'69 Camaro Temper

[CamaroAJ]

I finished up the driver frame rail finally. After that I started working on the close out panels for the fuel tank areas. Factory Corvettes are finished off with seam sealer around all the gaps. I'm thinking I'll make the gaps tighter then seam seal everything after it gets back from the blaster and I weld the panels on.



I also got pictures on the Camaro after soda blasting and sealer.



Still a lot to do before I take the frame in to get blasted. Hoping to have it done in the next few weeks.

[CamaroAJ]

I finished up the fuel tank close out panels and decided to keep them like the stock corvette stuff was, spot welds and seam sealer. Once it's all welded in the car no one will see any of it and then it will be coated in lizard skin to kill sound. I made the passenger panel from scratch and ordered a 1/2" bead to match the driver side. Didn't get to work on the car this weekend, but it's getting closer to sending out to the blaster.

[Mikael A]

Man that is sure one nice and clean body.

[CamaroAJ]

Originally Posted by Mikael A

Man that is sure one nice and clean body.

White always makes things look good.

[Chevelle LT1]

Hi AJ -

I have enjoyed following the tales of your car, originally on P-T and now over here, and appreciate you posting up the many twists and turns. Admittedly your current plan has me thinking about a Cougar project I have sitting in the garage. Since I would love to do the same as you, but am also width constrained, I'd like to confirm your process for this: best I can tell you are just cutting off the outboard rails as needed and then reducing the width to fit the new rails that install at the rockers? Also, outside of the fuel tank end caps and the obvious suspension width have you run into any other unforeseen challenges?

I appreciate your feedback, and have definitely got the bug after seeing this thread.

Thanks again

~ Jason

[CamaroAJ]

Originally Posted by Chevelle LT1

Hi AJ -

I have enjoyed following the tales of your car, originally on P-T and now over here, and appreciate you posting up the many twists and turns. Admittedly your current plan has me thinking about a Cougar project I have sitting in the garage. Since I would love to do the same as you, but am also width constrained, I'd like to confirm your process for this: best I can tell you are just cutting off the outboard rails as needed and then reducing the width to fit the new rails that install at the rockers? Also, outside of the fuel tank end caps and the obvious suspension width have you run into any other unforeseen challenges?

I appreciate your feedback, and have definitely got the bug after seeing this thread.

Thanks again

~ Jason

The only reason I don't have a thread on PT is because I do everything from my iPad and I haven't figured out how to get the pictures to post on there from it, so I gave up.

Let me start with this, I dropped the frame off at the blaster on Friday. I'm hoping to have it back this week and start to put the frame into the car Friday night and get it locked in on Saturday. You'll have to keep an eye on the thread to see how things fit because I'll be finding out how they will at the same time. I'll post an update maybe tonight of where I'm at with things.

So the outer frame rails are kinda easy to explain. The width of the vette frame was something like 62" outside to outside and if you measure the lower pinch weld where the floor pan meets the rockers its only 47" wide. I did a lot of measuring and found that where the inner rocker meets the outer rocker on the top side is roughly 53" and is the same width as the inside frame rail to inside frame rail on the vette. I came to the conclusion that I could keep all the factory body lines if I was able to narrow the vette frame rails down to 57" outside to outside. That gave me the 53" inside to inside that fits inside the Camaro outer rockers. I did to a lot of cutting to the rockers at the front and rear, which will all be welded to the new frame rails.

I did go from a little over 5" thick frame rail down to a 3" frame rail. I think that with how thick the metal on the Camaro outer rocker is added to the 2x3" .125 thick frame rail on a unibody car I think I'm going to be just as strong if not stronger than the C5 frame alone. Then add the cage I plan on putting in it and I should be more than good. Also since I didn't need to narrow the insides of the frame rails I'm able to retain the C5 fuel system with just a fuel filler relocation. I'm planning on running a "T" in the cross over pipe to the fuel fill cap.

There is only so much I can measure without the two parts side by side. I know I'm close enough width wise between the two to cut this all apart and try it though. The thing I have going for me is the over all width of a 1969 Camaro is 74" and a C5 Z06 is 73.8" or something close to that. So I "Should" be able to be really close with a custom offset wheel and minor body mods. I'll know really soon how much of a body mod I'm going to need.

[WSSix]

You're coming along nicely, AJ. The updated rendering is nice. I'm glad you're keeping the exposed headlights. It just looks right. I think the hidden lights would look like something's missing. The blue is what really has me stoked. I hope you're able to get the blue to pop like that in real life. Good luck putting the body on the frame.

[CamaroAJ]

Originally Posted by WSSix

You're coming along nicely, AJ. The updated rendering is nice. I'm glad you're keeping the exposed headlights. It just looks right. I think the hidden lights would look like something's missing. The blue is what really has me stoked. I hope you're able to get the blue to pop like that in real life. Good luck putting the body on the frame.

Thanks. The blue is easy, it's a factory GM C5 vette color that I know everyone's seen before and I've always liked. I like the open headlights on '69's myself too. Plus I'm looking to save weight so that helps.

[waynieZ]

It's looking really good AJ, I'll be watching for your next update. Nice work on the close outs.

[Chevelle LT1]

Many thanks for the reply and more detailed description. I think this will also be the plan of attack for my ride, and (preemptively) thank you for any additional information not you post through your project.

Jason