1974 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 | PH Readers' Cars
If ever there were a car worth more than the sum of its parts, it's this Z28
To most of us, this looks like any old Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that’s been given a murdered-out makeover. Yet behind its menacing looks is not only a stunning build that strikes the perfect balance between performance and style, but also a story that shows just how a strong car community can be truly life-changing.
After parting ways with his Mazda RX-7 following a serious accident, Graham (better known as Rogue86 in the forums) decided a change was in order. Despite a love of JDM machinery, a V8 muscle car proved to be an itch that needed scratching. Having scouted a 1974 Z28 with a 350 small block, Graham pulled the trigger and got to work on ironing out some of the gremlins. Reliability and safety took priority over outright performance, though a new exhaust system delivers a truly apocalyptic noise. (All from a small block!)
It's the communal side of the Camaro that leaves a lasting impression, though. Graham visited Ravenworks, a workshop run by a group of mates who all share an interest in American muscle, about a year ago to get their views on the Camaro. Since then, a dedicated community has formed, which sees V8 monsters, JDM drift machines and even the odd truck descend upon Ravenworks’ workshop every night – with Graham and his Z28 serving as the catalyst.
Read Graham's Readers' Cars thread in full here.
Shame a lot of the pictures on the build thread don't work though.
t / PR then they (the reviews) would be so much better.t / PR then they (the reviews) would be so much better.t, they just want to see the car and know how fast it goes - hence why people like shmee150 are so popular.I've been in the business for 10 years (though thankfully not on the new car launch merry-go-round), and the reality for most journos is that jobs are extremely hard to come by, and are often pretty badly paid. A lot of freelance automotive hacks are having to do other things to make ends meet; be it PR work, or even delivering groceries. It can look very glamorous on the outside, but it's a hard slog for a lot of people.
It's different if you're part of the inner circle of course. Some (but not all) of the guys at the big titles do ok, but but a lot of the work is just handed out between themselves, which is why it's the same handful of people producing most of the content for the big mags. Good for them of course and, given the state of the industry, I don't blame them one bit, but it's not doing much for the long-term prospects of the motoring media in reality.
Also a reminder why car forums are so important. I know I couldn’t have resolved most the problems I’ve had over the years without the collective knowledge on these sites.
Enjoy your very cool car Sir!
Huge thanks to PH for giving me the platform to share the story too. It's not something I'd ever considered doing before now, but maybe I would think about doing more videos - the lads each have their own back story about how they came to find the group that are more interesting than mine.
With regards some of the images on the build thread not working, that's my fault so apologies; I used an image host in the early days that no longer exists. I do still have the photos on my phone if there is anything specific you would like me to re-upload.
Thanks again.
Huge thanks to PH for giving me the platform to share the story too. It's not something I'd ever considered doing before now, but maybe I would think about doing more videos - the lads each have their own back story about how they came to find the group that are more interesting than mine.
With regards some of the images on the build thread not working, that's my fault so apologies; I used an image host in the early days that no longer exists. I do still have the photos on my phone if there is anything specific you would like me to re-upload.
Thanks again.
Hats off to you..!! Great story 
I can really get the muscle car thing too. Sure, we'd all love a dark Highland green Bullit 'stang, but there's such a rich seam to mine, just a little off that mainstream.
I can't believe how comparatively unloved the Camaro is, given it even had a song written (by the Ramones) to celebrate it and has pedigree in racing.
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