According to 41-year-old Houstonian Paul Collings, "When it came time to build myself a street machine, a run-of-the-mill street Camaro wouldn't do. I wanted something unique."
Collings (a nuclear medial technician by trade) and his wife, Diane, started by locating a $3,500 thrasher, which they purchased four years ago. The couple hauled the car over to Bob Warner at Cut 'n' Shoot, where Bob welded in a set of Alston subframe connectors. Then the couple had the axle tubes on the Camaro's 3.73:1-geared 10-bolt rearend welded up, smoothed, and powdercoated. Said 10-bolt now rides on a pair of 2-inch-lower Eaton-Detroit Musclecar Series rear springs dampened by Koni adjustable shocks. A set of late-model Camaro rear power disc brakes were also utilized in the suspension upgrade.
Up front, Collings' Camaro utilizes a set of 1-inch-lower Eibach Sport front springs along with a 1 1/4-inch Suspension Techniques anti-sway bar, a pair of Koni adjustable shocks, and a set of 11-inch late-model Camaro power disc brakes outfitted with stainless steel brake lines. Also onboard is a rebuilt GM quick-ratio (12:1) power steering box. Adding to that "retro-rod" look is a set of 17x8-inch front and 17x9.5-inch rear American Torq-Thrust II polished-aluminum five-spoke wheels, sporting 245/40ZR17-inch Firestone SZ50 high-performance radial rubber up front and a set of 285/40ZR17s out back.
Powering up Collings '72 is a USA Racing Motors-prepared 350 small-block, dynoed at 475 hp at 6,100 rpm and 440 ft-lbs of torque (at 4,200 rpm), and backed by a TCI 700-R4 tranny. The 10.25:1-compression Mouse utilizes GM Performance Parts pistons with Total Seal piston rings, Ed Pink connecting rods, a Competition Cams camshaft and valvetrain, an Edelbrock Victor high-volume aluminum water pump, a set of Manley-valved AirFlow Research heads, and an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake sporting an 850-cfm Holley. Also onboard is a Mallory billet distributor activating a MSD 6AL ignition. Burnt gases are discharged through aluminized Hooker Super Comp headers, 3-inch tubes, and Flowmaster two-chamber mufflers. Engine cooling is provided by a Griffin four-core aluminum radiator and a Vintage Air Monster fan. The aforementioned TCI-prepared StreetFighter 700-R4 is outfitted with a 2,800-rpm stall speed, 11-inch torque converter and B&M shifter.
When it came to the outside of the car, the Collings commissioned Houston's SRC Motorsports to prepare the body. Prior to having Walter DeCruz paint the car in Orient Blue with blue pearl body stripes, SRC smoothed out the 28-year-old Camaro's sheetmetal and built a trick hood by grafting a '69 Camaro cowl onto the stock '72 piece. Lucas Jag Tri-Bar headlights round out the exterior package.
Inside, the '72 was trimmed out with a set of gray leather and cloth upholstered Recaro seats (stitched up by CY Fair Upholstery), a Grant wood-rim steering wheel, Billet Specialties inner door handles, a Classic industries aluminum gauge cluster, Auto Meter Sport Comp instrumentation, Vintage Air A/C, Painless Wiring, and a JVC audio system.
Completed just hours prior to last year's Waco Street Machine Mini Nationals, Collings' Camaro captured a place in the Top-20 Street Car category. But it's no show-bound hound, the Camaro can easily flex its quarter-mile muscles to the tune of 12.50 seconds at 110 mph, making the time invested by Paul and Diane Collings well worthwhile.