In 1975, a significant year for the Camaro, the model had to sever its ties with the era of muscle cars. Although technically not a true muscle car, the Z/28 package allowed the Camaro to enter the realm of tire-smoking idolatry.
One particular car from that year, located in Finland, stands out and does justice to the Z28 name. In a country known for its icy winters and love for fast cars, a 1975 Camaro 454 V8 with a six-speed and dual duallies proves to be the ideal drifting machine.
The owner, Pekka Palmgren, is a passionate car enthusiast who enjoys pushing the limits on any surface, regardless of the conditions. The Camaro is equipped with different sets of tires for every event and season, including studded ice rubbers for the current winter season.
Palmgren’s yellow ’75 Camaro has been discreetly modified to enhance its performance. It’s worth noting that in 1975, no Camaros came with the iconic 454-cubic-inch V8 engine. However, Palmgren’s creativity and resourcefulness led him to transplant a big-block engine from a 1991 Suburban and rebuild it from scratch.
The engine features various performance parts, including a four-bolt-main gen 6 block, an Eagle cast steel crankshaft, Speed Pro forged dome pistons, and ported heads. It is topped with an Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap intake and a Holley 850 double-pumper carburetor, along with a hydraulic flat tappet camshaft. This powerful engine produces 404 horsepower and over 443 lb-ft of torque, which is transferred to all four wheels via a six-speed Tremec manual gearbox.
Overall, this unique and meticulously modified 1975 Camaro showcases the passion and ingenuity of its owner, Pekka Palmgren, as he continues to enjoy his beloved car in all its glory.
This is where things start to get interesting: when the Camaro hits the ice, it transforms into a dually, with two wheels on each end of the axle. It’s quite ironic that the engine requirement for duallies was established back in 1991, making this combination seem like a match made in heaven. However, in Finland, what may seem out of this world to others is just another ordinary day for the cool Scandinavians.
The front of this Camaro is where its beauty (or monstrosity) lies. The owner has modified the suspension for drifting, relocating the control stock arms to achieve higher camber and caster angles. To add to the chaos, the front also boasts dual wheels.
It’s important to note that this setup is only suitable for ice drifting. The car is equipped with studded skinny tires for improved grip and extended tire protection. The wheels themselves are custom-made, created by bolting two regular narrow wheels together. The gearhead behind this creation cut out the center of the outer rim and attached it to the internal one.
Given the purpose of the car, the interior is as basic as it gets. However, it is within these minimal confines that we discover the secret behind the Finns’ mastery of motoring: it’s in their blood. The gearhead proudly reveals that the child seat placed between the two race bucket seats is for one of his daughters. It seems the other daughter has no choice but to ride shotgun. One can only imagine the educational opportunities a deserted dirt road presents to a Finnish father, and I wholeheartedly support it.
Moving on to the second most striking feature of this unconventional Camaro, we have the “small” rear wing, as described by the owner. It sits at a height comparable to the legendary NASCAR cars of the 70s, such as the Charger Daytona and the Road Runner Superbird.
Both the front and rear suspensions have undergone extensive modifications to handle the immense forces exerted on the car’s body when sliding sideways at full throttle on a frozen lake. To achieve this goal, any unnecessary weight was stripped away. The bumpers are gone, the interior is bare metal with only the essential seats, and the trunks house the battery and a fire extinguisher.
If you’re curious, the Finn occasionally takes this devilish Camaro to the dragstrip. However, its first quarter-mile run wasn’t particularly impressive due to excessive tire-spinning. In August 2016, this Camaro from hell completed the quarter-mile in 13.93 seconds at a speed of 107.5 mph (173 kph), with a sixty-foot time of 2.63 seconds, and the rear wheels constantly struggling for traction until third gear.
According to the Source autoevolution.com