Ford may have got the jump on the pony car market with its legendary Mustang in 1964 and although the Mustang was a success, it also fell short of the mark in terms of straight line performance and handling. It can also be said General Motors looked at the things it liked about Mustang and the things it didn’t like when it conceived the Panther project, code named XP-836, in April of 1965 just one year after the Mustang’s introduction. The objective? To outsmart Ford with a better pony car. 

When Chevrolet was developing the Camaro/Firebird platform, they knew it needed an extraordinary suspension system and room for all kinds of power. It did both very well with a concrete response to Ford’s pony. Camaro busted through the traps with a huge selection of engines and drivelines its first year out eclipsing Mustang, Cougar, and Barracuda in terms of real usable power in a big-block.

Chevrolet got quick attention of the automotive media with a memorable press function on June 28, 1966 in Detroit with a first real-time teleconference connecting 14 cities and at least 200 journalists. Chevrolet’s General Manager at the time, Pete Estes, hosted the conference getting right down to business – the business of brute performance and a beasty answer to Ford’s Mustang. Though known throughout the industry as the XP-836 Panther project, XP-836 Panther was about to become known as Chevrolet Camaro – one of the greatest and enduring marques in Chevrolet history.

Naturally, back then – the first question was what does “Camaro” mean? Estes simply responded with “A comrade or personal friend to its owner…” and of course, other Chevy PR types jokingly said Camaro was a fierce small animal that ate Mustangs and so the battle of Detroit muscle was on.

Camaro had the edge over Mustang in terms of raw performance thanks to a healthy line-up of high-performance V-8s like the 327, 350, 396, and even the 427. Because Chevrolet was late to the gate with a pony car entry, it had to be hot and it had to be faster than Mustang. And so it was… 

Hot Camaro Duo

Meet John Villesgas of Southern California – no stranger to hot Camaros because he has owned the LeMans Blue ’67 Camaro rocket ship pictured here for over 42 years. Dating back to 1971 when he was in high school, this was John’s first car. Villesgas likes his vintage F-body iron large, as in Mystery Motor large, with as little space as possible between the fenders of the two first generation Camaros that he has owned and built.

Pictured here are his pair of “Comrades” both built with distinct and different purposes. Two Camaros spanning the GM pony car’s first generation – a blue ’67 Camaro street/strip drag car with a 427 big-block ready for Saturday night bracket racing. Then there’s the Fathom Green metallic ’69 road-race Camaro with 454ci fat-block power that has been in John’s stable for six years now. These Camaros not only span the first generation, they also demonstrate two elements of performance – one for drag racing and one for road racing.

Drag racing and big-blocks go together hand in glove because there’s no replacement for displacement on the 1320. Cubes, stroke, and torque close the gap and bust the traps. However, road racing is usually a small-block trip because excess weight in the front end makes an aggressive journey more challenging. History was made in road racing not with displacement, but with high-revving small-block screamers. Chevy did it with the Z-28. Ford did it with the Boss 302 Mustang. Chrysler and AMC did it with low-displacement V-8 engines. Mercury did it with small-block Cougars. Each pursued the winner’s circle with a vengeance.

Everyone in Detroit brought something exciting to the table. And this is what makes John’s 454-inch ’69 Camaro so intriguing. John tackles the canyon twisties with a brute 454 beneath the bonnet splined into a Doug Nash five-speed crunch box and 3.55:1 Posi 12-bolt Moser Chevy cogs. Had Chevrolet conceived a big-block Camaro for SCCA Trans Am, it would have looked something like John’s ’69 Camaro road hugger.

John’s 454 is a real 1970 LS-6 big-block built by JGM Performance Engineering in Valencia, California with 11.0:1 forged slugs married to a steel crank flanked by a four-bolt main block. On top are LS-6 iron heads o-ringed to handle the compression. As you can imagine, John’s arrival in the ’69 was accompanied by the aroma of high-octane racing fuel though he generally gets by on pump gas when he hits the road. 

Ironically enough, a smooth idle around 800 rpm with a Comp Cams solid flat tappet beasty cam with 242/242 @ .050-inch with .600-inch lift and 110-degree lobe centers. On top, a stock Chevy dual-plane aluminum LS-6 high-rise manifold topped with a Holley 4150 double-pumper hitting right at 800 cfm.

The Right Parts

Because John wanted a steady fire he opted for an MSD ignition system. Those are legendary Hooker Super Comp scavengers with 2 1/8-inch primaries and 4-inch secondary sewer pipes to maintain velocity. John right-sized his Camaro’s exhaust system at 2 1/2-inches in the interest of real street torque. 

A lot of thought went into the resurrection of this road race Camaro including a factory-based suspension system with Pro Shocks front and KYB gas adjustables rear with multi-leafs rear and coil springs front.

Another critical ally in the battle between mankind and asphalt is binders – John chose Wilwood discs fore and aft for incredible stopping power when you’re plowing a big-block through the turns. On the ground are American Racing Torque Thrust 18×8-inch front and 18×10-inch steam rollers in back. Nitto was the sticky of choice with 235/40/18 front and 265/40/18 rears.

These elements and more, coupled with a tremendous amount of torque make for an unbeatable Camaro powerhouse we wouldn’t want to chase through the canyons.

These Camaros Get Driven

It may intrigue you to know that John doesn’t trailer these Camaros. They are driven to events, sometimes as far as hundreds of miles away. It feels good to be out on the open road and as you can imagine, it’s not “miles per gallon” he’s concerned with as much as it is the “smiles per gallon.” Each year, John and his wife, Pam, head to Pismo Beach, chevy shows, and a host of weekend cruises all over the West.

John’s passion for the ’69 road race Camaro began with an engine building project for a buddy of his who just happened to own this car awhile back. It had been in an accident and was in the process of being repaired and painted by Rod Alexander. John’s interest in this car became an obsession as he continued to customize it for his friend. Years later, his buddy finally broke down and offered the car to John, knowing that it would be in good hands.

At first, John was going to buy the car, get it right, and sell at a profit, “I was going to sell the car and make some money but two things happened – the economy tanked and I fell deeply in love with the car,” John reflects, “It looked so good, handled so well, and was stupid fast – I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it.” John adds, “My beautiful daughter and her amazing husband gave me two of the most incredible grandchildren who also really love the car. We go on cruises with both the ’67 and this ’69 and just have the best time as a family.”

When John isn’t road racing with the ’69, he likes autocrossing at El Toro in the Run To The Coast driving event, among others. “The ’69 is the most user friendly of the two Camaros and it likes pump gas. It is also easier to drive and enjoy long distances.” John shared, as he’s planning on a pair of aluminum heads to lighten the front end’s load to improve handling. Subframe connectors are also planned to stiffen up the platform. And when he tires of listening to the rumble of the rat, he’s thinking about adding a sound system.

You Up For A Little More Action? 

Of course, of the two Camaros, John feels the greatest sentimental attachment to his high school ride – the LeMans Blue ’67. “It is 1971 and I am still in high school,” John looks back, “and I learn of this one-owner ’67 Rally Sport for five-hundred bucks and bought the car right on the spot. At the time, my transportation was a ’57 Chevy with a 327 small-block and I wanted something faster,” John adds, “the seller was a traveling salesman who had put 100,000 miles on the car at the time.” 

In those days, John was a young buck who wanted to work for the telephone company and he would for the better part of a lifetime. He remains employed by AT&T, the latest descendent of the old Pacific Bell he started with 40 years ago. These years have been good for John because they’ve enabled him to raise a great loving and supportive family while enjoying his Camaros.

When John bought the ’67 Camaro, he went to Courtesy Chevrolet in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California and bought a new 427 four-bolt main block. Then, there were rods, heads, and the rest of it until John had a complete 427. He opted for 4.88:1 gears for the ultimate G-force experience. In those days a Muncie four-speed was the hot ticket. 

For John, the blue Camaro is about so many things – mostly the memories. He spanked his share of buddies in high school but the ’67 Camaro is so much more. “This car won me a ton of money street racing,” John laughs, “I married my high school sweetheart – Pam – and brought two beautiful baby girls home from the hospital in this car. It was our daily driver for years.” 

Once John and Pam cultivated alternative daily transportation, the Camaro’s 427 wound up doing other duty. John pulled the 427 and put it in a drag boat. A 327 took its place for awhile. The ’67 remained a driver for John for many years. In time, the Arab Oil Embargo hit along with a succession of door dings and other parking lot abuse and John parked the Camaro in his garage where it sat for years.

Fifteen years later, John concluded he needed to either sell the car or do something special with it. Like most cars put away and forgotten, John had to look at his ’67 and make a decision. He knew it had a lot of sentimental value and a trunkful of memories. It had become a member of the family and been his “comrade” since high school.

John made a critical decision to blow the dust off and make a full-scale car project out of his high school ride. He loaded it onto a rotisserie and went to work. A buddy of his had a complete L88 from a circle boat and donated it to the project. John knocked it down and sent all the parts to Jim Grubbs at JGM Performance Engineering. Jim went to work on the 427 with a custom blueprint including head work to create – “The nastiest 427 I’ve ever had in this car,” John shared.

Next, he took all of the chassis components and had them black powdercoated. Because John had a tremendous amount of torque going for him, he wanted brakes and suspension that could keep up. In front are six-piston Wilwoods followed by huge finned drums in back. Behind the 427 is a good old-fashioned Muncie M-22 four-speed for real period excitement because it makes that nostalgic whine in first gear under hard acceleration. Also underneath is a GM 12-bolt Posi with 3.73:1 cogs.

Reflections & Memories

When we asked John if he’d ever consider selling these Camaros, he didn’t hesitate for a minute when he said no. John tells us, “These are hot Camaros that many spend years trying to achieve, but most will not ever have because they don’t come cheap and they aren’t that plentiful anymore.”

John’s ’67 RS is a lifetime companion second only to his family. It will likely never be for sale. The ’69 SS is an earth moving ground pounder ready for pavement duty in the canyons and passes of Southern California whenever the mood hits. John’s SS proves you can carve out an autocross with a big-block in tow and turn in a pretty good time. Then, drive it to the drag strip and give the ’67 a run for the money. John has conceived two big-block Camaros for two entirely different form of motorsports.

Regardless of which Camaro John chooses for a Saturday afternoon outing, he’s bound to have fun that he’s able to share with nearly anyone who dares come along for the challenge.