1967 Camaro with a LS7

You might expect a personal project by someone who owns their own restoration and fabrication shop to be a cut above the rest. If that same builder also has a mechanical engineering background then you might get something like Joe Lutz’s amazing 1967 Camaro.

The project started in 2012 after Joe purchased a Camaro in several shades of green paint but it had a straight body and was rust free. The build would utilize Joe’s past experience in the engineering department at Roush Racing and would also show off the skills of his own shop HotRod Dynamics in Lenoir, North Carolina.

Influence for the build came from late-60’s and early-70’s Trans Am race cars mixed with modern pro-touring performance. The goal was to build a car to be driven and not just trailered to different events to sit under tents. Joe has logged several thousand miles since completing it.

Under the hood sits a 7.0 L LS7 which has been upgraded with a forged crank, titanium rods, ported heads, titanium intake valves, sodium filled exhaust valves, custom ground camshaft by Brian Kurn, PSI valve springs with titanium retainers and Comp Cams rocker arms. Running a 102 mm throttle body, Holley Hi-Ram Intake, and 11.0:1 compression ratio the engine produces 650 horsepower.

Behind the LSx engine is McLeod RXT twin-disc clutch connected to a Tremec T-56 six-speed. From there power goes through an aluminum driveshaft to a Strange heavy duty 9″ rear end with Detroit Truetrac diff and 3.73 gears.

Joe improved the Camaro’s performance further by putting it on a diet. The hood, front and rear spoiler, header, cowl, inner fenders, trunk lid, fender braces, radiator support, dash console and door sills are all made out of carbon fiber.

Many of the pieces in this project are custom one-off such as the stainless steel hood and trunk hinges. Joe spent about 100 hours to design and build his own carbon fiber center console. The roll cage was built to pass through the dash and be hidden under the headliner. Going through the full list of modifications I would say there wasn’t a single component Joe didn’t work on.

If you are interested in seeing more photos I recommend you visit the source links below. Both albums are filled with a lot of great photos of the Camaro in the build process and finished.

Source: HotRod Dynamics Facebook completed album (47 photos) and build album (287 photos) photos by Patrick McGinnis