Widebody 1970 Camaro is Big Block-Powered Dream Car

LSX power, widebody package and brilliant dark blue paint make this Camaro a SEMA showstopper.

While Chevrolet is busy showing off the 2019 Camaro with what is hopefully the new front fascia, a variety of companies throughout the sprawling 2018 SEMA Show are featuring Chevy muscle cars from other eras. One such classic Chevy muscle car is the 1970 Camaro in the BASF Paints booth, showcasing their gorgeous paint on a widebody, big block-powered muscle car named Road Rage.

Road Rage

This eye-catching 1970 Chevrolet Camaro was built by the Roadster Shop in Illinois. This shop offers custom chassis components and in the case of this second generation Chevy muscle car, Roadster Shop started with the custom widebody kit that includes the front and rear flares, the sills that run between the flares and the gigantic front chin spoiler. The unique aspect of the body kit is the rear wheel flares, which extend out to the rear of the vehicle rather than wrapping around the wheel wells like the front design, giving this Camaro a very “pro touring look”.

Out back, the Road Rage Camaro has a custom rear taillight panel with a modern rendition of the second generation car’s quad light design, with the lights mounted in a unique intended egg crate-style mesh. Flanking each side of that custom taillight panel is the rear portion of the widebody package, with more matching mesh filling the gaps from the flare to the original sheet metal. Along the bottom, there is a carbon fiber diffuser with three central exhaust tips.

Really, the custom back end of this 1970 Camaro, with the unique taillight panel, the taillight location and the triple exhaust tip setup kind of pays tribute to the Ferrari F40, although there is no reference to that Italian supercar in the details.

Finally, the interior of this 1970 Camaro has been completely upgraded to give it a modern, luxurious look and feel.

Modern Performance

While the body of this 1970 Chevrolet Camaro would be remarkable over a stock drivetrain and chassis, Roadster Shop made sure that this car performs as great as it looks.

Under the hood is a Texas Speed LSX 454 V8 that produces 750 horsepower, with the air and fuel being introduced by means of a Kinsler one-off stack injection setup. The power is sent to the rear wheels by means of a proper manual transmission.

Roadster Shop has also added their in-house Fast Track independent front and rear suspension systems, Helping achieve the stance while also offering far better handling than your average second generation Camaro. Baer brakes handle the stopping duties and Forgeline center-locking wheels wrapped in low profile tires help put the power to the ground.

While this 1970 Camaro looks too clean to take to the track, the monstrous LSX V8 and the elaborate suspension setup should make this one wicked performance car in addition to drawing plenty of attention at SEMA.

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com