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CLN Gazzette Pick
September 2010
1968 Camaro
Mike Hess
Malad, ID
1967 Camaro RS
 Mike Hess is no stranger to nice cars. His 1937 Chevy coupe was built by Kindig-It and won a boat load of awards in 2007, including a Top Five finalist position of the America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod in Pleasanton and the ’07 SEMA GM Design award for best GM Hot Rod. The car was amazing in every aspect: It was powerful, agile, comfortable, and… it had 16 coats of Candy Apple Red paint. The thought of matching the paint in the event of a mishap made owning the car both a joy and a constant nervous adventure. Notions of having a high horsepower car that he could “jump in and drive to New York on a whim” began to take over his brain and he once again called upon Dave Kindig.
It just so happened that Dave had recently found the perfect car. This 1967 Camaro RS had just changed hands from the original family to a collection, and was currently up for grabs. It was a Texas car, purchased brand-new by a woman to share with her daughter. The mother passed away in 2005, and the daughter decided to sell the car because it reminded her too much of her mother. It had led a pampered life and was bone stock.
 Once in the Kindig-It shop, it was stripped down and the body was prepared with just a few subtle modifications. Dave’s own smooth door handles went into the doors, the rocker and wheel well trim was shaved, the taillights were swapped for a set from Fessler, and the front fenders were notched out for a set of zoomie tips. The unique Maya Gold paint came from the Land Rover chips, a special hue only available on their supercharged models. It’s a simple base/clear and can easily be touched up. Following the easy maintenance route, the underside of the car was painted black.
An LS6 was purchased and topped with a Magnuson supercharger and TCI headers. The experts at Absolute Performance Inc. in Midvale, UT tweaked it until it put out an honest 440hp at the rear wheels through the T-56 and Ford 9-inch. The Hot Wheels-inspired zoomie exhaust is the business end of a two-part system that goes from loud to quiet out the back with the flip of a switch.
To put the power to the ground and make the ride modern, “OEM quality,” Kindig-It turned to TCI. Their stainless independent front suspension links to the matching four-link rear with a set of subframe connectors and is capped with Wilwood disc brakes.
Dave was able to score the first set of 19” Legacy wheels from Billet Specialties for the front, balancing out the 20s in the back and filling the wheel wells. He painted their centers black, which gives the car an edgier attitude.
 In keeping things simple, the manual windows remain in the doors. The dash was cleaned up with a switch relocation and a set of Camaro gauges from Classic Instruments. The interior was crowned with a stock steering column to keep it timeless. The seats and console are also stock, but berry red leather and matching painted surfaces from JS Custom Interiors give it that modern Kindig-It feel.
The result is an aggressive-looking Camaro with the power to annihilate the rear tires at will and keep pace with sports cars on wide open stretches of road. It rides like a brand new car and is comfortable for the long haul. In the event of a mishap, it’s an easy fix and even easier to maintain. A car that looks great, runs strong, and drives awesome? What a novel concept - sounds like a winner to us
Tech Specs:
Body: Camaro RS coupe, Kindig-It smooth door handles, shaved rocker and wheel well trim, zoomie cut-outs in the fenders, Fessler taillights, PPG Land Rover Maya Gold base/clear paint.
 Chassis: Stainless TCI front suspension, sub frame connectors, TCI four-link rear with a Currie 9”, power R&P, Wilwood brakes.
Power: LS6, Magnuson supercharger, GM F40 ignition, TCI headers, T-56 trans, Corvette shifter.
Wheels and Tires: 19x8 and 20x10 Billet Specialties Legacy II wheels, BFG 225/35/19 and 285/30/20 tires.
Interior: Factory dash and steering wheel, Classis Instruments gauges, relocated headlight, wiper, and ignition switches, stock seats with berry red leather upholstery by JS Custom Interiors.
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Kirk Jones, Gazette Publisher / Editor in Chief, has been on with the Goodguys since 2002. Kirk steered the Gazette into a Hot Rodding industry icon with modern design, improved layout, increased advertising opportunities and more features the readers want. 
