Rene Gagner's engine design
1969 Berger Camaro
Ford had the Cobra Jet's, Chrysler had their S/S Cuda's & Darts and Chevrolet had their COPO program. These were all drag strip terrors, the public ate it up and rushed to their local dealer just to get a look at these monsters. Dealers themselves started building their own versions like this Camaro here.
Campaigned in NHRA competition by Dick Arons and Gordy Foust for Berger Chevrolet in 1969. It featured the factory L78 396 with 375 HP. backed up with a 4-speed transmission and heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end. Later the car was equipped with an L72 427 CI V-8 for use in Super/Stock competition.
This Camaro was the SS/E class winner at the 1969 NHRA Spring Nationals in Dallas, it was also raced at the Super Stock Nationals in York Pennsylvania and at the"Big Go" U.S. Nationals.
The Odometer only reads 210 miles as it was only used as a drag car its entire life and the mileage was put on a quarter mile at a time and was never tagged for the street. In 2003 it went through a full restoration to as-raced specs.
The 427 CI engine was built by Dick Arons to L72 specs at the time of restoration, it features 12.5:1 compression with Iron GM cylinder heads that were ported, fuel is mixed by a single Holley 850 cfm. carburetor. The valves are bumped by a Crane camshaft.
Gordy Foust and Dick Arons checking out the car at Arons shop after the restoration. Dick built the 427 engine.
The big-block exhales through Original Hooker Super Comp headers were re-coated in Black.
Backing up the 427 is an M21 4-speed manual transmission controlled by a Hurst Competition Plus shifter sending the horse power down to the 12-bolt rear end with 4.10 gears equipped with a Posi-traction differential.
The interior features minimum gauges but has a Sun Super Tach. mounted to the column & Stewart Warner auxiliary gauges mounted under the dash.
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