Cars play a big part in your life…
That is true, one of my greatest interests is cars — it's actually more of an obsession really. I would say I have a serious addiction to muscle cars and supercars.
I spare no effort or time finding out as much as I can about the latest news, models, modifications, shows etc.
Is there a particular carmaker that you love?
Yes, my favourite is Chevrolet. It has had an impressive line-up of legendary muscle cars over the years and it's still building these brutal beasts today.
Is that why you own a third-gen Camaro?
Here's the story. It all started back in 1997, when I first saw a 1989 white IROC-Z Camaro convertible. It was love at first sight. It had a 5.7-litre tuned port injection V8 and though it was in pretty bad condition since it had been neglected and parked under the sun for quite a long time, I didn't hesitate at all to buy it.
Who did it belong to?
It was a friend's car and after paying for it, I immediately took it to a workshop where they brought it back to life. It got a fabulous snow white paint job, which was complemented by a beautiful black and maroon leather interior and Kenwood sound system. It was a real head turner — a stunning beast dressed in white.
It sounds great, but it had a niggling issue, right?
Yes, the engine would heat up from time to time and I just couldn't figure out why. I'd checked and replaced all the hoses and changed the gaskets. The thermostat was fine as was the water pump. But something was bothering it.
Since my experience with these cars was not really great back then, I didn't have much choice but to sell it. It was painful to see it go but my love for these cars remained as strong as ever.
That's why you bought another one…
What can I say? I just love them. It was in 2002 when I had the urge to get another one. But before stepping up my search, I learnt all I could about it over the internet. From various sites and forums, it became clear that the most sought after of these cars were the 1992 convertibles since this was the last year for the third generation.
I put a ‘wanted' advert in the paper and the next day, I got a call from a guy in Abu Dhabi willing to sell the exact car I was after. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. It was just what I wanted and more.
More? How so?
This was one of 1,254 25th Anniversary convertibles with the Heritage Package that were built in 1992. A 5.0-litre V8 sat under the bonnet, mated to a four-speed auto and was still running strong. It was dressed in red and had black racing stripes and an original leather interior.
You got lucky! And, you named it too…
I did and yes — I call it the Red Dragon. Ever since I bought it, I drive it sparingly to keep the mileage down. Thankfully, I have not had any major mechanical issues and all it requires is a simple, routine service.
But deep down, you knew this Camaro could be something really special, didn't you?
Absolutely. I remember the date. It was the 21st of December 2009 when I decided to restore it from top to bottom. With the help of a team of professionals at Transline workshop in Al Quoz, we got to work.
We stripped the car down to the bare bones and removed absolutely everything and started working on the chassis and frame to toughen it up. Once that was done, we restored the engine, transmission, suspension and checked, repaired or replaced all the electrical components.
To finish it off, we painted it in Corvette Victory Red and had the black heritage stripes added on the bonnet and the hockey stripes on the sides. The whole restoration process took almost a year — we did it lovingly and carefully.
There's no doubt. Tell us about some of the modifications it's had…
The exhaust features four inch centralised tips, it has new shocks and springs and rides on 18in front and 19in rear Corvette ZR1 replica alloys. I added racing seats and a Grant GT 405 wood Challenger steering wheel. I also replaced the top with a new GM convertible canvas roof with a tempered glass rear window.
The only thing pending is the interior but I'm taking my time until I find a good and reasonably priced place to do a complete black leather job with unique red stitching. I'm sure it will look even better when this gets done. In fact, I can picture it in my head and it puts a big smile on my face.
It must get more than its fare share of attention...
It's a real head turner and I'm continuously getting so many compliments everywhere I go.
Is this your dream car?
Yes, but I have many others such as the Holden HSV W427, Corvette ZR1 and the new Lamborghini Aventador. I told you it's an obsession...
Bio
Name Hossam Ali
Job Key accounts manager
From Jordan
Wheels 1992 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 convertible
In the UAE Born and raised
