The NOV8TR (Innovator) 1969 Camaro project was built for a number of reasons. Primarily, it was due to the desire of the Kevin King, the car’s owner, to have a nice, modern example of what is arguably the most popular Camaro model ever. Of course, that’s reason enough for most gearheads, but we had other ideas as well.

It was decided early in the planning stages to fit an LS1/4L60E drivetrain to the car for good performance and late-model reliability and driving manners. Of course, there were some packaging issues to be dealt with on the conversion, and soon the second big reason for building the project car came about – to develop a number of parts used to facilitate the swap. Many of these parts would be cataloged and sold to those wanting to perform a similar transplant into their own first-generation Camaro or Firebird.

Well, like most car projects, this one started to get a little out of hand at this point. Since the car was going to be used to develop parts for a drivetrain swap, why go the next step and develop a few more prototype pieces for, say, the body, and the interior, and the suspension. And so on.

The NOV8TR became kind of a rolling advertisement for the restoration and performance aftermarket, combining as it does components from both groups. Things like sheet metal, weatherstripping, body hardware and much of the soft trim are from the restoration side of the Year One catalog, while many of the components used in the drivetrain, the braking system, fuel and ignition systems come from the performance side of the equation. The key for this car was getting the right mix of components so the finished product looked “right” and, most importantly, worked correctly. And even though we continue to tinker with the car (no projects are ever completely finished, are they?) we’re very pleased with the results so far.

The Camaro debuted on the ’02 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour, and was immediately well received. In fact, we were a bit overwhelmed at the response the car generated among the enthusiasts, the media, and just about everyone else. ’69 Camaros have been so popular for so long, it can be hard to build one that stands out, but the NOV8TR has turned out to be one of those cars that pushes the right buttons on the vast majority of people who see it. Young or old, muscle car fan, street rodder, late-model enthusiast, they all seem to find some aspect of the Camaro that appeals to them.

Special acknowledgement has to go out to the design team that came up with the blueprint for the Innovator. Before a single wrench was turned, Kevin King, Dennis Roberts, Phil D. Brewer and Phil K. Brewer had a solid idea of what the finished product was going to look like. When the thrashing on the car began, the folks at Brewer Restoration and Performance, along with Year One employees Jimmy Kerlin, Jeff Georges and Keith Maney made sure the car turned out properly and the all-important deadlines were met. It was a great job by all.

Of course, we also have to thank all the companies that were involved in the project with us. Without their advice and assistance, along with all the great parts, this car would not have been half as successful. The Camaro is truly a testament to the quality of products and the passion for automobiles that runs throughout this industry. With a good plan, careful parts selection and lots of time and effort, any enthusiast can build a car that not only is pleasing to the eye but works as well as it looks. Take a look at the parts lists and the specifications page for the components used to build the Innovator, and the suppliers that helped make the car possible.

As we mentioned before, the car has been a big hit with enthusiasts and the media. So far the Innovator has appeared in Hot Rod Magazine, Popular Hot Rodding, and Super Rod. It will be featured in upcoming issues of Chevy High Performance and Super Chevy’s Camaro Performers. There are plans afoot for Car Craft to focus on some of the more interesting technical aspects of the car as well. In the television world, the car has been shown on Hot Rod TV, Horsepower TV and Hemmings My Classic Car. The Camaro has also garnered the Best of Show award at the All GM at Carlisle event, as well as being selected as a Popular Hot Rodding Street Machine of the Year finalist at the 2002 Goodguy’s Columbus show and one of Hot Rod Magazine’s Top Ten Hot Rods of the Year for 2002. Finally, the car was displayed at the massive Primedia booth at the annual SEMA convention in Las Vegas.

Again, we have to thank everyone that helped us with this car, and everyone that’s given us feedback on it one way or the other. The popularity of the car has exceeded our wildest expectations. We also feel the Camaro represents the state of the automotive hobby very well. This is the greatest time in history to be an automobile enthusiast, and we plan on doing our part to keep it that way.

Thanks to everyone for everything, and enjoy the Innovator. And be sure to keep an eye out for our next project car, which is being designed and built as this is written. It will be innovative, of course, and will debut on the 2003 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour. Now, if you will excuse us, we have work to do!