1968 Chevrolet Camaro LS3 Pro Touring

Description

This 1968 Chevrolet Camaro LS3 is one of the best-executed Pro Touring cars we've ever featured here at Streetside Classics. Not only does it look gorgeous in its slick Midnight Blue Metallic finish, but it offers impressive, modern fuel-injected power via a 485HP-rated LS3 V8, a quick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox, a grippy TCI performance suspension, and a menacing slammed stance, all combined with a bunch of comfort and convenience upgrades to create an exceptional car packed with equal parts beauty and brawn. And with only 281 miles since the professionals completed the build at Nostalgia Garage, this stunning F-body is just getting started.

There's no argument that the '68 Camaro is one of the best-looking classic cars of the era, and there's practically no way to make one look bad (although, unfortunately, many have tried). This particular beauty wears a fresh coat (several, in fact) of modern urethane in bold Midnight Blue Metallic – a shade borrowed from the Nissan GT-R color chart. It's a stylish choice that looks far better than any selection from the 1968 color palate, and despite the apparent upgrade, it still looks just right adorning the Camaro's vaunted sheet metal. And speaking of that sheet metal – it's beautifully restored, laser-straight, and features exact gaps with flush panels that all line up better than when they were new, mainly because a lot of the sheet metal is new to the car. Any troubling parts in the original vehicle were replaced entirely with new panels rather than just cut out or plastered over. The entire car was media blasted down to bare metal before it was painted. That paint is great, too, with a miles-deep finish (seriously, you could practically drown in this paint) that highlights the undistorted reflections on the car's surface. We won't go as far as calling it a show car since the 'experts' will always find an imperfection or two to complain about, but it's pretty darn nice and a top driver-quality rig like this doesn't need any excuses. They added a cowl induction hood and ducktail spoiler out back – two ingredients that always look right on an F-body, and those black LeMans-style stripes were painted on and then buried under a clear coat. All the badges were removed, so there are no fake SS or Z/28 claims to worry about here, and the blacked-out front grille and gas cap are the perfect endcaps to this Camaro's off-the-charts curb appeal. One-piece chrome bumpers fore and aft add bling, as does all the shiny brightwork around the glass, side mirrors, and door hardware, and all the lenses and glass are new to the build as well.

The interior is a lovely combination of stock-style appointments, turned to '11' with race-ready performance additions. Sporty TMI leather-and-suede buckets and a matching rear bench feature red stitching, perforated inserts, and billet eyelets that add an exotic feel inside, and the contours are bolstered sculpted to hold the body in place during sharp maneuvers. A custom center console was fabricated and fit in between the front seats, upholstered in matching black upholstery and housing extra storage, cup holders, switches for the power windows and locks, and a retro-style Audiosound AM/FM/AUX stereo. The cue ball-topped shifter for the 6-speed gearbox is below. The console continues into the dash, where a center panel houses auxiliary switches and vents, and controls for the Vintage Air A/C system that blows cold throughout the cabin. The dash was also upgraded with Classic Instruments gauges that keep an accurate eye on the modern drivetrain, topped with a new pad, and anchored with a wood-rimmed steering wheel mounted atop a tilt column. Fresh black carpets and color-keyed floor mats insulate the cabin from below. At the same time, a taut headliner does the same from above, and the trunk is neatly finished and has plenty of room, even with the relocated battery mounted back there.

Mechanically, this sucker gets it DONE with an American Powertrain-built GM Performance LS3 V8 crate motor nestled inside the beautifully finished engine bay. The all-aluminum, modern block has been professionally tuned and upgraded to put out approximately 485 horsepower thanks to a beefier camshaft, modern fuel injection, a cold-air intake system, and long-tube headers at the flanks, and even with all that extra pop, it can easily handle the rigors of everyday driving. Modern electronics means it cranks right away every time, stays cool thanks to a giant aluminum radiator up front, and the custom side-exit dual exhaust sounds downright sexy when at idle, full bore, and everything in between. With only 281 miles on the build, the engine bay still looks new. It features a paint-matched firewall and inner fenders, billet pulleys that run all the accessories, powder-coated valve covers and fuel-rail covers, and polished and highly detailed components throughout that are begging to be shown off. The LS3 links to a Tremec 6-speed gearbox that can easily handle the power and offers overdrive for highway travel, and it spins a built Currie 9-inch 3.73 positraction rear end. A car this quick needs a performance suspension to keep it planted on the street, and this rig got a full TCI set-up featuring a tubular subframe and power rack-and-pinion steering up front, adjustable coil overs all-around, a 3-link in the rear, Wilwood power 4-wheel disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors. American Racing Mono-cast mag wheels always look great on a vintage Camaro, and they carry staggered 235/60/15 front and 275/60/15 rear Diamondback redline radials that stuff the wheel wells perfectly.

Professionally built and insanely potent, this Pro-Touring Camaro delivers precisely what its incredible looks promise. Call today!