Personal Best

Raising the bar on a '69 Camaro-and the same

- Steve Temple

Not all restomods are created equal, not by a long shot. The exceptional 1969 Camaro seen here took things to a whole new level—yet without going over the top.

When Steve Priddle first came across the car it had been modified a bit but still looked basic. The previous owner had installed a later-model drivetrain: a 435hp Edelbrock 350 crate engine. Even so, after Steve acquired the car at the Goodguys show in Pleasanton, California, and brought it home he soon realized “it drove like a wore-out ’69.”

Not one to be easily deterred, since he had previously built a ’67 Camaro with his son Chad, he figured he could ratchet up this half-baked project. But he didn’t just jump in with both feet and start throwing parts and money at it. He did his homework, analyzing other cars and thousands of photos on the Web to find the right balance of upgrades. It was really important to tie the whole car together in just the right way.

“Finish comes into play. Not too much shiny, not too much machined, hopefully a nice blend,” he explains. “I did not want show car bling to it— just business front to rear.”

Initially he thought he’d handle the build himself, but after a couple of years went by he knew that wasn’t going to happen, as he had too much on his hands running an insurance agency with his wife, Sharon. Sharon readily agreed when he said he was going to have it done professionally instead. Enter Jason Walroth of Gearhead Garage in Sacramento, California.