By D. Brian Smith
Photography: D. Brian Smith (lead photo)
An amazing transformation took place at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show. The build team at Orange County Hot Rods turned a bone stock 1969 Chevy Camaro 350 into a pro touring, canyon carving masterpiece in less than 3 days! What's more, this talented crew of craftsmen made it look easy, and that's with a crowd of automotive enthusiasts watching the less than 72-hour spectacle throughout the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday event. Watch the exciting video and read on to see just how this five-man crew of car craftsmen completed this challenging Camaro pro touring project.
Stock to Not - 3 Day Camaro Build Video at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show
1st Day of the Show Friday Progress Report at the GNRS
From the start of the show on Friday, February 2 at High Noon (12:00 pm) to the close of the show at 7:00 pm, Aaron's team removed the Camaro's houndstooth interior, carpet, and all other innards.
They deinstalled the genuine GM front and rear subframes that had about 55 years of rustiness, grease, dirt, and all-around crustiness. They then installed the LS3 Maita Motorsports 525-horsepower engine and the GM 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission in The Roadster Shop's custom chassis.
Below: Most of the spectators were captivated by the skilled crew at Orange County Hot Rods building Greg Walls' family Camaro canyon carver. Only two or three in the audience looked to be gazing at their smartphones.
With the drivetrain in its new state of the art foundation, the crew installed the Borla custom exhaust system and hooked up the driveshaft.
Hydraulic floor jacks, jack stands, and a fair bit of all-American ingenuity were then utilized to attach the Camaro's previously body-worked, paint-prepped, and painted body to its new state-of-pro-touring art and function Roadster Shop chassis.
Above and below: When you look at this photo, you might be thinking how in the heck did Orange County Hot Rods get that custom Roadster Shop chassis underneath the Camaro body? Somehow, they accomplished that task.
Day 2 Build - GNRS 2024 Street Machine Building 9
The crew accomplished much for day 1. After getting all of the chassis to body bolts in place and tightened fast, the team could finish wiring the car. Installing sound deadener, carpet, and the new TMI seats and door panels within the Camaro's cockpit would then be some fun tasks that would really serve to give the crew a sense of achievement and get them to see that Sunday's finish line at 3:00 pm might be a reality.
Yes. You have that correct. Orange County Hot Rods had a hard and fast deadline approaching as build tasks were accomplished one after another throughout the three days of the GNRS. As the cool build video conveyed, the team needed to have the Camaro all buttoned up by 3:00 pm on Sunday, February 4, 2024. Owner Greg Wall would be firing the Camaro up at 3:00 pm on Sunday. Guaranteed. Well, if you watched the video from start to finish, you know that Orange County Hot Rods crossed the finish line with flying colors.
Day 3 - Crossing the Finish Line at the 2024 GNRS
Day 3 would be one where the crew could get all of the many last-minute details completed. Things like installing the radiator, the engine hoses, the front carbon spoiler, putting the Continental Tires wrapped HRE custom five-spoke mag wheels on the car...all of these elements and more would come together to take a bunch of cool static car parts to create a running, rolling, work of automotive industrial art.
As the video and photos illustrate, Orange County Hot Rods built a pro touring 1969 Camaro that any automotive enthusiast would be proud to have for carving up some mountain switchbacks. The Greg Wall family's Camaro is now the perfect vehicle for cruising to any cars and coffee gathering, taking on the twisties, glorified grocery getting, or showing at any prestigious car show like the preeminent Grand National Roadster Show.
Above: Greg Wall and family
3-Day Camaro Build - Mission Accomplished!
Above: Mr. Greg Wall's grandmother originally bought the 1969 Camaro from the original owner over 50 years ago. She drove the Camaro daily to a bowling alley that she and her husband owned in Aberdeen WA, where she was the CFO. Some 21 years ago, Greg Wall bought the Camaro from an aunt and uncle. So, this 1969 Camaro has been all in the family for the vast majority of its charmed life.
Above: Here's a rendering of what Orange County Hot Rods would use as a blueprint for transforming the Camaro into a pro touring street machine.
Above: Kudos to Orange County Hot Rods crew of craftsmen! Kudos too to all of the automotive aftermarket companies that were part of the project. And kudos to Joe Buck and his team at the Rod Shows, the producers of the Grand National Roadster Show, for envisioning such a fantastic build. Mission accomplished!
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