WELD builds another Camaro
 

Since I gave the car back to my Sister and Brother in Law (Rudy) this Sunday... a couple guys on here have been bugging me to do a build thread.

I'm not in the habit of showing my work... unless I'm using it in someone else's thread to help them... but I'm going to post this one anyway.

Backstory is --- they've had this car for 12+ years... it's an old drag race car and was built and raced in the '70's... and the work to make it a race car was less than stellar... Think "field stick welded" style. Well - after years of driving it, it needed a few things to make it safe to drive. The front end was shot... there were electrical issues... the rear end was leaf springs with bird cages - and the ladder bars where put on upside-down. The rear floors where covered in some kind of fiberglass and resin and screen. The ladder bars had beaten the rear floor pans to make their own clearance pockets... and the car generally rode like a lumber wagon.

The project - which started out to rebuild the front suspension - quickly went the way of most remodels... the old "well.. as long as we're here we might as well do X". That was driven by me not Rudy. I just can't stand to see something that needs to be touched - and not do it.

Remember while looking - that this is a complete freebie. My time - my dime. The car was a complete POS... and my goal was just to give it back to them in a cleaner - safer - road worthy version. Not a Roadster Shop SMOY version. I just wanted the thing to be a "decent" driver and function correctly.

The quicky list of what was done:

TCI sub
Slicked inner fenders
Slicked firewall
Rebuilt motor - a spare I had - long story because we ended up not using any of it... so a new 383 roller/stroker with great parts. 624 HP and 581 TQ @ 4000 rpms
New headers
New BowTie Overdrives Stage 3 700r4
New 2800 stall lock up converter
Bowler trans controller for the lockup
New driveline with 1350 joints
New Art Morrison Ford 9" with coil overs and panhard bar - 3:89 gears
New crossmember for ladder bars
New exhaust using 3" tubing and 14" Magnaflows
New Wilwood brakes and master
New Stainless Steel brake lines
New Recaro seats
New wiring
New stereo and amp and speakers
New dash and gauges
New column
New windshield - twice...
Patched floorpans as needed

I did all the work - including paint and bodywork as needed. We only worked on weekends when Rudy would come up from Portland to help. I felt he needed to be "part of" the project. AND I love him and love spending time doing car stuff together - which to me is the most important part of cars.


So it always starts like this....



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While at the Grand National Roadster show we saw a TCI sub at Barry Whites shop -- drove straight over to TCI to pester Evan.. and bought us a new sub! FABULOUS PIECE BTW....


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This is where the "while we're here" starts.... because I couldn't just leave the inners with big azz A arm holes... The sub comes with bolt in Aluminum close outs - but I'm not doing the bolt in version - but they were used as patterns! And that firewall - :wow: - Not leaving that messed up...



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The car had been severely punched in the nose at some point.... and the sub and firewall needed some serious work. I had to make a "shim" for the sub to bolt up... and the hole where the column comes through was mostly "S" shaped! Not flat...


So here's the usual pics of the DSE firewall flattener and TIG work... LOL



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AND the firewall was so THIN that the area where the master cylinder mounted was flexing.... so that got cut out and "fixedededed".


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My Plasma would BARELY cut the 1/2" plate I had left over from building my shop table... But we got there... Then I had to machine the "shim" down to .463 so it would fit perfectly when bolted up.



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Greg,

You appear to be very crafty. :unibrow:

Congrats on seein' it go over the curb. ;)


:thumbsup:

The firewall was an absolute MESS... and the inner fenders were equally hackeymotto'd....



Got the plate in for the steering column/master cylinder which really helped stiffen up the entire ordeal.




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ro/file-39.jpg




Then it was on to the inners.... were someone had made a hole using a punch and a drill bit!




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This^^ :thumbsup:


Jeff-

In the meantime -- the block and crank and Heads I had went over to the engine builder... turns out the block was already .060 over - so not using it for a blower motor build... the crank was cast... so not using it... and the rods were H beam cast pieces so not using them either.... so bought new block - forged crank - I beam rods - Mahle pistons - roller hydraulic - Used my Canfield 220cc aluminum heads and the T&D Machine rockers...




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Then it was on to the bodywork and paint....




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YES === I DO ALL MY OWN WORK..... and no that's not orange peel in the assembly photo - I just suck and quicky photography





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We decided the wiring et al needed to be trunk mounted - so I built a quicky little hinged rack for that stuff.... it's hidden behind a carpeted "wall" that he already had...And of course the entire car got rewired.


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UP UNDER THE DASH is now super clean....




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...ro/file-12.jpg





And he got a new dash --- TWICE --- because I accidentally caught the first new one on fire (using the plasma under the car - while leaving a moving pad inside the car when we were kneeling on it... OOPS! WTF?!?!?! What's that orange "glow".... oh -- that would be MAN MAKING FIRE!



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A little crispy wiring....




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Since I actually LIKE doing plumbing - you've all read the banter between Bent Fab and I... I'm sure... It got all new 3/16th SS lines...



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nice work there buddy, you need a full time job?? we got openings :thumbsup: