1968 Chevy Camaro - Green Screen

When it comes to picking out attention-grabbing colors to paint your muscle car, red is a nice “go-to” pigment. And a sleek black paintjob generally works well for those who want to bring out the sinister aspect of their muscle car. Then there’s always Sequoia Green for those who … wait! Sequoia Green? Green is about as far from red as can be and slightly less intimidating than Carly Rae Jepsen’s fastball. Now front-load it with the word “Sequoia” to complement that green and you may as well be lost in the woods with every other mundane-looking Camaro. Seriously, who paints their hot rod such a pedestrian color? Tim DeFoor, that’s who. And quite frankly, his wicked 1968 pulls it off quite nicely, thank you very much. And the 8-71 huffer jutting through the hood doesn’t hurt matters much either. That alone will gather up plenty of attention, regardless of the exterior color this monster ’68 chooses to wear.

“When I bought the car back in 2008 it was black with some heartbeat stripes painted down the sides,” Tim remembers. “It was rebuilt in the early ’80s, so that explains the outdated graphics. The running joke is that the car is named Perfect. That was done because I told my wife that I wouldn’t have to spend any extra money on the car because it was perfect as is.” Needless to say, that little joke became more humorous as time went on.
Upon getting the car home, Tim tore into it right away and got to cracking on paint removal first. It was then he discovered the Camaro’s original color, and also the fact that the sheetmetal was in great condition, with no rust or shoddy body filler on any panels. “I love the fact that this car has the original sheetmetal, grille, and glass,” boasts Tim.

With the transformation in progress, Tim got together with friend and painter Stan Rollins at RCI Collision in Warner Robins, Georgia, to discuss color options for the car. Being it has a good chunk of its original components, they came up with the idea of sticking with its factory color. Rollins and his crew got busy sanding off the ’80’s lacquer, prepped the body, sprayed the PPG classic hue, then color-sanded and buffed their way to a liquid-like finish. The silver front accent band, or “bumble bee” nose stripe, introduces some additional flair to the otherwise routine front end.
As the saying goes, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” Tim knew it was going to take an extraordinary mill to saturate the car’s ability to position itself as a wicked street machine. A blown Shafiroff 540 Stage I big-block between the ’rails outta do it!
The block features a 4.500-inch bore and 4.25-inch stroke and is armed with Dart Pro 345 aluminum heads, JE pistons, MNP pushrods, and Eagle 4340 crankshaft. The COMP solid roller, which Shafiroff refers to only as a “custom grind,” is accompanied by COMP solid roller lifters. The Shafiroff team perched the Blower Shop 8-71 on top of two Quick Fuel 830 carbs and let ’er fly at 10 psi of boost.
After all is said and done, Tim enjoys the rip-snorting 940 hp at 4,500 rpm and 725 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. You just gotta love the tire-shredding, low-end torque and horsepower of a big-block—a blown one, at that.
MSD ignition lights the fire while dissipated fuel rushes through a set of Kooks 1 7⁄8-inch stainless headers that meet up with a custom-built Pratt & Miller 2.5-inch Tech-line coated crossover exhaust system finished off with a set of Flowmaster Super 40 mufflers.
A Ron Davis aluminum radiator ensures engine temps stay in check, while a Vintage Air Gen IV A/C system promotes a comfy interior climate.

The robust mill would instantly annihilate a stock transmission, so Dan Jump beefed up the TH400 with strengthened bits to handle the big-block’s wrath then mated up a PTC 3,500-stall converter to get the beast off the line in a hurry.
A custom-built Strange rearend houses 3.08:1 gears and posi unit. That ratio may seem a bit tall, but the car lives on the street, so there has to be some sort of normalcy to balance out the otherwise insane logistics of trying to keep over 900 road-raging ponies in check.
Suspension bits include Heidts 2-inch drop spindles and Detroit Speed Inc. tubular control arms damped with AFCO shocks up front, while the back half consists of a Chassis Engineering four-link ensemble also damped with AFCO shocks. “I have to thank Keith Wright and Todd Dobson for their help with setting up the chassis,” relays Tim.
Wilwood binders with 12-inch plates on all four corners provide plenty of whoa power while resting behind a quad grouping of Billet Specialties five-spoke Street Lite rollers. Mickey Thompson Sportsman rubber grips the ground—skinnies up front and bulbous meats out back jive accordingly to the Pro Street motif.
The interior relies heavily on the classic theme, although Tim reached out to the team at Pratt & Miller to leave their mark by incorporating a host of tasty nuances: Honda Accord seats replaced the non-bolstered stock F-body cushions and were covered in black and gray vinyl. P&M’s Rob Murphy continued on with a redo of the door panels and carpet to match the seats.
Classic Instruments G/Stock gauges provide the vitals while offering an OE look to coincide with the vintage scene. A Flaming River Cascade steering wheel keeps Tim on course, while a Winters Sidewinder shifter handles shifting duties. An Alpine head unit powering a set of 5x8 and 6x9 rear-mounted speakers provide the necessary ambience for a cruise-night soundtrack.

A few billet notables include Eddie Motorsport hood and trunk hinges, while a carbon-fiber front spoiler offers some modern refinement to the classic canvas. Advanced Plating took care of “newing up” the vintage bumpers and trim.
Tim DeFoor’s ’68 is a street machine “E-ticket” ride that shamelessly announces its presence with authority. And with the ability to uncork an ungodly amount of hp at the hit of the pedal, that, my friends will grab your attention and turn fans of this muscle car (Sequoia) green with envy.