I know there is limit of how many pictures to post. So I might have to make several posts under this thread to get them in there. Any ways, here is my new progect. 69 coupe, my kid was diggin through the glove box nd found an old SS badge. Perhaps the PO was going to make it a clone, or even better maybe it was an SS......I know, I know there are ways to tell, cowl tg and ll..... but what if the cowl tag and the VIN and the PO registrtion and the motor and a different PO's insurnce card are ll in the car and they are ALL DIFFERENT? Any ways, redundant question. I am goint to do a "custom one-off restoration". I will see how it looks when I am done and decide if there will be any badges at all, besides the Camaro ones. So here are some pictures of the before.

lets try the pics again. Notice the dash vin and cowl vin are different.Interesting....

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some more. This is the new carb and air breather. The carb is an edelbrock 700, the block is like 289 or something, I have a 327 going in later so the 700 will transfer to it. I had to drill out the throttle linkage to make the bar fit. Its a two piece bar so it was origionally built for a big block, the car that is.

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On to the body. Mind you this is how I got it. The only work so far is the intake. I would like the breaks to work so I can at least drive around the block. Here are some very nice very smooth streight lines. hahahahaha

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Here are the brakes. Front drums, so I know it wasnt/isnt an SS or Z28. booo. I hve the front disk conversion kit for it. The brakes are first on the list.

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I think I am getting the hang of this picture posting thing. This is some rust. My wife does not quiiiiite understand that I need a new quarterpanel-hood-complete-rockers-inside-and-out-other-quarter-trunk-and-inner-wheel-wells. so you might be looking at pictures of my new home as well,once she sees the bill for the parts.

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So thats all for now. My works keeps me at odd hours so I won't be able to do much work for few days. I might post some more 'before' pics. I will also have during ones as well.

Some really nice before pictures that you have posted and in return will give the rest of us a good idea of what you have done with your project car !!

Make sure that you keep the pictures coming !!!!

I am sure that if you have any questions , I know of some guys on here that are pretty good with answering them !!!

Good luck on your project car bro !!!!!!!

in stead of posting the pics on here, just open a yahoo photo account (its free) put all your pics there then post the link here and then we can see all the pics of the progress like this
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/firebird69racer/album/576460762361076518

ORIGINAL: cplthomas

lets try the pics again. Notice the dash vin and cowl vin are different.Interesting....




That is because one vin is for the whole car (the one on the dash) and the one on the cowl is for the Fisher Body. There are a few other places you will find the vin stamped on the car, one is under the cowl, and one under the heater blower cover, there are probly more but I only remember these two.
from the looks of the heater cover it looks like it is a SB car not a BB car

12437 is a Sport Coupe. Fun car but no SS. Also the second code is for the Fisher Body.

After researching the numbers I have found some things out. True, the cowl tag and vin are different because the reasons stated above. Thanks for the info guys, I wasn't entirely sure about it so I looked it up.As far as the 12437 thing, I couldnt find anything special about the SS that would have something different than that at the beginning, no worries, this is all a learning process for me anyways. I know its not an SS.And I don't really plan on cloning it (although I have entertained the thought). I wish there were a way to contact all of the PO's and ask about the mods they made. For exmple the 2 piece bar for the throttle, all I could find told me that it is the design for a BB, then I get that the heater box indicates its a SB, either way - its mine and I am happy with it and just look forward to getting it on the road and then really starting in on it in the spring.

More pictures to come - I really had fun with the breaks today. Who needs rear breaks anyways, I will just have really cool and easy burnouts!!

This is going to be a real treat. I think its a 3 speed, not sure, need to look it up and check. I posted this on another thread, I will put it here too. This is the shifter on the floor and the old shifter on the column. If I rotate the column piece the car will be able to start, lights work and all if not, I get nuthing. The one on the floor is the buisness end, until I get the breaks working I wont know for sure what how many gers I have, I found reverse and forward though. To get the reverse light on I need to flip this toggle switch on the dash. neat. Oh by the way, its an automatic now, I don't know yet if it always has been. I found a throwout bearing in a box that came with the car so who knows?

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like I said in your other post, take some pics of the trans pan and we can tell what trans it is

If you are planning on doing a real thorough restoration on it you probably want to go ahead and drop the transmission out of it. Maybe not rebuild it before you drive it but it least give it a good wash in mineral spirits. If you do take it out send us a picture of it and we'll see if we can tell you what it is.

As for the restoration. I dont see one, a complete one in this cars future. If I find a numbers matching car later on I will do that one up. This one will be just a custom. Mild engine, hood etc... I will keep this a father son(s) project for now, its our first so I know it won't be as high speed as one done with more experiance. Onto the project.... the brake lights were inop, I was thinking it was the master cylinder so I checked and rechecked it, here isa pic. There are no rear brakes (for now) I have the disk conversion for the fronts, those cylinders will go to the back if they are still servicable. Also the carp/choke. The car never came with electronic choke, at least not that I could find. Edelbrock says to wire 'open' the choke by clamping a 'hard' piece of wire to the choke link, so I did. Now I have to find a power source to give it juice so I could remove the wire clamp.

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So I got the new hood, radiator brace, both quarters and roof today. happy dance time. I put the new hood on, the rest will come with time, remember this is going to be my daily till spring when I dont need the heat and can go back to the 73 super beetle I tool around in. Anyways, here is old and new hood. The lines arent as streight as I want, I am going to make adjustments and go around the block a few times, you know rev the engine, scare some old ladies....

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Very nice! Looking good! Always good to see a Classic back in the game! :D

Yippie, took it for a drive.... I was thinking 'looks stock - hauls ass' and now I am thinking 'looks ass - hauls stock' I sprung some kind of oil leak, not alot, well depend on what you conside lot. My VW leaks oil but that is to be expected, there is a certain amount of acceptable leakage there, but with this.... oh no, not this much. Its in the vacinity of the mech fuel pump. There wasa fuel pump block off thing in the glove box, maybe the PO knew something that I am soon to be finding out. So it might bea while before I get an update on this. And it might be before spring when I strt the whole thing.

how did you make out with the gaps between fender and door ,have you fixed it yet? if you did,what was the problem?

The gaps are still there, I havent really gotten to them yet. I think when they were hung it was done hastily and just kind of 'there', I quickly looked at them when I put the hood on. I was more into the hood than the fenders to be honest, and the kids were stoked about it too. I think I saw what was some kind of shim that would create the gap. So I will get a better look at them in the morning when I have more time.I am thinking hat when I get to all the other sheet metal I will havea better chance on concentrating on the body as a whole then.

So I am trying to figure out this oil leak thing right? I get out the grease remover snot stuff, spray it all over the engine, get out the pressure washer, spray it all over the engine, let it dry, wipe it off, and fire it up..... no more leak, yay. I bring it up to about 2000 rpm and let it sit there fora sec, and crawl under. I start looking around and remember that I should have some kind of eye protection.... what would remind you of that you may be asking...... OIL, thats what!! In my eyes, in my ears. Doesn't smell or taste very pleasant. This stuff is just flying off the harmonic ballancer, it waited untill the instant I got under there to start flowing. So I am thinking front main right? Well, I turn it off and crawl back under. Sure enough there is a fresh drizzle of oil coming from the area around the front mainAND there are two nice nead puddles of oil at the rear of the engine, so I am thinking also the rear seal is shot as well. If it was one or the other that would be easy enought to fix, couple of hours bada-boom bada-bing done. Nope. I am sure that when I pull the pan off I will find nice pretty shiny flakes of bearings floating all throghout the plumbing. I am thinking the balancer is warped, causing the crank to vibrate, causing the journals to tweak, causing the bearings to wear, causing the front and rear mains to die, causing my driveway to need cleaning, causing my wife to wonder why I would washa cement block that is outside and is driven on all the timeand not clean the shower after I am done once in a damn while, causing me to sleep in the car.
So now the car (mobile home built in 1969 strangely resembling a Camaro) is in the garage, on stands and ready for open heart surgery when I get off in the morning, weather (and wife) permitting. Its looking more and more like the car will be there a while, I may just go with rebuilding the 327 instead of fixing the engine thats in the car now, it might be cheaper. I dont know if this is how everyones 'restoration' or 'modification' project goes, but its how mine is going. Maybe this is how they get started though. lol

This may be uncool of me, I found a 350 for sale, would be perfect for this project. The seller has somebody coming buy to look at it today, I cant get to it till the middle of the month. I am cool with the thought of the owner selling it to somebody else, first come first served, no fault there at all however, to the person going over to look at it tonight, in the PA area, if you buy it I will kill you. JUST KIDDING. I will be sad, but life goes on.

HA, Nobody dies. I got the 350 today. Pics soon....... just an update.

ok now I'm up to date, I missed this whole thread. looks like you have some work to do. It may take years but in the end you will love it like no other. I bet you love the 4 day weekends.

me to I missed the whole thing. where have I been? have fun!

Love the 4 days. In my MOS I dont get many though. It is spring time now and my 'other' projects are mostly done. I have a 94 pathfinder that need an inner frame weld and some front end stuff put back on. The Superbeetle is done except for paint now. So its time to re-arange the garage and get started on the Camaro. I have a new roof and rear quarters that are going on, the old stuff has to come off first. Headliner and foam, inner fender wells, trunk floor, 700r4 is replacing whatever is there now, running boards; inner and outer and the list goes on, I should be able to teat drive it by the end of summer and then depending on the weather I could have it in paint by fall/winter.

ORIGINAL: cplthomas

This may be uncool of me, I found a 350 for sale, would be perfect for this project. The seller has somebody coming buy to look at it today, I cant get to it till the middle of the month. I am cool with the thought of the owner selling it to somebody else, first come first served, no fault there at all however, to the person going over to look at it tonight, in the PA area, if you buy it I will kill you. JUST KIDDING. I will be sad, but life goes on.


what u looking for a 350? I think I have one.

I got one from another CF member, fasted. Good guy. I had to drive very far to get it though. Its still exactly where I put it the day I got it home, on the floor in the garage. I am wondering if the double hump heads from the 327 will fit it.

I have a problem. What to do first. I have a motor to install. I was going to leave it for untill I was done with all the body work. here is my problem. Do I drop the motor in and drive it (body is fine for now, just different color stuff) for the summer and do the project in the fall/winter. Or do I do the body work now, I have both rear quarters(full) and a new roof to weld into place. Any thoughts?

drive it no matter what it looks like. I had a fresh total rebuilt well running motor in my cutlass, but didnt drive it cuz it needed some paint bad. By the time I got it painted and lookin good, the wires were corroder,the distrib was gone and the new starter was fried due to headers and idle heat..and the tires dry rotted. So with a little over 4 grand in all the stuff needed for paint, when it came time to drive it was no good. So i would say Drive it as much as you can and make it pretty as you go......anything to get away from the bug.

I am just wondering if it would make sence to put all that work into the motor just to remove it again to get all the other work done.

Yes it would be. you'll have the fenders and front clip off, I'm sure. At that time pullin the motor will be cake...if you have a cherry picker.

yes I know from first hand pull the clip

yes they will fit,i have a set of fuelly heads too with the bolt holes,ported smooth all set-up with new stainless valves and they are dated as a matching pair(very rare from what im told).....i had them on my camaro back when it was going 12.4....11 to 1 keith black and a solid cam and fuelly heads/double hump....they now sit in my closet in bags,oiled...those heads work great..

ORIGINAL: dont*buy*from*tamraz

yes they will fit,i have a set of fuelly heads too with the bolt holes,ported smooth all set-up with new stainless valves and they are dated as a matching pair(very rare from what im told).....i had them on my camaro back when it was going 12.4....11 to 1 keith black and a solid cam and fuelly heads/double hump....they now sit in my closet in bags,oiled...those heads work great..


You mean the double hump heads from the 327 to fit the 350?

clp I see u need new floors are u gonna order a whole new peice or what?

The car came with both floor pans (full) and a trunk pan. I just need time now, the weather is perfect for working on cars here. At work we are people short so all the 'supervisors' have to work extra to give the 'less rank' guys more time off.

I have a trunk pan if u know anyone who is looking for one

Are you doing most of the body yourself or having a shop do some?

He would save money by buyin a welder like yours and reading the book, but I'll bet the shop is going to do it. Tell him how much fun it is to do your self. My question is, how hard do you think it would be to cut off the rear frame rails and weld in those pre fab rails that I showed you? Do you think the welder you have can handle the job?

Maybe I should update this soon, perhaps some pics are in order.

The shop that is putting the back half on the car is gonna do it and paint it all.

Whare are they? How much? I am getting antsy and dont think I want to wait as long as it would take to do it all myself

bmore!

Thats what I was afraid you were gonna say. Its almost too far for me. The only thing I got going for me is that I am in the Army and there is a ton of guys here that work on cars. So between them and Me, I should be good.

What do you want done to the rear?

yea its about an hour and half from me.

Yeah, same time and distance here, pretty much. I just figgure, it will take me a bit longer but, will be cheaper when its done.

where are the pics?

I though it would be a good time to at least give an update. As some of you may know, I am in the Army and dont always get time to work on the ride. Now my schedule is changing and hopefully I will have more time to get to it. I would deffinately like to take advantage of the nice weather.

I removed the front clip yesterday. A bunch of rust under the battery tray. I have a new rad support so I can trash the old one. I am trying to get the pics loaded but having some issues. I will try again later.

Here is the front end off.

More pics to come later.

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it's good to see it's coming along man:D

Looks like your geeting it together. Looks great. I'm a Marine so I feel your Pain. I have a 68 and never enough tme to work on it.i live for the long weekends! LOL. Two questions though... I see you have 8" rallys on the front? Whats size are the front tires? I put 225 60s on mine but they still rub. Also I saw you had some aluminum valve covers on the original engine that was in the car. Are you willing to part with them. Mine came with some cheap chrome from Wally World. Plus I hate chrome on a engine.sorry bout the lettering I don't know what button I hit. Thanks Shaun

The valve covers are edelbrock finned. They are on top of double hump heads, I have a 350 to go in the car. I am goin to see how the heads work on the 350, if I can I would like to keep them, if however, the heads dont fit I wouldn't have a problem parting with them. I will let you know and we can work out some kind of deal.

Thanks. just shoot me an e-mail, Shaun

UPDATE!!!!!

i dont know a whole lot bout old cars but isnt there a vin/ model stamp on the glove box??

Maybe on some older cars/trucks, but not the first gen camaros.

Here is my 2 year old Sam. Helpin out today.

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That's great.......get him started early....lol

Here are some more:

This is the dash to window piece. Nuce huh. All that rust. great.

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Here arethe heads. Any one know for sure if these are truly double hump. Just by looking at them.

unfortuneatly it looks like your going to be replacing more panels the more you get into it..
seems this is how it always goes.

I have to agree. I just keep finding more and more rust as I go. Most of it is cosmetic so it's not as bad as it could be. I haven't gotten discouraged yet so thats a good thing.

sounds kind of like my neighbors 68. helped him get that thing up and running about a week ago. (carb was junk, found out a cinder block fell on it.)

Here is the rear. I wonder what its called if its missing a bolt.

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11 bolt

So have you made any progress on your car as of lately?

Nope. Sad to say it is on hold till I get back from Germany. 2+ years away.

when did u leave for german?

I report there 10 Jan. So for a couple of weeks I wont even be able to log on to any computer, let alone any forum. I will probably disapear from the radar on the 9th of Jan.

damn how long u leaving for?

Are you stationed there for a few years?

just give me the car

I know it's prolly too late to catch you before you leave but best of luck!

It was canceled I think. Did you have the surgery on your shoulder?

Yes to both. I Had the surgery on the 11th, they went in and shaved a bone spur and replaired the torn ligament. O.U.C.H!
The orders for germany were deleted, so now I am in kind of a limbo, they Army could send my anywhere now, its just a metter of time. Hopefully they will wait another year though. So, once the arm is healed and I finish my wifes car I can get back on the Camaro.

so what kind of a car are you doing for her? Not sure I read before is you mentioned it.

Man I didn't read that... All I have to say though is DO YOUR THERAPY... My wife is an OT and she treated shoulders a lot when we were in Alaska. That stuff works so listen to what they say and follow thier directions...

I thought I would put in a quick update. A guy at work has an uncle who works on cars. He is a retired mechanic and does this as a hobby. So I asked if he welds, he does. I asked if he does body work, he does. So we call him, I explain the deal, that I have the quarters and runners and roof and everything. He says he can do it in about a month and a half or so. When I asked him what we were looking at as far as cost he said ' I dont really need the money, thats not why I do itand I like doing these things, so how does six ....... oh maybe six hundred fifty sound?"

I said, I'll think about it.

Rotf!!! How cool.

Man you are lucky... I wish I had a contact like that... I have put well more than $650 in labor hours into my car so far and I still have NOTHING!!!! I wouldn't have even thought about it...

The whole things seems slightly skecthy, you know, if someone is willing to do this job for under a grand I only have to think what kind of quality I will be getting. I know I dont want anything like a show car - this will be for me. But I just want to make sure all the common rust areas are properly covered. I am still thinking about it.

Yeah I guess you are right... Iam probably a little niave, but then again if he does it because he likes it then that might be all that I would need... That and see some of his other work... but yeah, I should probably be more suspicious...