The whole automotive retro movement has left a lot of room for individual interpretation. After all, how much retro is enough? What portions of the retro design really define it? The debate can go on for a very long time. Some companies, however, step up and do something about it by offering alternatives. By definition, these may not be for everyone, but today’s manufacturing technology has made many such offerings indistinguishable from OEM quality.

Innovation Mold and Design of Germantown, Wisconsin, builds plastic injection molds for industrial manufacturers. For nearly a decade, it also has produced what it calls Retrokits to give 1988-98 Chevrolet and GMC pickups the look of classic GM pickups of the mid-1960s.

The company recently launched Camaro 5/1 and 5/1 RS Retrokits, which give the contemporary Camaro the look of the 1969 model. The Camaro 5/1 kit keeps the car’s headlamps exposed but the 5/1 RS kit hides them just like back in the day. Conversion components mount using regular factory points and the supplied electrical wiring plugs directly into the factory harness.

In the RS version, the headlight doors operate directly from the factory switch, so there’s no unsightly wiring or modifications to do. A high standard of quality is maintained by using powdered coated, laser cut brackets. Some assembly of components is pre-done at the factory.

“From the side, the Camaro body lines and everything are very similar to the ’69,” said Dan Fairbanks, Innovation Mold president. “But in the front they (aren’t), and people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s grew up with those cars and wished they had them.”

A couple of front bumper options are also available in the kits. These include a chrome finish bumper trim, a body colored one for the “Endura” front end look, and a fascia that eliminates the SS’s ‘mail slot’ ahead of the hood. Additional information is available on the company’s web site.