Doug’s ceramic-coated headers provide immediate exit of spent fuel, while Flowmaster mufflers handle the task of keeping the mill’s exhaust note at a neighborly acceptable decibel.
Besides the leather-covered Corbeau seats and Billet Specialties steering wheel, James Perales at Southern California Upholstery, followed Jeff’s vision and kept the interior on the mild side by going with a relatively stock appearance. The black loop carpet, center console, OE-style gauges, and door panels keep the classic Camaro period correct. During the summer months triple digit temps are common in Southern California’s Inland Empire, so Vintage Air’s A/C system provide Jeff with a comfy captain’s quarters.
As mentioned earlier, cornering performance would play an important part in this restoration, so Intro Twisted rollers are smothered by Nitto rubber (295s rear, 235s front) on all four corners. With 18x11 hoops out back and 17x8-inchers up front, the ’69 can now be afforded the right to take corners as liberally as Jeff’s abilities allow. And with Wilwood’s 14-inch binder kit up front and 11-inch rotors holding down the rear, there’s no compromise when going deep into the corners.
Thanks once more to the crew at Best of Show for transitioning the looks of the classic grocery getter into modern muscle with a good slathering of brilliant red PPG pigment. “I’ve been a hot rodder all my life, so I had to go with the black SS stripes on top of the bright red paint,” shares Jeff. “I really wanted to announce the car’s presence and I think this color combination does just that.”
Jeff points out that it takes a good amount of time, plenty of encouragement, and quite a bit of knowledge to get a car completed to this caliber. “Without the help and positive outlook of my friend Kirk Swanson, I couldn’t have gotten this car built to this level. Although my grandparents are now gone, I know they would be proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with this little hand-me-down.”
So, when your great aunt Edna offers you the same car she used to cart groceries around in, it’s a good idea to think twice before giving your initial answer. You never know, that hot rod blood in your veins may have come from her side of the family.