If you want to set your eyes on some of the country’s hottest examples of American Muscle then all you need to do is head out to a Goodguys car show. Goodguys events are absolutely crawling with high-end hot rods, both old and new. This custom 2011 Camaro SS owned by California resident Stewart Weissman, won the Goodguys’ Standard of Excellence award for newer cars at their Del Ray event late last fall. This gold-skinned hottie is a prime example of the type of bad-ass modern hot rod you’re sure to see at any Goodguys’ show.

Weissmann had already built several early Camaros, including a 1,000 horsepower 1969 model, so when the 5th Gen Camaros made their debut he knew it wasn’t a matter of “if” he was going to build one, but rather a question of “when” and “how”. Weisman tells us, “I was already in the process of buying a new Camaro when I went to the 2010 SEMA show. That’s where I saw one of the custom 5th Gens at Tommy Z Design’s booth. I started talking with the owner, Tommy Zondervan, and I knew he was the one I wanted to handle the build on my 5th Gen.”

Once Weissman took delivery of his new black 2011 SS, it was almost immediately shipped to Tommy Z Design’s shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan where it underwent a complete transformation over the course of three months at the hands of Zondervan. The most obvious changes are to the body, where the modifications come from a mix of aftermarket components and custom pieces designed for the car by Zondervan. The front and rear fenders were modified for a bit for a subtle wide-body effect and the whole car was covered in several coats of Antique Gold Metallic from PPG.

The distinctive wheels are one-off’s from USW Forged, in 21×10.5 in the front and 21×12 in the rear. A set of Pirelli P-Zero tires in 245/35/21 and 295/30/21 cover those big rollers. The best thing about this wheel and tire package is that it gives the car the modern “big-wheel” look, without taking it to a tacky extreme.

The Gold Camaro’s modifications aren’t just skin deep – it’s got plenty of performance to back up its aggressive looks. Flip open the hood to the front (Corvette style) and you’ll find an Edelbrock E-Force Supercharger bolted to the top of the stock LS3 engine. The Edelbrock “aluminum-lung” easily bumps the power output up into the 500 horsepower range, while one of Maganflow’s quad-tip center exit exhaust systems let everyone know the car has arrived.

Weissman tells us, “Everyone loves it. I’ve never had a car that everyone universally loves the way they do this new Camaro.” He jokingly adds, “Even my wife likes it.”