By Fuelish Media – Images by the Author
Imagine wanting a specific year, make, and model vehicle your whole life only to get ahold of one well into adulthood. Now imagine the feeling of starting the hunt for yet another car of the exact same ilk because you just can’t bring yourself to cut up and customize that first “dream” vehicle. Sometimes, these vintage cars show up in unbelievable original condition, and the simple thought of going forward with a complete breakdown for the purpose of installing aftermarket components can seem like committing a cardinal sin.
Back in 1969, John De La Luz fell in love with the Chevy Camaro of the day. At that time, he was only 12 years old and he was heavily influenced by the cars the older kids in the neighborhood were driving. “One of the guys down the street from me had a ’69 Z/28,” John remembers. “On the weekends, his friends would come over with their ’69 Camaros. I would stare at those cars and told myself one day I would have one just like them.”
When he was finally old enough to drive, John picked up a 1969 El Camino SS 396, then a 1970 Camaro that he completely customized, followed by other equally cool muscle cars but never the ’69 Camaro that he once coveted during his youth. It wasn’t until he got a little bit older (we’ll let you do the math of his exact age) when he finally found the car he used to obsess over.
“I found this ’69 Camaro in Glendale, California,” John states. “The car was in perfect condition except for two little tears in the driver seat. I was looking for one for over a year when I heard about the car. I called about it immediately and drove it home a few days later. The previous owner bought it in 1969 when he got home from the Army. He moved in with his grandma when he got back and parked the car in her garage—he hardly ever drove it. When he [died], he left it to his nephew who is the one who put it up for sale since he wasn’t much of a car guy.”
With only 53,000 miles on the odometer, the true 1969 SS 350 four-speed Camaro John purchased was in near immaculate condition. He drove it pretty much in stock form, except for aftermarket wheels and tires, for nine years before he felt the itch to customize it. “My ultimate dream was to have a Pro Touring ’69 Camaro, but I could never bring myself to mess around with the one I just found,” he admits. “It was a perfect original car, and I just couldn’t take anything apart that wasn’t absolutely necessary for regular maintenance.”
While his hopes were high for finding a project-worthy ’69, John canceled his search after three years of looking. He finally succumbed to the idea of blasting his all-original car apart to build the Camaro of his wildest dreams. “My good friend Sal Solorzano from Total Cost Involved helped with completely disassembling the car,” John says. “I felt a lot better about the situation once Solarzano began doing things to build the car back up, like installing a full TCI front suspension clip and rear torque arm setup.”
At least the Camaro wasn’t torn down in vain. John had a comprehensive plan for the project and was not about to settle for anything less than dream worthy. The new chassis situation was further upgraded with Ridetech adjustable shocks at each corner, powdercoated suspension components, Wilwood brakes, stainless lines, and plenty more to make the most of the next big addition to the Camaro’s roster.
The transmission tunnel was widened, Detroit Speed mini-tubs were installed, and the firewall was smoothed to clean up the engine compartment to set the stage for a Chevrolet Performance LS7 that would be planted underhood. The 427ci powerplant was backed by a 4L75E transmission with a Circle D billet torque converter with 3,000 stall converter and a B&M shifter to put power to the ground. The engine was further upgraded with MSD fuel rails, a Nick Williams 102mm throttle body, custom LS7 headers, and a K&N air intake system to produce an estimated 650 hp.
Next, the Camaro was taken to Barry’s Speed Shop where it was bodyworked and painted a fresh custom green hue as an update to its original factory Frost Green color. New front and rear glass were then installed, a Detroit Speed RS headlight conversion kit was put into place, and all the stainless accents were polished to a brilliant shine. To match that luster, a set of 18-inch Schott wheels were selected to give John’s ’69 a moderately modernized yet classic appearance.
The interior was also treated to its own all-star list of amenities in the way of Cerullo race seats and headliner and package tray wrapped in supple black leather by Joe’s Upholstery. Del Ray Restomod was soon called in to install a custom stereo system and console, as well as new interior lighting to increase the appeal of nighttime driving.
“I would like to thank Juan at RDZ Motorsports, Barry’s Speed Shop, Westech Performance, and Raymond at Del Ray for helping me get the car dialed in,” John says. “People love every part of the car, and I like hearing all the compliments about its craftsmanship. A special thanks goes to my friend Solorzano who was always there to keep me informed and focused on the end goal—when I would finally get to drive and enjoy my dream car.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
Tech Check
Owner: John De La Luz
Vehicle: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Engine
Type: 2021 Chevrolet Performance LS7
Displacement: 427 ci
Cylinder Heads: GM LS7 CNC-ported
Camshaft: GM hydraulic
Induction: MSD Atomic AirForce intake manifold
Assembly: RDZ Motorsports tuned by Westech Performance Group
Exhaust: Custom 3-inch stainless steel exhaust, MagnaFlow mufflers
Dress-Up: Eddie Motorsports accessory drive system, Eddie Motorsports hood hinges, Motion Raceworks valve covers
Fuel Tank: Rick’s Hot Rods steel 16-gallon tank, VaporWorx controller
Drivetrain
Transmission: Chevrolet 4L75E four-speed automatic
Driveshaft: Inland Empire 3.5-inch steel
Rear Axle: Fabricated 9-inch
Chassis
Chassis: Total Cost Involved
Front Suspension: TCI IFS spindles, upper and lower control arms, rack-and-pinion steering, and 1-inch antiroll bar, Ridetech springs and shocks
Rear Suspension: TCI Torque Arm system, ¾-inch antiroll bar, 1¼-inch Panhard bar, Ridetech coilovers
Brakes: Wilwood 13-inch rotors, six-piston calipers, 1 1/8-inch master cylinder, CPP HydraStop brake assist
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: 18×11 and 18×12 Schott Drift wheels
Tires: 295/30R18 and 335/30R18 Continental ExtremeContact SportPlus tires
Interior
Upholstery: Black leather by Joe’s Upholstery (Bellflower, CA)
Seats: Cerullo XR Sport Seats
Steering: Ididit tilt column, MOMO steering wheelInstrumentation: Auto Meter Phantom 11 gauges
Shifter: B&M
Exterior
Bodywork & Paint: Barry’s Speed Shop (Corona, CA)
Hood: 2-inch cowl hood
Grille: RS
