By Scotty Lachenauer – Photography by the Author
So, you’ve got a wad of cash sitting in the bank. To your credit, you saved it in preparation for your post high school studies: aka your college fund. But you’ve just realized your school days are over and you’re ready to study some other figures, like cubic inch displacement and pound-feet of ground twisting torque.
So, you decide to cash out and use that money for something that will teach you the ins and outs of muscle car tech—slapper bars, fat tires, and internal combustion engines. You find the ride of your dreams and throw your first semester’s invoice in the trash. It’s a done deal. Congratulations, and welcome to the mad world of Camaro Construction 101.
Spencer Thompson of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, is a twentysomething with a love for big-blocks and muscle cars. “I grew up in the car hobby as both my grandpa and dad are in it big time, and I learned at an early age to respect all the classics no matter the make or model,” Spencer states. “While dad has always loved the Blue Oval brand— Shelby Mustangs and Cobras particularly—Mopars and Chevys have also been in our family collection. Between dad and I, we now have about 20 cars, and it’s still growing.
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A few years back, Spencer was on the hunt for a total package muscle ride. He wanted anything badass—something he could build into his Day Two dream car. After some searching, he found an ad for a cool ’67 Camaro that had been built into a Yenko tribute. The owner started it as a Pro Touring car and ended up building a 427ci replica. Spencer knew this was a perfect starting point for his next project.
Without delay, Spencer scored the Camaro SS, originally out of Texas, which had somehow made its way to Maryland. It was born with a small-block and a four-speed between the buckets. However, the last owner took the liberty of adding a potent big-block underhood. It bore Yenko badges, among other add-ons, and was finished in a nice skin of Tahoe Turquoise paint.
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Spencer was going to stick with a Day Two theme, so the first thing he did was tear into the suspension and remove everything that was new and not part of his vision. It was all old school from this point on. Spencer added 1.5-inch extended coils up front to give the nose a little lift. Out back, single leaf springs were installed with a set of vintage Lakewood slapper bars to get the stance that he wanted.
The 12-bolt rearend received a complete rebuild, with Spencer adding a Moroso posi unit, Motion Performance diff cover, Yukon axles, and 4.11 gears. To make this beast stop properly, Spencer installed a set of Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners, knowing that the added braking power would be a needed safety feature. Cragar S/S wheels at the corners shod in Mickey Thompson rubber give this Camaro the ’70s street vibe he was after.
When it came to the motorvation for this here F-body, Spencer continued with his gameplan: “First thing I did was throw all the new chromed-out parts in the dumpster. Next, I built the engine back the way I wanted.” Spencer didn’t like the way the 427 was set up. It had a long water pump, and the alternator was on the passenger side. It was a ’69-dated engine and that’s how they did it that year, so he added the short water pump and moved the alternator to the driver side.
Spencer stuck with the stock heads and bottom end as the engine had only 800 break-in miles on it. To add a personal touch, he fitted an Edelbrock Torker intake topped with a Holley 750-cfm double pumper. He then installed an MSD 6AL box, the correct power steering pump, a big-block radiator with clutch fan, and correct deep-groove pulleys and belts. A vintage Fly Eye air cleaner gives the engine bay a custom ’70s touch. At 12:1 compression, this beast punches out over 500 hp at the crank.
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The interior is all old-school cool and is close to the way it came from the factory. First, the Deluxe interior upholstery was done over in its original white vinyl. To keep this ride pointed in the right direction, a deluxe walnut wood steering wheel rests on the original steering column. A Hurst T-handle shifter is mounted in the car’s born-with console and shifts the Muncie M21. Fresh carpet and a restored dash and gauges finish off the cockpit.
As stated before, the car came with a fresh-looking coat of Tahoe Turquoise accented with a white bumblebee stripe, which was just fine with Spencer. “It also came with the Yenko badging, which I did not remove due to the fact I would then have the mounting holes exposed.” Spencer says. “But aesthetically, the Camaro was everything I wanted. I really love the look.”
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The Camaro quickly morphed into the ride Spencer was after. “I wanted to install all the proper add-ons a weekend racer would have back in the day,” Spender conveys. “The tow tabs and slapper bars were a must to give it the quarter-miler look. I’ve tweaked the drivetrain to make it a dependable cruiser so we could hit the local car shows. It’s two cars rolled into one.”
Spencer mentions the car has excellent street manners and claims it’s the best stress reliever ever. He also enjoys putting on the slicks and making some straight-line passes for fun. “This F-body handles great, cruises well, and gets a thumbs up everywhere it goes,” Spencer announces.
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“I want to give thanks to my parents for teaching me to work hard and how to make things happen on my own.” Spencer maintains. “Special thanks goes to my dad, Jesse, for pulling many late nights in the shop with me and always helping in any way he could.”
Owner: Spencer Thompson, Red Lion, Pennsylvania
Vehicle: ’67 Camaro SS
Engine
Block: Big-block Chevy
Displacement: 427 ci
Compression Ratio: 12:1
Carburetor: Holley 750-cfm double pumper
Heads: Stock square port #840
Intake: Edelbrock Torker
Ignition: MSD 6AL box
Valvetrain: Roller rockers and hydraulic lifters
Camshaft: Comp Cams Magnum hydraulic roller
Exhaust: Hooker Super Comp headers, custom 3-inch exhaust system, Flowmaster 40 series mufflers
Output: 500 hp at crank
Drivetrain
Transmission: Muncie M21 four-speed
Rear Axle: GM 12-bolt with Moroso posi, Yukon axles, 4.11 gears
Chassis
Frame: Stock
Front Suspension: Stock with 1.5-inch extended coils
Rear Suspension: Single leaf with Lakewood slapper bars
Brakes: Wilwood disc brakes
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Cragar S/S 15×4 front, 15×8 rear
Tires: Mickey Thompson Sportsman 28×7.50r15 front, L60 Mickey Thompson “I” tread rear
Interior
Upholstery: Deluxe white interior
Material: Vinyl
Seats: Stock
Steering Wheel: Deluxe walnut wood
Shifter: Hurst
Dash: Stock
Gauges: Stock
Audio: N/A
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: N/A
Paint Color: Tahoe Turquoise
Hood: Classic Industries fiberglass Stinger hood
Bumpers: Stock
Grille: Stock
Click on this issue’s cover to see the enhanced digital version of Day Two 1967 Chevy Camaro.
