AMSOIL-Lubed Grand Sport Camaro Lands Photo Shoot

Back in September AMSOIL was approached by John Wargo of The Custom Shop as he was preparing his 1968 Camaro Convertible for the SEMA show in Las Vegas. As his project came together, he wanted to be sure the lubricants met the same standards he laid out for the rest of the build. AMSOIL accommodated his request and jumped on board as a product sponsor. Coined the Grand Sport Super Sport, the Camaro was a feature vehicle at SEMA with Holley Performance. It has since been making rounds generating steady media coverage with various photo shoots, including one at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats.

In the planning phases John and crew envisioned a high-end performance Camaro with a Corvette theme, intended to bring the muscle car and Corvette enthusiast together. Completing the vision from the original 1968 Camaro to the end result took about 10 weeks. With the exception of seat stitching and installation of the convertible top, all work was done in-house at The Custom Shop. Body modifications include a custom cowl hood, mesh grill, air ride system, with custom tail lights and exhaust system. Interior mods are also extensive, from the custom audio/video system with matching panels, to the interior panel kit and custom pedals on the floor. The custom show paint job with Pearl White color shift base, airbrushed with graphic design matches the carbon fiber and orange pearl theme to round out the completed design.

The Custom Shop spared no time or effort when it came to creating the end result as John envisioned it. AMSOIL is pleased to be a part of this project and looks forward to future updates on the Grand Sport Super Sport from The Custom Shop.

Sacramento Here We Come

Over 1,400 street rods, customs, muscle cars and street machines will be on hand at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds October 5-7 as the National Street Rod Association presents its 6th Annual Golden State Nationals.

This will be the 6th time the NSRA Golden State Nationals have been held in Sacramento and an all time high number of participants and spectators are expected this year. Almost all of the Cal Expo Fairgrounds will be utilized for the event as well as many of the buildings, which will house over 75 manufacturer and dealer displays and other attractions.

The host organization, NSRA, defines a street rod as a modernized vintage vehicle that must be of pre 1949 manufacture. These vehicles are equipped with the latest options available on the newest model vehicles, including but not limited to disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Most of those attending have updated the engines and drive train to enable the owner to cruise down the highway in comfort and safely maintain the speeds traveled by more modern vehicles. All vehicles must be driven on to the grounds.

Included in this event are muscle cars, those factory produced high horsepower machines from the 60’s and 70’s along with the classics cars of the 50’s. This is a truly unique mix of old and new together for the first time at Cal Expo Fairgrounds and a national gathering of fine vintage automobiles of every description. After 5 years as the Golden State Street Rod Nationals, the “new look” will continue to make the NSRA Golden State Nationals the area’s largest automotive participation event and spectators from around the area will attend the event.

If you are in the area, be sure to see what is new at the AMSOIL booth. Enjoy the blend of nostalgia, history and technology... and a scene you won't soon forget, Sacramento's largest vintage car show.

MOPAR Nation

An estimated 50,000 people from all fifty states are gathered here at the National Trail Raceway celebrating the 27th anniversary of the MOPAR Nationals. The event has been here at National Trail Raceway since 1998, where it also had been held from ’86-’92. Every parcel of turf in this 30 acre compound, is crammed with cars or people gathered to see the sixties and seventies cars they love.

A Manufacturers’ Midway, Swap Meet, parts suppliers, three days of drag racing, burnout contests, parading cars, and thousands of vehicles just being put out there to show, with plenty more for sale -- it’s all Mopar and it’s all here.

People line the streets with lawn chairs to watch these premiere muscle cars rumble into town. The locals use the opportunity to strut their own Mopar muscles as well, adding to the festive air that surrounds this serious venture. One magazine editor estimated that there were more than four million dollars worth of Mopars parked around the grounds. My guess is that the dollar value of the cars is much higher than that since an award winning ’70 Cuda sold for $750,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction last year.

In the midst of all this maelstrom one can find a display with eight engines assembled by the nation’s top Mopar engine builders. It’s the AMSOIL sponsored MOPAR Muscle, Engine Challenge. The brainchild of MOPAR Muscle magazine, the competition features an engine challenge of an unexpected nature. Who can create an engine with the most horsepower and torque, but at an affordable price? In other words, the contest is designed to help MOPAR Muscle readers get more from the engines they build, on the budgets they live with.

After putting the engines on display here at the MOPAR Nationals, they will then be crated and shipped to Comp Cams in Tennessee. There, the engines, with builders present, will be put through the paces. In the end a champion is honored, though all the builders have a great privilege in being selected.

This year’s competition features the small block Mopar, limited to a 410 ci engine displacement. The block itself must be a production cast-iron block or replacement block. All engines will be running AMSOIL synthetic motor oils.

One of the participants, David Burns, was in the competition again this year with his wife Dianne. As a result of being in it last year, he received many new customers.

MOPAR Passion
As you walk about the pits (where the drag cars are gathered) you can see that Mopar enthusiasm extends beyond the muscle cars themselves. One quickly loses track of how many Dodge Ram pickup trucks there were towing trailers into the event. Brand loyalty is in high evidence here.

Since AMSOIL Dealers are likewise passionate about the AMSOIL brand, a MOPAR/AMSOIL wedding would make sense underneath any hood.