1971 Chevrolet Camaro Powered by a ZZ502 Big-Block

Internet Score: Right place, right time eBay find brings home this second-gen Camaro

Most individuals have heard the phrase “right place, right time” used to describe that moment when something really good happens. Sometimes things occur and their impact isn’t realized until much later. The 1971 Camaro seen here is the result of a “right place, right time” situation for Marylanders, Don and Karen Moretz. Over the years, both had invested a fair amount of time trying to find the right project car, but always came up short in their quest. As Don explains, “Since we live on the East Coast, everything we saw had rust issues.” At some point, they stumbled across a fully documented 1965 Nova Sport Coupe that was in pristine condition with only 16,900 miles on the clock. Powered by a 194-cubic-inch inline-six, the diminutive Chevy II didn’t exactly scream performance. It was, however, the ideal foundation for a killer street rod. They took the plunge and bought it, but as time passed, an issue of conscience arose. That much originality created a real dilemma for Don. He points out, “It was so original that I couldn’t bring myself to make any changes to it.” While they inherited a really nice cruiser, it didn’t get them any closer to fulfilling their goal.

Unrelated with anything to do with cars, Don and Karen are also die-hard football aficionados. “As avid Baltimore Ravens fans, we were looking for season tickets,” Don states. “Karen was looking on eBay and saw someone offering to sell their PSL (Public Seat License) for four seats at the M&T Stadium.” In Maryland, you need to have a PSL before you can buy season tickets. The opening bid was $1,995 for four PSL licenses, so for seven days they tracked the auction. Near the end of the auction they were surprised that no one had bid, so she placed a bid for the opening amount, which proved to be a winner. This was a “right place, right time” moment, but you might be asking, what does this have to do with a Camaro? Please read on.

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By the fall of 2006, the Ravens were a team on the upswing, so Don decided to test the waters. “They were doing really well and I thought that it might be a good time to see if there was any interest for someone to bid ridiculous money if they (the PSLs) were offered up,” he says. EBay was the best means to sell all four PSLs. The starting bid was a hefty $14,500, and within 15 minutes of posting it—to his surprise—someone had placed a bid. He recalls, “that was only the first day of the auction, and I had posted them for seven days, so we watched the bids slowly creep up each day.” In the end, someone had dropped over $20,000 for all four licenses. Are you beginning to see where this is going?

With a nice pile of newfound cash in hand, it was time to resume the search for a suitable car. Don was a fan of second-gen Camaros, so that was what they focused on. As was the issue before, most of the cars they looked at were described as being in “excellent shape,” which was open for broad interpretation. EBay was again the place that got the job done. Don found this particular 1971 in Georgia, but was apprehensive about bidding for fear of buying a cleverly disguised rust bucket. While the auction was still live, he asked for more photos and information, and also hopped on a plane to see the car in person. It was everything that was claimed in the auction, and he was the eventual high bidder. The money from the PSL sale just about paid for the purchase of the ’71.

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The Camaro was perfect for what they were planning. While it was a real 396 big-block SS, which outwardly appeared bone stock, tucked in between the fenders was a fresh Chevrolet Performance ZZ502 crate engine, so the originality hurdle wasn’t an issue. It didn’t take long after bringing the car home that the parts swap began, and as is the case when adding aftermarket parts, having the right reference material is half the battle. For that, Don relied heavily on the content and advertisers in Super Chevy and Camaro Performers magazines.

The first change on his list was to give the ’71 the right stance and an improvement in ride quality. Don points out, “I wanted the car to have the look of an off-the-line Super Sport, but with all the tech changes to improve on how the suspension was originally designed.” Since it was rolling on factory Rally wheels, those were the first to go. In their place he installed a set of Billet Specialties Vintec 17x7 wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR 235/45ZR17 tires at the front and Billet Specialties Vintec 17x8 wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 Extreme ZR 255/45ZR17 tires at the rear. The new wheels lowered the car, however, it still wasn’t low enough. That feat was accomplished with the installation of adjustable QA1 coilovers at the front and Hotchkis lowering springs at the rear. Stopping was also enhanced with a set of SSBC Big Bite cross-drilled and slotted rotors and SSBC calipers. The end result was a 2-inch drop in ride height and enhanced ride quality.

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Under the hood, aside from the ZZ502 mill, the rest of the hardware had that factory fresh appearance. While the plan was to leave the engine unmolested internally, it did need to be dressed up. Crowned with a replacement Edelbrock Performer manifold and Performer 750 carburetor, the only thing that he did was massage them visually. Also added was a K&N air cleaner assembly and Billet Specialties Profile polished aluminum valve covers. The engine compartment received additional billet pieces, like the alternator, A/C unit, and a set of Fesler billet hood hinges that he found under the Christmas tree. There was plenty of bling being added to the engine compartment, but he says, “As good as the engine area was beginning to look, I was tormented by the shape of the inner fenders.” A friend suggested that carbon-fiber replacements would look great. The problem was that no one was offering them for second-gen Camaros. As luck would have it, he stumbled across a post in a forum announcing the impending availability of said pieces from Anvil Auto. “I placed an order and Santa came in a big brown truck on Christmas Eve,” he exclaims. Other carbon-fiber items from Anvil Auto added were fender supports and a closeout panel for the top of the Be Cool aluminum radiator.

The ZZ502 is backed by a TCI 700-R4 transmission that delivers power to the stock GM posi rear. Don upgraded the exhaust to give the Camaro a throatier sound. He added a set of ceramic-coated Hooker Competition headers that dump into a set of 3-inch Flowmaster Super 10 Series stainless steel mufflers. For even louder tunes, he added QTP electric cutouts.

The paint that came on the car was impeccable by most standards. However, knowing what was under that paint was equally important to Don so he had the car repainted with the same black and white stripe combination. Keith Edwards at K&K Customs in Aberdeen, Maryland, performed that task. He laid down the slick PPG Deltron basecoat/clearcoat bath, giving the ’71 a fresh, wet look to go with all the added billet items.

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Much like the rest of the car, the interior was in equally nice shape, but rather stock looking. While not wanting to deviate much from that factory appearance, he does point out, “The interior was in good shape, but with all the improvements made to the exterior and engine bay, I felt that a refresh was necessary.” Those changes included the installation of new carpet, along with a healthy dose of Dynamat to keep things quiet and cool. The seats were also reupholstered, and as was the case under the hood, a few billet items like window cranks, striker bolts, and vents were installed.

For all their work, Don and Karen have had a ton of fun putting this car together. They show the car at many local and national events, yet their most prized wins have been at the Super Chevy Show in Petersburg, Virginia. The Camaro has been recognized as a class winner two years in a row. By his own admission, it has been expensive to put the ’71 together, yet being in the right place at the right time and finding a pile of unexpected cash has certainly made the sting less painful.