56 Cameo Science Project

[dhutton]

I don’t normally post my stuff on this forum but thought it might give some ideas to like minded backyard hacks working on a tight retiree budget.

I bought this Cameo on eBay back in 2018. It was rough but had all the rare cameo parts.

Don

[jarhead]

Looking forward to this Don, I have had a "thing" for these since I was a kid.

[dhutton]

Once I had it home I started digging around to decide how I wanted to build it. My 69 Camaro has an Art Morrison IRS and I am a big fan of IRS.

I started looking at AJ’s Camaro and thinking if I could do something similar. I also came across Todd’s 59 Apache build but that chassis option was beyond my budget.

Then I came across the adaptors made by Dobbertin Performance. Some quick measurements showed that I could fit full width C5/6 cradles between the stock Cameo frame rails with some slight tweaks. I ordered them and started looking for a donor. I found a C5 roller on Craigslist and closed the deal for $1500. Only thing missing was the engine, all the rest was there.

[dhutton]

The Cameo was tore down and with a quick mock-up I determined the torque tube needed to be stretched by roughly 12 inches. I moved the front wheels forward a skooch to better center them in the fender.

I sent the torque tube off to Gamel Street Rods and they turned it around quickly for a reasonable price.

I also picked up a “low mile” LS6 on eBay to complete the drivetrain.

Progressive Automotive sells a frame brace and frame boxing kit and I installed them on the frame along with their brake pedal and master setup.

The adaptors are quite wide and there really isn’t a lot of room left to integrate them into the frame so the fabrication isn’t as elegant as I would like but it’s heavily braced and fishplated.

Final frame with drivetrain installed. The only non OEM Corvette parts are the Ridetech shocks. Springs, sway bars, rack etc are all C5. The C5 motor mounts and batwing oil pan are also used. I also found a used C5 Corsa exhaust system that I will use with extended tail pipes. Looking forward to that Corsa sound.

[dhutton]

With that done I turned to the body which needed rust repair in the lower cowls, floor and kick panels. The cab corners were actually solid. The fenders needed dog legs and eyebrows.

I blasted all the undersides etc and everything received two good coats of my favorite SPI epoxy. Underside surfaces were also sprayed with SEM bedliner.

[dhutton]

This project was done over the past four years with roughly two months per year so things were sometimes done to facilitate moth balling.

With all the parts in poly primer I assembled it for storage. I was targeting a 5” rocker height, same as a Corvette. I think it’s close.

[dhutton]

This February I dragged it out of storage and dove into the body work. I have to admit the amount of effort that went into getting decent gaps and reasonably straight panels was far more than I anticipated. The fiberglass bedsides took an enormous amount of work to get straight.

You can see the small minitubs I added to allow a 285 tire on a stock C6 wheel. The bed is also raised four inches to accommodate the suspension.

[dhutton]

With everything in final primer it was time to shoot some color. I went with a black bed and red body using the stock Cameo paint divisions. SPI paint, my favorite, of course.

The bed wood is cheap yellow pine and was sealed with epoxy and then I applied six coats of SPI black single stage which was then cut and buffed. I told my wife I was shooting for a piano finish. Close, but no cigar….

The bed sides were painted with SPI red which is a version of Viper Red.

The bed was then assembled. Cameo pickups use retractor cables and tailgate latches instead of the usual chains and hooks.

[dhutton]

With the bed done I turned to the cab and front end. More SPI red and a little black around the rear glass and door glass.

[dhutton]

After a cut and buff it was time for assembly. I also picked up some nice used stock C6 wheels and fitted them with some Falken Azenis tires. I am limited to high offset Corvette wheels but I am happy to give up a little wheel lip for this package.