These days more and more projects are being found thanks to the internet. Such was the case for Ed Nash and his 1971 Camaro RS, which he purchased off Craigslist for $1,100 back in September of 2009. With such a low selling price, obviously the car was a far cry from what you see here. In fact, over the next two years Ed would go over everything on the car, with tons of new parts finding their way onto the Camaro during the buildup. The car was completely built in Ed’s home garage, testimony to his craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Ed told us the theme while building the car was “Less Is More”. The idea was to build a car that appears stock at first glance, until you study it and realize all the subtle custom modifications done. The car is a blend of custom features, yet resembles the original style of a 1971 Camaro, which made it a popular car in its time....and to this day.

On the exterior you’ll notice the side lights have been shaved, plus all the body panels have been attended to, ensuring even gaps. The orange paint and black stripes were done by Ed Nash and Bobby Gearin. Blacked out window moldings lend a sleek look, as does the Auto City smoked glass.

Ed wanted to give special thanks to his wife, Terry, for being instrumental in making the interior a reality. It consists of black ultra leather with orange and black houndstooth fabric, and black pile carpeting, all artfully brought together by Schreck’s Custom Upholstery & Auto Trim. The dash now has a carbon fiber face, and is home to New Vintage gauges with LED backlighting.

Opening the hood you’ll of course notice that a 2002 Corvette C5 LS1 engine has been swapped into the car. This not only brought plenty of power, but also driveability, which was one of Ed’s goals. With the help of Denny Steward, Ed fitted the LS1 with an American Auto wiring harness to get the car running, then added a set of headers, and a custom air box which draws fresh air from near the driver’s side headlight. The engine compartment was revamped with custom made wheel tubs and radiator support, and the firewall was smoothed. Shifting duties are taken care of by a 4L60E 4-speed automatic, built by Greg Pellicer.

The 4-link rear suspension was custom built by Ed, and utilizes a 9-inch Ford rear end. A custom Corvette C6 front frame and suspension bring good handling and an improved ride, and are augmented by sway bars. The back of the car has been mini tubbed, and for rolling stock Ed chose Forgeline SP3 wheels (19x10-inch front, 20x12-inch rear), which have the centers and back half of the wheels powder coated a gunmetal gray color, then wrapped in Nitto Invo tires (255/35/19 front, 315/35/20 rear). Coil over shocks at all four corners keep the ride compliment, while 2009 Corvette Z06 brakes bring things to a quick stop.

In addition to those already mentioned, Ed wanted to give special thanks to Pete Bonafide for always offering a helping hand when needed. It all came together wonderfully, fulfilling the “Less Is More” vision, and then some.

We recently spotted Ed’s cool 1971 Camaro while attending the Ocala Pumpkin Run’s “Spring Horsepower in Horse Country” event on March 9-11, 2012, where we shot photos of it on Saturday. We also learned that it took Best Of Show honors at the Fall Ocala Pumpkin Run, so obviously we weren’t the only ones to dig the car. That was no surprise, with the number of admiring onlookers the car gathered over the weekend. CN