This third-generation Camaro has Matt Farrah on One Take pretty worked up! That’s because this RS has a lot of race elements rolled into it — it has the race wheels and tires, diffusors and a roll cage — so Matt had to see what this F-body was all about.
The Camaro’s owner, Nick, bought the car from a lady who left it sitting in her backyard. After going through it to make sure it was even drivable and could start, he took it for a test drive. The test drive revealed quite a few foibles and it was in pretty rough shape — all of the struts were blown, transmission was in need of rebuilding and the car just needed a lot of work, overall.
To save the Camaro from being donated (or scrapped), the owner gave $500 for the Camaro and it’s undergone multiple transformations since. It was last rebuilt after a run through the canyons of Southern California ended with a bad accident.
After Nick totaled the car, it was time to go crazy with it, turning it into a widebody with a suspension made from scratch. Most notably, the car is now 6-inches wider, and all of the components are relocated from their stock mouthing points — even the control arms are 3-inches longer than stock, making more grip without sacrificing ride quality.
Being a 3.1L V6 (originally equipped with 140 hp), the Camaro now makes an optimistic 200 horsepower with all of its modifications. A bigger and better powertrain is in the works (an LS, of course). The LSx will add around 20 lbs. to the lightweight 3,000-lb. car, but it’ll well make up for it with at least double the power.
Matt notes while driving that the Camaro has a very capable chassis, it needs more from the engine. The owner does point out that the lack of power has taught him how to become a better driver since he can’t just muscle through a course, relying on sheer brute force to make good times.
*We did want to note that we were interested in doing a feature on this Camaro back in the Fall, but ultimately decided to wait until the swap was completed, just so we can bring you the most updated version of this project when it reaches the site.
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
