2002 Chevy Camaro SS- SSurvival

"Some people got hopes and dreams; some people got ways and means." Twice restoring a 2002 Camaro SS would put Eric Kreskowski in the latter group. After a garage fire claimed the life of his 1993 Z28, Eric took on the long process of restoring the wrecked '02 SS to test his newly acquired skills as an auto body technician. Little did he know how intensive this project would become, and that he would eventually replace virtually every body panel on the entire car.

Eric spotted the SS online with a Florida rebuildable title, though it was currently taking up space in Tennessee. A hard front impact had destroyed both frame rails, which prompted him to later replace the entire front clip. The dashboard was also replaced as the impact had caused the airbags to deploy. The meticulous reconstruction would be for naught, though, as merely weeks after its completion, a deer ran out in front of him, as is known to happen near his Eastern Long Island residence, and the SS would have to be brought back to Corwith Autobody (where he works). Eric could also draw upon the knowledge of owner Cliff Corwith, who has many Camaro restorations under his belt including his '98 ChromaLusion SS (featured in June '05).

On the second time around, Eric would be replacing the driver side door, quarter-panel, rear frame rail, rear bumper, hatch, spoiler, and roof panel. This left only the rockers, right side door and right side quarter-panel as the sole original components. The entire car was painted with three coats of Spies-Hecker single stage Blue Black, then methodically wet sanded before adding pearl blue ghost stripes. After three layers of clear coat, reassembly and polishing, the SS was once again ready to face the world--and now, the discriminating eyes of GMHTP readers.

With quite a few high-powered EFI GMs passing through the gates at Corwith's, many long, smoky burnouts have been executed in its parking lot--Eric's blown LS1 included. The SS is well suited to boiling the hides with the amount of power it currently deploys to the rear tires. Reconstructing the front end was the perfect opportunity to take the LS1 over to Poremba Performance Plus to hone the cylinders and add Federal Mogul bearings, ARP hardware, Diamond Racing forged pistons, and Total Seal gapless rings to the otherwise stock bottom end. When combined with a set of Thunder Racing/GTP Stage II ported heads with 2.02 intake and 1.57 exhaust valves, the invigorated powerplant now boasts a more boost-friendly 9.6 to 1 compression ratio. Crane 1.25-inch dual valvesprings were needed to handle a Thunder Racing 223/226 duration, .559/.567-inch lift forced induction cam.

The un-natural aspiration of choice for Eric's SS is a Procharger D-1SC. When combined with the 8-rib pulley upgrade and twin high-flow intercoolers, 10 psi of boost helps take the stock connecting rods up to the breaking point. A larger cube motor with more forged internals may be in the works after he puts the SS through its paces at the track this spring. Sadly, the wreck prevented him from partaking in last year's race season, which is still a sore subject for the performance junky. Thankfully he is not the sort of person to let these things get him down for very long, as it doesn't take more than the opening of his QTP electric cutouts to put the smile back on his face. The unmuffled growl of the Thunder cam is also amplified by a set of SLP 1.75-inch tuned length headers and a custom Y-pipe with high flow cats. When trying to stay a little more low key, the switch is flipped and a 3-inch Flowmaster American Thunder catback muffles the LS1.

The stock computer and driveline are maintained in the six-speed SS. The computer has been tickled by The Vette Doctors in Amityville, N.Y., and the T56 has a shortened Pro 5.0 shifter to do the rowing. A McLeod twin disc clutch was also required to withstand the massive torque the stock stroke LS1 is now capable of. The stock 10-bolt and 3.42s are still going strong, but Eric says he plans to replace them with a Moser 12-bolt and 3.73s. So far SLP subframe connectors, Panhard bar, torque arm, and lower control arms are all that is used to keep short times in check. However, handling seems to be more of the focus as he also installed Eibach lowering springs and BMR front and rear sway bars, which he says "keeps the car stuck to the road like glue, but on a hole shot, it gets loose in a flash." A balanced weight bias also helps the SS take the corners like Michael Schumacher, utilizing a BMR K-member, upper and lower front control arms as well as a Taylor battery relocation kit. Z-rated Dunlops up front and BFGs out back also help the cause, mounted on light weight 18x9 SSR GT1s.

While very little still remains of the original car at this point, maybe it is for the best. Perhaps two bad accidents in the same car indicates some extremely bad luck, and new hardware may be just what Eric needs to put all that behind him. No matter what happens, it is sure Eric and his '02 SS are going to make it through; survivors always do.

DATA FILECar: 2002 Camaro SS