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A special page for my car friends. Some pictures of the 1967 Camaro RS/SS 396 4-Speed at various stages of my 30 years of owning it
First Edition - 8-71 Blown 502BBC, Jerico 4 Speed, Ford Nine Inch - Bought it in 1995 as a partially restored, fully numbers-matching car. Have the original 396 and M-21 all stamped with the VIN. The previous owner repainted it in non-original Madera Red.
The car stayed in this version after building and installing a Blown 502BBC, Jerico 4-speed, 8-point cage, Ford 9-inch rear, fuel cell, etc.
An absolute beast to drive with around 800 HP. Kept it this way for a while and then decided to restore it in the early 2000s.
Restoration Starts - Took the car completely apart, down to a roller, and started with paint. Here it is, coming out of paint, in the original Marina Blue with the 1967 Bumble Bee stripe.
Building A New 502 BBC - The original numbers matching 396 BBC and M-21 transmission were removed and saved. Wanted to build a warmed-up 502BBC. Started with a GM Performance 502 Short Block and added higher flow oil pump and deep sump pan.
502 BBC Top End - The warm-up consisted of Bowtime Aluminum Rectangular port heads, 11.2 to 1 CR, Roller Hydraulic Cam, and Roller Rockers. I milled the "502 Chevrolet" on the Aluminum Valve covers using my 3 Axis CNC Mill with a Centroid Acorn Controller. I created the design in Fusion 360
Finished Engine - Ran the Engine on the test stand for about 2 hours. Did a nice, easy break-in and dialed in the tune on the Holley 850 double pumper and GM HEI Ignition. Those are the largest Hooker Headers you can put in a first-gen Camaro w/o cutting - big 2 1/8 inch primaries. Also did the first oil change when it came off the stand.
Here are a couple of videos on the build and the engine stand break in
Clutch and Transmission - Always had good luck with Centerforce dual friction clutches. Replaced the original M-21 with an AutoGear "M-23," which is a beefed-up M-22 (hardened gears, better syncros, bigger shafts), good for 800 lb-ft of torque.
Engine Install - I have removed and installed the engine and transmission in this 67 Camaro probably a dozen times (different engines, a rebuild of the original, restoration, etc.). I can get the engine and transmission in or out by myself in about 90 mins. The tilting engine hoist is the trick.
Here is a video of the Engine and Transmission install:
Big Block Cooling- High water flow rates and great heat transfer are key to keeping a 625HP BBC cool. I used a two-row Griffin aluminum radiator, dual-shrouded 12-inch electric fans, and a Meziere 55 gpm electric water pump. Engine runs about 185 to 190F on a hot day.
Full Chassis Rebuild - I completely replaced the front suspension (coil springs, upper/lower control arms, ball joints) and steering (steering column, steering box, tie rods, anti-sway bar, pitman arm), and redid the brakes, including a new Master Cylinder, new calipers, hard lines from front to rear, etc. The car is a fairly rare original front disk brake car.
Replaced All Wiring - Pulled out the almost 60-year-old wiring harness and replaced it with an 18-circuit Painless Wiring Harness. Used a P-Touch printer to print heat-shrink tubing labels for all wires.
Restored Speedo and Tach - I wanted the original look on the main dash instruments, and I restored the Speedometer and Tachometer. Like all the interior paint, I painted the Dash Panel in the original Bright Blue GM 1967 Color.
Upgraded Instruments - That fine 502BBC deserves accurate monitoring, so the one interior mod is a set of Autogauge 2 5/8-inch gauges. Oil Pressure and water temperature are both mechanical (hard oil line and capillary line for water) for failsafe readings. A voltmeter has a dedicated wire to the alternator output, and the fuel gauge has dedicated signal and ground wires to the sending unit for super-accurate readings of the 0 to 90 ohm signal. Switches are for the electric fan pair and the electric water pump - I like to control them by watching the water temperature. With big aluminum radiators and electric water pumps, my BBC builds have tended to run on the cool side, so I toggle the fans as needed.
Good Looking Underneath - Car is super clean underneath after all the chassis and suspension rebuild. Here you can see the a) Hurst 4-speed shifter linkage, b) Lakewood Bellhousing, and Moroso clutch fork, c) Spicer tailshaft and 1350 U-Joints. You see how those large good looking Hooker Headers fill the lower engine bay.
3 Inch Hooker Blackhawk Exhaust - The Hooker 3-inch stainless exhaust, like the headers, barely fit but went in w/o modication. Sounds great - not too loud, just super powerful as that 625HP 502BBC purrs.
Interior Back to Original Bright Blue - I painted the dashboard, door upper panels, new IdidIT steering column, all in the original color, plus a coat of clear coat. Replaced all the vinyl on seats, sail panels, and roof lining. Spent a bunch of time restoring the steering wheel to the original deluxe interior look.
New Window Hardware and Rear Interior - Installed new window regulators, tracks, and glass in all four corners. Redid full rear interior. The upper armrest well covers are no longer made, I found a pair on ebay and refinished to match rest of interior
All Cleaned Up - First time out of the garage in years and got a bath. Looking good. Still need to do weather stripping, windshield wipers, some rear interior work, covering wiring in braided conduit, and install the 3-point seat belts. Then it will be ready for a drive.
This Part is done :) - 625HP 502 BBC is all done, tuned, and ready under the hood.
First Drive done! - Made a few shake-down runs around my area. No issues. Car is super smooth and very powerful. More full power runs and videos coming. Gets MAYBE 6 mpg :)
Seat Belts In - Nice color matching Morris three Point Seat Belts
More to come in the weeks ahead (Rick 7/10/2026
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