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.

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.

In its most recent encounter with a Corvette—July 2006—the Mustang didn’t fare well against Chevy’s Corvette. Road-course lap times favored the Vette, and even on something as uncomplicated as a drag strip, the big-horsepower Mustang didn’t cover itself with low-ET glory.So at a glance, this may look like another mismatch. On the other hand, Chevy’s new Camaro inventory has nothing that measures up to this latest Carroll Shelby–anointed Mustang, in either price ($50,895 as tested) or power.

Photo Credit: CarandDriver.com

Ford forecasts runs to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. But even though it enjoys a power-to-weight advantage versus the Vette, in four tests with four different GT500s the best we’ve achieved is with this example: 4.5 to 60 and the quarter in 12.7 at 115 mph.There’s certainly no shortage of thrust. The GT500’s supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter V-8 delivers potent midrange response and sounds terrific. But all that power makes it tough to keep launches from going up in smoke.

Photo Credit: CarandDriver.com

Away from the track, the Mustang is more likable. We gave it a small edge in ride quality (though this is like the difference between flint and granite—both are hard). The quality of the paint, assembly, and interior materials is consistent with the big price tag—not a squeak or a rattle with 6400 miles on the odo—and if the seats aren’t as supportive as those in the Vette, they look snappy with their red-and-black color scheme. We gave a clarity advantage to the GT500’s nav system, and, of course, the Mustang has a back seat—extra points for that. We’d like the front buckets better if the seatbacks were power adjustable, and we’d like the Alcantara-clad steering wheel better if it adjusted for reach as well as rake—not an unreasonable expectation in a $50K car.

Still, no one was surprised that the Corvette took the trophy again. In part, this is due to the difference between a sporty car and a true sports car. But it’s also due to the Ford’s archaic rear suspension. The SVT troops have done a remarkable job of keeping it viable, but it’s like prepping for a hundred-meter sprint by connecting your ankles with a three-foot tether. Adding power can’t completely fix it.

Credit: CarandDriver.com

We all know that we can buy cars off eBay. However, GM is running an innovative program that allows buyers to purchase new GM vehicles all from one place via an eBay sub-site. This may raise awareness while making it more convenient for buyers with almost 20,000 vehicles from 225 California dealerships being offered. Available models include 2008, 2009, and 2010 Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, and Pontiac vehicles. The site allows customers to easily purchase a new vehicle using the “Buy It Now” function if they agree to the dealership’s price, or even haggle for better price. This interesting trial program ends September 8, so be sure to check it out here.