Cache Valley built 1969 Camaro wins at SEMA

LOGAN-- A very special 1969 Chevy Camaro, built by Cam Miller and his crew at HS customs in Logan Utah, won first place in Battle of the Builders at SEMA Car Show this year, and the attention to detail, as well as the one-off craftsmanship that can be seen in every inch of this beautiful car, makes it a work of art.

Being a part of Battle of the Builders is a feat that is very hard to achieve, especially for a small shop like HS Customs. This was the first year they had ever had a car in SEMA Show, and to end up winning first place against other cars built by famous shops that many people would recognize from television, was something that Miller had dreamed about for many years.

The journey of building this car began nearly three years ago when the owners of the car, Alex and Staci Short, had become tired of the car being mired in transition between collecting dust and a working full restoration and custom build. But at the time the car first came to HS Customs, neither Miller nor the Shorts had any idea where this long journey would end up.

“Almost every single piece of this car is a custom one-off piece and designed in house,” said Miller.

Everything from the wheels that Miller designed himself, all the way down the front and rear bumpers that are draped onto the lengthened front and rear ends, were all designed by Miller at HS Customs. And the specialties on this car don’t stop there.

The engine bay is fitted with a 427-cubic inch LSX engine built by Thompson Automotive out of Michigan. It features a pair of LS7 heads with PAC valve springs springs along with a custom Comp Camshaft for the combination, and the block has a set of Oliver connecting rods and a Callies Dragonslayer crankshaft as well as a set of custom made Diamond pistons.

A pair of Turbonetics 72mm turbos were connected to the engine with a set of Stainless Works manifolds, but these turbos were swapped out for a newer pair of 64mm turbos that produce the same about of power with reduced spool time. A Tial blow off valve and twin Tial wastegates tackle the job of controlling the positive pressure the engine sees, and the entire power plant is controlled by a Holley EFI Dominator engine management system.

The engine was dyno’d by Thompson Automotive, and made a massive 1238 horsepower at the crankshaft. To top off the big number, the car runs on pump gas and is even drives around on the street from time to time.

All of this power is put to the ground by a Hughes Performance 4l80e transmission and a Hughes Performance billet torque converter to match.

While the power plant and custom one-off pieces that are adorned all over this car make it a sight to see for any car enthusiast, Miller was proud to represent Cache Valley and Utah at SEMA. He is also very proud of his entire crew and he is grateful for the opportunity that the owners gave him to build such a unique car.