Nick Scotto's Supercharged 1969 Camaro Carries A Heartfelt Story
Nick Scotto’s 1969 Camaro is a story that spans decades, fueled by resilience, loss, and a connection to the past. This Camaro’s origins trace back to the driveway of Nick’s childhood neighbors, Flo and Steve. Purchased brand new in 1969, it eventually became a symbol of loss when Steve passed away. For years, Nick watched as the car weathered the harsh Nevada sun, its trim and rally caps stolen by opportunistic vandals. Despite its deteriorating state, Flo, like a protective grandmother, was hesitant to part with her late husband’s beloved car. That changed when her friendship with a young Nick grew stronger through his acts of kindness and support to the grieving widow, and one day she offered the car to him—completely free of charge.
“Flo was like my grandmother. I spent a lot of time helping her since she was an elderly widow and couldn't do much on her own," Nick says.
Nick was just 10 years old when the Camaro was gifted to him, but he and his father wasted no time tearing it down. What began as a frame-up restoration quickly became an ambitious father-son project where the two learned along the way how to build a car of this caliber with their own set of hands. “We rebuilt the 350, redid the Powerglide, cleaned and painted the underbody and frame, and even shot the paint ourselves in our garage,” Nick recalls. The project was a restoration and a transformation, both for the car and for a young car enthusiast discovering his love for the craft.
“It has had four engines, three transmissions, and two rearends; it’s been painted once by my dad and twice myself, and the suspension and brakes have also been done multiple times,” Nick says, adding context to the depth of the 30-plus years of evolution this ’69 has gone through. “I would show Flo the progress and transformation as we built it up and changed things; unfortunately she passed away before I could show her this final product.”
By his senior year of high school, Nick had turned the Camaro into a show-stopper, earning accolades like “Best Car” at his school. But like all great projects, it was never truly finished. Over the next three decades, the car went through multiple rebuilds, reflecting Nick’s evolving taste, skills, and financial resources. It now sports a Blueprint LS3 427 stroker with a D1X Procharger, delivering untold amounts of power to a 9-inch rearend. An Art Carr-built 2004R transmission with a manual valve body puts Nick in full control of the machine. The car’s evolution wasn’t without setbacks—like a near-disaster during a garage fire—but Nick pressed on. “The firefighters saved it from the flames, and I’ll always be grateful for their quick action,” he says. "The car was miraculously completely untouched."
Key to the Camaro’s performance and aggressive look is its suspension setup. The entire front suspension features QA1 components, including upper and lower control arms, a sway bar, and coilovers. The rear employs a four-link system on coilovers. This combination provides a planted, confidence-inspiring ride, whether Nick is cruising through Reno’s streets or showing off at local events. “I installed the entire suspension myself,” Nick adds proudly, a nod to his hands-on approach. It’s a setup designed for performance, but one that also ensures the Camaro can carve corners as easily as it can dominate the straightaways.
Visually, the Camaro blends modern touches with the ever-so-timeless classic muscle. The Summit Racing pure white paint, applied by Nick himself, gleams under the Nevada sun. Carbon fiber accents—hood, front valance, decklid, and more—add a modern edge while shedding weight. Inside, the Camaro balances comfort and race-inspired functionality, with Corbeau Sport Seats, Dakota Digital VHX gauges, and aluminum door panels. The Momo carbon fiber steering wheel ties the theme together, reminding anyone who steps inside that this car is as much about driving performance as it is about nostalgia and show-worthiness.
Nick’s advice for aspiring builders is simple but profound: “Take your time, do things right the first time, and don’t rush. The pride you’ll feel in the end is worth it.” His Camaro is proof of that philosophy. It’s a car that has been stripped, rebuilt, and reimagined countless times, yet it remains a labor of love, rooted in a promise he made to Flo and sleeping Steve’s memory alive.
Nick’s pride in the Camaro is about both its hardware and the journey it’s taken him on, from a teen-age project with his father to the impressive machine it’s been transformed into over the years. From a high school show car to a carbon-clad masterpiece, the Camaro tells a story of passion, perseverance, and heartbreak. And while Nick’s build is, in his words, “done” for now, we all know projects like this are never truly finished. There’s always another road to conquer, another upgrade to make, and another story to tell.
