Derek White has been operating his shop, Street Vizions for nearly a decade. As a man of many talents, he likes to take projects into his own hands, as opposed to just acting as the owner. He envisions a clear picture of what he would like a car to look like, and lets his creative ability work with his mechanical skills to make a masterpiece. Such is the case with his latest project: “Split Personality.” The name will stick around for now, and certainly fits the mold. The build is a fusion of a 1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and a 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe.
When asked where he got the idea from, Derek said that the lightbulb moment came across him while visiting a friend in Pennsylvania who owned a 1973 second-generation Camaro. On the airplane ride home, Derek started to draw out the car build that he visualized in his head. It was at that moment, pencil in hand, that Derek became intent on starting the project.
“The Z28 was rough to start with and Derek was able to salvage the front end,” explained Jeff Spiegel, marketing consultant. “He then recreated the back of the ’63 Split Window Vette in all metal. He was struck by the idea to combine the two together and create a never-before-seen, modern day muscle car, all built on a custom racing chassis.”
As of this moment, the car is all metal and has been shaped completely by hand. When complete, Derek plans to showcase “the best Chevy had to offer between 1963 and 1973”. Derek says that the build is a long way from finished and many details still need to be worked out. These include the transmission, suspension, brakes, interior, and color scheme. Currently the car is fitted with a 454 Big Block and Corvette suspension parts.
Derek has an extensive background in the racing field, having served as the lead mechanic for teams such as Penske, Bill Davis Racing, and Hendricks. Although he has a history in racing, his true passion lies with custom classics and hot rods. Derek is nationally recognized as one of the country’s top hot rod builders, and has earned himself numerous magazine features and television time. According to his website, “Derek places his unique stamp of approval on every build that leaves the shop.”
In an interview, Jeff Spiegel told me that, “As for the final build, we might go with a LS, LT or stay with the big block engine and maybe go with a Tremec transmission. One thing is for sure, though, it will be a high-end, high-quality build that any discerning custom muscle car owner would want to add to their collection.”
To be able to complete the project and the dream, Derek is looking for a buyer who will partner up with the shop to build and promote this one-off model. The goal is to find someone as passionate as he is, and one who sees both the value and distinction that this car will be.
“We are basically building a concept Camaro for the modern era with the goal of creating a show-and-go car to be debuted at SEMA 2018,” explained Derek White. “The hope is that the car would also be making appearances at some well-known races as well. While we are building more of a show car, we do plan to run it on the road course to demonstrate what it is capable of doing.
“This car has the potential to take home some major awards and run with the best of them on the track.”
