Bill Panouses has been building Chevys since he was young, and was again involved in a new project, this time a 1968 Camaro. He says, “At the time, I followed a lot of threads about Pro Touring-type builds on the internet. I was doing the build on a budget and wanted to do something different. Speedtech’s front clip and suspension fit my budget” But as do most serious builds, this one took off and became a one of a kind show queen and track killer.
When the build escalated beyond Bill’s skills, he employed local hot rod builder Tom Argue Designs, who took the ball and really ran with it. The end result is the kind of car that you could spend an hour looking over all the details.
Front suspension duties are handled by a complete Speedtech Pro Touring Subframe with our high clearance control arms, sway bar, rack and pinion steering and QA1 coilover shocks. 12″, 6 piston caliper brakes are handled by Wilwood.
Rolling stock consists of Forgeline VR3P wheels with grey centers, 18×8.5 front and 19×10 rear. Tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 2s, 245/40ZR18 and 275/35ZR19.
The power that gets the wheels turning comes from a 6.0-liter LS2 with Livernois Motorsports Stage 2-ported LS6 heads and a Livernois cam with 0.595-inch lift and 232-degree duration. A FAST 92mm intake and throttle body handle induction, and 42-pound injectors supply the go go juice. Exhaust travels through Stainlessworks 1-3/4-inch stainless headers and 3-inch stainless tubing. This relatively mild combination made a decent 450 rwhp on the dyno.
The details of the car don’t stop at the interior, which borders being labeled as a work of art. The black suede headliner hovers over an array of exterior matching black, silver, carbon fiber and some really bold red. Corvette seats hug a custom center console that houses window switches, an ebrake, navigation screen, gauges and finally GTO vents. Stereo duties are handled by Pioneer and JL Audio. The steering column and wheel are from Flaming River and Auto Meter handles the gauges. This car has gotten huge attention asince Tom Argue rolled it out of the shop and Speedtech says Great Job gentlemen!
Photos Courtesy Bill Panouses
