Yes, This LS7 Third-Gen Camaro Is Perfect: Track Time Tuesday
Wielding the power of the LS7, this third-gen F-Body generates 700 horses of Camaro brute force.
When Chevy unleashed the Camaro on the American public in 1966, it has chosen the moniker for a very specific reason. According to the legend, Chevy representatives told the press that a Camaro is “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.” And the Camaro has been chewing up and spitting out rivals ever since.
As technology evolves, so does the Camaro. Earlier generations of the Camaro–while impressive–do pale in the light of today’s available power. The third-gen F-body already has the aggressive and bold design. It also has a loyal and devout following, both with and without mullets. Yes, that incudes us.
LS-swaps offer the best solution to add more oomph to the third-generation. And if you’re going to swap, you might as well go big. That is the genesis behind this 1987 Camaro built by Detroit Speed. Recently, That Dude In Blue featured this third-generation Camaro injected with LS7 power. And the results are simply feral.
Host David Patterson takes a ride with Detroit Speed’s president Kyle Tucker; the man behind the car. His 1987 Camaro is the total package, complete with its own take on the IROC-Z style it dons a “DSE-Z” badge (short for Detroit Speed Engineering.)
The DSE-Z Camaro has been on our radar since it was shown at SEMA in 2018. But the video with Patterson not only gives us info on the swap, it gives us a taste of the 700+ hp Camaro on the road. It is a monster, the killer combo of high-performance, flawless design. And that exhaust note is so good we’d listen to a Spotify playlist of its V8 revs all day.
As Patterson notes, this is a “literally perfect” third-gen Camaro. And it really is. It is rare to see an ’87 Camaro in such cherry condition. Of course, the real cherry bomb is that 8,500 RPM de-stroked LS7. High-powered, high-revving; it makes about 705 horses. Mated to a six-speed Bowler transmission, it is hi-po that is both refined and raw. It is interesting to see an LS7 as a high-revving beast, that still has ample torque. But the masters at Detroit Speed made it so.
Purchased for $300 bucks, the car originally came with a stock V6. Detroit Speed modified the car to perfection. Keeping true as much stock or period-correct elements as possible, each conversion is seamless. From the sporty interior complete with roll cage, to the rich blue exterior with custom bodywork; it is stunning and surprisingly user friendly. The gauges even glow to let you know when to shift.
As Patterson and Tucker drive, you can see this brute requires a bit of a learning curve to tame.
“I’m sure with a little more seat time I could be better at this,” Patterson says. “But, right off the bat….”
“It’s a little bit rowdy,” Tucker says.
“It’s awesome!” Patterson exclaims.
Check it out, and keep that volume cranked up. We are not responsible for any mullets that might occur as a result.
Photos: Detroit Speed
Join the LS1tech forums today!
