Carnock Creations Brings a 1969 Camaro Project to the Finish Line as a Muscle Machine Finalist
Congratulations to John van der Hulle for being named a Finalist for the Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year with his 1969 Camaro built by Carnock Creations.
John van der Hulle is a patient man. He also understands that it is possible to make lemonade from lemons, though it can take a long, long time – even out of a 1969 Camaro.
Back in 2011, John had the unfortunate experience of learning that the “solid” ’69 Z28 Camaro he bought, equipped with a built 355c.i. small-block, turned out to be neither solid, nor a real Z, and the engine was not as described. Alas, he squeezed those lemons by tearing the car apart in a weekend thrash fueled by disappointment. Eventually he shipped the body off to a retired body man to handle the rust and damage repair by installing all new sheet metal.
As the body was being repaired, John started researching and buying engine parts and components, so he’d be ready for the build to commence. In 2019, the body was returned in fresh steel and John decided to hand the project over to Dave Carnock and his crew at Carnock Creations in Des Moines to take the Camaro to the next level.
As you can see, that next level was set high! An Art Morrison performance chassis provides a solid foundation for the unibody Camaro body and is equipped with double-adjustable QA1 coil-over shocks, an independent rear suspension, Wilwood disc brakes, and Forgeline 18- and 19-inch wheels wrapped in Hankook tread.
When it came to the drivetrain, John had been doing serious research resulting in an LS short block machined and prepped to 427c.i. by ERL. A billet Plazmaman intake directs the ProCharged airflow into a set of ported LSA heads, resulting in a “detuned” pump-gas-friendly 650 rear wheel horsepower! John gets to run through six gears thanks to Tremec T-56 with a Ram twin-disc clutch and an S1 Sequential shifter.
The Carnock crew set about making several subtle mods on the fresh sheet metal by working in flush mount glass, reforming the drip rails, shaving emblems, frenching in the bumpers, and adding tasteful touches of carbon fiber including the grille, front and rear spoilers, that help highlight the custom Charcoal Metallic hue. No bling, simply subdued form and function with the classic styling of a 1969 Camaro.
John wanted to carry that no-frills theme inside, as well. The Carnock team installed a Ridetech TigerCage and deleted the rear seat. A Detroit Speed dash panel was filled with Auto Meter gauges and a TMI interior and with Recaro Sport seats was installed. Behind the scenes you’ll find a Vintage Air system and a wicked-sounding Pioneer/Focal/JL audio system.
Though John’s 1969 Camaro started on a sour note, he couldn’t be happier with the outcome thanks to the expertise and shared vision with the Carnock team. Now, it’s time to start rolling that odometer!
Photos: John Jackson, Terry Lysak
