By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by The Author
When Domenick “Dom” Genise of Oceanside, New York, started his latest Camaro project, there was no question as how this F-body was going to be built. “I always wanted to build a first-gen Camaro that I could just jump in and hit the highway. The car was going to be a restomod, set up with a modern drivetrain and suspension, so I would have no worries regarding reliability while out on the road,” Dom states.
Now, Dom is no rookie to the Chevy ponycar platform. “I grew up in Maspeth, Queens, and my dad owned a motorcycle shop in nearby Woodside. We always worked on our cars and bikes outside in our yard. My brother was a Ford enthusiast, so we were always in competition, since I was a diehard Chevy guy,” Dom reflects. “Back then I had a 1967 Camaro that I worked on but never got on the road. I ended up selling it to buy an Electric Blue 1986 IROC Camaro.”
As the years passed, Dom dreamed of getting another Camaro. In 2002 he got married and started a family soon after. They ended up moving to Long Island 16 years ago to raise their two kids. That pushed him even harder to build a reliable muscle car that he could put the family in to hit car shows and cruises.
So, Dom took his time locating a good starting point for his build and found a stripped 1969 Camaro shell ready to be transformed into the big-power Chevy of his dreams. Luckily, the empty carcass was once a frame-off, Pro Touring machine, which was in good shape when the work started.
From there Dom kicked the build into high gear and reached out to Dave “Hemi Dave” Kogan of Kogan Motorsports in nearby Island Park, New York, to handle the task of bringing this barren shell back to life. The build started with an Art Morrison Enterprises Camaro/Firebird GT Front Sport Clip with C6 Corvette Z06 suspension specs along with a rack-and-pinion steering up front. Out back is an AME Tri-Four Bar rear setup with a Ford 9-inch rearend stuffed with 3.55 gears. Kogan modified and welded together the front and rear suspensions to make a complete subframe for top-notch handling and stability.
Once the underpinnings were finished, Kogan united the Camaro body to its newly modified chassis. To do this, he basically cut open the underside of the fuselage and slid the body over the frame, giving the Camaro a channeled effect, which pushed the Chevy’s body much closer to the ground.
Next up, Dom sent the Camaro to Patrick Napolitano at BonaFide Auto Collision Inc. in Patchogue, New York, where the body went through an extensive makeover. First off, the car’s rust issues that are typical on Northeast cars were taken care of by stitching in replacement sheetmetal patches in several places. The fenders and front fascia were then welded together to smooth out the lines on the nose, while the rear bumper was fit tight into the body for a flowing look.
The firewall was smoothed to create a fetching place for the future powerplant; mini-tubs were installed out back to accommodate the massive wheel-and-tire combo. Other custom add-ons include carbon-fiber fenderwells, a carbon-fiber front valance, and a rear spoiler to give the Camaro that all-important Pro Touring look. Once the car was laser straight, BonaFide sprayed on a layer of Axalta Midnight Blue to the Camaro’s flanks. Flight Line Aircraft Detailing in Teterboro, New Jersey, finished off by treating the body with P&S Ceramic Coating materials.
After some thought, Dom and Kogan decided that an LS3 would be the perfect powerplant for this striking Camaro. The 6.2L engine got several key upgrades, including a beefy bumpstick from Comp Cams, head and intake porting done by Kogan himself, and an MSD Atomic EFI setup. American Racing headers and custom 3-inch stainless exhaust topped with American Racing mufflers efficiently expel spent fuel while producing an awesome growl throughout the entire rpm range. Once complete, Kogan fine-tuned the engine to deliver 525 hp to the rear wheels along with 500 lb-ft of tire-shredding torque.
A TREMEC T56 Magnum six-speed transmission paired with a McLeod twin-disc clutch ensures smooth and accurate gear changes, while a hydroboost brake-assist system combined with Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners brings this beast to a halt with ease. The car rides on Weld Racing SS7 wheels, measuring 18×8 in the front and 18×10 in the rear, wrapped in Nitto Extreme Nt555 tires (265/35-R18) up front and massive Extreme Drag tires (335/30-R18) out back.
To enhance the interior appearance of Dom’s Camaro, he enlisted Bux Customs from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Owner Chris McClintock took charge designing and executing a full custom interior to complement the build’s overall theme. A custom back seat was crafted to accommodate the rear tubs. It was a challenge, but McClintock’s vast experience made it look easy. The bucket seats up front were built from the original frames and tailored to Dom’s specifications. The interior features Relicate leather in Graphite and Carbon Black tones. Additional features include Vintage Air, power windows, a Kicker KMC2 audio system, a custom console, hand-fabricated door panels, and black Daytona Weave carpet.
Once complete, Dom was floored by the outcome. “The car is everything I expected. It has a classic look with modern driving capabilities. It’s a turnkey cruiser with A/C that I take to car shows with my wife and two kids, and we all love it! It grips the road in such a way that I can take sharp turns with confidence knowing the road-hugging suspension and grippy tires will do their job. And long-distance drives are never a problem as the car was also built with reliability in mind. I just fill’er up and drive.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
Tech Check
Owner: Domenick Genise, Oceanside, New York
Vehicle: 1969 Camaro
Engine
Type: LS3
Displacement: 6.2L (376 ci)
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.065
Stroke: 3.622
Cylinder Heads: OEM-ported by Kogan Motorsports (Island Park, NY)
Camshaft: Comp Cams
Induction: MSD Atomic EFI
Exhaust: American Racing Headers, custom 3-inch stainless exhaust, American mufflers
Assembly: Kogan Motorsports
Accessory Drive: Factory
Ancillaries: Anvil Auto valance panel, Righbrothers hood hinges, shaved firewall
Output: 525 hp
Drivetrain
Transmission: TREMEC T56
Clutch: McLeod twin disc
Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch rear with 3.55 gears
Chassis
Front Suspension: AME GT Front Sport Clip with C6 Corvette Z06 suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, JRi coilover shocks
Rear Suspension: AME Tri-Four Bar, JRi coilover shocks
Brakes: Wilwood 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front, Wilwood 12-inch rotors, four-piston calipers rear, hydroboost braking system
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Weld Racing SS7 (18×8 front, 18×10 rear)
Tires: Extreme ZR NT555 265/35-R18 front, Extreme Drag 335/30-R18 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Relicate leather
Installation: Bux Customs (Pottstown, PA)
Seats: Stock with custom padding front, custom-built rear
Steering: Flaming River column and steering wheel
Shifter: Hurst
Dash: Custom dash insert
Instrumentation: Auto Meter Phantom white face gauges
HVAC: Vintage Air
Entertainment: Kicker KMC2
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: BonaFide Auto Collision (Patchogue, NY)
Paint: Axalta Hot Hues CFX line Midnight Blue, Spies Heckler 8035 clear
Hood: Cowl
Mini-Tubs: Detroit Speed
Grille: Stock blacked out
Door Handles: 2000 Impala reversed sides
Front Bumper: Anvil carbon-fiber front valence
Rear Bumper: Stock modified and tucked
Headlights: Ring Brothers LED
Taillights: Ring Brothers LED
Side Mirror: InTek OTTO billet and carbon fiber
Modifications: Carbon-fiber inner fenders, lower front spoiler, and rear spoiler
