By Nick Licata – Images by Luke Munnell
Southern California–rescued vintage muscle cars, especially those found in the high desert, are known for holding up surprisingly well despite the harsh summer conditions the desert relentlessly dishes out. The lack of moisture offers a safe haven for ’60s muscle cars—uh, check that—“most” ’60s muscle cars. The 1969 Camaro Brad Cimino spotted in an OfferUp ad spent a good chunk of its life sunbathing in the dry open air of Victorville. At first glance the car appeared to be a unicorn but was instead a beat-up old mule. No offence to mules, but once the car was blasted, it revealed a level of rust damage more typically found in an East Coast car that had sucked up enough road salt to alter the pH of the Atlantic Ocean.
Although Brad had been fussing with cars since he was a teenager, he realized he was in above his head on this one, so he handed the carcass over to his good buddy Nick Paulsen at Driven Hot Rods in Calimesa, California.
“When Paulsen and I went to check out the Camaro, it looked pretty good, although we had our concerns about what was under the aged paint,” Brad says. “But I’ve always wanted a 1969 Camaro and the price was right, so I bought it knowing the road ahead may be a rough one. It came with a 350 and a TH350 trans, but we weren’t interested in factory parts, as the plan was to bring in a modern driveline and suspension system.”
Paulsen echoes Nick’s comments. “As a car builder, I’ve seen just about everything, so I had low expectations on the sheetmetal’s condition, but I’d rather start from scratch with a rough, original car instead of redoing shoddy work done by another shop, as that just creates more headaches. With that said, we really didn’t know what we were getting into until we blasted the body.”
Turns out just about every panel had to be replaced as there wasn’t much meat on the bones of the vintage F-body. “We replaced the floors, doorskins, quarter-panels, fenders decklid, and other rusted-out bits,” Paulsen explains. “From there we smoothed the firewall, welded the body seams, and cut and tucked the bumpers for a tighter look.”
For power, Brad went big. Moruzzi Race Motors in Banning, California, assembled a stout 427ci LS7. Inside, a forged 4140 crank, titanium I-beam rods, and cast-aluminum pistons keep the bottom end bulletproof. A custom Moruzzi cam works with aluminum heads and a custom carbon-fiber intake manifold. GM fuel injection handles delivery, while Sanderson headers and a custom 3-inch exhaust with Borla mufflers let the big LS breathe.
Cooling is handled by a C&R aluminum radiator, with accessories driven by a Vintage Air Front Runner. At full tilt, the combination belts out 700 hp at 6,233 rpm and 635 lb-ft at 5,520 rpm. “It’s crazy fast,” Brad says, “but it also has excellent street manners. It’s not a chore—I actually look forward to driving it every chance I get.”
Backing the LS7 is a GM 4L75E transmission with a 2,400-stall converter, sending twist through a carbon-fiber driveshaft to a Ford 9-inch rearend running 3.55 gears, an Eaton Truetrac posi, and 31-spline axles. It’s a drivetrain built for big power with reliability to match.
Underneath, the Camaro rides on a Roadster Shop SPEC chassis, with forged Roadster Shop spindles and Afco coilovers up front, plus a parallel four-bar setup with Afco coilovers and springs out back. A power rack-and-pinion steering system gives the car sharp response and excellent driver feedback. Braking is handled by Baer 14-inch rotors with six-piston calipers at all four corners—serious stopping power for a 700hp street machine.
Forgeline TS3R wheels finish the stance, sized 18×8 up front wrapped in 245/40R18 rubber, with massive 20×12 rears wearing 315/35R20 tires. “That’s the beauty of mini-tubs,” Paulsen adds. “You can put a massive tire under the car and get excellent traction.”
Inside, the Camaro is every bit as refined as its chassis and powertrain. Ron Mangus handled the upholstery, blending black and red leather for a custom yet timeless look. The seats feature red inserts that tie into matching door panels, console, and a leather-wrapped dash. Dakota Digital gauges provide modern readouts, while an Ididit column and Billet Specialties wheel connect the driver to the road.
Creature comforts abound, including a Vintage Air HVAC, a Kenwood head unit paired with Audiofrog speakers, and a JL Audio 10-inch subwoofer. Ackert’s RV Repair in Mentone handled the audio install, ensuring the sound system matches the car’s performance. A Lokar shifter controls the 4L75E, and the wiring was custom-built in-house by Paulsen.
“It’s everything I wanted and then some,” Brad says. “The car is crazy powerful but still comfortable. It’s got modern A/C, killer tunes, and it drives as good as it looks.”
On the outside, the Camaro wears a brilliant coat of PPG Ferrari Silver, sprayed by Paulsen. Subtle body mods—like the tucked bumpers and welded seams—give the car a clean but aggressive personality. Details from Ringbrothers, including door handles, hood hinges, headlights, and taillights, add a modern edge, while Sergio Chrome in Los Angeles handled the plating work.
The result is a Camaro that blends old-school attitude with modern execution. From a sunbaked mule to a polished Pro Touring street machine, the three-year journey reflects the dedication of both Brad and Paulsen.
Standing back, Brad reflects on the build: “I’ve known Nick for years, and I knew he was good—but this Camaro blew away every expectation. To me, it’s the coolest car ever.”
From its Ferrari Silver skin to its LS7 heart, Brad’s ’69 Camaro is proof that even a rusty desert mirage can be reborn into a high-horsepower reality—one that drives, handles, and stops like a modern performance car but still looks every bit the part of a classic F-body.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owner: Brad Cimino, Yucaipa, California
Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Camaro
Engine
Type: LS7
Displacement: 427 ci
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Bore: 4.125
Stroke: 4.00
Builder: Moruzzi Race Motors (Banning, CA)
Machine Work: Moruzzi Race Motors
Rotating Assembly: Forged 4140 steel crankshaft, I-beam titanium connecting rods, cast-aluminum pistons
Camshaft: Custom by Moruzzi
Cylinder Heads: Moruzzi billet aluminum
Induction: Custom carbon-fiber intake manifold
Fuel Injection: GM
Exhaust: Sanderson headers, custom 3-inch exhaust, Borla mufflers
Valve Covers: Billet Specialties
Accessory Drive: Vintage Air
Ancillaries: C&R Racing aluminum radiator, Mechman alternator, Ringbrothers hood hinges
Output: 700 hp at 6,233 rpm, 635 lb-ft at 5,520 rpm
Drivetrain
Transmission: GM 4L75E
Converter: GM 2,400 stall
Driveshaft: Custom carbon fiber
Rear Axle: 9-inch, 3.55 gears, Eaton Truetrac posi, 31-spline axles
Chassis
Chassis: Roadster Shop SPEC
Front Suspension: Roadster Shop forged spindles, Afco coilover shocks, power rack-and-pinion steering
Rear Suspension: Roadster Shop parallel four-bar system, Afco coilover shocks, Afco springs
Brakes: Baer 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front and rear
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Forgeline TS3R
Tires: 245/40R18 front, 315/35R20 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Red and black leather
Installation: Ron Mangus Hot Rod Interiors
Console: Custom
Seats: Custom black with red leather inserts
Door Panels: Custom by Ron Mangus
Steering: Ididit column, Billet Specialties steering wheel
Shifter: Lokar
Dash: Custom leather
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital
Wiring: Custom by Driven Hot Rods (Calimesa, CA)
HVAC: Vintage Air
Control Panel: Vintage Air
Entertainment System: Kenwood head unit, Audiofrog speakers, JL Audio 10-inch sub
Stereo Installation: Ackert’s RV Repair (Mentone, CA)
Exterior
Bodywork & Paint: Nick Paulsen at Driven Hot Rods
Paint: PPG Silver Ferrari
Grille: Stock
Bumpers: Custom by Driven Hot Rods
Door Handles: Ringbrothers
Headlights: Ringbrothers
Taillights: Ringbrothers
Side Mirrors: Ringbrothers
Plating: Sergio Chrome (Los Angeles, CA)
Body Mods: Seams welded, mini-tubs, custom transmission tunnel, new quarter-panels, floor, roof, and trunk
