By Nick Licata – Images by Patrick Lauder
Back in the day–yeah, I’m talking the 1970s–you could hear the rumble of uncorked V-8s echoing behind the high school auto shops where kids were swapping cams and wrenching on beaters for extra credit. That’s where the hook was set for Rob O’Neill. “My very first car was a 1960 Buick LeSabre four-door,” Rob recalls with a chuckle. “My buddies and I yanked the original engine, swapped in a junkyard 401, and got that thing to haul ass. Back then there were quite a few open roads on the outskirts of town, so we did a lot of street racing and had a blast beating the crap out of that thing.”
That’s how it all started.
What followed was a lifelong love affair with Detroit muscle–Pontiacs early on, followed up with Camaros and Chevelles. Rob spent his early post-college days working at Burlingame Auto Parts in California, slinging parts from a tired 1964 Ford Econoline van, while on the side he was parting out early Pontiac Firebirds and shipping rust-free West Coast sheetmetal back East. It was a hustle fueled by passion and profit.
By the late ’70s and into the ’80s, Rob was banging gears at Fremont Drag Strip in a rowdy 1970 Firebird, and like a lot of us, the obsession with speed and style never really let up. So, decades and multiple projects later, he set his sights on building a 1969 Camaro–one with big power and a sleeper demeanor.
Enter Tom Van Steyn, co-owner of Full Circle Restorations, who Rob happened to meet at a Goodguys event in Pleasanton back in 2012. “He had this killer patina Chevy truck that really caught my eye,” Rob says. “We got to talking, and when I found out he ran a hot rod shop, I asked if he knew anyone with a plain-Jane ’69 Camaro. I wanted something I could build with tons of horsepower but keep it looking lowkey.”
Van Steyn delivered—in more ways than one. He had a line on a ’69 Camaro that a friend owned that had been sitting since 1982, purchased out of a Stockton, California, police impound yard. The backstory was that it had been stolen from an older woman in L.A. years prior, recovered, then forgotten. Though it was tagged as a COPO, no one knows exactly what Central Office Production Orders it originally carried. Still, the body was in surprisingly solid condition—even if it was missing fenders and a hood. It also had no engine or trans, but there was enough for Rob to take the plunge.
Over the next three years, the crew at Full Circle Restorations transformed the once-humble Camaro into a purpose-built machine with muscle to back the menace. At the heart of the beast is a junkyard-sourced LS3—a modern 376ci bruiser fed by a Holley Sniper EFI system tuned by Autotrend EFI. With ported aluminum heads, a Brian Tooley NA Stage 2 cam, and an Edelbrock intake CNC-matched by West Coast Cylinder Heads, the mill punches out a stout 580 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque.
A 6L90E automatic with a GM ZL1 converter and paddle shifters from Zero Gravity Performance handles gear swaps, and Detroit Speed’s hydroformed subframe paired with their QUADRALink rear suspension gives the car legit corner-carving capabilities. The 9-inch rearend houses an Eaton Truetrac posi with 3.31 gears—perfect for freeway sprints, backroad blasts, and track day shenanigans.
Stopping power comes from massive Baer 14-inch rotors with six-piston calipers at all four corners, and JRi coilovers ensure the ride is just as dialed as the stance. Speaking of stance, the Forgeline CR3 wheels—18×10 up front and 18×12 out back—are wrapped in sticky BFGoodrich g-Force Rival rubber, filling out the Detroit Speed mini-tubs.
Despite all the upgrades, there’s something refreshingly honest about this build. The stock grille and bumpers remain. The original taillight housings now glow with Dapper sequential LEDs, and even the side mirrors are borrowed from a 1970 Pontiac Trans Am—a subtle nod to Rob’s Firebird past. The body was treated to a smooth firewall and shaved emblems before getting laid out in Nissan GTR Blue Pearl by Jeff at Full Circle. It’s a brilliant hue that brings out the best of this Camaro. Not originally what Rob had planned but a look he’s incredibly proud of.
Inside, it’s much of the same philosophy. The original ’69 Camaro seats were rebuilt with TMI bolsters and DJ Designs springs; Finish Line Interiors stitched it all up. A Dakota Digital HDX dash handles vitals, and a Budnik Trans Am wheel pairs with those aforementioned paddle shifters for a modern, tactile driving experience. Vintage Air keeps the cabin cool, and an American Autowire harness ensures everything fires without a fuss.
While this Camaro looks ready to dominate any autocross or open track event, Rob’s next mission is even more ambitious: hit 200 mph. “It’s definitely not there yet,” he admits, “but Van Steyn and I have a few ideas on how to make that happen. For now, I just love driving it. It handles everything I throw at it and is just flat-out fun.”
Maybe that’s the best way to describe this car. It’s fun. It’s fast. It’s got a story rooted in old-school grit—the kind that starts in high school auto shop and ends with a 580hp LS under the hood of a once-forgotten Camaro.
Not bad for a car once owned by a little old lady in L.A.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owners: Robert and Susan O’Neill, San Bruno, California
Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Camaro
Engine
Type: Junkyard LS3
Displacement: 376 ci
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.065 inches
Stroke: 3.622 inches
Builder: GM
Rotating Assembly: Nodular iron crankshaft, powdered connecting rods, Hypereutectic aluminum pistons
Camshaft: Brian Tooley LS3 NA Stage 2
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum L92-style port, as-cast with 68cc chambers, ported and polished by West Coast Cylinder Heads (Los Angeles, CA)
Induction: Edelbrock intake CNC port-matched by West Coast Cylinder Heads
Fuel Injection: Holley Sniper EFI
Exhaust: American Racing long-tube headers, custom 3-inch stainless, titanium ceramic-coated exhaust, MagnaFlow mufflers by Full Circle Restorations (Lockford, CA)
Valve Covers: 1969 Camaro
Air Cleaner: Original Chevrolet cowl induction
Accessory Drive: Concept One
Ancillaries: Detroit Speed fuel tank, dual 14-inch SPAL fans, MSD plug wires, OPTIMA battery, Summit Racing oil cooler
Tuning: Autotrend EFI (Diamond Springs, CA)
Output: 580 hp, 480 lb-ft
Drivetrain
Transmission: 6L90E with Power Control paddle shifter by Zero Gravity Performance
Torque Converter: GM ZL1
Stall Speed: 1,900
Rear Axle: Detroit Speed 9-inch rearend, Eaton Truetrac posi unit, 3.31 gear ratio, 31-spline axles
Driveshaft: Driveline Services 3-inch
Chassis
Front Suspension: Detroit Speed & Engineering hydroformed subframe, JRi coilover shocks, Detroit Speed 2-inch sway bar, DSE rack-and-pinion steering
Rear Suspension: Detroit Speed QUADRALink, JRi coilover shocks, Panhard bar, Detroit Speed 1¼-inch sway bar
Brakes: Baer 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front and rear, GM refurbished booster
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Forgeline CR3 with gray spokes and polished lips 18×10 front, 18×12 rear
Tires: BFGoodrich g-Force Rival 275/35R18 front, 335/30R18 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Finish Line Interiors (Santa Clara, CA)
Seats: Original 1969 Camaro, TMI bolsters, DJ Designs springs (Hayward, CA)
Steering: Budnick Trans Am steering wheel with paddle shifters by Zero Gravity
Dash: Stock
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital HDX
Wiring: American Autowire by Full Circle Restorations
HVAC: Vintage Air
Control Panel: Factory
Rollcage: Full Circle Restorations
Exterior
Bodywork: Full Circle Restorations
Painter: Jeff at Full Circle Restorations
Paint: 2017 Nissan GTR Blue Pearl
Grille: Stock
Bumpers: Stock
Headlights: Dapper Lighting
Running Lights: Dapper Lighting
Taillights: Original housings, Dapper Lighting sequential LED
Side Mirrors: 1970 Pontiac Trans Am
Body Mods: Detroit Speed mini-tubs, emblems removed, smoothed firewall, custom front spoiler
