Taking a page from the movie “Tommy Boy” where Chris Farley tries on David Spade’s suit coat while singing “Fat guy in a little coat,” we found a pretty neat YouTube video of a fat engine in a little engine bay.

From YouTube user hellostephandjoe’s channel, we found a series of videos where a machinist from Arizona took his third gen Camaro and shoe-horned a monster 468 cubic inch big block Chevy in the engine bay. Joe is pretty open about his build and gives honest advice to anyone wanting to know how he did his conversion and what parts he used.  He says that the combination he is using is a “468 cid BBC, 5000 stall converter, 350 transmission, stock rear end/2.73 gears.”

It appeared that Joe later changed to a 700R4 transmission and offered this advice about running a 700R4: “If it’s built well enough it will be great for the street. I’m on my second 700r4 and it’s already almost burnt up. The biggest problem you’ll have is traction. I only run about 450hp and I can roast the tires at a 40mph roll. The weight distribution is way off. You should invest in some aluminum heads, if you have’nt already. A big block with aluminum heads weighs about the same as an all-cast iron small block.”

Some more of Joe’s sage advice:

On which camshaft he used: “Summit brand hydraulic flat tappet part # SUM-1303. .540″ lift, 296/306 advertised duration, 238/248 duration @.050″ lift. 114 separation. Duration seems radical for the street, but the damn thing runs great, even with a stock converter. I put in a ridiculous 5000 stall converter and it runs like a nightmare from hell. I love it.”

On fitting the BBC into the little engine bay: “The power steering pump was fun. I used the old pump on the big block and the stock hoses on the car. Of coarse the return line is just a hose clamp, but the more modern high pressure line on the camaro has a special end with an o-ring that plugs into the pump. Just chop off the end, put on the threaded fitting the was on the old bbc pump, and standard-flare it. It’s suppose to be double-flare, but I could’nt find a double tool that was strong enough to do steel line.”

On keeping the engine cool: “My problem is that I have’nt spent the money on good dual electric fans. But the summit brand radiator WILL do the job. The key when picking out your dual fans is CFM!!! Get BIG CFM! As much as you can afford. No less than 2000. Most fans on the summit site will have a cfm rating.

“Summit has a “bolt in” aluminum radiator that I show in the video. I did have to cut the upper radiator mount though. And just so you know, the reason aluminum radiators (the same size as the stock ones) are better is because aluminum dissapates heat alot faster.”

“I only have about 2 1/2 inches between my water pump pulley bolts and the radiator. Plus, the engine is 2-3 inches taller than the SBC and the center of the fan would be higher than the center of the radiator. The fan blades would stick up above the rad and you’d never get a shroud on it.”

“My 2 pieces of advice: (1)Make sure the block isn’t a rust ball in the water jackets, or say bye-bye to your fancy $500 radiator!!  (2)If you run a cowl induction hood, either make it a REAL FUNCTIONING cowl induction, or block it off at the windshield/firewall. The cowl’s effect will restrict velocity through the radiator without the baffle/cowl chamber.”

For the record, Joe is using a 4 inch Harwood Show Series cowl hood.

On using the Flowtech Raptor Mufflers: “These mufflers were the cheapest in the store but I got a fix-it ticket for sounding like a monster truck and I had to do something cheap. They are welded directly to the headers, no pipes before or after. I don’t like the sound, but I have’nt noticed any power loss compared to open header, like I did with those glass packs I had on there. Which doesn’t make alot of sense, but go figure. And no, I don’t need anyone to tell me I need “backpressure”. My combo runs best on open headers.”

On the rear end: “I ended up putting in a 10 bolt 8.5″ from a 79 Camaro. Of course the suspensions are different so I welded up the perches from the stock rear.So far it has handled a 406ci.”

“I do know this- You will be very unhappy if you lose to some cocky nerd in a rice burner or a diesel truck all because you didn’t get traction! A car that runs 11.50’s can turn into a 15 second car real quick if the tires spin. And spinnin’ aint winnin’!”