Being a pro skater has to be the greatest job in the world. In no other profession do you get paid to skateboard everyday, get paid to travel the world, get free hardgoods, and have the ability to purchase (or in the case of DGK‘s Josh Kalis) build yourself a cool car. Tony Hawk and Bucky Lasek may have their Dodge Vipers and Mike Vallely his Jeep Wagoneer, but Kalis prefers to roll around in classic American muscle. His ride of choice is his hand-built 1,200 horsepower monster ’69 Camaro nicknamed the DC Camaro.
Kalis is a Michigan native who grew up around cars. As a kid, he enjoyed watching The Cannonball Run and loved attending local car shows with his parents. He acquired his beloved Camaro on a loan, and at the time it was nothing more than a roller. He attempted to sell the roller and was offered a measley $2,200, since the body was full of rust. Stuck with the car, Kalis and his friends had a restoration project on their hands. He built the car as a freeway racer that wasn’t your typical BMW or Japanese import.
The motor is a 408 cubic inch LSX outfitted with twin Bullseye 66mm turbos and topped by a set of AFR heads, while an MSD ignition lights the fires. Detroit Speed coil-overs help the Camaro handle like it’s on rails, and the mini tubs make extra room for wide track rubber.
Aside from performance mods, Kalis further gave the car its own personality by adding plenty of small details into the body. He learned how to weld on this car with the help of his friend Brian. Kalis did all of the cutting, and added the fender flares, a carbon fiber chin spoiler, and center exhaust. Other subtle touches include DC shoes logos (who he has worked with for 17 years) making racing stripes on the hood, racing harnesses, and “I love haters” written in graffiti on the doors.
On top of the pro skateboarding, Kalis, along with his friend Brian and a few other friends, runs a shop in Michigan called All Speed Customs. When he isn’t grinding rails or racing his Camaro, he runs a website known as Speed Society which is basically a video clearinghouse for all things car-related.