During the day, he is a mild-mannered State of Hawai‘i Highway Department employee. After hours, he puts on a different persona. To meet him and see what he does after hours, you would expect him to rip open his shirt
During the day, he is a mild-mannered State of Hawai‘i Highway Department employee. After hours, he puts on a different persona. To meet him and see what he does after hours, you would expect him to rip open his shirt and reveal an “MM” on his chest. That would stand for “Monster Machine,” because that’s what he builds.
Hot Rod Dave doesn’t just make a vehicle look pretty on the outside. He totally dismantles a vehicle, cleans every piece, replaces worn or broken parts, and uses rust inhibitors before painting every part and putting the pieces back together. It’s a labor of love.
About three years ago, Dave Carvalho was working on a customer’s 1968 Camaro. It was a drag-racer in a color somewhere between “hot pink” and “magenta.” When the customer offered to sell the car, Carvalho bought it, despite the color. Why? Well, Carvalho had a soft spot for a ‘67 Camaro he used to own. The bodies are the same; the main difference is that the ‘67 has vent windows — the ‘68 does not. Close enough!
Carvalho followed his standard operating procedure, totally dismantling the Camaro, restoring, repairing, or replacing every part, and carefully reassembling the pieces. The whole project took only seven months.
Along the way, personal touches were added, such as making the Camaro an “SS-clone.” The Chevy 454 “big block” was bored out to 468 cubic inches and with a roller cam, it has plenty of horsepower. A fiberglass cowl-induction hood, on the car when purchased, was modified to look like a steel hood. The beefy Turbo 400 transmission is shifted via a Hurst Quarter Stick. The narrowed12-Bolt GM differential spins massive 21-inch-wide Mickey Thompson tires — the widest tires on Kaua’i, according to Carvalho.
A narrowed differential with such wide tires necessitated a few body modifications. The wheel wells were “tubbed,” (widened) to extend into the sizable trunk. To keep the tires from rubbing on the fenders and wheel wells, the fender openings were stretched four and one-half inches. The bodywork was done so flawlessly, it looks like it came that way from the factory. Andy Reaurin from Auto Stylin’ and Performance finessed the bodywork, with help from Richie Rapozo. When the trunk lid goes up, one of the first things seen are a pair of great looking hinges custom fabricated by Hot Rod Dave himself.
Finally, it was time to choose a color for the Camaro. That was easy — Carvalho wanted it to be the color of his old ‘67 — “emerald turquoise,” an original color for the 67-68 Camaro SS model. The flawless paint job was done by Bobby Barros from Auto Stylin’ and Performance in Lihu‘e. Once the car was painted, Howard Pedro helped with the final assembly. Carvalho’s daughter Tianna was a top-notch assistant during the entire project, sanding, taping, assembling and putting together a “build book.”
Hanging out the back are a pair of “wheelie bars.” While the Camaro could do wheelies if he were running racing slicks, he admitted the wheelie bars were “just for the effect.” Carvalho wants to replace the black vinyl interior with turquoise upholstery better matched to the paint job, but that may not happen.
In May, Carvalho is moving to California and will likely be selling his beloved Camaro before the move.
• Wheels in Motion is a weekly feature showcasing interesting island vehicles and the people who own them. Email wheels@thegardenisland.com to suggest a vehicle that should be featured.
