2001 Camaro SS: A Lasting Legacy
Forty-four years ago Chevrolet, blindsided by the runaway success of Ford’s Mustang, debuted the Camaro. For thirty-five years they battled on drag strips, from stop light to stop light and on road courses across America. But then in 2002 Chevrolet pulled the plug on the Camaro. Thankfully they built Billy Moody’s 2001 Camaro SS (#1469) before putting the car on an eight year hiatus.
This F-Body, for lack of a better word, is awesome. Everything that made the car good in stock from, has been made better by Billy’s modifications. Modifications that aren’t limited to making the car a drag machine. This thing can handle! This new found ability to turn has been helped by Bilstein shocks and Strano springs at all four corners. Strano also provided the hollow sway bars that are at either end of the car.
Billy tapped the massive catalog of BMR Suspension for a healthy amount of the suspension. The A-arms, panhard bar, lower control arms, and cross member have been replaced with BMR units. They also provided relocation brackets to help keep everything in line. However, most of these you don’t see. You do however see the bright red UMI sub frame connectors. A SLP Strut tower bar (also bright red) helps stiffen up the front portion of the chassis. Speaking of the New Jersey based muscle car part powerhouse…
They are the makers of the intake that brings fresh air into the LS1 laying under the hood of the SS. Also providing power adders are MAC Performance, via their long tube headers, and Borla’s adjustable cat-back exhaust. The whole organization is orchestrated by the ECU tune Billy got from Tuned By Frost.
Outside there’s not much to differentiate this black SS from another, aside from the red subframe connectors. The wheels are C6 Corvette pull offs, wrapped in sticky Toyo rubber. Behind the shiny, shiny five spoke wheels are drilled and slotted rotors. Like I said, nothing to draw much attention aside from the subframe connectors…and that distinctive Chevy V8 rumble.
Chevrolet re-introduced the Camaro in 2010, but it was an entirely new beast with new engine and transmission packages and a new platform. Billy’s Camaro stands as a tribute to the thirty-five year legacy the F Body Camaros left.
Words and photos by Michael Chandler, Video by Trent Bray
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