A $2,000 Chevrolet Camaro isn’t the obvious starting point for a SEMA showstopper, especially when it’s a neglected former race car missing its engine and transmission. YouTuber ScrapLifeLee, however, saw an opportunity to turn the battered third-generation muscle car into something extraordinary.
He set out to build a street-driven Camaro capable of running eight-second quarter-mile passes. After achieving an 8.5-second run and winning the 2026 Throtl Throwdown, the car had already proven its performance credentials.
That success came at a cost, though, as mechanical failures left the Camaro needing serious attention. Rather than simply repairing it, Lee decided to give the entire machine a dramatic transformation.
The Camaro’s latest chapter combines American V8 muscle with Japanese tuning culture. The finished creation, nicknamed Double Wide, was being prepared for SEMA with just two weeks remaining.
A Yenko V8 With a Troubled Past
The Camaro’s centerpiece is a supercharged LT-based V8 derived from a 2024 Yenko Camaro package. Following severe overheating damage, the engine required extensive machine work, replacement pistons, and upgraded Callies Ultra Enforcer connecting rods.
Resurfacing the warped block and cylinder heads also required thicker head gaskets and revised pushrod lengths. Meanwhile, the original supercharger revealed significant internal damage, forcing another unexpected change.
With days remaining before SEMA, Lee sourced a Camaro-compatible Magnuson 2650 supercharger after discovering that spare Corvette units had incompatible accessory-drive spacing. However, adapting the replacement to the engine’s port-injection system required additional spacers, fuel-rail modifications, and injector adjustments.
After overcoming throttle-body fitment problems and finding the correct supercharger belt, the team recorded 883 horsepower at approximately 17 psi of boost, up from the previous 817-horsepower output.
Japanese Styling Meets Drag-Racing Hardware
The exterior transformation centers on an aggressive Liberty Walk widebody kit imported from Japan, featuring enormous fender extensions, deep side skirts, and a redesigned front end. McLaren Victory Gray paint gives the angular bodywork a restrained blue-gray finish.
Filling the oversized arches are Forgeline F3C wheels measuring 19×11.5 inches up front and 19×13.5 inches at the rear, wearing 345-section Toyo tires. Japanese-inspired lighting details and a rear parachute complete the unusual exterior combination.
The team also repaired a bent torque-arm mounting arrangement after discovering that earlier modifications to clear the nine-inch differential had weakened its bracket under hard launches.
Inside, Lee installed a Liberty Walk quick-release steering wheel and refurbished Recaro LSB seats with blue leather and houndstooth inserts. Removable roll-cage door bars improve accessibility without abandoning the car’s drag-racing intentions.
One Problem Remains After the 883-HP Dyno Run
Despite the successful dyno session, uneven air-fuel readings between the cylinder banks prevented further aggressive tuning. Lee postponed diagnosing the issue until after SEMA, leaving the Camaro’s full potential unexplored.
Double Wide has already proven it can run eight-second quarter miles, and its Japanese-inspired makeover gives it the looks to match its performance. Now, with 883 horsepower on tap and a few mechanical gremlins still to sort out, Lee has a Camaro that’s as wild beneath the bodywork as it looks from the outside.