jobs sorted while the Camaro was at the shop of choice, Motive Panelbeaters and Spraypainters, for repair. Jon’s ‘Let’s just do this, too’ list grew from a custom infill panel on the radiator support panel to removing the factory vinyl roof to steer the car more in the restomod direction it was headed. However, as soon as the vinyl was removed, it became clear all was not well. Some signs of rust were spotted in the gutters, so this was remedied and new sills and the entire roof bare metalled due to webbing in the paint. What else was Jon to do but commit to a full repaint in the shade of red he wished was already on there: Chevrolet Corvette Torch Red. The interior was not about to miss out, either. After a painstaking search to find the right bucket seats that weren’t too modern looking, a set of Scat Procars were dropped at the upholsterer to be recovered to match the factory RS rear. At the same time, all the interior chrome was replaced and a set of Dakota Digital gauges was installed, along with a Bluetooth hidden audio system for those long roadies. It is in this guise that Jon has continued his
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Auto Channel Issue #46 May 2022
Jon has continued his youthful ways, hammering on it any chance he gets, and clocking up some serious kms of enjoyment youthful ways, hammering on it any chance he gets, and clocking up some serious kms of enjoyment. Is it finished? Don’t be stupid; Jon’s a car guy, so you know he is already planning the next refinement — and the one after that. While the number plate might call it ‘shoddy’, we’d say it’s anything but thanks to the solid group who helped Jon come out the back end with the car he’d always wanted. It might not have been plain sailing, but Jon’s as happy now as he was the day he got it. “That’s the awesome thing about owning,
driving, modifying, and building cars — the people you meet and the journey!” It’s an attitude more should adopt; this is car building — expect the unexpected, and roll with the punches.
DRIVER JON AND ANITA GIBSON AGE: 18 at heart (50 according to the calendar) CLUB: Kiwi Camaro OCCUPATION: Electrician LOCATION: South Auckland PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: Plenty, from four bangers to rotaries; ’13 ZL1, ’12 Dodge ProCharged Challenger SRT8, ’70 Dodge Challenger Western Sport Special BUILD TIME: Three years on and off — still not finished LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: Four years THANKS: My good mates, who have mocked me through the process; Carl and AJ at C&M Performance, for their patience and attention to detail; Reece Fish, for the awesome engine; Dan at The Mag Wheel Guru
