When you’re used to rebuilding piles of rust from the ground up, restoring a car that doesn’t need major repairs is a walk in the park. For Rodger Lee of Ironworks Speed and Kustom, that’s what happened with the ‘68 Camaro you see here.
Greg Heinrich brought him this car, much as you see it here. Faded paint with surface rust – patina. The car was bone stock. But Greg didn’t want to make it perfect, he wanted it to stay patina. He wanted a car that could be a daily driver, parked wherever, and never have to worry about scratching the paint.
Ironworks Takes the Wheel
Rodger, known for his craftsmanship at Ironworks Speed and Kustom, took charge of the 7-month build. The vision was clear – a car that wouldn’t demand an appointment to drive but would seamlessly become a part of everyday life. He wanted to infuse the Camaro with a spirit that transcended the ordinary.
Rodger started by removing the only rust on the car; the floor pans. With a new floor pan installed, the body was already done! Next in line were the suspension and drivetrain, where the Ironworks team worked their magic. Speedtech Performance Extreme subframe in the front, Torque arm rear suspension in the back, Fox coilovers, and Hyperco springs – each component carefully chosen for their performance, reliability, and comfort.
Powering the Crusty Camaro is a 430 HP LS3 engine with Ultimate Headers, providing plenty of reliable power for Crusty. Sitting behind the LS3 is a Bowler blue-printed T56 transmission which sends power to the Gear FX 9″ rear end.
Putting all the power to the ground are Michelin 295/35/19’s at all four corners so Greg can rotate the tires like a true daily driver. The tires wrap around a set of Forgeline wheels, which cover up the 13” Wilwood brakes at each corner.
On the inside, Greg wanted to keep things even more simple. The interior was restored to stock at first. After sliding off the stock seats a few times he had Rodger upgrade the seats to a set of Recaro seats with houndstooth inserts to keep him firmly planted while a set of Dakota Digital gauges provides accurate readouts.
A Journey of Reliability
The Crusty Camaro became a testament to Ironworks’ commitment to reliability. This wasn’t just a car; it was a communal vehicle, loaned out to friends and even served as a student driver car. A true road warrior, it covered 8,000 miles and conquered three Goodguys Road Tours, solidifying its status as the hop-in-and-go car that Greg wanted.
