We'll always love to see classic cars exactly as they rolled off the showroom floor, but modern vehicles also have their own appealing characteristics. Automotive engineering has come a long way since the late '60s, thanks to precision tooling, streamlined manufacturing, and the revolutionary power of computers. For those who want to blend the best of classic cars with the power and amenities of modern muscle, there's an answer: pro touring.
A pro-touring car can be considered a form of resto-mod -- that is, a classic vehicle that has been restored and upgraded with modern parts. However, pro-touring builds typically place a strong emphasis on performance, either on a race track, drag strip, or the street. In many cases, this performance rivals or exceeds that of brand-new muscle cars.
The 1969 Camaro pro-tourer seen here belongs to Rodney Moore, of Wylie, Texas. We met Rodney after spotting his car at the 2017 Classic Industries F-Body Nationals event. With bright orange paint and an aggressive stance, this car is certainly hard to miss.
Rodney owns an automotive restoration shop, and built the car there. He tells us he originally bought it at auction 10 years ago, and it remained a work-in-progress for many of those years. He only recently completed the car, and after we took a look at it, we can tell it was worth the wait.
The exterior of this 1969 Camaro has been painted vibrant orange, with black hockey stick stripes on each side, a black stripe down the center of the car, and a black tail section. All chrome exterior trim has been painted either orange or black, creating a modern look. Deep-dish split five-spoke wheels and a lowered suspension improve cornering and further modernize the appearance.
Under the hood, the original small-block engine has been replaced with something more fitting of the pro-touring theme. The engine bay houses an LSX 376 crate motor, which has been fitted with a Magnuson supercharger and Tremec T56 Magnum manual transmission.
The car's interior features black leather bucket seats, a roll cage, a leather-wrapped billet steering wheel, and white-faced Auto Meter gauges. A Vintage Air A/C system makes the interior a whole lot more comfortable on hot days in the Texas sun.
As a result of the modifications, Rodney's Camaro pro-tourer has the power and grip to hang with modern muscle cars at the track, but it retains the timeless lines it was born with in the 1960s.
If you have a Camaro, Classic Industries has all the restoration and performance parts you need to build it into any style you can dream of. Crate motors, suspension kits, wheels and tires, trim, interior accessories -- we've got them. Click the button below to get a free full-color Camaro parts catalog.