From Parts Car to Muscle Machine Finalist of the Year, Michael Salser’s 1972 Camaro Rocks
Many a project begins with a rotting hulk that looks like it’s beyond saving and the owner making the tough decision to press forward anyway. For Michael Salser, the rough 1972 Camaro he found 15 years ago was ultimately worth the effort, despite a friend’s advice to save the seats and 12-bolt rearend and trash the rest.
“What fun would that have been?” Michael says.
Just how rough was the car? “To say it was bad was an understatement,” he says. “You needed a tetanus shot to walk by it.”
That’s hard to believe looking at the bright Viper Snakeskin Green beauty you see today, a car that’s equally at home on the AutoCross track or cruising down the road thanks to the work done by Michael, friends Bob Allard and Phillip Hill, and others. From top to bottom, this 1972 Camaro is heavily massaged with custom bodywork, high-performance underpinnings, and a racy interior.
The body features a carbon fiber one-piece nose, hood, deck lid and bumper. A custom front spoiler, ground effects package, and rear spoiler are obvious upgrades. The use of first-generation Camaro door handles and flush-mounted front and rear glass are more subtle upgrades.
Underneath, this 1972 Camaro benefits from a Detroit Speed front suspension and steering components, while Bob Allard at BA Customs set up the rear suspension and 4.11-geared rearend. Forgeline 18×11- and 18×12-inch GA3C wheels are wrapped in BF Goodrich Rival tires for plenty of grip.
Power for this green machine comes from a Watson Ruppel Performance 416c.i. LS that produces 600 horsepower and features FAST LSXR induction components and AFR Mongoose heads covered by Motion Raceworks valve covers. Exhaust waste feeds through Detroit Speed headers into a Spintech oval-tube exhaust system. Custom inner fenders and other custom tweaks support the performance-minded components, including a dry-sump oil tank mounted out of sight in the cowl. A Bowler T56 six-speed transmission handles gear selection.
The interior is all business, starting with Racepack gauges mounted in the stock dash and a Sparco steering wheel mounted on a tilt column. Sparco seats help keep Michael secure during hard cornering, while a full Ridetech roll cage provides added safety. A Restomod air-conditioning system keeps the driver and passenger cool. Door handles and pedals are from Clayton Machine Works and electrical components are connected by an American Autowire system.
Whether it’s competing on the AutoCross track or cruising down the highway, this 1972 Camaro is ready for whatever challenges it faces. And every time he sits behind the wheel, Michael is reminded that it was a car worth saving.
Photos by Terry Lysak
