Video: Building A Better Second-Gen Camaro That’s Over The Top

Every now and again, someone gives us a head’s up about a car that they feel we should know about. Recently, the folks at Baer brakes let us know about a serious show stopper. They were so impressed with the car that they put together a short video that you also need to see.

The car is owned by Marty Ceccarelli, who says that he has always had a soft spot for the second-gen Camaro. “I own a 1969 Camaro, but always liked the second-generation too. I wanted to have a car custom built that was one of the kind,” he said. He was searching for a 1970 model, but he also wanted a true Z28 or Super Sport. This particular car is a true Super Sport.

Second-Gen

The wheels are Rushforth Whiplash in Satin Black, and sneakers are BFGoodrich KDW, 275/35-18 and 335/30-18.

He found the car while perusing an online ad, and the car had been sitting for quite some time before Marty found it. He purchased it as a roller – without the engine or transmission. Those parts were of no concern, because he had other intentions in that area. The previous owner was planning on restoring the Camaro, but was never able to get to it.

Second-gen

Wow is all we can say.

The first thing the Marty did once he had the car back home, was he and two of his boys—Mario and Tony—took it apart. He then started looking for a person to build the car. After many months of checking local car builders, he decided on Heath Elmer Restorations, because of his incredible attention to detail and vision.

Heath Elmer Restorations in Mesa, Arizona, is a small shop that builds some really big-concept cars. “Marty brought it to me as a roller, and in boxes. It needed quarters and a tail panel, trunk floor, lower panel and fenders. For some odd reason, the floorpans were nice. Installing full quarters made it easy to do the DSE mini tubs though,” Elmer jokingly stated.

Second-Gen

Bringing the car to a quick halt is a set of very capable Baer brakes.

Marty and Heath quickly came to the conclusion that in order to make this second-gen perform on par with contemporary supercars, they would need to throw the complete Detroit Speed & Engineering catalog at it. That began with a hydroformed front subframe with C6 spindles, splined sway bar, JRi coilover shocks, rack-and-pinion steering, mini-tubs, QuadraLink rear four-link conversion with 9-inch rear, and integrated subframe connectors. Finally, a set of huge Baer 13-inch platters with six-piston calipers were considered mandatory.

second-gen

Can it get any better than a big-block with stack EFI and air conditioning?

To power the second-gen supercar, Marty contacted his pal, Bob Ream, who he’d met years ago while racing boats. “I called Bob and asked him to recommend an engine builder, and he referred me to Bud Yancer. Bud builds Sprint Car engines for Bob, and he is really successful. I explained that I wanted a high and quick-revving, big-block that would run on pump gas, so that’s what he built me.” The fuel-injected 427 delivers a healthy 655 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 633 lb./ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm.

second-gen

We wouldn’t change a thing.

Marty initially decided to use an 830-cfm carburetor, but the already procured Anvil carbon-fiber hood would not accommodate the single-plane intake and carburetor. “We couldn’t fit the engine under the hood. We tried everything. We lowered the engine in the car, and we even modified the oil pan. We couldn’t get it to fit under the Anvil hood,” Marty says. “That’s when I called Bob and said we’re going to need your eight-stack fuel-injection system. It turned out to be the right thing for one because of the appearance. It just pops out of the engine bay. The engine went from average to over-the-top. It’s a huge improvement on the drivability, starting, idle, throttle response; there’s no comparison,” he stated. Behind that big-block is a Tremec T56 gear box.

It would be nearly impossible to make the interior of this car any better. Occupant comfort is a priority with Recaro leather-covered seats, Vintage Air, and a sound system from Pioneer and Rockford Fosgate.

second-gen

In the hot rod world, stance is everything. This one has it done perfectly.

Marty and Heath put their faith in using quality components like those form Baer brakes, and the end result is simply stunning. If you haven’t already, check out the video and let us know what you think.

About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
Read My Articles

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