By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
Tim Zych can’t recall a time in his twentysomething years when cars weren’t a daily part of his life. “As far back as I can remember, they’ve always played a role,” he shares. With a family steeped in automotive history, Tim was destined for a life in cars. “My dad is a 30-plus-year autobody tech and hot rodder. Both my grandpas were Chevy enthusiasts, and two of my great-grandfathers were mechanics and racers. My great-great-grandfather even manufactured tires for Uniroyal. And I can’t forget my mom—she drag raced at Lebanon Valley and still has the timeslips to prove it!”
With that pedigree, Tim’s career path was clear. He is now the owner and operator of Hampshire County Hot Rods (HCHR) in Belchertown, Massachusetts, where he specializes in crafting custom hot rods and muscle cars. “I’ve known my whole life this is what I wanted to do,” Tim says. “Starting my own hot rod shop was inevitable.”
Growing up surrounded by classic cars, Tim was deeply influenced by his father’s work. A rough 1955 Chevy left a lasting impression on him. “Its iconic style shaped the car builder I’ve become today.”
By the time Tim turned 20, he had several high-end builds under his belt, solidifying HCHR’s reputation. To distinguish the shop’s top-tier builds, Tim created the “Z-SPEC” series, named after his family’s lineage. The first Z-SPEC project: a 1969 Camaro.
“In December 2018, I found a rough Camaro in Connecticut. It was half-gutted, with riveted patches and tar undercoating. But it was a ’69 Camaro, so we bought it.” The build started in December 2020 and quickly became a passion project. “We invested over 2,000 hours and nearly six figures in parts alone. The budget went out the window—our focus was on perfection.”
Tim stripped the car to its bare structure, replacing nearly every piece of sheetmetal with parts from AMD and sandblasting the frame. But the build wasn’t without challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a nine-month delay in receiving the Ohio Speed Shop 545hp LS3 engine due to a crankshaft shortage.
Once the engine arrived in April 2022, the team modified the firewall, raised the transmission tunnel by 2-1/2 inches, and fabricated custom engine mounts and a crossmember to fit the LS3 and Silver Sport TREMEC six-speed transmission.
The suspension upgrades were extensive. The Camaro received a custom subframe with boxed steel rails, tubular control arms, and rack-and-pinion steering. Ridetech’s four-link cradle was installed at the rear, along with mini-tubs and control arm brackets welded to the differential. The car was stripped of the suspension then mounted on a rotisserie, with the underside finished in a base/clearcoat and the subframe coated in satin black 2K Ceramic Chassis paint.
With the suspension reinstalled, the Camaro’s final look came together with Rocket Attack wheels wrapped in Falken Azenis tires. After block-sanding, the car was painted in Tim’s custom tan blend, accented with red and black stripes, and finished with three layers of Akzo Nobel clearcoat. Smoothed and narrowed bumpers were painted high-gloss black, and custom Z-SPEC emblems were machined from 6061 aluminum.
The interior was designed for comfort and style. Using TMI products, Tim created a seamless look with a custom center console featuring a Pioneer stereo, USB ports, and cup holders. Corbeau bucket seats, three-way retractable belts, and Classic Instruments Autocross gauges were installed, while a Vintage Air system provides modern climate control.
When the Camaro finally roared to life after over 20 years of silence it was a triumphant moment. Tim fine-tuned the car and debuted it at local shows where it quickly became a fan favorite.
“We poured our heart and soul into this build,” Tim reflects. “It’s an amazing feeling to have people recognize the effort. Whoever ends up with this car is getting one hell of a Camaro—a true head-turner.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH
Owner: Tim Zych, Hampshire County Hot Rods
Vehicle: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Engine
Type: LS3
Displacement: 376 ci
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.065
Stroke: 3.622
Cylinder Heads: L92 rectangular-port aluminum LS3 heads
Rotating Assembly: Nodular iron crankshaft, powdered metal rods, hypereutectic aluminum pistons
Camshaft: Comp Cams hydraulic roller 230/244
Cooling: Dual-core Griffin Crossflow aluminum radiator with dual Spal electric fans and shroud
Induction: FiTech EFI, FiTech black fabricated aluminum intake, FiTech 102mm throttle body, FiTech 55-pound injectors
Ignition: FiTech
Exhaust: Full-length Patriot ceramic-coated headers 1-3/4 inch into custom-bent 2 1/2-inch stainless MagnaFlow exhaust system with X-pipe
Fuel Tank: Tanks Inc 19-gallon tank notched for mini-tubs
Output (at crank): 545 hp, 495 lb-ft of torque
Drivetrain
Transmission: Silversport T56 six-speed, STX Performance short-throw shifter, McLeod 12-inch clutch, McLeod hydraulic throwout bearing with Wilwood hydraulic clutch master cylinder
Driveshaft: Dynotech DOM Steel driveshaft
Rear Axle: Chevrolet 12-bolt, Yukon Limited Slip posi, Richmond 4.11 gears, Moser aluminum diff cover, Quick Performance 30-spline axles
Chassis
Front Suspension: QA1 coilover shocks, Heidts Performance Mustang II 2-inch drop spindles, tubular upper and lower control arms, 1¼-inch sway bar, late-model Ford power steering rack, KRC power steering pump
Rear Suspension: QA1 coilover shocks, Ridetech four-link, adjustable upper and lower control arms, Ridetech MuscleCar sway bar
Brakes: POL Hydropower power brake booster kit, Wilwood tandem master cylinder; Wilwood 13-inch rotors, six-piston calipers, 12-inch rotors, four-piston calipers rear; E-Stopp electronic parking brake system
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Rocket Racing Attack Machined Titanium, 18×9 front, 18×11 rear
Tires: Falken Azenis RT615K+ 265/35R18 front, 315/30R18 rear
Interior
Upholstery: In-house utilizing a variety of parts, including TMI Products, Corbeau RSS bucket seats, custom console
Material: Vinyl, suede, Alcantara
Steering: Keyless tilt column. Mahogany wood wheel
Shifter: Silver Sport SST
Dash: Modified factory
Gauges: Classic Instruments Autocross Series
Audio: Pioneer 8-inch touch-screen head unit with Bluetooth Android Auto and Apple Car Play, two-way Kicker KS Series 6½-inch round fronts, three-way Kicker KS Series 6×9-inch rear, Kicker 8-inch Comp RT subwoofer with passive radiator, BOSS Audio 1,500-watt subwoofer amplifier, Crunch 900-watt speaker amplifier
HVAC: Vintage Air
Exterior
Bodywork: Hampshire County Hot Rods (Belchertown, MA)
Paint By: Hampshire County Hot Rods
Paint: Akzo Nobel Products custom Tan
Hood: 2-inch cowl
Grille: Stock black
Bumpers: Custom Fabricated, sectioned, reshaped, and smoothed
