Air: October 2014 Update
Project '55 Bel Air: February 2015 Update
Now we are installing the small-block side engine mounts. Part # 18-02. (We powder coated them red for appearance.)
It’s always a pleasure to show off your pride and joy at a local car meet, or classic car showing. But if there’s anything better than having the general public admire your ride, it’s having the public admire it in a time-period correct display. If that piques your interest, you’re in luck. The National Corvette Museum is looking for Corvettes to fill in its various displays, and they want your help.
Time: 1 hour (approximately)
Tools: standard socket set, standard wrenches
Cost: approximately $175-200
Tinware: front sway bar, new sway bar bushings, new sway bar end links (recommended), lubrication grease
Tip: Before removing anything from the car, take note of the sequence of the bushings in relation to the lower control arm and the sway bar. This will eliminate any confusion during reassembly.
Performance gains: a tighter, better-handling front end and longer lasting components
Fun 'n Speed in a '96 Camaro SS. Life is a series of choices and when Kenny White decided it was time for a new car, his first choice was a Camaro. The styling and performance of Camaros always impressed him, even when his high school buddies were enthralled with Mustangs.
