Brotherly Love Leads to a Burnout-Based 1987 Chevy Camaro That Will Battle at Sick Powerfest
It’s not uncommon for a sibling to follow in another’s footsteps in regards to a hobby, a sport, or even a pattern of behavior. In the case of Jason Kelley, it was the trifecta, as Jason decided to become the second driver in the Boosted Ride camp with the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro you see in this article, joining brother Adam.
But the Camaro wasn’t the first choice, as Adam already had the blueprint set with his 1967 Ford F100 nicknamed Death Trap.
“We were in the process of building a 1956 German wagon called ‘Goliath,’" said Adam. “We realized it was going to take a lot of time, and we didn't have a new frame.”
So, a back-up plan was devised: building a second Ford pick-up truck. “We had a small shop fire that caused a lot of smoke damage to the shop,” said Adam. Because of that, we were out of commission from my shop for several months.”
Jason was faced with the grim reality of not having a burnout car for a while. But then Adam figured out plan c: finding a 1987 Camaro for five hundred dollars.
“To get Jason a build quick, we decided ‘what was a cheap car that a big block Chevy would fit in’? That is how the Camaro started, and hasn't been touched for the last two years, and has been running strong,” said Adam.
Following in the footsteps of the Ford pick-up truck, Jason’s Camaro also carries a name: Bagel. Why Bagel? “Because Cleetus McFarland has a Carmaro called Toast, and Bagels are better than Toast,” laughed Adam.
Another thing the vehicles share is the source for power, and Jason’s Camaro relies on a big block Chevrolet engine displacing 482 cubic inches, slight smaller than the truck engine. But with all forged internals, a set of Dart cylinder heads, and most importantly, a Littlefield 6-71 blower on top, the Camaro sports a spicy 1300 horsepower on tap! also on methanol making around 1300hp.
A Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission and a Quick Performance 9-inch rear end gets the power to the ground via tires that are shredded quicker than documents saying Elvis is still alive.
How do the brothers do in burnout competition? Well, Adam isn’t stating if one is better than the other. “Neither of us like to be on camera much,” said Adam. But I'm the one recording all the videos for YouTube, and trying to grow the channel into something with our builds and events we participate in.”
What build is the third that fits on that three-car trailer that’s coming from Boosted Rides to Summit Sick Powerfest Presented by M1 Concourse? You’ll find out next week!
The Summit Sick Powerfest Presented by M1 Concourse is a huge 1-day event coming to Pontiac, Michigan on Friday, August 11th, 2023!
Massive amounts of smoke will come from the burnout competition, as well as the style and engine-screaming sounds of the drifting competition, with $5000 on the line for each!
PLUS, a super-sized Car Corral, nitro-breathing cackle cars, and RC Drag Racing, it’s a full day of fun you won’t want to miss!
Want to participate, or come out to watch all the action? All the information on Summit Sick Powerfest is available HERE!
Spectators: you can get special $10 general admission tickets thanks to Summit Racing! Use the discount code summitracing when you pre-purchase tickets HERE!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photo courtesy of Adam Kelley.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com