Beast Mode '69 Camaro

[LS7 Z/28]

I've learned quite a bit over the last few years searching through build threads on Pro Touring and other sites and I figured it was time to share my project. I'm calling this car "BEAST MODE" It's a '69 Camaro and I know there are a lot of haters out there, but I still love them and I'm very happy to be buildng this car. My dad and I will be doing almost all of the work out of his garage. I purchased this car in 2011 from a guy in Georgia in fairly decent shape.

[LS7 Z/28]

I wanted to have a solid starting point so I went with a Schwartz Performance G Machine Chassis with the following:

*Moser Full Floating 9”
*Baer 6P’s and 14” Rotors Front and Rear
*Aluminum Third Member w/Wavetrac Differential
*Ridetech Triple Adjustables

Shout out to Dale @ Schwartz Performance

[LS7 Z/28]

Wheels and Tires

*Forgeline GA3R Wheels Triple Gloss Black, Hidden Hardware Option

18X11 FRONT
18X12 REAR

*BF Goodrich G-Force Rivals

315/30ZR18 FRONT
335/30ZR18 REAR

[LS7 Z/28]

Here is the body being mocked up on the chassis. I picked up the doors from Auto Metal Direct and they seem to be pretty good quality.

[LS7 Z/28]

I also purchased ANVIL AUTO INC. parts

½ Carbon Fiber ½ Fiberglass
Hood, Cowl, Front Header, Wide Body Fenders, and Lower Front Valance, Trunk Lid.

[LS7 Z/28]

So here is the car in rough mock up. At this point in time I have not decided on a paint color.

[LS7 Z/28]

Currently I am undecided as far as the Engine and Transmission is concerned, but here are some of the other parts I have collected.

Ring Brothers:
Billet Air Frame Hood Hinges (Black Anodized)
Billet Door Strikers
Billet Door Jam Vents
Headlight Trim Rings

Standard '69 Grille in Black from YearOne
AutoRad Radiator with an Aluminum Core Support, Dual Electric Fans and Shroud
Aeromotive 20 Gallon A1000 Fuel Cell.

[RoyallDutch]

that's a real nice body... paint it black except the carbon and it's done... gonna follw this

[Schwartz Performance]

Great to see the build Casey! Been wondering how it's coming..

-Dale

[GeoffP]

Cool build...lots a dollars sitting there so far!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Killer looking ride what are the plans for paint?

[srh3trinity]

These are my favorite type of build threads, you open it up and there are pics of cool parts and progress. I haven't started one for my project because I want to be able to show some real progress when I finally get moving.

[LS7 Z/28]

that's a real nice body... paint it black except the carbon and it's done... gonna follw this
Hey thanks, I'm considering a few different options at this point

Great to see the build Casey! Been wondering how it's coming..

-Dale
Thanks for all your help Dale!

Cool build...lots a dollars sitting there so far!
Thanks, yeah I just try to not total my receipts because it's mindblowing how much parts cost.

Killer looking ride what are the plans for paint?
Hey Thanks, undecided at this point but I'm working on it.

These are my favorite type of build threads, you open it up and there are pics of cool parts and progress. I haven't started one for my project because I want to be able to show some real progress when I finally get moving.
I totally agree I waited also, I'm going to try and keep up with the updates.

[lbluecamaro69]

If I were you I'd paint it a dark green similar to the green grenade that Brian finch built.it would look great with those wheels.and I'd leave all of the fiber bare except for fenders. Really good looking car so far

[Auto Rod Technologies]

Nice looking chassis.. And nice work.

[tyler qb]

WOW looking good.

[HOSTILETAKEOVER]

Unique build, full frame! I cant wait to hear the final weight figure....

Go with an LS motor, all the cool kids are doing it!

[67rally]

Oh great. Another Camaro build...:headbang:

Awesome start. I'm partial to black, leave some hints of carbon fiber.

LS3? LS7? What's your budget?

[72BBSwinger]

Yes, I would just clear some rallye stripes out of the carbon fiber and paint the rest a charcoal/gunmetal. Wish I had the resources to build a car in this fashion.

[gordonr1973]

Who can hate another Camaro??? anyone who does is just jealous!

You car looks awesome so far!

[tmadden]

great looking car. Keep the pics coming!!

[rose jackets67]

Inspiring. Only a fool would hate on someone taking a shell and putting it on the road, regardless of the parts used.

[LS7 Z/28]

If I were you I'd paint it a dark green similar to the green grenade that Brian finch built.it would look great with those wheels.and I'd leave all of the fiber bare except for fenders. Really good looking car so far
Thanks man, I like that Finch car also. Not sure what I'm doing yet it's a tough decision

Nice looking chassis.. And nice work.
Thank you

WOW looking good.
Thanks

Unique build, full frame! I cant wait to hear the final weight figure....
Go with an LS motor, all the cool kids are doing it!
Nothing is set in stone yet but maybe. If it's around 3000# I will be happy.

Oh great. Another Camaro build...:headbang:

Awesome start. I'm partial to black, leave some hints of carbon fiber.

LS3? LS7? What's your budget?
Thanks, yeah I love black also. I'm not sure yet with paint or engine choice.

Yes, I would just clear some rallye stripes out of the carbon fiber and paint the rest a charcoal/gunmetal. Wish I had the resources to build a car in this fashion.
I've been saving for a long time and I'm living with relatives in order to save money. Having no house payment helps a lot.

Who can hate another Camaro??? anyone who does is just jealous!

You car looks awesome so far!
Thanks, It seems like quite a few people.

great looking car. Keep the pics coming!!
Thanks I'll try

Inspiring. Only a fool would hate on someone taking a shell and putting it on the road, regardless of the parts used.
Thanks, I think so too.

[LS7 Z/28]

We recently took the car back apart after doing a rough mock up with the Carbon parts. It's now on a jig so that we have a perfectly square starting point for doing metal work. Quite a bit of metal has been cut out of the car with more yet to go...

[LS7 Z/28]

We recently added a frame extension to the back half of the chassis and cut out the trunk floor along with the old frame rails. We made a fuel cell frame/guard that will be removable with four bolts. Later we will make the upper straps for the cell when the new floor is in place. One of the next things we are planning is doing metal work in the trunk area. We will also be starting on the full rollcage soon, along with seat and pedal mock up.

Here are some before and after photos of the fuel cell guard and new chassis back half/tail section.

[jlcustomz]

There are so many 1st gen Camaros out there I don't bother walking up to many of them at shows. But the really cool ones always stand out in a way you can't help but look. This is one of those.

Starting out with a Schwartz chassis is kinda the modern day equal of the way Big Red was built up years ago. You just can't get that same final look without the good foundation. Be following this build for sure.

[Typhoon1015]

looks like a nice build! I look forward to checking it out once its done.

[LS7 Z/28]

Quite a few things have changed over the last few months. A lot of the metal work has been completed and I have acquired a lot of important pieces. Here are some of the photos of the metal work. I Made the decision to go with an LS Engine and a Tremec T-56 Magnum so I bought a mock up block and ordered a new transmission with a Quick Time bellhousing so we could work on the firewall and floor. The new floor was fabricated with a raised tunnel, mounts for the seats were fabricated along with that. The firewall has been recessed and completely redone because we pulled the engine back a few inches. I bought Detroit speed deep tubs and we added around 3" to them so now I can fit 17" wide tires in the rear if I ever decided I wanted to. The trunk area was totally redone to accommodate the fuel cell and to get rid of extra weight. The stock rear subframe is gone because it's not needed with the full frame chassis. The full roll cage is in place, and we are currently working on installing the new Dash to fit around the cage.

[LS7 Z/28]

I decided to have a Naturally aspirated LS7 427 built by Thomson Automotive and my dad and I drove up there to pick it up about a month ago. I didn't trust my truck to make it on a 20 hour round trip so I borrowed my Mom's new Chevy Equinox. The engine just barely fit and she was not very happy about the whole deal but we made it.

The engine ended up at 665 Horsepower and 571 Lb/ft on 93 Octane. It has a Callies Dragon Slayer crank, Oliver Rods, Diamond Pistons, Trend Pushrods, Custom ground Comp Cam, etc... It should be a pretty solid engine.

Some of the parts I've bought: Kirkey Road Race Seats, MOMO Nascar steering wheel, Schroth Nascar harnesses, Joes Racing Carbon X Shifter boot, Fesler Trunk hinges, Wilwood pedals and masters, Borla Mufflers, RAINGEAR hidden wiper kit, Flaming River Steering Column and a few other parts. I have a lot of stuff to buy yet but things are progressing.

[LS7 Z/28]

There are so many 1st gen Camaros out there I don't bother walking up to many of them at shows. But the really cool ones always stand out in a way you can't help but look. This is one of those.

Starting out with a Schwartz chassis is kinda the modern day equal of the way Big Red was built up years ago. You just can't get that same final look without the good foundation. Be following this build for sure.

Thank you, I definitely hope it stands out. I'm a fan of Big Red also.


looks like a nice build! I look forward to checking it out once its done.

Thanks, I'm planning on having it at quite a few events next year if everything goes to plan.

[Schwartz Performance]

Damn Casey, that's a lot of work! :)
Glad to see it progressing. Looks like the majority of the fab is done.
Did you build the cage yourself? Looks pretty good. I like the firewall bars too.

Great work.. As always, let us know if you need anything. Glad to have you as a customer.

-Dale

[Build-It-Break-It]

This car just keeps getting better and better. Very nice work.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Awesome work, great looking foundation with that full frame.

[LS7 Z/28]

Damn Casey, that's a lot of work! :)
Glad to see it progressing. Looks like the majority of the fab is done.
Did you build the cage yourself? Looks pretty good. I like the firewall bars too.

Great work.. As always, let us know if you need anything. Glad to have you as a customer.

-DaleThanks Dale! It has been a ton of work but it's getting there. The cage was built from scratch, my dad has a pretty decent tubing bender. Definitely not easy to make some of the compound bends. I'll definitely let you know if I need more parts. Your customer service has always been fantastic and I appreciate your help.

This car just keeps getting better and better. Very nice work.
Thank you!

Awesome work, great looking foundation with that full frame.
Thanks, yes it's definitely a good starting point.

[bergers59]

what hub setup is that?

[Schwartz Performance]

what hub setup is that?
Front is Baer rear is Moser circle track floater.

-Dale

[LS7 Z/28]

A few more things have been done recently with quite a bit more planned for the next couple of months. The engine and transmission have been mocked up, along with all of the steering components. Gussets were added between the firewall down bars and the chassis for added stiffness. The new dash is in place and the Anvil dash insert is mocked up. I bought a Vintage Air Gen II heater and it has been mocked up as well. The Fesler trunk hinges are on and they are very high quality and fit great. I am very happy with how the cockpit turned out. The position of the seats, steering wheel, pedals and shifter are all right where I want them.
Within the next few weeks I'm planning on taking the car to have custom headers made, also one of the next things my dad and I plan on doing is fabricating a rear spoiler and rear diffuser. After a few more things get fabricated I plan on buying a rotisserie so we can finish all the welding on the car and send it to be media blasted. If all goes well it should be painted before winter and assembly will begin. I have a bunch of parts on back-order from Anvil so that is a big factor in the timing of the bodywork and paint.

[Noahf]

seeing this build for the first time and wow!

[LS7 Z/28]

Things are starting to pick up a little with my project and quite a bit should be happening in the next few months. I recently had custom headers made for the car and I'm very happy with the way they turned out. I'm planning on getting them and the rest of the exhaust system ceramic coated black when I send some of my other parts to be powder-coated.

I purchased a rotisserie to make the final metal work, blasting, priming and body work a little easier. My dad and I are finishing up the final metal work right now. The body and the chassis should both be going to get blasted very soon and then we plan on starting the body work and paint. I am really looking forward to assembling the car. I also ordered a Billet Specialties Tru Trac serpentine setup in black. You can see it mocked up in some of the photos.

[LS7 Z/28]

seeing this build for the first time and wow!

Thanks!

[Motown 454]

You guy's are doing some beautiful work! Keep the updates coming.

[LS7 Z/28]

After winter came up faster than I had hoped, my dad and I ended up doing all of the sandblasting for the chassis and body by ourselves in his garage in the temporary paint booth that we set up to do the blasting, priming, bodywork and paint in. I don't have an enclosed trailer and did not want to attempt to bring both the body and chassis out into the weather in bare metal. I purchased a sandblaster and we did all the work ourselves. The paint booth that we set up works great and once the body work and priming is finished on the body we plan to take down the poly that is currently up, thoroughly clean the floor and put up new poly so everything is nice and clean for base coat and clear. I actually debated not blasting the body because I was told that the car was solid and ready for paint by the guy who sold me the body. The windshield and rear glass channels were completely rotted out and the guy used body filler to fill in large holes and pits. There were also many other areas that were like Swiss cheese and he just smeared body filler or even seam sealer in some areas which was a pain to remove. Obviously I am glad we put in the work to blast the car even though he claimed the body was in perfect shape. Oh well I guess, it's completely solid now and ready to move forward.

Currently the chassis and suspension components are all painted and mostly assembled. I also had a few parts powder coated which turned out pretty decent in gloss black. The chassis is a low gloss black as well as the roll cage. The headers and exhaust pipes were ceramic coated in satin black. I'm really looking forward to assembling everything once the body is painted.

[LS7 Z/28]

Additional photos

[ejh532]

Very beastly

[Josh@Ridetech]

Awesome man, this is going to be badass. I can't wait to see it finished.

[Motown 454]

Wow it looks nice! Great job..

[Auto Rod Technologies]

Looking really good,, nice work!!!

[Cop Magnet]

I love the silhouette target on the floor. You gotta tighten up those groups! Fab and pain work is spot on, though!

[jlcustomz]

Possibly one of my favorite builds to see pop back up.

Aw the hell with the body of the car, put the drivetrain , steering column & a seat on the chassis & drive it like that for a while.

[LS7 Z/28]

Very beastly


Awesome man, this is going to be badass. I can't wait to see it finished.


Wow it looks nice! Great job..


Looking really good,, nice work!!!


I love the silhouette target on the floor. You gotta tighten up those groups! Fab and pain work is spot on, though!


Possibly one of my favorite builds to see pop back up.

Aw the hell with the body of the car, put the drivetrain , steering column & a seat on the chassis & drive it like that for a while.

Thanks guys!

[LS7 Z/28]

The body is now on the chassis and some of the plumbing and wiring has been completed. Hopefully the engine will be running within the next few weeks. Almost everything is painted with the exception of the outer body. The plan is to get the car running and driving before finishing the exterior bodywork and paint.

[LS7 Z/28]

Additional Photos

[1968CamaroSS_Sam]

This car is going to be amazing. Great job!!!

[cactuss4]

looking amazing!

[BigRedCamaro]

The body is now on the chassis and some of the plumbing and wiring has been completed. Hopefully the engine will be running within the next few weeks. Almost everything is painted with the exception of the outer body. The plan is to get the car running and driving before finishing the exterior bodywork and paint.

WOW! You're doing some great work. Watching this project!

[LERM]

Incredible car.

[cactuss4]

WOW! You're doing some great work. Watching this project!

1 post how is that possible, your car is amazing!! Why were you not here before now?! :) Just finished going through your site.

Tory

[Cop Magnet]

Amazing...what did you coat that trunk with?

[BigRedCamaro]

1 post how is that possible, your car is amazing!! Why were you not here before now?! :) Just finished going through your site.

Tory

Hey Tory,

Don't want to hijack this cool thread, but thanks for your nice comments about Big Red and checking out our site. The team is old school, but now we're coming around to the technology of today. :) You'll start seeing Big Red around a lot more.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Wow! That's all I have for you, Wow!

[srh3trinity]

This is coming along nicely. Can't wait to see it in color. Oh, and you got a comment from the Big Red Camaro (pro-touring royalty), how cool is that?

[trevor572]

Awesome job guys. Great you and your dad are working on the car together. You both should be so proud of your achievement and I also cant wait to see the finished product. ☺Cheers

[LS7 Z/28]

This car is going to be amazing. Great job!!!


looking amazing!


Incredible car.


Wow! That's all I have for you, Wow!


This is coming along nicely. Can't wait to see it in color. Oh, and you got a comment from the Big Red Camaro (pro-touring royalty), how cool is that?


Awesome job guys. Great you and your dad are working on the car together. You both should be so proud of your achievement and I also cant wait to see the finished product. ☺Cheers

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!


Amazing...what did you coat that trunk with?
It ended up being a lot different than I intended but I like it. It's Dupli-Color Spatter paint top coated with PPG Clear coat with a flattener added in.

[LS7 Z/28]

WOW! You're doing some great work. Watching this project!

Thank you! I am a huge fan of Big Red and your compliment is the highest praise I could ask for. I'm really glad you joined the forum.

[baggins]

Maybe i missed it but what dash insert panel is that?

[LS7 Z/28]

Maybe i missed it but what dash insert panel is that?

Anvil Auto Inc.

[LS7 Z/28]

All of the exterior bodywork is now done and everything is ready for sealer, base and clear. We are hoping to have the exterior painted by the end of next week.

[LS7 Z/28]

More Photos

[1987GN]

This is one awesome build. So many hours goes into something like this. Great job and thank you for all the updates. I cant wait to see it painted.

[Charles]

Very awesome. Mad skills bud. Great work!

[Zoomin]

Good grief, this thing is awesome.

[LS7 Z/28]

This is one awesome build. So many hours goes into something like this. Great job and thank you for all the updates. I cant wait to see it painted.

Thanks! Most people have no idea how much work has gone into it.


Very awesome. Mad skills bud. Great work!


Good grief, this thing is awesome.

Thank you for your interest.

[LS7 Z/28]

Things are finally starting to come together. The exterior is painted and it's getting to the final stages of assembly.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Looks great

[Build-It-Break-It]

Wow it looks killer! Love the color choice.

[Cop Magnet]

Awesome, I am so jealous of seeing other people's terrific cars coming together! Time moves slowly for me.

[CamaroJesse]

That car looks incredible. What color is that?

[Motown 454]

That is SWEET!!

[thsnake06]

Car is looking good! Like the color choices.

[Gil]

Killer color choice
Awesome car
Gil

[LS7 Z/28]

Looks great


Wow it looks killer! Love the color choice.


Awesome, I am so jealous of seeing other people's terrific cars coming together! Time moves slowly for me.


That car looks incredible. What color is that?


That is SWEET!!


Car is looking good! Like the color choices.


Killer color choice
Awesome car
Gil
Thanks everyone, It's great to finally have it coming together.

Currently the car is at an interior shop here in Minnesota having a stock style headliner installed, along with custom carpet, custom rear package tray and custom kick panels. There are still quite a few things to sort out and finish but the car is finally able to move under it's own power. The side glass and the door panels will still need to be installed after the interior is finished along with installing the taillights and a few other things. The car will also be going on the chassis Dyno at TPIS in a couple weeks. Here are some photos from the last few weeks.

[LS7 Z/28]

Additional Photos

[LS7 Z/28]

More Photos

[cactuss4]

Very nice!!

[Auto Rod Technologies]

This car is turning out great!!!

[HandOverFist]

Very slick lines Casey...is that Nardo Gray color?

[RaceFace]

Wow!! That is a great looking car! You've done a great job with everything!! Keep the pics coming!!

[Z06killinSBF]

This thing is amazing, more details on the hood vents please.

[KB Camaro]

awesome build, thanks for sharing. any chance you can post a video of it idling and or a couple of drive byes?

[LS7 Z/28]

Very nice!!
Thank you!

This car is turning out great!!!
Thanks!

Very slick lines Casey...is that Nardo Gray color?
It's actually a custom tint. There are a few colors out there that are similar to the one you are referring to though and I like them all.

Wow!! That is a great looking car! You've done a great job with everything!! Keep the pics coming!!
Thanks!

This thing is amazing, more details on the hood vents please.
Thank you, they are from Anvil Auto Inc.

awesome build, thanks for sharing. any chance you can post a video of it idling and or a couple of drive byes?
Thanks for your interest. When I get the car back from the interior shop I will definitely try to post some video.

[garickman]

Amazing work! Car looks great. How do you like the Rivera headlights?

[David Sloan]

Really beautiful car I love it
Any idea how much it weighs ? got to be 3000 or less
Looks like your motor is set back 8 to 10"a
Thanks for sharing

[jlcustomz]

Been wondering how this build was going. Not surprised you got big red approval. The color choice captures some of the badass coolness of a hot rod in primer, but without looking like actual primer like so many other paint jobs today look. Always cool to see something like this come out of a home shop.
Hell of a home shop though.

[LS7 Z/28]

Amazing work! Car looks great. How do you like the Rivera headlights?
Thank you. I was a little bit skeptical of them at first. They are the only part on the entire car that I let my dad pick out, but I like them. The turn signals lights are really cool.

Really beautiful car I love it
Any idea how much it weighs ? got to be 3000 or less
Looks like your motor is set back 8 to 10"a
Thanks for sharing
Thank you! I'll let you know when I get it scaled here soon, but you are right on as far as what I'm assuming it will be. I don't really know for sure how far the engine is set back compared to stock but I'm pretty sure it's around 10". The front of the block is lined up with center of the shock mounts.

Been wondering how this build was going. Not surprised you got big red approval. The color choice captures some of the badass coolness of a hot rod in primer, but without looking like actual primer like so many other paint jobs today look. Always cool to see something like this come out of a home shop.
Hell of a home shop though.
Thanks again! My dad's shop was built almost completely by us also, back in 2002.

There are still a lot of little things to finish, adjust and tweak but the car is almost complete. I don't think it will ever be completely finished. I drove it down the road once but haven't been able to put any miles on it yet because of an idling issue which will hopefully be resolved soon so I can put some miles on the car before winter here in Minnesota. I'm planning on posting some video soon if all goes well.

[RLJ676]

Bad ass, love the color. I just finished mine too, great timing for winter here in MI haha.

[icemanrd19]

paint the front and rear windshield trim black

[joshdavey999]

That thing is bad ass. What kind of mirrors are those you have?

[xsboost90]

looks great- has an awesome stance hopefully my car will look similar some day. Love that you painted the carbon fiber stuff and werent tempted to leave it exposed- some is nice but i love that its hidden.

[rfalker1]

WOW CONGRATS ! TRUE to the name! beautiful! Now you have me looking up those headlights

[LS7 Z/28]

Bad ass, love the color. I just finished mine too, great timing for winter here in MI haha.

Thank you


That thing is bad ass. What kind of mirrors are those you have?

They are from Race Mirrors. I bought them from Pegasus, but I actually took them off and put stock style ones on so I could actually see out of them. The race ones are cool but don't provide much for vision.


looks great- has an awesome stance hopefully my car will look similar some day. Love that you painted the carbon fiber stuff and werent tempted to leave it exposed- some is nice but i love that its hidden.

Thank you


WOW CONGRATS ! TRUE to the name! beautiful! Now you have me looking up those headlights

Thanks I appreciate that

[LS7 Z/28]

The last year or so has gone by really fast. The car is now complete and I was able to make it to a few shows this summer. The reception of the car has gone over quite well with many people taking interest in the car and giving my dad and I positive comments. I was also fortunate enough to be chosen to receive an editors choice award from Power and Performance News at the Street Machine Summer Nationals show. I was given a very well made metal plaque that is incredibly nice. I was also fortunate to finish fairly well in two different autocross events I attempted. The car worked very well right out of the box and only needed minor shock adjustments to be competitive with other people who have been running autocross for many years. The car also put down 531 rear wheel horsepower on the dyno at one of the shows, which I was pleased with. At the end of August the car will be going to California to compete in a Super Chevy Magazine Muscle Car Challenge. The car will be driven by Jeff Schwartz in the competition and will represent Schwartz Performance. I'm sure it will be a fun event to witness.

[LS7 Z/28]

...

[jlcustomz]

Just got my latest super chevy magazine in the mail & see one of my favorite home shop builds made it in there. Pretty cool dude.