For Jeff McDougall, the love of Camaros started early. Drawn to the aggressive styling and raw performance of early rally sport models, Jeff found himself behind the wheel of a 1967 RS Camaro as his first car. Though the car needed work, it symbolized the beginning of a lifelong obsession. After three years of wrenching and saving in preparation for a long-overdue paint job, tragedy struck—the Camaro was totaled when a 1972 Plymouth Satellite pulled out in front of him.
While most would have called it quits, Jeff saw an opportunity. He salvaged the wreck, pulling the drivetrain and any usable parts before selling the body to a shop that was building a 1976 Chevrolet K-5 Blazer. That Camaro would go on to become a one-of-a-kind 4WD creation—proof that no part of the car’s spirit was wasted.
With the insurance settlement from the accident and the salvaged parts from the ’67, Jeff purchased the car he truly wanted: a 1968 Camaro. It came equipped with a stock 396 engine—non-original but functional—buying him enough time to rebuild the 402 big block engine from the ’67. That engine, once fully built, would transform the '68 into a monster on the street and strip.
Over time, Jeff accumulated an impressive cache of parts: Muncie M21 and Muncie M22 four-speed manual transmissions, a freshly built 12-bolt Posi rear with 4.11 gears, and numerous original components—all carefully preserved. The Camaro was far more than a project; it became a permanent fixture in his life. There were years when the car was a regular at Oceanside drag strip and Wednesday grudge nights at Orange County International Raceway (O.C.I.R.), consistently running deep into the 11s. Jeff’s best recorded time was a blistering 10.91 seconds at 124 mph. But after a few close calls, he made the call to retire it from racing and shift gears toward preservation and cruising.
Today, the car is still a constant work in progress, but every improvement brings joy. As Jeff puts it, “It’s more fun just getting on the freeway and lifting when I hit 80.” And with what’s under the hood, it’s easy to see why.
Power from the Ground Up
Above: A 1987 Corvette steering wheel crowns the dash.
The heart of Jeff’s Camaro is a powerhouse built with his own hands in his garage—a testament to mechanical skill and relentless passion. The foundation is a 1970 Chevrolet 402 truck block, bored .080 over to accept TRW 427 pistons. Originally delivering 12.5:1 compression, the pistons were machined down to 11:1 to allow for pump gas, balancing performance and practicality.
An Isky camshaft with .551/.556 lift and 286 degrees of duration breathes life into the engine. Supporting hardware includes GM heavy-duty lifters, 7/16” hardened pushrods, Crane roller rockers, and a factory GM forged steel 427 crankshaft. Jeff even hand-sanded the block’s valley for improved oil return and fitted a 1968 Corvette high-volume oil pump.
The heads are truly one-of-a-kind—custom designed and built by Jeff’s close friend and performance guru Bob McKray. Bob also matched and modified an Edelbrock Torquer intake manifold to the ported heads. Topping it all off is a 780 CFM Holley carburetor, with the choke tower milled off and venturi chambers ported for maximum flow. Hooker long-tube headers, ceramic-coated and baked, direct exhaust with authority.
Power transfers through a Tremec Magnum T56 six-speed manual transmission, a McLeod scatter shield, an 11" stainless-steel flywheel, and a 5800 lb. three-finger McLeod clutch with scatter weights. The drivetrain is finished off with a hydraulic throwout bearing, custom crossmember, and custom driveshaft—engineered to handle serious street and strip abuse.
Built to Handle It All
To match the powertrain, Jeff went deep into suspension and chassis upgrades. The 12-bolt Posi rear was disassembled, steam-cleaned, and thoroughly rebuilt with new carrier, gears, bearings, axles, and seals. He welded the axle tubes all the way around to eliminate the factory-pressed weakness and prevent any twist under load. Rear disc brakes were installed with stainless steel lines, and braking power is managed by an S-10 master cylinder and booster—chosen for its compact size to clear the big valve covers—attached with custom brackets and a chrome-moly pushrod.
The rear suspension features custom 9-leaf springs, the lowest leaf taken from a 3500 pickup to serve as an overload spring. Taller springs necessitated modified shackle plates, and the assembly is secured by four Deaver spring U-bolts. Up front, Jeff installed tubular control arms, GM factory springs, heavy-duty tie rods, and upgraded drag link, pitman arm, and idler arms, paired with a 1:1 ratio steering gearbox. The front braking system was upgraded to large single-piston calipers and rotors from a 1969 Camaro.
Jeff didn’t stop at bolting on parts—he performed a full four-wheel alignment, shifting the rear end until he achieved a near-perfect .001” thrust angle. The final result yielded 5.5° of positive caster on the left front and 5.0° on the right—providing rock-solid high-speed stability and smooth, confident tracking.
A Journey That Never Ends
Though the car has evolved from its early days as a street-strip brawler to a refined and streetable cruiser, Jeff McDougall’s Camaro is still very much a work in progress. The next major project? Replacing the entire wiring harness from front to back—a task Jeff will tackle as time and budget allow.
Above: BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires, 225/60R15 inches in the front and 275/60R15 inches in the rear shod the 15x7-inch in the front and 15/8-inch Rally wheels in the back.
Every bolt turned, every part selected, and every mile driven tells a story—not just of a car, but of a man and his dedication to keeping the muscle car spirit alive. Jeff McDougall’s 1968 Camaro isn’t just fast—it’s a rolling chronicle of passion, perseverance, and the kind of craftsmanship that only comes from doing it yourself.
Classic Industries - Your Source for Chevrolet Camaro and Other American Pony/Muscle Car Components
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