A Camaro with Bite: LS-powered First Gen is a Dentist’s Toy

Dr. Dan Soenen graduated from high school during the muscle-car era, surrounded by vehicles that would become some of the most famous in automotive history.

More than four decades later, the successful Michigan dentist finally built his dream Camaro from that time period.

“I don’t know what it was about the ’68s, they just kind of rang my bell,” Soenen said on Nashville Superspeedway’s pit road in June during HOT ROD Power Tour. “I've always wanted one; I've done other builds in the past and when my kids got out of school I was like, ‘Okay, it's time to do a good one.’”

Today, the black car features an LS3 engine, but the high-horsepower mill features a twist worthy of Power Tour: a Whipple supercharger on top.

When Soenen was looking for the car, his only requirement was a solid body since he knew he intended to create a restomod build. He found it in 2012 and went to work. His father had owned a tool shop in the Detroit suburb of Mt. Clemens when Soenen was growing up, meaning he learned how to do mechanical work himself as a young man.

Soenen first worked on upgrading the car’s durability for the extensive way he planned to use it. Upgrades included Lizard Skin insulation and Dynamat sound deadening, brand-new Painless Performance wiring, and a Hotchkis TVS Stage 2 suspension system along with frame-rail connectors to support a bigger engine. Soenan also added Wilwood six-piston brakes in the front with four-piston binders in the rear.

Then it was on to the power plant.

Soenen purchased a Chevrolet Performance LS3 long block* from Katech Engines, which the shop had built up itself. The Bowtie’s long-black options feature the performance capabilities and internals that come with full crate engines*, but with fewer components to allow both professional builders and shadetree mechanics room for creativity.

The engine at first was carbureted, but after dealing with cold starts around his northern Michigan home in Grand Rapids, Soenen eventually switched to a Holley Dominator electronic fuel-injection system. At the same time, he added a 3.0L Whipple supercharger. The engine was tuned by Samantha Moore, a successful NMRA racer, who allowed for the engine to be used in a variety of ways. At Moore’s suggestion, Soenen also added a custom-grind camshaft to work with the EFI and blower.

“It's very powerful and also extremely docile when you want to drive it around,” Soenen said of his unique LS3 mill, which today makes 850 horsepower on the dyno and gobs of torque. The Camaro also puts out 650 rear-wheel horsepower.

The engine is mated to a TREMEC T56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission. In addition, the car features a Ford nine-inch rear end, CALTRACS traction bars and a Hydratec hydroboost brake system.

The Camaro was all black until just a few months ago, when Soenen had silver racing stripes added to both the custom chopped and channeled cowl hood and the trunk to give the exterior a little extra pop. The car sits on chrome American Racing wheels, and chrome badges reading “350” adorn the front fenders to honor the Camaro’s famous original Small-Block engine.

The interior was completed by one of Soenen’s patients who does work on high-end yachts. Soenen asked him to keep it mostly original, but just updated to today’s standards. However, he wanted the front seats to be high-back buckets and look like they could have come with the car in 1968. A variety of other modern upgrades adorn the interior as well.

“My friends really like [the car]; they've all had their input in it,” Soenen said. “I’ve had lots of people to help me out with this. I’m not afraid to ask people for help.”

Soenen is a veteran of several Power Tour trips; he and a group of friends hit the route each year. Their circle grows larger with every event to share ideas and fellowship.

He has also gotten non-automotive enthusiasts interested in his build thanks to a newsletter his wife writes and sends to his patients, often with information about the Camaro.

Throughout his life, Soenen has been loyal to General Motors.

“I’m a Chevy guy, we have a Tahoe, I have a [GMC Sierra 1500] Denali pickup truck, that’s all we’ve ever had,” he said.

With his sons having played hockey and needing to haul both gear and their friends, he’s owned multiple Chevrolet Suburbans as daily drivers, too.

Since any project is never really finished, Soenen has a list of items for his Camaro he plans to work on over the winter. They include electric windows, door locks and side-view mirrors, all while the door panels and Dynamat are removed.

But his end goal for the car remains the same with each upgrade.

“I don't want it to be a trailer queen,” he said. “I want it to be really snappy and reliable.”

His own spin on an LS3 engine helps him achieve that objective, all in his favorite muscle car.

Be sure to keep watching The BLOCK for more Chevrolet Performance coverage from HOT ROD Power Tour and other automotive events across the country.

*Because of their effect on a vehicle’s emissions performance, these engines are intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. These engines are designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public roads, streets or highways. Installation or use of these engines on a vehicle operated on public roads, streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.