67 Camaro SlowProgress ( Project in process)
I finally decided to start a build thread. Hoping it will keep me and others motivated, without slowing the build down even more. I will post it up in sections to try and get caught up to the current status over a few weeks and gradually add all the more recent photos and then try to keep up. There is some risk this will be one of those projects that drags out for a long time but I hope it can wrap up in the next two years so I can drive the car on its 50th birthday, a goal my son came up with.
Because some people won’t want to read the boring background story here is the top level plan so far. It will be a low end to mid-level build with most of the work done in my garage. Pretty good chance I will have the painting done by someone else, but I may take that one on as well.
Typical DSE stuff - Quadralink out back with rear swaybar
- Mini tubs
- Weld in subframe connectors
- Hydraulic clutch bracket and clutch master
- Firewall fill plate
- Hydraulic booster
- Wiper kit (TBD)
Narrow the stock 12 bolt with 3.9 gears- Wavetrac 3-series differential
- 9-Inch Torino Ends
- Moser cover and 35 spline axles
T-56 Magnum (wide ratio with .5 final drive)
Ride Tech True Turn in front (I am still sentimental about the stock front clip)
Ride Tech muscle bar
Rushforth Livewires all around- 12 x 19s in the rear (6.0” B.S)
- 10 x 18s in the front (5.75” B.S)
Michelin Pilot Sports - 325/19-30s Rear
- 275/18-35s Front
Baer 6P Calipers, Nickel finish with 14 –inch rotors
Engine – LS7 ( 75% sure at this point)- Dirty Dingo mounts
- Hidden coil brackets
- Drive by wire (TBD)
Paint color – Not 100% sure yet but probably will paint it similar to the high school red color
Interior will be mostly stock because it is just fun that way.
Probably will upgrade the seats a little using TMI kits or something similar (may do leather?)
Open still and looking around to finish final plans- Stainless headers ( haven’t decided which ones yet)
- Stainless 3-inch exhaust with cross-over ( probably will build myself)
- Mufflers are TBD at this point
- Fuel tank with integral pump (still undecided whether to buy, or build from Vaporworx parts)
Recent History
It all got started when I met Jason Rushforth at Goodguys to talk about wheels and he and I collaborated on a simple rendering. I was sure I wanted to use his wheels and it was fun to see how the car will look when finished. I was sort of stuck on how to proceed and going through the rendering process created a good starting point and really got me going with ordering some parts, starting with the Livewires. For now it will be belly-button “Camaro Red” because it has always been that way. Here is the rendering.
I have been waiting (lurking) and learning on this site for a few years now. This 67 was bought used as my first car in 1978 for $800. It was faded purple with side pipes and pretty cheesy Z-28 strips in white. The body filler was flaking in spots and it was pretty clear the fenders and tail panel had been whacked and the right quarter had been replaced using some sort of primitive chisels and clubs and about 20 lbs of brazing rod. My parents were pretty sure I had been taken but it was a typical Southwest solid body car which was great, even though it was pretty worn for an 11 year old car ! It also came with the bonus of about 300 Coors pull tabs under the seat and a couple recreational pharmaceuticals still in the ash tray.
I saved parts up under my bed to build up a decent iron 12:1 compression 427 with a big solid cam. Coupled with some 4.56 gears out back, it was always a blast to drive. Gosh I have no idea how many times I fished through the gears with the original wide ratio Muncie transmission. Working at the local Firestone I managed to save up my nickels for some used Keystone Classics and finally a quickie paint job from a local painter.
I polished up the chrome and got all the electrical circuits working and drove it daily for several years, hauling friends around and cruising Fridays and Saturdays around the local Sonic drive-in (those are great memories). I added some skinny Centerlines up front and always intended to take it to the strip but never really had the time or money to do that.
Eventually I went back to school, got married, had a son and life changed directions. For some reason I hung onto the car, always intending to repaint in and leave the rest more-or less alone.
In the early 90’s, just before my son was born, I took it all apart and freshened the engine painted the bottom, firewall, sub-frame, door interiors, dash, door jams and trunk edges preparing for the final bodywork. The paint was shot and peeling on the outside by that time.
I sold the original fenders which were rusted in spots and full of lead in the fender lip area and stuck on some reproduction fenders (more on that later). It sat for a while when my son was born and having recently moved to Arizona I found out the cruel intentions of the state to force emissions on my old hotrod.
Putting it through emissions was a trick at best. By the time I got it tuned to pass the yearly emissions test the engine would barely turn the dyno rollers and was seriously intimidating to the emission technicians who had never driven a lean, high compression 427 that would buck and spit fire out the carburetor at times. The yearly emissions grind, oppressive Summer temperatures and working to pay off the house meant the Camaro sort of just sat in the garage most of the time, fun to drive but a hassle at the same time.
I occasionally drove it around in the cool mornings to keep the fluids circulating, but the more frequent downtime meant there was always a dry seal, leaking carburetor needle and seat, dead pump, low tire, or broken switch that got in the way of a really fun cruise, not to mention the blast furnace air that would lead to boil-overs. This engine always ran hot and I never did really figure out why. I was having fun taking it to the drag strip occasionally and did manage to get it down around 12.40s at 114 MPH, nothing stellar but fun at the same time. Problem was I still had to drive around with skinny tires and a less than road-friendly 12:1 compression engine.
Around 2008 I started looking on the Interweb for cool ways to have fun with an old Camaro. That’s about the time I came across the Pro-Touring and Lat-g websites. I really liked what was happening with the old musclecars, improving their handling and driving them looked way better than having a garage blockage. I wasn’t sure I wanted to cut up a perfectly good 67 to perform all these handling mods but I decided to start on the body repairs while the ideas sort of percolated a bit. I really liked all the wide tires and low stance of the g-machines. Of course there is no way I am going to spend $4000 on wheels. Guys that do that must be crazy (more on that later).
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
SlowProgress Project Introduction
It's like a ball of yarn unwinding, that has no end... Author DKz Garage
Hybrid Mode
