Just entered this Camaro in the 2022 Monterey Reunion.
Then picked up this fresh 358 with only dyno time.
It is period correct and makes a little over 600hp like they did back in the day.

This Camaro was built and campaigned out of New Jersey by Jerry Kuhn.
Jerry raced in 15 IMSA GTO and Trans Am races in '88 and '89.
That history of professional racing qualifies this Camaro for historic racing at the Reunion.

The 2022 Reunion IMSA GTO '80s to '90s race group is expecting 40 Historic GTO race cars.
Here's a video back in 2018 when we ran with the GTP cars.
This IMSA GTO/Trans Am history car it is for sale, it is an affordable opportunity to race with other period correct race cars from this era at the Monterey Reunion.

 

When the car is working well and you start making 11s.

 

That looks like fun.

 

Seriously cool car.

 

I've had this car for 10 years.
Back in 2012 we completed a full restoration to point in time Long Beach '89.
Long Beach was special as it is the first time I saw this Camaro.
It was in a photo in Hot Rod magazine with all 4 wheels off the ground taking the green flag at the start of the race.
Needless to say Jerry's race was over that day before the first turn.
I remember seeing the photo and thinking I like my cars too much to risk damage like in the photo below.

Jerry's best finish was a 6th at a 2 hour IMSA GTO race at Summit Point.
Summit Point back then was described more as a Keg party where a race broke out.
Jerry was running in 3rd place near the end of the race when his cool suit failed.
Soon after there was a long yellow flag and that's when the heat got to Jerry.
He could not keep a proper interval with the pace car.
In the fog of heat exhaustion Jerry slipped back to 6th at the finish.

Protofab was a very successful race car builder with some Chevrolet backing in the 80s.
Jerry had some connections with Cheverolet and in the '87 season was allowed to visit the Protofab race shop.
Inspired by the Protofab Camaro Jerry started to design his own Camaro with a very similar body to the Protofab Camaros.
Jerry designed and built the a car in his own shop, the results were so similar to the Protofab team Camaro that Jerry's Camaro was nicknamed a Protofib.

Jerry lives in Florida and has shared many stories with me during my ownership of his Camaro race car.
I have much documentation on this car that I will share over time.

It has been accepted to every Monterey Reunion entered and was also invited to race at the Long Beach grand prix again in 2019.
At the 2018 Reunion we ran every lap of the Pre Reunion weekend and the Reunion week, just a perfect pair of race weekends.
At the 2019 Long Beach event shifting into 5th on the front straight the snout of the crank chose to snap off and I coasted safely off track.
Below is the Long Beach Hot Rod photo I first saw at a Magazine rack back in the 80s.

Video of a few laps at Long Beach before the failure.
So that is how it came about that it was time for new period correct 358 built and dyno tuned by well known builder named Pick's racing engines in Santa Ana California.
I very much enjoyed the concrete tunnel known as the Long Beach grand prix track.
Fortunately my home race simulator with I-racing provided an excellent simulation of the Long Beach grand prix track.
I felt very comfortable my first time at Long Beach as I had over 400 simulation laps on Long Beach before my car even touched the track.

I've had the Camaro at Bryans race shop in El Cajon California where they have been very helpful preparing the car for the Reunion race.
I will share the details of our preparation which include keeping the car original as raced at Long Beach '89.

 

In the last year the 10 was completely serviced.
New wheel bearings, rebuilt rack and pinion, rebuilt calipers and new Project Mu brake pads, new throw out bearing and dual disk 7 inch clutch.
New oil tank same shape as the old one that was getting brittle, new on board fire suppression system with a thermal switch so fire will activate the system if driver is unable to activate it.
Re-valved the shocks to better match the spring rates.
Still need to replace the silver firewall with matching new silver heat barrier material.
Also was able to source a third set of BBS basket weave wheels for spares.
Really thrilled with the shop helping with the 10, Bryans Racing in El Cajon California.
https://www.bryansracing.com/
Hope to test late this spring.

Jerry Kuhn the original owner gave me his blueprints from the when he built the car in '87.

 

Photos of us rebuilding the transmission in the Laguna Seca pits a few years ago.




Wife spraying simple green to clean the grease our of my hair.

 

Cool artwork on line.

 

What is the pipe sticking out the drivers side door for?

 

At the center of the car there is a pipe sticking out of both doors.
A jack post slides in the pipe and that is the jack point on the car.
The body/chassis sits too low to slide a jack under the car.

 

Wow thrilled as always to have the 10 car accepted again to the 2022 Monterey Rolex Reunion at Laguna Seca this August.
This year we race Wednesday thru Saturday and then a static car show Sunday at the track.
The car is at the shop getting a new period correct silver firewall a new period correct 23 degree 358 with a straight pipe.
Just installed new master cylinders, rebuilt brake calipers, wheel bearing greased, shocks rebuilt, a new thermal sensor fire system and new seat belts.
https://hsrrace.com/rolexmontereymot...tsreunion2022/
This was our 2018 Reunion final race.
This year Reunion should be great fun with a field of 40 historic GTO cars (no GTP cars).

 

Much to do, before and after, down to bare chassis bones.
Under the old patched firewall heat barrier material are nice original 1987 aluminum firewall panels.
Just rebuilt the rack and pinion, new brake whips, rebuilt brake calipers, new master cylinders and a collapsible steering column.
Most of the parts were on the car already, steel header, original aluminum valve covers, steel air box, pretty sure original windshield wiper motor and defroster too.
I can't wait to drive it again.


On the lower left you can see the 3 red capped 1 inch bulkhead dry sump oil line fittings.
Couple trans cooler lines.
While you're in there, 7 inch dual disc clutch and throw out bearing.
Old one was half worn, only use it on heal toe downshifts.
Most clutch wear is from slipping it in the pits.

 

A modeler friend made and painted some HO bodies.
This one is of my race car.



This is the slot car track in my garage where we race.

 

thats awesome . I dont know why but some part of me wants to see the body left alone and have it tuned into a badass street car . very cool keep up with the good work and pics.

 

Thank you, agree it would make a nice shape for a street car.
We did mock up the body on my friends 3rd gen, looked cool.

Since this is considered a Historic race car it must be maintained in the way it was professionally raced originally in IMSA GTO and Trans Am in 88' and 89'.
So the only changes or upgrades allowed are for safety.
Keeping it original helps it get accepted to Historic car races where it gets to race with cars of similar performance and similar pedigree.

Plan is a test day in a couple months and then Reunion at Laguna Seca this August.
https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/govern...nterey-reunion

Going down the corkscrew at Laguna Seca.

 

Making it look nice.
Firewall and front chassis restoration.

• Front suspension back on the car
• Firewall heat protection installed
• New Master cylinders installed including remote reservoir mounting and lines
• 

 

Test in July, race in August.
New and used Slicks sprayed with WD-40 and plastic wrapped kept in a cool corner under a car cover.

 

Ready to install a little over 600hp period correct 23 degree 358 trimmed with engine plate and accessories.
That's about the correct HP that the car would of had back in the late 80s.
Remember in historic racing no changes are allowed to improve performance.
Some changes to improve safety are allowed, like the on board thermal switch activated 4 nozzle fire system we recently installed.

The original 5 stage dry sump oil pump with swedged and pressure tested lines.
This belt driven oil pump is plumbed to the 4 gallon oil tank in the back of the car.
From the oil tank it requires a single 1 inch line to feed the engine and two 1 inch lines to scavenge the oil back to the tank.
All of this so the engine always maintains oil pressure during high rpm and high G cornering.

A new 7 inch dual disc clutch and T/O bearing.
The Clutch is only used in the pits and during heal toe downshifts, mine was only half worn out but we replaced it now while we had the engine out.
With the dog ring (no syncro) H pattern 5 speed the clutch is not used on upshifts.
My old T/O bearing was getting noisy so it was definitely time to install a new T/O bearing.

 

2 months before the Reunion Laguna Seca and they already told me my pit pals.
I will be working out of Tom Gloy's Capri trailer again.
He brings every transmission replacement part I would ever need.
And next to us is Mike in this awesome Buick.
Can't wait to see the other 25 Historic spec IMSA GTO cars from 82 to 89.
Anyone going to Reunion?

San Diego skyline and full grandstands in the background, my favorite photo location on this track.

 

Engine installed.