Derel Latta’s “dream girls” are the center of his world

Words And Photos: Cam Benty

For some guys, the change from hanging with cars to hanging with girls often generates a battle of wills. The need for a house, family, and other expenses push the love of performance cars to take second place for most. Derel Latta’s wife, Jessica, was well aware of her husband’s love of cars right from the start – a big part of who he was and clearly something she wanted him to continue.

The result of that “merger” was not only the ’69 Camaro shown here but their business, Undercover Innovations, where Latta gets to build the cars of his dreams on a daily basis. He has neatly found room for two “red heads” in his life.

The chassis is as sophisticated as the topside with a Heidts independent rear suspension.

Latta’s current early model Camaro is affectionately called “The other Red Head” for its high impact Mars Red PPG Acrylic Enamel paint that drapes the lovingly prepared body panels. From bumper to bumper, Latta has reworked the Camaro, which has been re-engineered several times during the 17 years it has been “in the family.” But, it is the small things that make this classic particularly unique.

Up front, Latta was looking for a cleaner appearance than the original factory effort, so he moved fog lights into the turn signal openings in the lower fascia. Turn signal lights were tucked into the factory grillwork, and the original Rally Sport headlight washers were removed to clean up the headlight openings. The fiberglass L88 style VFN hood has been modified through the inclusion of an SLP grille system that allows hot air to escape from underhood.

Working rearward, Pontiac Fiero mirrors were added to either side of the car, using Corvette flaring to make them more aerodynamic and keep with the clean look of the body. The original Camaro rear fenderwell chrome has been painted body color, and the rear spoiler has been massaged and reworked with the slight dip in the center to allow for better rear visibility. A fiberglass body color VFN rear bumper finishes off the rear section styling.

Front suspension upgrades include tubular A-arms, frame connectors, and sealed lower radiator ducting.

Underhood is where things get interesting. One of the last creations of Jim Barnes of Barnes Racing Engines in Bakersfield, California, the 496c.i. engine, stroked from a factory 454, powers the red head that passes massive torque through the TCI-prepared Turbo 400 Street Fighter transmission.

The shift points are deftly handled by Master Shift paddle shifting solenoids that are mounted on the steering wheel, easily within thumb reach. With a stall speed of 2,000 rpm, the Camaro can be easily driven on the street or taken to the drag strip for some local competition at nearby legendary Famoso Raceway.

The highlight of the current (more than one engine has lived within this Camaro) Barnes big block is the new Edelbrock fuel injection unit that allows for total tuning of the engine dependent on the conditions or the need. MSD ignition parts keep the engine firing on all cylinders. The engine itself features a cast steel crank and Eagle Forged I-Beam 6.385-inch connecting rods. Final compression is a modest 10:1.

To reduce front end weight, Latta installed Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads and a host of COMP Cams parts, including their best valve springs and rocker arms. All of these parts are activated by a COMP Cams “Thumpr” roller hydraulic camshaft with 0.552-inch lift intake and 0.0542-inch lift exhaust measurements. Advertised duration is 291-degree intake and 311-degree exhaust.

Directing exhaust flow out of the hearty big-block Chevy are Patriot exhaust headers with 1 7/8-inch diameter primary tubing and coated to retain their silver, shiny appearance. These shorty headers enter underbody stainless steel tubing and flow through Dynomax pre-mufflers and Magnaflow chambered muffler to keep the Camaro street sound-legal. Finally they flow through multi-vented exhaust tips mounted in the center of the rear valance to create a race car look.

The suspension is a marvel of modern engineering, using a Heidts Independent Rear End that features inboard brakes and high-strength half shafts to plant the big-block’s torque to the ground. The Heidts system uses a pair of attractive (yet functional) chromed coil over springs that are fully adjustable for racing or street driving.

The Heidts system uses custom A-Arms that attach to the Heidts-designed spindles, which support the Bonspeed 10-inch wide and 18-inch tall wheels. To clear the massive 315/30-18 Falken tires, Latta and his team installed full tubs and re-sectioned the frame. The result is a perfect blend of suspension, tire, wheel, and traction.

At the heart of the Heidt’s suspension kit is the Ford Nine-Inch Positraction enhanced rear end that is reworked by Heidts and, in this case, uses 3.73:1 ratio gears. Bracing either side of the rear end are Wilwood brakes with 12-inch diameter rotors and four-piston calipers. The design removes the brake system from the outer suspension system, lessening the sprung weight of each axle for better overall handling.

Up front, Latta used the stock Camaro subframe, reworked and freshened with Global West A-arm mounts and Heidts spindles to match the rest of the car. For faster steering and better handling, an AGR quick ratio steering box was installed, as well as a custom-made lower chassis panel that aids in cooling by directing air through the radiator rather than letting it fall out of the bottom of the car. Finally, the suspension was enhanced with additional Wilwood brake parts — in this case the six-piston brake package for added stopping horsepower!

In keeping with the other Camaro upgrades, the interior was heavily modified, starting with the installation of performance seats reworked by Art Ramirez, a local Bakersfield upholstery artisan. Key to the upgrade is the stitching of Derel and Jessica’s company name, Undercover Innovations, into the seats. The Sparco suede-covered wheel again sports the paddle shifter buttons, but not enough to block any of the gauges.

The interior sports all the necessities of a purpose-built street machine/race car, along with those steering wheel mounted paddle shift-ers that deliver high speed gear changes.

A roll bar with kickers protects the occupants in the event of a roll over and is neatly integrated into the bodywork, while the rear seat has been removed for weight savings and to leave room for the large fuel cell that takes up much of the rear trunk space. B & M gauges monitor key engine functions mounted both in the instrument panel and into the A-Pillar for easy review.

The “family” Camaro is not only a winner with the Lattas but a winner in every car show in which the Mars Red machine has been entered. And Latta is not shy about driving the first Gen F-Body, having driven the car some 47,000 miles during his ownership. But not every drive has been bliss.

The change to the Heidts rear end was the result of the original big-block Chevy rear end departing the chassis during a run to local Los Angeles. The previous engine was removed after the factory big-block just plain wore out, providing a space for the new Barnes engine that powers the Camaro today.

The most current hurdle for Latta involved heat. With the air conditioning on, the car would constantly overheat. By accident, Latta noticed excessive heat emanating from the grille and tracked down the problem to a pinhole leak in the radiator. At the time the car was photographed, he was waiting for a new radiator to finally repair the cooling system to handle the 100+ degree days common in Bakersfield.

The Latta family Camaro has added a new garage playmate for the ’69, a heavily modified 2014 1LE Camaro that sports a host of modifications and some ’69 Camaro-type upgrades, such as the rear spoiler and custom exhaust. The amazingly powerful Camaro is just the latest red head to enter the Undercover Innovations stable. But no matter how many enter Latta’s life, we know who is his favorite — right?