Drift Camaro Is An Old-School First Gen Tire Fryer

Caecey Killian June 16, 2025 3 min read 0

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A 1968 Chevrolet Camaro isn’t exactly the first chassis that comes to mind when you think “drift build,” but this drift Camaro rewrites that thought. Muscle cars and modern drift culture don’t often overlap very often. But fabricator, engine builder, and self-declared rubber-destroyer John Mason decided to rewrite that narrative with his drift Camaro. His mission? Turn this classic GM pony-car from Detroit steel into a full-fledged, slide-happy monster.

Before The Drift Camaro

Originally intended to be a road and track car, Mason’s ’68 Camaro quickly took a hard turn into drift territory. It’s been evolving ever since, with every battle scar and busted fender telling part of its sideways story. Unlike the ultra-polished widebody builds saturating Instagram, this one wears its patina proudly—LEDs stuffed into corners, a raw replacement fender, faux BBS LM wheels (since real ones wouldn’t survive long anyway), and a DIY wickerbill. Recently, the wheels on the drift Camaro got upgraded to a set of Kansei Corsa, bringing the aesthetic up a notch while keeping the aggression intact.

Surprisingly, given how common it is in modern muscle builds, if you pop the hood you won’t find an LS swap. Even with the ability to dress an LS like an old-school small-block, Mason stayed loyal to tradition with a small-block Chevy. This one stroked to 383 cubic inches, breathing through Edelbrock aluminum heads and intake with a Holley 750 double-pumper. With over 500 horsepower, it can roast tires all day long. Yes, it’s more expensive than going the LS route, but Mason argues it’s worth it for the character and the noise alone for his drift Camaro. And if more builders stuck to this path, maybe parts and support would catch up.

Underneath, things get interesting. Up front, QA1 shocks pair with budget-friendly eBay control arms. The original power steering pump now works alongside a quick-ratio box, though steering angle is still limited (the sway bar was actually removed to help with clearance). Out back, a Ford 9-inch rear with a custom three-link torque arm setup holds it all together. No apologies to the purists here.

The interior in this drift Camaro is all function: heated buckets, a roll cage with door bars, racing harnesses, and a custom dash. A big hydraulic handbrake lever sits next to the manual shifter, popping through the carpet in true grassroots fashion—no frills, all control.

The Camaro wasn’t born to drift—but under Mason’s control, it absolutely will, especially when manhandled into submission.

AboutCaecey Killian

Caecey Killian covers builds, installs, and product features for Car Junkie Magazine. He has spent years on the floor of the garage chasing horsepower across SBC, LS, and modern muscle platforms, and that shop time runs through every article he writes. His current CJM project is Project Street Reaper, a 1976 Camaro built around a fresh SBC 350. He is also known for Project Mighty Mouse, a 1977 Chevy Nova running a 1962 small-journal 327 SBC, with build coverage published across multiple online automotive magazines. His media background spans long-form build documentation, install coverage, and product features across the magazine and the Car Junkie Magazine YouTube channel. He writes the way he wrenches: specific, honest about the mistakes, and grounded in real garage work.