1968 Camaro

Dave Dykstra 1968 Camaro
406 ci small block
Dart heads
Dart intake
150 hp nitrous plate kit
410 - 12 bolt posi
Turbo 350 trans
3,000 stall 10" converter

My dad brought a 1967 six cylinder Nova home from Carlisle, PA and it was a dog!  Took him driving 600 miles to get the speed up to 65 mph.  The car had never been out of Carlisle,  six cylinder, automatic.  Nice looking car, but a dog none the less.  It would never do.

On Jan. 2nd, 1989 we took a ride up  to the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Il and we saw this 1968 Camaro buried in the middle of a snow drift.  About all we could tell about it was that it was a 1968 Camaro, but they dug it out and we found out it was a California car, small block automatic.  I ended up trading the Nova for the Camaro.  The previous owners never responded to our inquiries. 

We brought it home and I bought Corvette rallies and front and rear spoilers. 

I had my license for a half hour, (it was still warm from the laminator), and I was on my way to the insurance man to show him my license and I got a ticket for speeding, 30 in a 20, and doing burnouts.  Thus started my driving career.  Did a lot of street racing set up at the White Castle on 75th and Lemont Rd. 103rd and Lemont Rd. and various other places.

Right before I graduate from high school my parents received a detention notice in the mail.  My mom thought it was a joke from one of my friends because it was for "a smoky burnout in the school parking lot."  She asked my dad to go to school for that one. 

The car was painted in 1990 by Deluxe Auto Body in Woodridge, IL.  We removed the engine and trans.  Our friend Ron Otto donated a 870 block, 327, small journal motor.  We put a 350 hp hydraulic cam in it with an Edelbrock intake manifold.  This resulted in a 13.7 time slip at Union Grove Dragway.  We found a 4:10 ratio 10 bolt rear axle for a mono leaf spring set up and we installed that.  We ran with that for a few years then found a stronger 4:10 gear 12 bolt axle drum to drum for a multi leaf spring suspension.  We installed the springs and the 12 bolt when we installed a 406 Circle Track motor.   Then it ran in the 11.70's without nitrous.

My dad and I raced at Great Lake Dragway in Union Grove, WI or Byron Dragway in Byron, IL.

Not too long ago the motor was dyno'ed at 470 at the crank, with nitrous 620.  It will do a burnout from here to China.  I only get about 150 miles on back tires.  Use pump gas.

Check out the videos on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWXamrB4He8 and
                                                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHw7smOXj3w and
                                                               http://youtu.be/GKHK1WlAWYo

3-31-2020 This is Dave's garage now: