By Nick Licata – Images by NotStock Photography
It’s a familiar story: the one about someone chasing the car that shaped their high school imagination. The only variable is the years they strolled those sacred halls. For Mike Nation, the formative metal came by way of Mötley Crüe and the third-gen Camaro—more specifically, the 1987 IROC-Z. “I’ve always wanted one since they first came out,” Mike says. “I couldn’t afford one back then, but I was finally in a position to set my sights on a clean, original IROC-Z when I found this gem with just 28K on the clock.”
There was just one catch. The seller insisted the car remain original before turning over the Bowtie key chain and attached Camaro keys. “I did not tell him my plans for the car,” Mike says with a sheepish grin. “But in my defense, I did attempt to keep the car as original-looking as possible. One example is that we kept the stock radio and had it converted to Bluetooth, so it looks factory. If he saw the car today, I really think he’d approve.”
It’s common knowledge that third-gen Camaros looked the part but lacked any sort of meaningful power underhood. The 1987 IROC-Z was no exception as it was advertised at 225 hp–fine for its day, but hardly the stuff you’d brag about when showroom stock sixth-gens are rolling off the line with 455 horses. Mike wanted his Camaro to capture the spirit of the car he loved, but with the power and handling he always imagined it should’ve had.
To pull it off, Mike took the bone-stock Camaro to Nobody Customs & Restorations in Keithville, Louisiana. There, he and Nobody’s owner, Joel Willims, devised a plan to drag the ’80s icon into the modern era without stripping away its original flavor. The goal wasn’t to build a Pro Touring caricature or a nostalgia piece, it was to create a balanced street machine by incorporating excessive horsepower and optimum lateral performance, all the while respecting the IROC’s OG identity.
Two years later, Mike’s IROC graduated from mild-mannered cruiser to full-tilt street dominator.
“I wanted a car that stood apart from the typical classics you see at shows and cruises,” Mike explains. “Joel and the Nobody crew came up with a build that blends modern performance with the classic look I fell in love with as a teenager.”
That performance starts underhood with a hand-built LS7 from Late Model Engines (LME) in Houston. The 427ci beast hunts at 11.0:1 compression and is filled with premium hardware: a forged 4140 steel crank, forged titanium rods, and forged aluminum pistons. Up top, LME-spec Brodix BR7 heads and MSD Atomic intake work with MSD coils to feed the big-inch animal. A Motion Cams hydraulic roller bumps a stout 0.640/630 lift with 246/258 degrees of duration at 0.050, giving the LS7 some serious attitude without sacrificing street manners.
The engine bay is finished cleanly with LME valve covers, Holley’s mid-mount accessory drive system, a SPAL brushless fan, PWR radiator, and Ringbrothers hood hinges. Nobody Customs fabricated a custom 3-inch exhaust mated to Stainless Works headers and SLP mufflers. The final hit: 704 hp and 512 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm, in an IROC-Z. Let that sink in.
Backing the LS7 is a TREMC TKX transmission paired with a McLeod twin-disc clutch that keeps gear changes smooth yet crisp even under aggression. Out back, the stock 10-bolt got the boot in favor of a Ford 9-inch with Eaton Truetrac, 3.70 gears, and 31-spline axles, giving Mike peace of mind whether he’s cruising or hammering the throttle.
Of course, making this amount of power usable requires a suspension overhaul and that’s where Detroit Speed and Engineering enters the story. Up front, the car now carries DSE’s front Speed Kit 3 with double-adjustable DSE-tuned struts, tubular control arms, 950-pound springs, plus a strut tower brace and quick-ratio steering box. Out back, a full DSE QUADRALink system with double-adjustable coilovers, 275-pound springs steadied by a 1-inch sway bar gives the car modern cornering manners.
Nobody Customs dialed in the finishing touches, making sure everything worked in harmony. Brembo 15-inch rotors and six-piston calipers up front, with four-piston and matching 15-inch rotors out back, provide the kind of stopping power GM never dreamed of back in 1987. A Wilwood master cylinder and hydro boost assist complete the system.
The stance and grip come by way of BC Forged wheels wrapped in Toyo Proxes 888 rubber and give the car a confident, hunkered-down posture that hints at its capability without overplaying its hand.
Inside, the IROC stays true to its roots but gains refinement not provided by the factory. Nobody Customs reworked the cabin with custom leather and suede upholstery, Cobra seats with IROC 2 laser-etched inserts by Roux Forged, custom door panels, and ACC tan carpet. The stock dash and column remain, coupled with a Hawks billet steering wheel and Dakota Digital VHX gauges to modernize the information center.
Classic Auto Air handles HVAC duties, while the original radio hides a Bluetooth conversion and feeds Kicker amps, speakers, and subwoofer–all integrated cleanly by Nobody Customs. A four-point 1¾ DOM mild-steel rollcage adds additional chassis rigidity and safety without overwhelming the interior.
Visually, the car retains its unmistakable IROC presence but boasts subtle upgrades, including smoothed firewall, modified inner fenders, taller rear spoiler, stretched rear wheeltubs, updated fiberglass front bumper, and reworked factory hood louvers, all for an updated, cohesive scene. Holley RetroBright headlights modernize illumination, while the PPG Black pigment gives the car a deep, sinister look.
Mike’s Camaro went from a sleepy, bone-stock cruiser to a full-blown street predator in just two years. “I wanted something that didn’t blend in with the sea of classics out there, and Joel and the crew at Nobody Customs delivered,” Mike excitedly says. “Now I’ve got a ride that pays respect to the past, performs like modern muscle, and proves that the cars we grew up worshipping—when built right—can run with, or even flat-out beat, anything that dares roll up.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owner: Mike Nation
Vehicle: 1987 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine
Type: LS7
Displacement: 427 ci
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Bore: 4.125 inches
Stroke: 4.00 inches
Builder: Late Model Engines (Houston)
Machine Work: LME
Rotating Assembly: Forged 4140 steel crankshaft, forged titanium connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons
Camshaft: Motion Cams LSX Hydraulic roller, 0.640/0.630 inch lift, 246/258 degrees duration at 0.050
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum Brodix BR7/LME
Induction: MSD Atomic intake manifold
Ignition Coils: MSD
Exhaust: Stainless Works headers, 3-inch custom exhaust by Nobody Customs (Keithville, LA) SLP mufflers
Valve Covers: LME
Accessory Drive: Holley Mid-mount
Ancillaries: SPAL brushless fan, PWR radiator, Scott wires, Ringbrothers hood hinges, Tanks Inc. 14-gallon fuel tank
Output: 704 hp at 7,000 rpm, 512 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm
Drivetrain
Transmission: American Powertrain TREMEC TKX
Clutch: McLeod twin-disc
Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch, Eaton Truetrac posi, 3.70 gears, 31-spline axles
Chassis
Front Suspension: Detroit Speed and Engineering Front Speed Kit 3, double-adjustable DSE tuned struts, DSE tubular control arms, DSE 950-pound springs, 1 1/8-inch DSE sway bar, DSE strut tower brace, DSE quick-ratio steering box
Rear Suspension: DSE QUADRALink system, DSE double-adjustable coilover shocks, DSE 275-pound springs, DSE 1-inch sway bar
Brakes: Brembo 15-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front, 15-inch rotors, four-piston calipers rear, Wilwood master cylinder, hydro boost brake booster
Suspension Mods: Nobody Customs
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: BC Forged 19×8 front, 19×11 rear
Tires: Toyo Proxes 888R 265/30R19 front, 305/30R19 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Custom leather/suede
Carpet: ACC Tan
Installation: Nobody Customs
Insulation: Membrane
Seats: Cobra with custom leather and suede with custom IROC 2 laser etched insert by Roux Forged
Door Panels: Custom by Nobody Customs
Steering: Stock column, Hawk factory-style billet steering wheel
Dash: Factory
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital VHX/Hawks Performance
Wiring: Painless Performance Products by Nobody Customs
HVAC: Classic Auto Air
Control Panel: Modified
Entertainment System: Modified stock radio by Nobody Customs, Kicker Amps, Kicker speakers, Kicker Subwoofer by Nobody Customs
Rollcage: Four-point 1¾-inch DOM mild steel by Nobody Customs
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: Nobody Customs
Paint: PPG black
Hood: Factory/modified louvers by Nobody Customs
Grille: Stock
Front Bumper: Modified fiberglass by Nobody Customs
Rear Bumper: Original
Headlights: Holley RetroBright
Taillights: Stock
Body Modifications: Rear inner tubs stretched, modified rear spoiler, smoothed firewall, modified inner front fenders
