The third-generation Camaro is certainly one of the most emblematic vehicles of the 1980s. Many of us who grew up in that era can still picture it in its heyday — the high school quarterback rolling up to a game in his red IROC-Z with T-tops open and Van Halen blasting on the stereo. These days, the third-gen is making a comeback as a relatively affordable classic car with a wide selection of restoration parts and performance upgrade choices. On a recent episode from the AutotopiaLA YouTube channel, Jack and his son Pete Avetisyan show off the 1991 Camaro Z28 they resto-modded, including Lamborghini orange paint and a vicious 700hp LS7 under the hood.
A Father-Son Restomod Project
Above: Before starting the build, the Avetisyans' 1991 Camaro may have looked something like this, even down to the plain white paint. Now it's a bright orange, tire-shredding machine.
When Pete Avetisyan turned 18, his dad offered him a choice: buy a new car or build the ’91 Camaro they already owned. Thankfully, Pete made what we’d consider the right choice, and the father-son duo got to work.
The project started with a cosmetic refresh. A coat of bright Lamborghini orange was sprayed over the original plain white body, and several aftermarket aero parts were added, including a Hawks Motorsports front lip and a vented Ultra-Carbon hood.
Custom black stripes were added in the paint booth to maintain that ‘80s feel, but Holley LED headlights and carbon touches add a sense of modernity.
This Camaro is powered by a Sims Performance LS7 with dry sump oiling, forged internals, an aggressive roller cam, and Holley EFI fuel system. On pump gas, it makes horsepower in the mid-600s, but switching to E85 ethanol resulted in over 700 horses. This engine is paired with a T56 Magnum manual transmission and Borg-Warner 9-bolt rear end with 3.73 gears.
Jack rewired the entire car himself, including a new Holley touchscreen digital gauge cluster that makes this Camaro feel like a true racecar. However, creature comforts like a tilt steering column were still maintained.
The car rides on UMI Performance front suspension, including tubular control arms, struts, and strut towers. In the rear, it has Hotchkis trailing arms and adjustable QA1 shocks. Six-piston Baer brakes, wide 18-inch Forgeline wheels, and sticky Falken Azenis tires complete the package to make this a canyon-carving machine.
Inside the cockpit, the high-performance intent of this build is equally clear. The Recaro seats and shift boot are finished in matching fabric, and the driver is presented with a quick-detach Sparco steering wheel and cue-ball shifter for the manual transmission. The dash was restored to original spec using a new Camaro dash pad from Classic Industries.
Check out the full video below from AutotopiaLA:
Looking for Classic Camaro Parts?
Classic Industries offers the industry's best selection of restoration and performance parts for the Chevy Camaro. Our Camaro parts line includes everything you'll need to restore or rebuild your car from the ground up, whether it's a factory-style restoration or a wild 700hp pro-touring build. Click the button below to browse our selection of Camaro parts:
