There is no better way to celebrate a completed muscle car project like this sweet 1969 Camaro than a big, nasty burnout.
If you have ever spent a long period of time building a project car, you know that there are few things in life which are more rewarding than the first time that car roars to life. The relief of everything coming together for the engine to run is only eclipsed by the first time that you pull the car onto the road. At least in that moment, it signals the “end” of the project. Or at least until the next step in the process comes along.
In the case of this 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, the owner celebrated the end of the build process with a wicked, smoky burnout. This 1st gen Camaro is fitted with a 540 cubic inch big block V8 and that it packs 750 horsepower. We can also see some aftermarket wheels and a beautiful body, but this video is all about what this Camaro can do, not how it looks.
The video begins as this sweet 1969 Camaro RS/SS slowly drives away from the camera. It eases up the dirt driveway on his way to the paved road which would serve as the host for a quick tire smoking session. As the Camaro drives away from the camera, we get a great chance to hear the monster V8 grumble. Based on the sound of the classic muscle car as it is headed towards the road, we’re guessing it has a manual transmission.
This Camaro looks and sounds great while creeping to the road, but once on paved ground, the good stuff begins. After a couple quick revs, the driver dumps the clutch and gets the rear tires smoking. With the engine RPMs high, the tires keep spinning as the car smokes its way down the road.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
