Yes, the owner of MCR gets to build his own car from time to time.

It should come as no surprise that the owner/founder of MCR is an actual real car guy. That’s how this whole this got started in the first place. But unlike some that have turned their hobby into a business, John has not let the business keep him from his hobby so of course he still builds his own cars. I mean if you owned a world class restoration shop wouldn’t you take advantage of that and build your own car from time to time?

Well that’s how this ’67 Camaro convertible came about. John came across this car and decided he just had to have it. It had been restored before and was in pretty good shape but was in need of what looked like a fairly easy refresh before John was comfortable making it a routine driver. It did unfortunately come with an unforeseen twist.

It was purchased from what was thought to be reputable source but once the work began it was discovered that the trim tag didn’t match the VIN number correctly. In other words, the car was misrepresented at some point in the past. John’s not blaming the seller. They may not have known either but somewhere in the past someone claimed that it was something it was not and once it changes hands a few times it becomes impossible to determine who’s at fault. Moral of the story: even experts can be fooled if they don’t do their due diligence every time.

But none of this takes away the fact that it was still a great car that will be a lot of fun to drive.

A bit of good fortune happened as work began though. The 350 small block that was in the car had a vibration that required it to be taken down to locate the source of the issue. While working with the engine builder, John learned the he had a properly date coded 396 big block that he would like to trade for the 350. This gave John the foundation needed to build a correct ’67 Camaro 396 4-speed A/C car with all the proper date codes. Of course all the correct parts had to be hunted down, including a ’67 year only big block A/C box, but that’s part of the advantage of owning a resto shop, having access to all those sources. So in the end, the car has all of the correctly dated parts as if it came from the factory that way. Of course it didn’t come that way so call it a clone car if you want but that doesn’t take away from its fantastic driving experience.

A real benefit to building a car like this is that there’s no rule about making any desired upgrades. One that MCR has had a lot of success with is adding a Holley Sniper EFI fuel system. The Sniper is a direct bolt on throttle body that replaces the carb and provides modern car drivability. It eliminates all the cold, hot or in between start issues and yields awesome throttle response all without having to ever think about it. Just turn the key and go.

Except for the fuel system and an ignition upgrade to an electronic MSD system, the rest of the restoration was done original equipment style. The car was always intended to be high end looking driver so all the work was done with that in mind. It’s doubtful that this one will spend any time a show trailer. With big block torque, a 4-speed, 3.55 gears and the top down, where else should it be but out on the open road?

Since John was sort of building it from scratch anyway, might as well build what you want so he put together a 396 SS/RS package.
The blacked out tail and rocker panels offset nicely with the Bolero Red body color. Note the body line pinstripe in white.
Wheels are gray OE style 15” x 7” steel with beauty rings and center caps. Tires are E7015 bias ply Goodyear GTs. The brakes underneath them are factory correct power front discs and rear drums.
Hidden headlights are part of the RS package. The headlight doors open with engine vacuum when the lights are turned on.
This was the time when gas caps were intended to blend in. No gas filler doors interfering with the body lines on this car.
This was the time when gas caps were intended to blend in. No gas filler doors interfering with the body lines on this car.
The main dash is just MPH and RPM with the fuel, oil, temp and amps on the console along with the clock. Note the 5000 RPM redline on the factory tach. The column tach shows that this big block can go a bit further
If you’ve never run a real Hurst shifter, you really need to experience it at least once.
Not a lot of convertibles were ordered with Air Conditioning so MCR preserved the original factory sticker on the vent window.
Nothing quite like big block power in a real muscle car. 360 HP and 430 pounds of torque will get it around just fine. While everything here looks mostly stock, the radiator and water pump have been upgraded to aftermarket units to be sure things stay cool and the alternator has had its output increased to keep up with the EFI and A/C demands. Check out the bugs in the radiator, actually the A/C condenser. This car is driven for real.
Unless the air cleaner is removed, most will not notice the Holley Sniper throttle body hiding under it. The Sniper is a direct bolt on with a self contained computer within. Of course the fuel system has to be upgraded to provide fuel injection level pressures. Note that this version is the Quadrajet replacement that fits on the stock Q-jet manifold.
Thankfully, original A/C compressors and the rest of the system can be converted to 134A refrigerant so the stock appearance can be maintained.
The Bolero red paint is of course clear coated but the surface finish was done to mimic the original factory look. This will require less maintenance as the road miles pile up.