When Greg Parton stumbled across a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS in 2007, it was a shadow of its former self. The canary-yellow muscle car had seen better days and needed a full strip-down, the kind of restoration that starts with bare metal and imagination. For Greg, that was never a deterrent—it was an opportunity.
Owner: Greg Parton
Builder: Royce Munnery
Painter: Clark & Kent
The first step was to strip the body and send it to Clark & Kent, where the Chevy was resprayed in an iridescent deep metallic emerald green. Under sunlight the colour dances, transforming the Camaro into something that looks alive. While the paintwork was underway, Greg was filling shipping containers with parts from the States. Engines, suspension kits, wheels, accessories—every component that could be upgraded was ordered, ensuring that when the Camaro returned to the road, it would be more than just a restored classic. It would be reborn.
The build was entrusted to Royce Munnery, who spent two years piecing the Chevy together into the masterpiece it is today. Under the bonnet sits a 350ci small-block V8, but not the mild-mannered version it left the factory with. This motor runs an Edelbrock Performer RPM package with aluminium heads, a performance carb, intake and cam upgrade, all of which unleash 435bhp. Modern sports cars have reason to blush when this Camaro stretches its legs. A Billet Specialties pulley set dresses the engine bay, adding shine to the muscle.
The stance is where the car makes its biggest statement. Royce fitted an Air Ride Technologies suspension system that lets the Camaro crouch low enough to kiss the tarmac. To make it work, the wheel arches were subtly flared, giving space for a set of Billet Specialties wheels—20 inches up front and a massive 22 inches at the rear. With the car bagged, the combination looks almost cartoonish in scale, but it only adds to the Camaro’s muscle-bound aggression. Behind the wheels sit Baer performance brakes with slotted and drilled rotors, ensuring that stopping power matches straight-line speed.
Inside, the Camaro is just as sharp. The tired original seats were binned in favour of heavily bolstered buckets, trimmed in supple black leather. Every gauge was replaced with crisp Auto Meter Pro-Comp units, while the factory steering wheel gave way to a custom piece that echoes the wheels outside. It’s a cockpit designed as much for show as for the sheer joy of driving.
The finished package proved itself almost immediately. In 2009, the same year it rolled out completed, Greg’s Camaro took top honours at the Street Rod Nationals in Johannesburg. Since then, it hasn’t been relegated to trailer queen status. The Camaro gets driven, stretched, and admired, though it remains the crown jewel of Greg’s Garage—a piece that perfectly balances restoration with reinvention.
Emerald green, bagged to the ground, and powered by a snarling small block, this Camaro isn’t just a 1968 RS brought back from the brink. It’s proof that with vision, patience and the right hands on the tools, an old muscle car can become something timeless all over again.
