Basket Case to Block Rocker: LSA-powered 1969 Firebird
Restomod Firebird from Zero2Sixty Performance is about as close to perfection as you can get.
While we have a well-known soft spot for Jaguars with LS swaps, the old corporate family tree makes classic Chevy iron like the Camaro and the Corvette perfect candidates for the restomod treatment. Of course, the Firebird is right up with those icons thematically, and we always love to see the Camaro’s corporate cousin get an influx of modern grunt under the hood. Which brings us to this gorgeous build from the wizards at Zero2Sixty Performance, who recently finished transplanting the drivetrain from a 2013 Camaro ZL1 into a freshly restored 1969 Firebird, with predictably awesome results.
As you might be able to tell from how tidy everything looks under the hood, this isn’t the shop’s first experience with such a swap, and it was cool to see how the host was basically fabricating a water box from muscle memory. We’d be sweating over every measurement and cut, but like the old saying goes, the pros really do make it look easy.
Since this car was designed to be an easy-driving street machine, the drivetrain was left stock, as the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 is a beast even when there’s a modern Camaro wrapped around it, and in a car that’s about 1000 pounds lighter, it’s even more potent.
So while it’ll still be rock-solid reliable, you don’t have to be Nostradamus to see the new owner won’t get many miles out of the rear meats.
Now, there’s obviously a lot of tender loving care that goes into a built this intense, but during the video, the install kit from Holley gets plenty of props. Given that the company has been around since the very dawn of hot rodding, it’s no surprise it’s got a simple solution for these swaps.
Fans familiar with the Firebird will note that crossmember has been modified to accommodate the 6L80 six-speed transmission, and the work in the undercarriage looks just as great as it does up top. It’s a shame the car has to be on a lift to appreciate the Pypes Performance exhaust.
To help with the squeaky clean packaging under the hood, the Zero2Sixty Performance team utilized a high mount alternator and air conditioning mounts from Olson Kustom Works, which is similar to the setup seen in the C6 Corvette.
The streetable nature of the build — and the fact that it’s wearing Florida plates — means a system from Vintage Air was a necessity, not a luxury. Nobody who’s ever spent time in the Sunshine State would argue otherwise, and we have no doubt it’ll keep passengers nice and cool.
Inside, there’s an audio system from Rockford Fosgate, along with some digital gauges in the cluster, but otherwise, things look mostly stock. One notable exception is the beefy billet shifter from B&M, and we like how it complements the four spokes of the upgraded steering wheel.
To be perfectly honest, we’re not totally sold on the US Mags Rambler wheels, as we tend to prefer something with a little more sidewall on classic cars. We will say that bronze center sections do really pop against the paint, and would love to check things out in person.
As we alluded to at the start of this post, the video description calls this build the “perfect” Firebird. It’s a bold statement, but something tells that while the details might not be perfect for everyone, the lucky person who commissioned this baby will find everything just right.
So how would you build your perfect restomod? Our two must haves would be heated seats, and hidden Bluetooth system — so we could still see a factory radio in the dash. What modern touches would you add to make it yours? Head into the forum and let us know!