The 1998 Chevrolet Camaro introduced the muscle car world to the LS1 V8 and while it was a beast stock, there were few engines available when the LS1 debuted that would accept mods and make power like the first LS V8.
Although GM has a long and storied history of high performance, the LS1 took that all to the next level and cars like the Camaro shown in this week’s video is proof of how nasty you could make your 4th generation Camaro or Firebird with some mod money.
The video of this heavily modified 98 Camaro starts right off with the car launching and when it does so, the front wheels come way up as the car begins to hustle down the quarter mile.
It looks as though the front rollers land just past the 60 foot mark and from there on out, this Camaro lays down one crazy fast run – making it through the top end traps in just 9.21 seconds with a speed of 146.4 miles per hour.
Cars like this, which show the massive potential of the LS1 engine, helped to build the reputation of the entire LS engine family as one of the top street engines for making power.
"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.
