If America had an automotive sweetheart, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro would likely be a top contender. Few enthusiasts can gaze upon its illustrious lines and find fault in the stamped-steel skin. That takes skill.

Though few possess the eye to take such a car to the next level, there are builders unafraid to challenge the status quo. The reward has been countless revisions, revelations, and remasters that have augmented the blissful and everlasting romance with this iconic pony car. Jeff Lilly's version does it again, but in a wildly different way.

There are no linebacker-esque fender flares, no carbon-fiber accoutrements, nor really any of the all-too-common queues found on many a custom car. Instead, Jeff Lilly took a step back in time, reimagining the Camaro's lines with a modern eye. Any manufacturing or production inadequacies of the era were booted from the fantasy, and the finished product, dubbed "Dead On," has an almost concept-car quality to it.

Concept-car like, but not in the way one might imagine it, pristinely lit and elevated on a rotating turntable. Rather, it's effortless to imagine Dead On's silhouette straining beneath a red silk sheet during a late-'60s Chevrolet model unveiling. In a weird, alternate-universe sort of way, it's a car that was always meant to be.

"The owner came to me and said he wanted a muscle car that nobody else has, so we took on the challenge but knew it had to retain its most appreciated features," said Jeff. "That got me thinking."

After searching for the right blank canvas, Jeff and the car's owner settled on a relatively clean, six-cylinder Camaro. The car didn't have a collectible pedigree, but there was still considerable thoughtfulness applied to respecting the breed.

"I told [the owner], 'you've got to be really careful what you do to this thing,'" said Jeff. "It's still a '69 Camaro and people have loved this car since its inception. It's America's car. It's like taking a '57 Chevy and cutting it up."

The approach Jeff and his team took delivers extreme sheetmetal changes, yet presents them in an inexplicably subtle way. The aesthetic, without question, alerts the astute spectator to the fact that something is different from other Camaros of the same vintage, while daring them to point it out.

Sure, there are the obvious changes—the tucked bumpers, absent door handles, and the distinct lack of a trunk—but it takes a seasoned and highly skilled eye to notice the real magic in metal. The custom-fabricated grille was recessed seven inches from the original location. The hood was also lengthened four inches, and the nose panel shortened three inches. Nestled inside the grille is a completely bespoke headlight assembly that eliminates the "bulging-eye look" created by the factory.

"[Camaros] had these big surrounds on the headlights so GM could get them pushed out enough to be legal and still have room to adjust them," said Jeff. I call them 'Marty Feldman eyes,'" he laughs. "What we did was create a headlight that is adjustable inside the encased light, like a modern car, which allows the gaps to be tight and consistent.

Tracking along the hood, keen observers will note a lower cowl profile, and the absence of the "bird beak" crest that would traditionally run down its center. On the sides of the car, the distinctive style lines at the quarter-panel sit ⅜-inch prouder. The effect of accentuating these unique styling cues make the Camaro look strangely, well, more Camaro. This mantra of taking uniquely Camaro accents and bolstering them rings true across the build.

Moving toward the back of the car, the true uniqueness of the concept begins to emerge. The trunk lid was removed, and new metal was worked in to deliver a '60s Corvette vibe. The underside holds the fuel tank, and the rear deck houses a custom fuel cap, louvers, and an integrated spoiler that swoops into a concave tail. To stand apart from the original bubble-esque rear deck and glass, the rear window was dropped 4 inches into the new deck to provide what Jeff calls a Fast Back roofline.

Because of the rear deck conversion, Jeff designed a clever sliding rail system behind the rear seats that holds the batteries, engine electronics, stereo system, and fuse blocks. It slides out for serviceability of those components.

Underneath the Oxblood Maroon hood lurks a 720-horsepower LS-based engine. Fasteners, wiring, and the like are tucked out of sight, and a skillfully crafted engine cover blends the mechanicals seamlessly into the bodywork. Backing the engine is a Tremec five-speed transmission that sends power through Detroit Speed suspension components. Stopping duty is handled by massive Baer Brakes.

Inside the car, a free-flowing, aviation-inspired theme permeates the interior. Custom-made oval gauges from Classic Instruments display engine vitals, and a modern capacitive touch-start button brings the Camaro to life. One-off gray leather front and rear bucket seats adorn the cockpit.

The Corvette theme reverberates inside of Dead On as well, with Corvette-style pushbutton door switches. The interface between man and machine consists of a custom oval shifter handle and matching oval foot pedals.

Stepping back, Dead On is a masterwork in precision, creativity, and execution. With body panels gapped at an astounding 7/32 of an inch and bumper and trim parts at a precise 1/16 of an inch, a design evolution that pays homage to the original icon, this is a Camaro-meets-Corvette concept that tugs heavily at "what if?" Jeff Lilly's reimagined Camaro is one not easily forgotten. The Dead On name couldn't be a more fitting moniker.

Jeff Lilly wishes to recognize the following people for their contributions:

Fabrication: Luis Carillo Gapping and painting: Bob Ives Blocking, prep, and polishing: Nat Ramirez Wiring, assembly, tuning: Eric Orishak