Mills Robinson’s connection with his ’67 Camaro runs deep. He’s owned the car since 1983, back when he was a high school student. It served as his daily driver through college at Virginia Tech and later transformed into a pro-touring build before the term ever hit the mainstream. Back in the ’80s, Mills lowered the car on IROC wheels using cut big block springs and Rancho shocks, borrowing suspension tricks from Trans Am racing’s golden years. Then life moved forward, and the Camaro sat waiting in his garage.

Fast forward to today, and that garage, now by the beach in Virginia, is where Mills turned his longtime companion into a full-fledged performer. The car sits on a fully custom chassis designed and built by Mills in his one-car garage. Up front, it runs C7 Corvette suspension and brakes, paired with QA1 MOD1 coilovers. In the rear is a C4 Corvette Dana 44 IRS with 3.42 gears.

The QA1 rear coilovers are trunk-mounted and actuated by custom pushrod and cantilever bellcranks. C7 Brembos handle braking all around, backed by PowerStop’s Track Day rotors and pads. Rolling stock is all Corvette-based, with 18×10.5 Z06 wheels wrapped in 315-wide tires from RaceTreads for the street or Hoosier A7s at the track.

Power comes from a 404 cubic-inch LS2-based stroker. It runs Wiseco forged pistons, a Callies 4.000-inch stoke crank, SCAT rods, and a Comp Cams valvetrain cut for road racing. Lingenfelter CNC-ported LS3 heads sit on top, finished off with a stock LS3 intake and 102mm throttle body. A fourth-gen WS6 airbox feeds the setup, complete with functional ram air and a scoop behind the stock Rally Sport grille. A wet plate nitrous kit delivers a 150-shot when needed. The car makes 540 horsepower at the rear tires naturally aspirated tuned conservatively through HP Tuners.

Putting that power to the pavement is a SPEC Clutch Stage 3 six-puck clutch and lightweight flywheel combo. Mills initially teamed up with SPEC in 2017, and that setup withstood six years of hard launches, clutch kicks, and track days before failure finally caught up. After an event at VIR, Mills discovered the ring gear had sheared clean off the flywheel.

With a SEMA invite in hand and the clock ticking, SPEC shipped a new flywheel within the week. But it didn’t stop there. Once the transmission was out, he found the pressure plate was broken and the clutch was severely worn. Again, SPEC came through, rushing the needed parts so he could make it to Vegas in time. The company’s support wasn’t just fast—it was personal and reliable. Mills credits SPEC for saving the trip and giving him a drivetrain setup that inspires confidence at every track outing.

Robinson’s ’67 Camaro still competes in the Optima series, HyperFest, LS Fest, and more. He even drives it to work and cruises Virginia Beach during the summer. It’s more than a build. It’s a lifetime of evolution, built with grit, purpose, and parts that can handle the abuse.