Dennis' 1969 Camaro Build @ Dutchboys
 

We have a few 69' Camaro's in the works at the shop, This is one of the most recent ones that we started over the summer. Unfortunately it fell into someones elses hands before it found its way to us.

Almost every panel that another shop welded on had to be cut back off and replaced with all new AMD sheet metal.

We will be installing all Detroit Speed suspension front and rear w/ JRI Coil overs. Engine plans will be a LS3 with a T56 combo.

Dennis' car will leave as a turn key car ready for him to enjoy logging miles on the highway and hitting the occasional auto-x.


As the car arrived.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps2af65f4e.jpg

Off to the blaster to see whats under the primer.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps1de011bb.jpg

Welded to the table and ready to start cutting all apart.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps3be12a66.jpg

Front and rear suspension on its way from Detroit Speed.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps2953d360.jpg

Upper cowl, cowl sides and dash getting replaced.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps0574bacc.jpg

Getting all cut apart.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psba80c60b.jpg


Firewall smoothed, cowl sides replaced, Upper cowl welded in, upper dash welded in, inner fenders and core support smoothed.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps7359061c.jpg



Also a few more pictures can be found on our website project page.


http://dutchboyshotrods.com/portfoli...r-1969-camaro/


I will be updating the thread as we progress on the car.

How bad was the previous install? Hard to tell from the pics but the panels that were removed didn't look bad?

Very bad, When I get to the shop tomorrow I will post up some of the detailed pictures I took. The quarter panels were welded on crooked. They were poorly welded on. Overlapping previous panels. Doors and decklid never fit before welding quarters on. They sectioned in a new trunk floor, overlapping the joint and very bad mig welds. The list goes on and on. It was bad.
Mostly unnoticeable until the primer was off. They had bondo'd a lot of the areas to hide it. Then covered it in primer. Sad to see work like that happening. But it's not the first time we have been in this position after blasting a car.

Well at least he brought it to the right place now.

Wow. I see so many of these skeletons on here. Nothing left but the inner structure.
I guess maybe it equals out money-wise, but it seems like finding a solid shell and starting over would be the way to go? (IF you could find a shell, and if your conscience could stand scrapping this one after you already paid for it...)

Jeff-

Waynie your right,this will be a happy customer soon:trophy-1302:

I agree I see so many cars on here with every panel replaced.
Wouldn't you be money ahead to just buy a new dynacorn body instead of buying a whole car and replacing all the sheet metal and then putting a complete aftermarket subframe in it too?
Seems crazy. I know the sheet metal and labor add up very quick.

Dutchboys any thoughts on this?

subscribed

Seems the main issue is no legit VIN w/a Dynacorn (aftermarket) body.

Not to get so far with the thread but I believe they had addressed this issue. Its ok you just have to get approval from DMV and a peace officer inspection. Basically a rebody and most end up with one car only. Let me see if I can find that thread.


oh, car looks great guys.

For the amount of work guys go thru replacing all the body panels and inner structure it would be easier to just swap the front of the original firewall onto the new body. I know some guys wouldn't be ok with that idea. But if it is done super clean you wouldn't be able to tell.

We haven't gotten into to many that the inner structures were bad..Usually its your basic Floor pans, Qtrs, Rear body panel, Upper dash etc.

I think I speak for my customer and myself that I would rather stick with my original investment and put the money into the car that I've already purchased. Going out and (trying) to find another "rust free body" isn't as easy as some people might think.

Say a customer bought the starting roller for 15k, (in most cases more) The shop sandblasts it and finds out all the issues that it has. Customer says im not going to build this car, We should try and find another one. I don't really want to invest all the time and money into replacing all the panels. So the customer has his initial 15k, plus sandblasting, disassemble time, etc.

Lets just say Hes knocking on 20k plus.

Unless he can sell that sandblasted car with a bunch of rust holes that are easily seen now that the car is sandblasted. He will be lucky to get half of his money back.

Finding a really nice unmolested 1969 body is getting pretty hard. Minimum it seems like your putting quarter panels on a car. Say you found a super nice 69' for 25k thats a close to original driver car. The customer buys it. Car gets to the shop. Shop disassembles the car, sandblasts it, epoxy prime etc. with the car and labor hes Knocking on 30k plus..

So the customer now has 50k (or more) floating out between the two cars in just the START of the build phase. No cool hotrod parts,no engine/trans, wheels etc. New clean 69' needs a qtr, maybe both. here we go again. It just snowballs from there.

As far as a dynacorn body. I think its a great concept if that's the direction YOU want to go to start with BEFORE buying a first starter car.

But Ive seen and heard of some horror stories with them that don't seem to put you to far ahead if you are paying a shop to do all of the work.

I have seen in person a shop that is working on a dynacorn body car, panels welded on poorly, misaligned. Major gaping needed to make everything fit. Mini tubing the car the tubs were off side to side. Windows fitting very bad. looked to be that the roof was crooked along with the a-pillars. Maybe it was an early body and they have improved since. But I think I will stick with replacing panels on a GM body before I go down that road. The AMD sheet metal is so nice to work with that it isn't worth the trouble.

I thought that I would share the rendering that Ben Hermance did for us. I think he did a great job of bringing the customers vision to life.

We are looking forward to putting this rendering to work!


http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psf9e329b6.jpg

Ben does great work!! Love the direction this car is headed.

^^You said it Curtis.
Should be a great build.

Making some progress on Dennis' Camaro. It has been a long road getting this one all welded back together. When we started fitting the new metal we noticed that the car had taken a hard side impact at one point on the right side. With a ton of work pulling the a pillars back into place and the rear quarter structure we got the lines that we wanted.

The car came off the table today and getting some misc fab work completed and then we will be getting started into some bodywork after some mock up assembly is done.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...pss1td8pn2.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps9mmpo5n1.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psoalbfggu.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psimltsmdz.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psyhn8foak.jpg

What a transformation! Looks much better now! Nice rendering too! Can't wait to follow this build!

Crazy...
 

So many people get rooked on camaros it seems....too many have to be re-skinned

This one is looking really solid now though!

True!! And with the Camaro , especially the 1st gen, being such an iconic car to the point where every guy with two balls wants one. So, when he has a chance to get one, a guy may not necessarily have the knowledge and know-how to decipher between a Camaro he should pass on and one he needs to fork over a little more money because the car may be worth it penny. So, instead he opts for the cheaper car that'll need $5k in sheet metal parts, not factoring in the installation/welding/labor fees.

VERY WELL SAID!!!! also dont forget to mention as you put the panels on your able to fit them correctly for a better fit and finish from even the factory.

Paul - - what are you guys using to strip the replacement panels? Are you just DA'ing them down or chemically stripping them first? I just ground the weld areas on mine before installing, but will eventually want to take it down to bare metal before epoxy primer.

Just trying to learn the tricks of the pro's :)