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Should we put our ’76 Camaro out to pasture, or are there some other cool things we should try? The first time PHR readers saw our 1976 Camaro project car was in the April 2005 issue. With a measly $2,300, we found a 305-ci V-8 Camaro in just about perfect shape. For years we bolted stuff to it, replacing the engine twice (first a smog 383, then the Budget Sledgehammer Vortec 350), the tranny twice (TCI Turbo 350, then Keisler 5-speed Tremec), the suspension twice (first Global West goodies, then the Air Ride system), and did a bunch of other stuff like an interior rehab, Baer brakes, Nitto NT01s, Weld wheels, and a one-of-a-kind exterior rehab by Alan Johnson. Today, I decided to go for a ride in g/28, only to find the battery dead. I had unwittingly neglected my ’76 by not driving it for too long. It made me feel guilty, like I’ve lost interest in it. What I need to do is rekindle the romance with this cool car. For the longest time, I thought when we got to this point, I’d consider this project done. But should it be done? The reality of most home builders is that it rarely is done, even when most of the car is finished. There’s always something that needs to be fixed or tweaked. In this case, I feel that the Budget Sledgehammer under the hood was fine for a starter engine, but at just 448 hp, it’s probably the weakest link. I’m thinking going big, maybe using the new Dart SHP 400-ci short-block as a starting point, and going with a street roller cam, a single-plane, and a Dominator. What do you guys think? Maybe some A/C? New chairs? A stereo system? Or should we pick up another second gen, and start over again with a different theme?
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