You've got to figure that some people just love what they do for a living. Lawyers love to sue people, politicians love to argue, and rock stars love to rock. Matt Gosset loves classic Bow-Ties, hence the name Matt's Classic Bowties. With his thumb on the pulse of the latest trends, Matt and his wife, Kim, were determined to have a real street prowler, although this company car is more like a black panther stalking its prey in the jungle than an actual streetcar.
However, it wasn't always the way you now see it. Once upon a time, this panther was more like a timid kitty. As luck would have it, Matt and Kim found this car in the Yahoo! Classifieds, and purchased it for a mere $3,500. It gets even better; this Camaro was purchased from the original owner and was all factory stock. Some guys have all the luck! Matt and his wife drove the car in its stock state for only two weeks, then the bug bit...and bit hard. The first thing that changed was the paint and bodywork. The original sierra fawn color was sanded away and Johns Auto body of Santa Rosa, California, laid down the new pure black paint. If Matt could do it all over again, the paint and body would be the last thing on the list. Doing engine swaps, suspension upgrades, and interior work on a freshly painted car is a delicate matter. One scratch or ding can send you reaching for the nitroglycerin pills.
While this Camaro maintains a stock appearance on the outside, it's what's on the inside that counts. There's nothing radical on the outside, except a full-tilt suspension system, engine, transmission, and rearend. The inside of the Camaro also remains stock except for the Auto meter gauges, an Alpine stereo, and a Grant Steering wheel. After two years of meticulous construction from Matt and Kim, the Camaro sits in their show room as living proof that if you can dream it, you can build it. From stem to stern, the classic styling of Matt's "Back In Black" Camaro, combined with today's technology, makes it hard not stop and stare. Hindsight is always 20/20, and the learning curve from this Camaro can be applied to the next classic Bow Tie that Matt and his wife are going to build. Rest assured we'll be there with our camera waiting.
| Tech Specs |
| Owner: | Matt & Kim Gosset of Matt's Classic Bowties |
| Vehicle: | 1967 Camaro |
| Color: | Pure Black |
| Engine: | GM Ramjet Crate motor estimated at 375 hp at 5,200 rpm and 400 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm, Classic Auto Air conditioning, Be Cool Aluminum radiator, Hooker Ceramic coated headers and a custom exhaust system with Borla Mufflers, March Performance ultra compact serpentine system. |
| Driveline: | Borg Warner T-56 five-speed tranny, custom-made driveshaft, 12-bolt rearend with 4:11 gears and a limited slip. |
| Suspension: | CPP spindles and CPP 12-inch brakes, Fatman Fabrications control arms, QA-1 adjustable shocks, with a total of 3 inches lowered in the front, the rear suspension has Hotchkiss 1.5-inch lowering springs and QA-1 adjustable shocks. |
| Wheels: | Bonspeed "Sweep" 18x7 with 4.5-inch backspace, Toyo T15 225/40/18 in the front and 255/25/18 in the back. |