There are only a finite number of 1968 Camaros, in coupe or convertible form, left on the planet. Owning one generally requires careful stewardship, to preserve the car for future generations. If you want to keep it original, that means there’s very little you can do to improve the car or make it safer.
If that’s the purist school of thought, there’s also the pro-touring school of thought, which says, “the old cars were the coolest, so why not do everything you can to improve performance and handling?” Enter Bob Hall, the owner of what may well be the coolest 1968 Camaro convertible on planet earth.
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First, that’s no stock 327 V-8 beneath the hood. Instead, Hall’s ride uses an LSA V-8 pulled from a wrecked Cadillac CTS-V. Thanks to an overdrive pulley on the stock supercharger and a custom tune, the car makes some 800 horsepower at the crank, which translates to 648 horsepower at the rear wheels. The suspension and brakes have been updated to handle the additional power, and Hall regularly drives the car in autocross competition.
Inside is a very tasteful blend of old (the original gauges) and new (carbon fiber center console, Recaro seats). In fact, part of Hall’s intent was to not make any changes that couldn’t be undone, essentially preserving the car for future generations. That may change in the future, though, as Hall is looking for a way to get more tire underneath the car.
Congrats to Bob Hall for building such a masterpiece, and congrats to Mike Musto for finding the rhythm with Big Muscle. Here’s to more of the same in the coming weeks.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
