My Dream 68 Camaro
 

I'm excited to get started on a 68 Camaro I bought from jwcarguy back in April. I've slowly started work on it as a full restoration. Shortly after it arrived, I started the rest of the tear down to get it ready for sandblasting. A friend of mine did the sand blasting and a bit of sheet metal work for me. He finished welding the trunk pan that a previous person had replaced, but it was never finished and had been left to rust. He also replaced part of the floor pan and the top dash metal.

It still has a long way to go, but I can't wait until the tear down and fixing is finished so I can start the building part.

Welcome, got any pics? Good luck with build, your in a good place here.....cheers

I tried putting pictures in the post, but they didn't show up so I edited them out. How do I embed pictures?

Read this link...

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=48664

Thanks! I think I got it figured out with resizing and posting as attachments. I'll try to post some photos later today.

Heather! Glad to hear that the process has started and stoked that you have a build thread going!! Let me know if you need any help with the pictures. Super stoked to see this one go together.

:captain:

As promised here are some pictures.

This is what the car looked like the day it arrived.
Attachment 59531

After tear down, but before sandblasting.
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After sandblasting.
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After metal work.
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Found another spot on the floor pan that need to be replaced, and I need to finish grinding the underside of the floor pan seam that was already replaced. Then I'll try to spot weld the last of the little holes in the floor that don't need to be completely replaced and try to fix the rest of the dents. Then I think it will almost be ready to paint the interior to protect against future rust. Then the real fun will begin!

You're not wasting time! Pretty quick on the metal work! Keep at it.

:cheers:

Great job on doing the pix!


I think your car's in pretty decent shape. So what do you have in mind on this?

Thanks! I have a rough timeline in mind and I don't want this build to take 10 years. I hope to be putting in the new suspension and rear in early spring. I'll try to keep this thread updated as I reach certain points in the project. Always nice to have people to share this with as I'm sure my friends are getting tired of hearing about it!

The car is in really good shape. Just trying to get the surface rust under control so I don't have issues down the road. As for the final outcome, I'm thinking a street/strip use.

Here is what I've already decided on:
Hotchkis TVS Kit 2
Moser 12 bolt rear
Wilwood disk brakes all around
200 4R transmission (still deciding who to go through)
15" rims (still deciding on the tire size)
383 stroker engine (Don't know if I want to go with a crate or a short block. Will depend on whether I can get what I want in the crate.)

I'm sure there will be plenty of other decisions to make along the way, but I think I've got a basic idea of what I want it to be.

Welcome to the site, Heather. Sounds like a great project. One thing I would highly recommend is that you reconsider the 383. GM's LS3 crate motor is a bargain. For the record, I'm currently building a 383. If I was in the position you are in, I would not be though. Good luck with the build!

repost

Damn squirrels!

My husband wanted me to do an LS engine, but I just don't care for them. I like everything about the 383-classic look, good hp/torque range for me, etc. No offense to those that like the LS, I'm sure they are great engines. I can always do a swap later if I change my mind, but right now I really want the 383.

That's actually the same reasons why I've continued with my plans to build a 383 besides the cost aspect. I prefer the sound and look of my LT1. I just won't deny that the LS engines are better. That, and I'll make plenty of power with my 383. If I want more, I'll either switch or do something else.

Wow, I didn't realize how long it's been since my last update. I guess the car and life got busy. I have a lot of updates to post about, so I'll try to get this caught up.

While fixing some dents in the floor, I realized that I was better off replacing parts of it. So out they went.
Attachment 61145

The new ones were cut and fit before welding them in place.
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I also hated how the seat braces looked. I'm guessing they were cut and bent to fit a sub woofer between them. So I cut out and replaced those too.
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There is a lot of good info on this site. Since 67 -69 are similar you have lots of choices. Also in case you haven't looked yet there are a ton of good photos over at Detroit Speed showing some of the more common repairs and modifications.
I am on the 10 year plan so hope you get there quicker :-)

Thanks for the information. I hope I'm done with the repairs and can keep this project moving towards completion. Good luck with your own build!

Once the repairs to the metal were finished, I took off the rear end.

Then I prepped and painted the underside with POR-15.
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The new subframe showed up in early November and I had a friend sandblast and powder coat it for me.
Before
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After
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Then the subframe was attached.
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I also have the new Global West subframe connectors on. The Hotchkis Sport kit and adjustable Bilstein shocks arrived in December.

Weird...I was driving to work the other day and started to wonder if you had made any progress. Saved me an e-mail!

Nice to see you haven't been sitting around doing nothing. The powder coating looks sick on that front sub!


:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I was idle for a short while over the coldest part of the winter. Our garage isn't insulated and it was dropping below freezing in there. I just ordered my Moser rear end and hope it will be here in a week or so. I'm also having the same friend sandblast, powder coat, and replace the ball joint and bushings on my lower control arms. As soon as I get those back and have the rear end, I'll be able to put all my suspension together.

Glad to see progress. Keep up the good work, and good luck moving forward

Thanks for the support! I'm sure I'll be needing some advice soon on getting wheels that fit and putting together the engine bay (when I finally get an engine and transmission).

Looks like a great car to start with...most camaros around here are swiss cheese.

It's an excellent car to work with. I thank Jeff, jwcarguy, for selling me such a great car.

Heather...Have you gotten any closer to picking out color yet? It's painful...trust me I know!

:underchair:

The closest I've come is thinking either blue or red. I've got a lot more to decide on before I get to paint. Right now I'm trying to figure out what wheels will work with my setup. I'm not sure how to figure out offset and backspacing. I'll probably contact Jeff for suggestions.

Sent you a bunch of info / specs on rims & tires

Please let me know if you need anything else

Great to see progress on the car!!

Thank you so much!

My Moser rear arrived yesterday and so the suspension will be going on very soon! Now if only the weather would warm up again...not very pleasant working in the 30's.

Very nice!

Boy was I excited when this showed up!
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I laid out my suspension parts so I didn't forget about anything.
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I like the way the front suspension came together! I still need to install the shocks and front sway bar.
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Then I started working on the new rear. I discovered even after drilling out the holes on all the brackets to 5/8", the u bolts didn't quite line up. The holes on the brackets would line up for a 3" inside diameter, but the u bolts I got in the Hotchkis kit were a little bit bigger diameter. So I spent quite a while with the die grinder until I could get them through all the holes. I think it turned out pretty nice.
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Then the heavy lifting came when I started installing the new leaf springs. I'm glad that part is over, but I really like the way it looks so far!
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Next weekend I'll install the new bushings in the rear frame rail and start bolting the rear in.

Lots of nice goodies there! What ratio did you order?

Be sure to tighten up the sway bar end links when the car is sitting on all 4 wheels.

I went with the 3.73 with the Truetrac differential. It's a good thing I just got my bonus at work to replenish the bank account!

There will be lots of tightening when it's sitting back on the ground. And probably a double or triple check on everything before it goes out the door for the first test drive!

Congrats on your progress Heather. :thumbsup:

Another SBC fan here.

How's the weather there now for working on the car?

Thanks for the support!

After a winter of more moisture than I'm used to, we've finally had some really nice weather. Two weeks ago it was highs around 30, now we've been 50s-low 70s for almost two weeks. The nice weather came just in time to keep my schedule on track to paint the interior next month.

Looks great Heather!

Keep up the great work!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff!

Heather I am really impressed and excited to see all the progress. You aren't messing around. I gotta admit, I want to drive this car when it's done. I have zero doubt it'll be a blast to drive.

Super glad you decided to go this route. :cheers:

Thanks Curtis! The further I get into the project the more excited I'm getting.

I keep thinking that I should bring it down that way when I've got it all together. Actually meet you and Jeff and show off my work!

Heck yeah you should! We would have to grab everyone we know in town with a hot rod and cruise a little. Maybe stop off somewhere for some tacos!


:RunninDog: