When tragedy strikes and a car you love gets totaled, it's easy to become discouraged or frustrated. Nick Relampagos felt this impulse when a racing accident caused his pro-touring 1970 Camaro to spin into a concrete barrier. But rather than give up, he chose to rebuild it better than ever. The result is a wild 750-horsepower track machine that's packed with high-end upgrades and custom-built carbon fiber parts. Autotopia LA recently interviewed Nick about the story of his car and how it ended up in its current form.
The Rebirth of a Pro-Touring Camaro
Nick told Autotopia LA that his car started life as a 1970 Camaro SS 396 with Hugger Orange paint and Sandalwood interior upholstery. However, when he bought it, it was far from the original state indicated by decoding the VIN — it was just a rolling shell with no engine or transmission.
He built the car to race in pro-touring competitions like the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge, and did so successfully for several years. But on one fateful day, slippery track conditions caused the Camaro to unexpectedly lose control and spin into a barrier, completely destroying the front end.
Understandably, Nick was devastated, and took some time to assess the damage and consider what to do. He eventually decided not just to rebuild it, but to take this car to a whole new level.
In its current form, much of this Camaro's body is made of lightweight carbon fiber. Nick made quite a few of the carbon components himself — including the doors, which weigh only 10 pounds each — and sourced other components, such as the hood and fenders, from Anvil Auto. Only the quarter panels and roof are still made of sheetmetal.
The body was repainted in a custom hue based on Inferno Orange from the 5th Gen Camaro.
For the first phase of the build, Nick used a stock subframe with aftermarket control arms, but during the rebuild, he switched to a track-oriented Speedtech Extreme-XS subframe. It integrates brake ducting and is made out of lightweight steel for maximum performance.
The Camaro rides on adjustable QA1 coilovers, 18-inch Forgeline wheels, and massive 315 width Falken Azenis tires at all four corners. Powerstop disc brakes and a Wilwood hydraulic master cylinder help it stop safely.
This car is powered by a modified LSA engine, the same supercharged V8 found in the 5th Gen Camaro ZL1. Nick's setup produces 707 horsepower at the rear wheels, meaning it's likely well over 750hp at the crank. In true pro-touring form, it's paired with a Bowler Performance T56 Magnum Carbon Edition manual transmission.
This car previously had a smaller duckbill-style spoiler on the trunk lid, but for the rebuild, Nick decided to upgrade to a huge carbon fiber wing from Smitty's Automotive. He also replaced the wing mounts and uprights with custom carbon fiber pieces.
The front end also features functional aero, including a custom-made front spoiler and large vents underneath the split bumper that allow airflow for the Derale oil cooler and power steering cooler. A slit in the front of the spoiler also redirects air to the front brake ducts.
Since Nick wanted a race car that would also fit right in on display at the SEMA Show, the interior is fully finished with black leather, carbon fiber, and red alcantara. A pair of beautiful carbon fiber Recaro Podium seats are the centerpiece, and Nick called them "one of the most expensive replacement seats you could find." In order to save weight, he made custom carbon fiber seat brackets to replace the steel brackets supplied by Recaro.
Fesler USA door panels were modified to clear the roll cage, and the Fesler dash was modified to add a glovebox and matching red alcantara trim. Even the Speedhut gauges match the color scheme and contain a custom "ZL 70" logo.
Check out the full video from Autotopia LA above to learn more about this build and see it in action.
Looking for Camaro Restoration & Performance Parts?
Classic Industries offers thousands of restoration and performance parts for the 1967-2018 Chevrolet Camaro. Whether you're simply restoring your car to factory spec or building a no-expense-spared show car, we'd be glad to help you find all the parts you need. Click the button below to browse our complete selection of Camaro restoration parts:
