Weaver’s Dream: An LS376/480 Crate Engine Powers this 1968 Camaro

Almost three and a half decades ago, a home remodeling project led Steve Weaver to purchasing a 1968 Camaro. Now, that same car is powered by a Chevrolet Performance LS376/480 crate engine* as part of a detailed build.

The beautiful black Camaro was an integral part of the Gandrud Chevrolet display during July’s Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

“It was around 1990, I was doing a remodel at my house,” Weaver said in Columbus. “I had a contractor there, a painter. We got to talking about cars. He said, ‘You know, I have a ‘68 Camaro.

He was telling me he was going to have to sell it. I told him I would be interested, so I went, looked at the car, and bought it. It was an original car. It’s a ’68 RS Z/28. It was blue with white stripes, but it didn’t have the original motor in it. Everything else about it was original.”

Weaver’s children were young at the time, and for many years the family simply had fun with the car.

“We would jump in that car and go get snow cones; we’d do burnouts in the neighborhood,” Weaver said.

But years later, Weaver decided he wanted to take the Camaro to the next level. He lives in Vaiden, Mississippi, and his uncle – also a car enthusiast – introduced him to the team at Mike Goldman Customs, located just a couple hours away in Meridian, Mississippi. Their remarkable builds have won countless awards and been featured in numerous automotive media outlets.

First, Weaver and the Goldman team went over multiple drawings and renderings before the project actually began. It was then nearly a three-year project before the car was completed at the end of 2023. The car was unveiled at the prestigious Barrett-Jackson Cup in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January. It was there that Weaver laid eyes on the project for the first time since it had been in the paint booth. Although there were some tweaks along the way, the car is essentially the same design the team began with.

At the heart of the build is LS3 power. When Weaver bought the car it had a 350 cu.-in. Small-Block engine that had been custom-built. But with it not being the original power plant, the car became a good candidate for a restomod project. Weaver knew he wanted an LS but was unsure of which one. With Weaver’s input, Mike Goldman Customs ultimately decided on a Chevrolet Performance LS376/480 crate engine and topped it with a Whipple supercharger.

“It has a really good sound to it,” Weaver said. “One thing I really like in all my cars is to have a little bit of a cam hit to it; I like to have a little rumble. So they were able to take this LS motor and however they packaged it, it has a little roll to it. And it sounds really good cranking up.”

The LS376/480 is based on the standard LS3 crate option* with all the components that have made the engine a versatile and durable classic. However, the version in Weaver’s car also features a racing-inspired, long-duration LS Hot Cam to draw in more air from the cylinder heads. The cam helps the engine make 495 horsepower and 473 lb.-ft. of torque, along with that throaty rumble Weaver desired.

The Camaro came with the Muncie M22 Rock Crusher four-speed transmission, but today the LS engine is paired with a TREMEC T56 six-speed manual.

The car sits on an Art Morrison Enterprises Chassis with modern suspension components and rides on one-off Mike Curtis wheels.

The Goldman team painted the car black with silver side accents and worked to maintain the original 1968 feel while incorporating some custom elements, offering a unique spin on the Camaro.

Among the tweaks are some shaving inside the cowl hood to create a deeper cove for the Whipple supercharger, along with Z/28 badging relocated from the front fenders to the sides of the cowl. In addition, the front valance now incorporates some elements from the 1969 model. Marker lights on the quarter panels were also deleted, and the rear exhaust is now integrated into the sheet metal.

The red interior is another of the car’s many highlights. Mike Goldman Customs enlisted Steve Holcomb’s renowned Pro Auto Custom Interiors in Knoxville, Tennessee, to do the honors and update the color from its original blue. The interior also now features a variety of modern upgrades.

“He hit it out of the ballpark,” Weaver said, noting that Holcomb called him multiple times during the project to check in and offer suggestions.

Weaver is a lifelong resident of Mississippi, having been born in Jackson. He is an electrician by trade and eventually got into building power lines, growing his own company along the way to a 900-employee operation covering multiple states.

Throughout his life, he’s also been a diehard automotive enthusiast, primarily owning GM vehicles.

In addition to his Camaro, he has several first- and second-generation Corvettes at builders’ shops across the country, along with a 1972 Blazer and a 1957 Cadillac. A truck and multiple roadsters round out his collection.

In Columbus, the 1968 Camaro received the Meguiar’s Magnificent Masterpiece award and was also featured in the GM Iron category of the Goodguys Chevrolet Performance Builder of the Year competition. Each accolade is a testament to Weaver’s vision and the work of Mike Goldman Customs to incorporate LS power.

“I couldn’t ask for anything different to go under the hood,” Weaver said.

And it all stems from a conversation about cars with a painter.

Be sure to keep watching The BLOCK for more Chevrolet Performance builds from Goodguys Columbus and other automotive events across the United States.

*Because of their effect on a vehicle’s emissions performance, these engines are intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. These engines are designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public roads, streets or highways. Installation or use of these engines on a vehicle operated on public roads, streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.