The F-Body has had a special place on the American automobile landscape since the first generation of Chevrolet Camaros and Pontiac Firebirds debuted back in 1967. This rear-wheel drive platform, partially based on the GM X platform, hasn’t been produced by General Motors since 2002, but F-Body enthusiasts still endure, and many can be found on FQuick.com.
Whether your a fan of the first generation Firebird (a truly beautiful automobile in my view) or you’re a fourth-gen Camaro (I’m not a fan unless you’re talking about the Convertible) enthusiast, you’re sure to find like minds on FQuick. The site has no shortage of groups, so you might want to check out some before deciding which ones to join. Or – if you’ve really got F-body fever – just join any and all groups that have active members. That way you’ll never be left out of the conversation.

A Sampling of F-body Groups on FQuick.com
Arizona F-body Association (AZFBA)
4thF-body.com
F-body Club
Emerald Coast Camaro Firebird
F-body’s in Wisconsin
Easternfbody
Team3rdgen.com
Third Generation USA
South Carolina F-body Association (large group)
Midwest F-body Association
F-body Inc.

Please, don’t think that this list is in any way official or comprehensive. It’s only a few examples, and you’ll surely find many more F-body groups, as well as those exclusively focused on Camaros and Firebirds on Fquick.com.

The students at Oregon State University have been very active in regards to building vehicles and participating in racing. They work very hard to build and design the models from scratch. Check out their blog to see the progress.

This year, Global Formula Racing (GFR) is registered for several races around the world:

• Formula SAE Michigan, May 12th-15th
• Formula SAE California June 16th-19th
• Formula Student (UK) July 15th-18th
• Formula Student Germany August 4th-8th
• Formula Student Austria August 11th-14th
• Formula SAE Italy September 3rd-6th

The GFR team needs as much support as possible, so if you have a kind heart and would like to donate, visit their blog for more information or contact the following people:

GFR, Oregon State University: Hillary Shoop
hillary.shoop@global-formula-racing.com

GFR, Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg: Christian Hensel
christian.hensel@global-formula-racing.com

I recently came across a blog post featuring a photo of rapper Jim Jones next to his Camaro and it made me wonder what other notable people are proud Camaro olders. I’m not really into the celebrity culture, but being that the Camaro is not quite exotic (though it did win International Design Car of the Year at this year’s NY Auto Show) I was curious as to who else is proud to be seen next to or behind the wheel of one of these muscular machines. Those of you who frequent TMZ or whatever other entertainment sites the kids are into these days may already be familiar with the following celebrity Camaro owners:

• Brad Pitt
• Lebron James
• John Cena
• Rick Flair
• Nate Clements
• Jim Jones (You can barely make out his Camaro in the 3rd photo down)

As I said, I’m not big into celebrities or stars, so I didn’t really put much time in this. But, now that I’m curious, you might see another post or two like this in the future.

I hope everybody is ready for the weekend. I figured I’d hit you off with links to a few sweet tuned Camaros I’ve either recently come across or can’t get off my mind. Hopefully at least a few of you will be hitting events between now and Sunday where you’ll get to see some custom muscle in person. I’m sure a couple of you are lucky enough to be working on your own project cars. Maybe one of you will spend the weekend playing with Legos (check the bottom link and you’ll get my drift). Enjoy the following!:

• Grunewald’s Drift Camaro SS (video)
• Tjin Edition Roadshow Camaro
• Lingenfelter Tuned Camaro SS
• 2010 Hennessey HPE700 Camaro

I Guess these might be considered sweet, but I wouldn’t exactly describe them as sweet, tuned Camaros!:

• Phoenix Trans-Am?
• Lifted 4×4 Camaro
• LEGO Camaro

Enjoy the weekend gearheads!

Attention all California fans of custom automobiles! If you’re a lover of hot rods, vintage roadsters, or classic muscle cars, you may already be aware of Assembly Bill 1740, which would eliminate a 500 “kit-car” limit on annual registrations of specialty constructed vehicles. If this is the first time you’re hearing of this proposed law change, you should question you’re status as a gearhead (just kidding, sort of). Either way, chances are that if you’re reading this post, you’d support AB 1740. This change would undoubtedly be very significant to professional builders, but would also impact weekend amateurs. Even if you’re not a resident of California, if you feel a deep connection to unique automotive beauties, and you’d rather see them in action than collecting dust, you might want to follow Goodguys’ lead and help spread the word about the bill.

Read the Goodguys article in full.

Check out this video (link below) and decide for yourself if this muscle car is on steroids or what? The author of the Examiner article discussing this Camaro, which appears to be sitting on an off-road suspension lift seemed to think it’s pretty cool.  And, it is? That doesn’t mean that there are hordes of Camaro owners eager or even willing to let someone perform this type of surgery on their baby.  I think we’d all be shocked to see a vintage or a 2010 Z28 sitting on monster truck wheels. The question is who’d be more appalled, muscle car enthusiasts or hard-core off-roaders. My guess is the former.

‘Lifted Camaro’ article and video.

A 2010 Camaro SS will be competing in Formula Drift this season. It was displayed not too long ago at the 2009 SEMA show.  Built by Luke Loneberger,  it will be driven by its owner, Conrad Grunwald. Last year Grunwald was scene in Formula D driving a Corvette, so he should be comfortable competing in this custom Chevy.

If you want to get yourself in the mood for this type of acton I highly reccomend you check out this great formula D video produced by Josh Heron. If you haven’t seen it and you’re anything like me, this could really make your day.

In the wake of the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded since a 7.0 earthquake devastated the nation of Haiti on the evening of January 12th, individuals and organizations around the world have stepped up to help the people of Haiti cope with this disaster. Many businesses are included in the list of those contributing, and members of the auto industry are among them. A notable example of this comes from Chevrolet, who raised $250,000 in relief money from the auction of a limited edition Corvette Z06.

Take a look at the Corvette Z06 that brought in $250,000 in relief funds for Haiti’s earthquake victims

The following is a list of some of the Automotive Industry’s earthquake relief efforts, listed by company:

GM – Chevrolet will be collecting monetary donations of all denominations at the Washington, DC Auto Show, as well as at the Philadelphia and Chicago shows. The funds will be donated to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development fund and will be added to $350,000 resulting from GM contributions and the auction of the aforementioned Corvette.

Chrysler – Chrysler brought a Chrysler 300c to the Golden Globe Awards, where it was signed by several hundred celebrities. Dubbed the “300C Haiti”, the car, after being shown at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, will next be showcased at the Washington, DC Auto Show before being auctioned to contribute to the American Red Cross Haitian relief fund. Chrysler has also provided both Oxfam and the US fund for UNICEF with $50,000 and dealerships in Puerto Rico are collecting tangible good to be shipped to Haiti.

Toyota -  Toyota Motors North America has pledged to Donate Haitian relief funds totalling $500,000, to be divided equally among the American Red Cross, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders. The company has also pledged to match contributions to the organizations made by its team members and associates. These efforts are separate from those of independent Toyota distributors operating in the Southeastern and Gulf coast states.

Fiat – The Fiat group, in collaboration with the Fondazione Francesca Rava, is providing $1,000,000 worth of technical and financial support. Included in this are construction machinery, ambulances, automobiles and technical personnel.

Click for more about the auto industry’s Haitian earthquake relief efforts

Announced at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, SMS Supercars has added a Camaro to its roster that already includes Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers. Before I continue, I want to make sure we’re clear that when I say SMS I mean the SMS that stands for it’s founder, Steve Mark Saleen, who also serves as the namesake for another brand with which he has no affiliation. Mr. Saleen has been a superstar in the world of supercars since he began tuning professionally in 1983, and his reputation for excellence has been solid since.

Saleen’s (the man, not the company eluded to above) reputation should be cemented further with the SMS 620 Camaro. The 620’s engine is alleged to give 575 hp. If this is a little weak for your tastes, you can get 715 horses if you make the leap to the 620X version. I guess the 620X could be classified as a superdupercar.  You can get yourself either version in mid-2010. And, if you can’t buy one, hopefully you’ll get the pleasure of feeling the breeze of one of these babies blowing by on a highway near you.

Back in the 1960s, Don Yenko was the man responsible for a slew of go-fast GM cars—nearly everything from the Corvair to the Camaro got extra power and improved handling thanks to the GM Central Office Production Order (COPO) strategy that helped Yenko turn those specially ordered cars into street legends. Five decades on, General Marketing Capital Incorporated (GMCI) has purchased the licensing rights to the Yenko name and intends to resurrect the Yenko Super Car with a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS upgraded and restyled to recall those historic icons.

The Phase I concept is powered by a supercharged and intercooled V-8 making 600 hp, backed up by a Magnaflow exhaust system, Tremec six-speed transmission with Hurst short-throw shifter, and a burly six-piston brake setup. The prototype is on display at this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas, but we’ll have to wait and see if GMCI can actually produce a car worthy of the historic Yenko name.