Giving a 2010 Camaro Project the ‘Supra Treatment’ With a Straight 6-Cylinder Vortec 4200 Engine and a Turbo – Can It Be Completed in Time for Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks?
For many enthusiasts, the fourth-generation Toyota Supra was one of the desirable cars of the 1990s. Packing the well-known 2JZ powerplant, the car produced around 220 horsepower in as-delivered naturally-aspirated form, or between 276 to 326 horsepower with the option twin-turbocharged option (depending on what country the car was destined for).
Considering drag-and-drive enthusiast Calvin Nelson’s birth year was in 1993, he wouldn’t turn down a fourth-generation Supra. But he’s cooking up a different option.
Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks is the best way to start your summer! 4 tracks, 5 days, hundreds of miles across Iowa, Illinois & Wisconsin on June 9-14 2024. Want to join us? Click here for more details!
You’ve no doubt seen the ‘if you could have any vehicle from your birth year, what would it be?’ question shared on social media. “The answer for me would be a 1993 Toyota Supra,” said Calvin. “Unfortunately, that’s probably not going to be an option in my lifetime,” as Calvin noted the Supra’s popularity has resulted in skyrocketing prices.
Lucky for us, Calvin thought outside the box, and came up with an ‘American’ solution. “My dad (Andrew) always wanted a fifth generation Camaro,” Calvin admitted. “Ever since they were released in 2010, he has wanted to get his hands on one. So we thought why don’t we combine two of our dreams into one build? So I give you the American Supra.”
Starting with a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS picked up off Facebook marketplace as a “too good to be true” deal, the father and son snatched the LS from the engine bay and replaced it with a Vortec 4200-cc inline 6-cylinder engine.
Originally used in a variety of General Motors vehicles starting in 2002, the Vortec engines powered the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Colorado, the Hummer H3, and even the Saab 9-7x. This unique engine was never available in the Camaro, but thanks to the Nelson family’s work, it will take up residence in the yellow fifth-gen, with a single turbocharger on board and Holley EFI to control it all.
The Camaro has been upgraded a 25.5-spec chromoly roll cage, so the Nelsons will be good to 7.50 quarter-mile elapsed times on safety specs. They are currently underway on the build, with the goal to have the car ready for the upcoming Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks.
Check out the introduction video on the build below:
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Calvin Nelson.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com