Written by Dave Pankew | Photos by John Jackson
Many people thought that when the Camaro and Firebird bounced last time, they were gone forever. The economy was on a downtick and gas prices were headed north, which meant any excessive power wasn’t needed. Consumers were after style and economy neither of which the F body had. After the huge outcry from Camaro fans who said they would buy one if it were brought back, GM execs got to work.
With all the hype surrounding the new Camaro, we knew it was the perfect car to build and grab a lot of attention” said Chris at Boulevard Customs
“With all the hype surrounding the new Camaro, we knew it was the perfect car to build and grab a lot of attention” said Chris at Boulevard Customs “The system was built because Phoenix Gold asked us to build a demo car for their latest product line.”
Boulevard has, of course, turned out some amazing custom vehicles in the past. Their roster includes a 300C HEMI Convertible, Saleen 281 Extreme Mustang, Bentley Continental GT convertible, Audi A5 S-line and the Mercedes GLK Custom Roadster which bagged an award from Benz. This project was a little different, however, due to the fact that no modifications were made to the 6.2L mill lurking under the hood and only color-matching was done to the body. The dual red RS stripes were removed and replaced with a single black stripe and the emblems were all hit with gloss black.
The headlights and taillights were smoked and even the exhaust tips were blacked out with some high heat paint. Also, the roof antenna and lower rear valence were smoothed out and painted white to match the body.
The look of the RS definitely gets a boost with larger wheels. The crew at Boulevard got creative and were able to cram some 24-inch rollers under the Camaro. The wheels are GFG Sicily alloys measuring 24x9 up front and 24x10-inch in the rear. These massive alloys were wrapped with Toyo Proxes4 tires 255/30R24 up front with a healthy 275/25R24 in the back. The correct stance was achieved with Eibach 1-inch drop springs, and the guys informed us there is no rubbing anywhere.
It was time to dig into the audio and multimedia setup that would define this project. Up front is the stout factory headunit, but the balance is all Phoenix Gold and AAMP gear. The entire trunk was torn up and covered with Stinger Roadkill dampening mat and JL’s Auto Interiors in St. Petersburg did the custom wrap in the trunk and on the lid. The Stinger SPP1700 battery was sunk into the spare tire well and linked up with Stinger HPM power and ground along with HPM fuse blocks.
The basslines are driven by a single Phoenix Gold Ti1500.1 flanking the battery area. The amplified signals head to a pair of Phoenix Gold R2.12D 12-inch subs in a sealed enclosure behind Plexiglas capped off by an ‘SS’ logo.
The mids and highs are handled by the Phoenix Gold Ti600.4 amplifier lighting up a pair of Phoenix Gold Ti65C components in the front and rear of the vehicle. Although the sound quality of the build is stunning, it has yet to enter competition, but should be competitive when it does.
Boulevard was given the vehicle to build right before Spring Break Nationals 2010. And when we say right before, we mean one week, so the crew pretty much lived at the shop for days. But they all pitched in with Chris Bradley designing the concept, Danny Camacho handling the suspension, David Ridenour fitting the correct wheels and taking care of all of the sound deadening and component speakers, and finally Spike Keeser doing all the fine work in the trunk. The results speak for themselves and we can only imagine what they would have built given more than one week.
ESSENTIALS
Owner: Boulevard Customs
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Vehicle: 2010 Camaro RS 2SS
Engine: Chevrolet 6.2L LSX V8
WHEELS & TIRES
GFG Sicily; 24x9-inch (f), 24x10-inch (r)
Toyo Proxes4 tires; 255/30R24 (f), 275/25R24 (r)
SUSPENSION
Eibach Pro Kit 1-inch drop springs
EXTERIOR
Tackley’s Autobody
Flat black emblems
Smoked headlights and taillights
INTERIOR
JL’s Auto Interiors
Custom vinyl wrap in trunk lid
SS Emblems
Tackley’s Autobody
Silver trim and red panels in trunk.
AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
Stinger Roadkill
Stinger SPP1700 battery
Stinger HPM power and ground
Stinger HPM fuse blocks
Phoenix Gold Ti1500.1 mono amplifier
Phoenix Gold R2.12D 12-inch subwoofers
Sealed enclosure w/ Plexiglas
Phoenix Gold Ti600.4 amplifier
Phoenix Gold Ti65C components