My 73 Camaro

harbone66 · 12-24-2011, 03:50:44 PM

Well the new ride is home and I spent about 6 hours last night going over the car top to bottom. I bought this car from Brian Husen, he was Del Worshams crew chief during the 2011 NHRA Top Fuel championship!
When he bought the car it had a small block and a 4-speed. He thought it lacked power so he bought a 454 rotating assembly from a friend, got some 781 big block heads, all new stainless valves and some new springs, rockers and hardware. Stuck a Turbo 400 behind it and took it to some car shows and the track a few times. Had a bunch of timeslips running anywhere between a 12.03 to 12.20's. The car is geared with a 3:08 so she would easily be in the 11's with different gearing. He hadnt driven it much this year, to busy winning a Top Fuel championship for Del Worsham I quess!. Looks like somebody tore this car all apart about 10-15 years ago, installed new floorpans, painted the car properly. I can find very minumal filler at the bottom of one of the doors and at the top of a wheel well. Powder coated the subframe and all the front suspension and put it all back together. The interior is tired but thats gravy work. The paint looks great and it is a super bright Hugger Orange. Brian custom built the exhaust after installing the big block and its a work of art! He obliged my wife and signed the bottom of the trunk deck for me and said to keep in touch. It was the coolest thing to happen to me this year and I think he was kind of humbled that the wife and I knew so much about him and the NHRA. I am going to restore the warped dash and inoperative cluster. Recover the seats and some misc interior trim. The under hood is perfect and he did a great job on the install of tucking everything away nice and clean. Now when he bought the car it had a "By Berger" dealer emblem on the rear panel and a Berger Performance sticker on the bottom of the hood. Might have to check with them to see if they have any history on the car. The paint has a scratch on the left fender that he did when reinstalling the hood and a small crack above a wheel well that looks like a tire rubbed, beside that its gorgeous! The bottom of the steel cowl hood, door jambs, inner trunk deck and everything was done very nice.

harbone66 · 12-24-2011, 03:51:28 PM

harbone66 · 12-24-2011, 03:52:09 PM

I am going to remove the Z28 emblem from the grille since its not a true Z. Put the full bumper on the front since I dont think it looks right without the proper parklamps and urethane nose. Finish running a set of tailpipes out the back. Ditch the airshocks. Get all that done and I will be ready for some cruising in the spring. Merry Christmas to me!!!

Rumpity_z28 · 12-24-2011, 03:57:54 PM

wow that car is super clean talk about a great christmas present haha

brooksman9 · 12-24-2011, 04:12:09 PM

Very very nice.

Jukes14 · 12-24-2011, 06:21:15 PM

Absolutely gorgeous car, wow!!!

2nd gen man · 12-24-2011, 07:08:01 PM

awesome car,,,,,

1972RS/Z28 · 12-24-2011, 07:09:38 PM

Very nice ride. Congrads. I think I saw that car at The Woodward Dream Cruize a few years back. I remembered the color, the Berger on the back and the big block. I don't think theres too many like yours.

Philly · 12-24-2011, 08:16:37 PM

Beauty Car man. I'm thinking of the same colors. Did you happen to know if he did any head work to them aside from the stainless valves? Any bowl work or size upgrades to the valves?

Congrats and enjoy the car.

harbone66 · 12-24-2011, 09:19:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philly

Beauty Car man. I'm thinking of the same colors. Did you happen to know if he did any head work to them aside from the stainless valves? Any bowl work or size upgrades to the valves?

Congrats and enjoy the car.

He had his head guy do some mild porting and the valves were 2.19's and 1.88's

GOLF72 · 12-25-2011, 11:00:13 AM

Ho ho ho...Santa was good to you. I am jealous. Seriously, beautiful car you got there.

LtRsZ · 12-25-2011, 11:13:19 AM

Awsome car. I see some spyder webs on the bottom, you should be able to clear them off in about 12 seconds.

big matt · 12-26-2011, 09:36:45 AM

Sweet ride with a cool pedigree, even if I am a Larry Dixon fan...

Very nice!

70RS/SS396 · 12-26-2011, 11:36:26 AM

Nice car!

Your front tires....M/T sportsman?

What size do you have on them?

Thanks

harbone66 · 12-26-2011, 11:52:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70RS/SS396

Nice car!

Your front tires....M/T sportsman?

What size do you have on them?

Thanks

They are M/T Sportsmans, 28 x 7.5 x15. The wheels are Bogarts. I am not keen on the fat and skinny look so I am going to get some 15x8 and 15x7 Rallye wheels, powdercoat them orange and just install the Police style dog dish caps. Kind of like this but with the bigger rims on the back