Conversions are hot stuff nowadays; and it makes perfect sense. When today’s modern powerplants are able to provide reliable, big horsepower and still retain some civility as a street machine, it’s hard to argue with. Heck, even the most desired cubic inch sizes are even available from the factory and aftermarkets alike, be it a 392 or 426 HEMI, a BOSS 302 or a venerable 427 or 454 Chevy.

Forgeline‘s Mark Stielow didn’t need a lot of convincing when the idea to drop a wicked 427ci LS9 between the fenders of his clean and cool ’69 Camaro. Composed of a venerable who’s who of go-fast goodies, the Camaro’s plant is impressively stout. Starting with a Thomson Automotive-built LS7 block with oils squirters, it’s topped with a LS9 blower with a 3:1 drive ratio, an inlet snout specially-modified to fit to a LS7 throttlebody and a Stenod inlet tube. Inside is a Callies crank, Oliver connecting rods moving a set of Diamond pistons. It spins a Lingenfelter flywheel mating to a LS9 clutch. The top end is all LS9 (heads and valvetrain), a Thomson Automotive cam, a specially-made Peterson dry sump and a GM Performance Part Create engine controller and modified harness.

Stielow smoked the competition in his GA3-equipped ’69 Camaro during the Holley LSX Fest taking the Speed Stop Challenge Best Time, the Speed Stop Challenge Top Speed and Drag Race as well as the Chevy High Performance High Noon Auto Cross Shoot Out and placed second in the Autocross which combined for a total overall event victory.

The Camaro itself is a stock ’69 body Stielow purchased off of eBay out of Sacramento, CA. Being a California car, Stielow was able to keep all of the stock sheet metal while Reiter Metal Craft did the initial metal repairs, DSE mini tubs, sub-frame connectors and Quadra Link install. Meanwhile, Stenod Performance installed a roll cage, and exhaust cutout on the floor. Rather than going with fiberglass, Stielow went with an aluminum cowl hood and front bumper

The F-Body runs on a DSE front sub-frame with remote reservoir shock mono-tube shocks and a DSE Quadra-Link rear suspension with a DSE sway bar and mono tube shocks. The rolling stock are a set of 18X10 Forgelines with 275/35R18 BFG KDW up front and 18X12.5 Forgeline with 335/30R18 BFG KDW out back. Stopping the Camaro is a Brembo kit for a Corvette Z06 with 6-piston calipers with 355mm rotors up front and 4-piston calipers with 345mm rotors in the tail with a ’06 Corvette Z06 ABS system.

Feeding the big LS9 is a Rick fuel tank modified to take a Cadillac CTS-V fuel sending module, larger injectors from Kinsler and a FMU from Kinsler. Funneling the spent fumes is a pair of Kooks stainless headers with SPD S/S flanges flowing into Borla S/S 3-inch exhaust built by Stenod and Borla 3-inch mufflers. And keeping the plant cool is a Griffin custom radiator, a remote transmission Cooler with Weldon pump, a differential cooler with a similar Weldon pump, and a GM cooling fan.

Joe and Paul VanNus from Kalamazoo, MI did the paint and body work on the car, coating the car in Standox VW Salsa Red. Inside are a set of Recaro Sport seats, Sparco race belts, Autometer gauges, a DSE Dash insert, an Alpine stereo with Polk Speakers, a Vintage Air A/C, a Momo steering wheel with credit going to All American Auto Upholstery, Romulus, MI, who put the interior all together.