Chevrolet Camaro customers with a penchant for American muscle has been taking the ZL1 as the fastest route to a more potent performance since 1969. Thanks to a 6.2-liter LT4 supercharged V8 engine and complementary upgrades, the 2021 Camaro ZL1 is not a car to mess up with on the road.
But if a Camaro belongs to an engine builder, a stock ZL1 engine may not be enough. This is the reason why this silver Camaro ZL1 drag racer comes powered with an engine around 150% more massive than its original mill.
Camaro ZL1 Mill Is Not Enough For An Engine Builder
The Camaro ZL1 on topic is a 2015 model from a garage in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. Incidentally, that garage is also the workshop of Shawn Anderson, who is more famously known as “Big Block Shawn.” He has the reputation of building some of the best big block engines around. Of course, that nickname would lose credibility if his own car does not have a big block engine under its hood.
By all means, the 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V-8 engine of the 2015 Camaro ZL1 is not a weak engine. In fact, it can deliver 580 hp of max output and 556 lb-ft of peak torque. But that is weak compared to the 2021 Camaro ZL1, which V-8 mill can generate 650 hp of max output and 650 lb-ft of peak torque. But for a big block engine builder like Shawn, that is not enough.
Shoehorning A 582-CI V8 For Some Drag Race Action
Working in his own garage, Shawn removed the original 6.2-liter V-8 from his 2015 Camaro ZL1 and shoehorned a massive all-aluminum 9.2-liter (582 cubic inches) big block mill. From then on, Big Block Shawn and the Big Block ZL1 have been regulars on drag racing events, winning some and losing some.
YouTube channel Race Your Ride spotted the Big Block ZL1 during a drag racing racing event. Still wearing its silver finish, the Big Block ZL1 was wearing custom Champion wheels shod with a whole set of a set of Mickey Thompson 29.5/10.5 wide slicks. Its engine (thanks to a nitrous solenoid spraying a 300 shot) was spitting 855 hp of overwhelming output while feeding on unleaded pump gas. With this power, the Big Block ZL1 was winning races, including against a modified 1969 Camaro
Camaro Drag Racer Is Fully Functional And Road-Legal
The interior of the Big Block ZL1 remains fully functional. It still has the original cabin elements except for some such as the tachometer, Powerglide shifter, bucket and the mandatory rollbar. With just a change of tires, the Big Block ZL1 shifts back into a road-legal Camaro.
Source: Race Your Ride on YouTube