Brian Ganos stood by his 1969 Camaro ZRS Pro Touring car with a quiet smile. In the back of his mind he had a confidence that his newly built custom hot rod/muscle car was going to beat the odds and make it into the Great 8 group of finalists here at the 2014 Detroit Autorama. Muscle cars have not traditionally been considered for the Ridler Award judging. But the times, they are a changin’. With Pro Touring cars all the rage, the judging here at the Detroit show has followed the trend and is now opening the Ridler Award up to popular forms of custom car building. The category that this car was placed in was Street Touring, 1968-Present.
Ganos, from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, told us he reached out to all of the top names in custom street rodding to help him put this car together. Jim Hubbell was the builder with Larry Williams crafting the design. Charley Hutton did the paint and body; M&M Hot Rods, the interior; Greening Auto Company, the machining; and Advance Plating the chrome and powder coating. That’s an all-star lineup. It is no wonder that this Pro Touring Camaro stands out among the field of competitors for the Ridler this year. The drivetrain is a World Gen I small block 427 hooked up to a Bowler Tremec T56 6-speed transmission. Corvette C4 front and rear suspension give performance stability to the ride using Baer 6S brakes all around. Ganos calls it the “1969 Camaro ZRS.” The ZRS theme is complimented in the body graphics.
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[…] Brian and Gianna Ganos brought their 1969 Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring car to the 2014 Detroit Autorama. And now they have won a spot in the Great 8. Brian told us the paint was done by Charley Hutton, veteran custom car painted who has done many Ridler Award winners. It was entered in the Street Touring category for 1968 to the Present. Click here to view more photos and history of the build on this Camaro Pro Touring. […]