An
Exercise in Extreme Twin-Turbo Power for the Street
The
Camaro was brought to the Banks Race Shop to become
the part-time project of Rick “Speed” Lefever.
Gale Banks’ intent was for Speed to modify the
Camaro to become a high-performance street machine
with an abundance of safety equipment befitting a teen-age
driver. That early vision included installing some
good brakes, a basic roll cage and a fuel cell to replace
the stock gas tank. Yes, the possibility of an eventual
twin-turbo engine also piqued Gale’s interest
because he had plans to revive the twin-turbo small-block
Chevy V8 engine package as a viable product for performance
enthusiasts. Still, it was a simple, straightforward
plan. Speed was simply to work on the Camaro a day
or two each week in between his engineering research
and development projects and building his own multiple-turbo
Pro Mod Mercedes Benz. Things like coil-over
suspension, a six-inch engine setback, massive rear
wheel tubs, a full frame, complete suspension replacement,
and an extreme 1000+ HP twin-turbo engine weren’t
even daydreams at that point.
Now,
nearly five years later (and two years worth of labor
by Speed), Andrew’s automotive interests have
turned to trucks, and the Camaro has morphed into something
that can be best described as the ultimate street machine.
It has been built to be an agile handling machine that
will turn and stop better than nearly anything on the
street (or even most race tracks), and the planned
engine development includes power goals far in excess
of 1000 HP. Chassis, brake, body, and suspension work
is now complete. Mechanically, only the engine development
remains.
No,
this car will probably never be Andrew’s driver,
but it turns out there’s someone else still young
at heart in the Banks family who has always dreamed
of having the ultimate street Camaro. You can bet than
when Project Camaro rolls out of the paint shop, it’ll
be painted Gale’s favorite shade of red.
About
This 1968 Camaro Project Street Vehicle
There's
fast like a Porsche 911 or a Ferrari Testarosa, and
then there's scary fast, as in a select group of street
cars that can go over 200-mph. With 1,000+ horsepower,
the Gale Banks '68 Camaro is going to be scary
fast in the extreme.
What
makes the Banks Camaro so special is its complex blend
of extreme dynamic abilities. It will have an enormously
powerful engine, with beautifully sharp and linear
turbocharger throttle response. With its Banks 427-cubic-inch
small-block twin turbocharged punch, this street cruiser
will breath through the latest in cylinder head technology,
with highly modified aluminum Chevrolet splayed-valve
heads.
The
Camaro might be described as a Pro Touring car, but
really, it’s more than that. Few
Pro Touring cars have been modified to this extent,
and fewer still will ever have the kind of power Gale
is planning. Check out the details. You’ll see
what we mean.
The
Chassis
Jigged
Straigh
Framework
Caged
Beast
Firewall & Cowl
Tunnel
Vision
Tubs
for Gumballs
The
Body
Front
Fenders
Inner
Fenders
Hidden
Headlights
Sensational
Spoiler
Drivetrain & Suspension
Rigid
Rear
Front
Suspension
Operations & Safety
Cool
Control
Cell
Structure
Instrument
Rating
Fast
Pedaling
Breaker,
Breaker
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