Some young folks spend their summers mowing lawns. Cavan Cameron decided to build a race car. And that makes sense, given his father’s background in IndyCar. However, what you might not expect is a monster Pontiac Firebird with 1,300 horsepower.
Cameron’s creation is featured in a new video from AutotopiaLA, which takes a deep dive into the build and the inspiration behind it.
The story behind the car starts with Cavan’s father, Russel Cameron, whose background includes a career in IndyCar with Patrick Racing, later going on to become a team owner. Cavan, inspired by his father’s career, is currently studying Motorsports Engineering at Purdue University Indianapolis.
The project began with a 1973 Pontiac Firebird drag car, which was severely rusted. Cavan retained only the roof and some metal parts, while the rest of the car was built from scratch. Cavan’s high school internship helped kick-start the build, getting a little help from professionals for specialized tasks such as wiring and gearbox rebuilding.
The car features a tube chassis, custom carbon parts, and a double wishbone suspension with pushrod components. The engine is a 400 cubic-inch LME (Late Model Engines) built to rev up to 9,000 rpm, paired with twin Garrett G35 900 turbos, producing 1,300 horsepower at the wheels with 1,100 pound-feet of torque (although 2,000 horsepower is within reach). The engine was moved back 28 inches for better weight distribution, aiming for 53 percent of the weight at the rear.
The builders worked with an artist for 3D renderings of the exterior and used steel rods and paper to create the car’s shape. The Firebird’s wheelbase was extended by 3 inches to enhance stability at high speeds. The car has also undergone extensive aerodynamic adjustments, with front and rear downforce modifications resulting in approximately 4,500 pounds of downforce, similar to an IndyCar from the late ’90s.
The interior includes an advanced, custom-designed steering wheel with various controls and a Motec electronic system for real-time monitoring of the car’s performance. Further highlights include a paddle-shifted sequential transaxle from Xtrac and a Radium Engineering fuel system.
All in all, this Pontiac Firebird race car is absolutely insane, so check out the full feature video, plus some runs on an airstrip, by hitting play right here:
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Pontiac Firebird news, Pontiac news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
father and son.. lol come on stop gaslighting. he owns a literal company that does this exact sort of thing. he builds these for a living.
UGHHHHHGLY, I had a 1970 Formula 400, and the lines were a thing of beauty!This thing is an abomination!