Hilo man drives one step closer to having vehicle immortalized as Hot Wheels die-cast

A Big Island man is four wheels closer to having his car immortalized in die-cast after claiming the top spot Saturday during the Hot Wheels Legends Tour stop in Kona.

Tysen Pasco-Brown of Hilo won with his custom built 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 during the global tour’s last stop at the Kona Walmart. It was also the first time ever that the competition came to Hawai’i.

The contest provides custom car builders with a chance to have their beloved vehicles recreated into a 1:64 Hot Wheels die-cast. This is the sixth year of the challenge, and as Saturday’s winner, Pasco-Brown now has a 1-in-10 chance of being added to Mattel’s “Garage of Legends.”

Pasco-Brown’s silver 1969 Camaro Z28 was heavily modified to take on the drag strip.

Fitted with a built 6.2-liter LS engine featuring ported heads and a custom 92mm turbo setup, the Z28 ran an 8.77-second quarter mile, an impressive feat for a street legal vehicle.

To transfer all that power to the ground, the Camaro runs a full set Mickey Thompson U.S. Department of Transportation legal drag tires mounted on lightweight RC Components wheels. The Camaro is also fitted with a custom welded roll cage, Kirkley racing seats and Racequip harnesses to keep the occupants safe during high speed runs down the strip.

Wilwood brakes and a drag specific parachute system were fitted to provide the necessary stopping power.

In addition to the performance modifications, the vehicle features a number of custom panels that Pasco-Brown bead rolled himself for a unique embossed look.

For more information about the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, click here.