Hi all,

I've just acquired a 67 RS in good shape, and I believe it is a 'numbers matching' vehicle to boot.

I've scanned all the web sites that help you decode trim tags, VINs, block casting numbers, etc. It appears my car was built in July of 68 (7th month of model year, where model year runs something like October -> September). That seems to explain why my block has only an 'assembly code' but not a partial vin on the pad in front of the passenger side head. The motor is a base 327. Note, the one odd thing I see is that I have the 'camel hump'/'fuelie' heads on this thing. Doesn't seem like that would have been stock heads for a 67 'base v8'.

It also appears that everything but the hood is original (original interior, center console, 2 speed powerglide, fold-down rear seat, etc.) That was a pretty cool discovery to me cause the guy that sold it needed the cash, and didn't know alot about the particulars on the car. I'm the 4th owner.

Anyway, the body is basically clean, but the motor and tranny need some work. I bought this car to make a hot-rod out of it, and considered getting a crate motor or building a 400+ HP motor on my own. However, my choices are now complicated some by having all the original bits for the car.

I've started down the path of:

- Remove the original 327 (done) and just set it aside
- Build a new motor (just starting, got a late-model 880 block)
- Replace the tranny (keeping the 2 speed PG aside) with a Tremec T600 5 speed manual with overdrive).
- Basic body undercoating/paint/interior to keep the original look.

I'm a bit worried at doing anything that I can't quickly undo (like I can just rebuild and throw the original 327 back in) if I want to sell the car down the road.

Can anyone tell me if doing things like powdercoating the subframe would adversely effect the value of the car?

Thanks, and look forward to talking with some of you as I restore this thing,

Mitch

 

protective actions like coating/painting the frame and other like areas would imo make it worth more. as long as u save the stock parts i would think u could get a price close or more than if the parts were in the car. u got a real find there, count ur lucky stars. have u done an intro on the new members page. welcome to the forum. enjoy.

 

Thanks Craby!

Yea, I posted an intro thread in the welcome area. I was really pleased to find that the car had so much original stuff in it. It'll be fun to have a hot-rod motor in it and have it still look original.

Mitch

 

there are several guys on here that have some awesome looking 1st gens, they will have loads of info for anything you want to do to it. Powder coating in my opinion would only improve the value. Good luck and post up some more pics of it...

 

The only way powder coating the frame would hurt the value of this car is if you where going for a complete, true restoration. In competition a powder coated frame would be laugh out of a show. Most judges not only verify the frame paint is correct but they look for common scratch area that where put there during the manufacturing process.

But after saying that to convert any “driver” car to this level of a show car would require the frame be stripped and redone regardless of how or what you are repainted it with. Anyone thinking about building a show car knows this.

You are doing it right. The only thing I would add is create a photo album as you remove the original parts. Bag and tag and photo every part. Anything to shows a future owner this car was/is the real deal. There are a lot of games being played with these first gens I think there are more all original numbers matching RS/SS today then there was in 1980.

 

Thanks guys!

I'm thinking to powder coat the subframe and A-arms the same color as the exterior (likely the red you see in the photos), and have the front wheel well flanges, grill frame, firewall in semi-gloss black.

I've taken photos of the motor and tranny as they were removed to document this process, and will do the same with the subframe and the rest of the restore process.

Mitch

 

Got the subframe out and the a-arms off it. Didn't have a spring compressor that would work, so took the subframe out with the arms/springs still on it. Big mistake. It was a pain working on those arms while the frame was on the floor. When I finally did get a spring compressor that worked, I got the first side off OK, but the thing slipped off the second side as I was taking it off after removal from the frame. BANG!! Luckily I had the sense to not stand in front or behind it, and no damage was done. Finally got it ready (almost) for powder coating.

Next, I started looking for gauges. My car came with a speedo and fuel gauge but no tach/etc. I'm putting a custom built hotrod motor in it, so need the tach. I found a reproduction console gauge package and reproduction 327 tach (5000 redline). Wow! They are pricey, at $320, and $230 respectively. Anyone got a bead on a better deal for these?

Finally, I ordered new weather stripping, and a disc brake conversion kit from ss396.com. I also ordered a Tremec TKO 6000 manual tranny conversion kit. I oughta have about 35 grand in this thing by now.

It's gonna be beautiful though. I can't wait.

 

Nice ride Mitch! Looks like a heluva project you got there. By the sounds of it though, you should have quite a show car when you're done. Definitely hold on to those old parts. They are only gaining value sitting around, especially if you have the car they belong on. $35k invested already is a lot of dough brother! If you're in the spending mood, should I bring mine over for a fresh paint job too? lol Good luck to ya and keep the posts coming!

 

i read on some other camaro site that you had to cut the tunnel and reweld for the tremec to fit in a 1st gen?? maybe i misread

 

On a first gen Camaro, an out-of-the-box TKO will fit in the factory tunnel just fine. If the car was a floor-shifted manual trans car, you would only have to trim the shifter opening on the passenger side of the hole, and possibly at the rear of the hole on a 67 model (some if not all 67 models had the shifter further forward than the 68-69 cars). This car being an original Powerglide car, you just create an opening for the TKO shifter to come through as-is.

However, an out-of-the-box TKO shifter is on the centerline of the transmission, and the original Camaro shifter was offset towards the driver a small amount. If you are going to use the factory PG console with the TKO, you need to get the four-speed top plate to put in it, but the on-center TKO shifter will make the shift handle hit the edge of the console top plate in fifth and reverse. You can get an aftermarket offset shifter that will correct this, or Keisler Engineering has a TKO kit with a modified transmission that puts the shifter in the correct place.

At any rate, there isn't any major cutting and NO welding required. Chevelles and Novas require cutting and welding in new pieces to get the TKO in, but the Camaro tunnel is much larger.