Network
When you are in the business of manufacturing parts for automotive enthusiasts, if you want to actually sell those parts, you need to put them in front of said enthusiasts. That means advertising on web sites and in magazines, attending car shows and swap meets, and even building a car that showcases your wares.
On “The Tour” in 2002.
Comp Cams is a manufacturer that has been making products that enhance a car’s performance since they first opened their doors in 1976. They began by selling valve train parts, and have since expanded into the Comp Performance Group, and now manufacturer transmissions, electronic fuel injection, and nitrous oxide kits. But, we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, so let’s take a trip back to 1975.
Back then, Scooter Brothers was racing a white ’69 convertible Camaro in the M/Automatic Super Stock class. The car was prepped by Herb McCandless, and the engine was built by John Lingenfelter. Scooter ultimately won his class at the US Nationals in Indy. You’re probably asking yourself how this pertains to the Comp Cams’ Camaro. Although Scooter wasn’t directly involved with Comp Cams at the time, he was heavily involved with another company, Racing Head Service, which worked closely with Comp Cams to develop many of the technologies that enthusiasts use today. In 1977, Scooter sold his Camaro to a customer who lived in Canada, and eventually joined Comp Cams in 1988. He remains with the company to this day, serving as VP of Engineering.
Scooter’s original car in the Winner’s Circle at Indy.
Fast Forward to 1998, and Comp Cams decided the company should build a car that would not only showcase its products, but allow it to participate in the long-distance car show called Power Tour, giving a company presence and having fun along the way.
To pay homage to the company’s history, it was planned that Scooter’s class-winning Camaro was to be the Power Tour vehicle. The original car was located in Texas, but was unfortunately, in very rough shape and stuck in the middle of a divorce case. That meant another suitable, running and driving car was found, and taken to Atlanta Street Rods in north Georgia for a modernized transformation.
The car as it looked in 1999.
Unfortunately, the car did not make it to the 1998 Power Tour because of some scheduling conflicts, but did travel the distance in 1999. From 1999 through 2010, the Camaro was driven on multiple Power Tours. During the final Tour, it came back with body damage to the front sheetmetal and rear ¼-panel, and also suffered from a dead cylinder in the engine. The car was partially disassembled to install a Heidts front subframe, but the upgrade and repairs were halted. After that, the car sat in hiatus for several years under a car cover in Comp’s R&D area.
In 2016, Comp Cams will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and to celebrate, the Camaro is being resurrected. Chris Douglas, Comp Cams’ VP of Marketing told us, “The Camaro was a popular icon and a tribute to Scooter Brothers’ class-winning race car, and spent several years in the trenches on several Power Tours and various events.
The Camaro being torn apart for the rebuild.
With our 40th Anniversary coming up, we wanted to get it out of storage and bring it up to today’s standards, and showcase our various Comp Performance Group products.” The car has been sent to V8 Speed & Resto in Red Bud, Illinois. Scooter Brothers said, “Coming from a time when a ’69 Camaro was new and racing it with the limited technology we had, then building one to what was the edge of technology in the late 90s, and now with this build, the technology progression is simply amazing. It’s going to be a great showcase for us, and a real fun car to drive.”
The car was by no means a rusty hulk, but it did need some replacement metal.
The early custom rear suspension and the new and better Heidts rear coilover set up.
When the Camaro was first terrorizing Power Tour, the engine was an SB2 NASCAR engine built by Richard Childress Racing. This time around, the Childress-built mill is being retired in favor of an LS swap. The engine was built at Butler Performance in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and is based upon an RHS block and heads. The final assembly displaces 454 cubic-inches. Inside is a Lunati Signature Series 4.250-inch crankshaft, Lunati 6.400-inch I-beam rods, and custom Diamond Racing pistons. Built, dyno'ed, and ready to run.
Moving on to the interior, the car will remain mostly stock, with the addition of a pair of Procar seats, and a Dakota Digital custom dash.
The car is still under construction as of this writing, but you can follow along with the remainder of the build by checking out the CPG Nation blog, and V8 Resto Facebook page.
