Nic Ashby's calling card as an automotive tuner is his ability to turn around a project car, start to finish, in about 30 days. Chalk it up to his military background and the efficiency and planning he utilizes as a superintendent for a construction firm in his native California. Ashby's tuning business, LDRSHIP Designs, was tapped by General Motors to modify one of eight 2010 Camaros to be displayed at the 2009 SEMA show. With only 45 days to work on it before the premier automotive aftermarket show on the planet, Ashby turned out a car that won three major awards, including two from GM (Most Innovative and Best Parts and Accessories) and the Best Domestic award from Sony's Gran Turismo video game.
Starting with a six-speed, LS3-equipped SS, Ashby looked to employ the National Guard's "At This Moment" marketing campaign in his build. The final, supercharged car rolled onto the show floor in Las Vegas resplendent in glossy-black paint and carbon-fiber body panels, with a full-custom leather interior adorned with tributes to the mission of the National Guard. Ashby, who is a Guard member himself, is responsible for earlier Guard-themed builds, including a widely shown Infiniti G35 with a "Fallen Heroes" paint treatment that drew the Guard's attention initially. This led to further National Guard-sponsored projects. Ashby was among about 80 tuning companies that submitted proposals to GM for Camaros to modify for SEMA.
"I was very lucky to get the car," Ashby says. "A lot of great companies applied and didn't get cars."
Ashby sourced components from suppliers all over the world, demonstrating the diversity of the military and its ability to change and evolve with the times. A hand-airbrushed, marbleized blue stripe carries the National Guard logo along each side of the car, adding a splash of color to an otherwise blacked-out exterior. Inside the car, the seven Army Values-Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage-are on display, as these words are cleverly incorporated into an attractive graphic treatment on the door panels and other interior surfaces. The most elaborate Guard tribute decorates the backs of the carbon-Kevlar driver and passenger seats. On the driver side, Airhead Kustoms airbrushed the image of a Guard soldier in full scuba tactical gear performing a beach assault to represent the Guard's mission of protecting the United States. The passenger side reflects the Guard's domestic role with the image of a female soldier rescuing a girl after Hurricane Katrina.
Airhead Kustoms, located in Corona, California, played a critical role in the creation of the car, essentially serving as the home shop for the build. They handled the paint and interior portions of the build, stitching together six full hides while covering practically the entire cabin in leather. Well-known import carbon-fiber purveyor Seibon produced a hood, fenders, trunk and spoiler, front lip, rear valance, and side skirts for the car, using it as a testbed for prototype parts that use OEM attachment points. In addition, Seibon provided the carbon-fiber seats for the interior. These were torn down to the shells by Airhead and then built up again, covered in leather, and stitched with thread that matches the stock Camaro SS trim exactly.
"We went through 12 sets of thread until the stitching and embroidered SS matched the stock seats exactly," Ashby says. "It looks like we took a stock Camaro SS seat, gutted it, and set it into the shell."