1968 Convertible from scratch
#1
1968 Convertible from scratch
This is a story about the events the changes and the eventual lead up to this project.
This all started as I was building a 1968 Camaro coupe. It was a running driving car when I bought it. Unfortunately I decided to add AC to the car and that seems simple enough. So I order the Vintage air kit and get ready to tackle the project. Removal of the inner fender is a must so removal of the front of the car begins. After getting everything off we discover the one nightmare to any Camaro owner. The torque boxes are rusted, the toe kick area is rusted and the lower tulip area is rusted, the inner rockers, the outer rockers etc. So I begin trying to get the problems fixed. This is where the wheels come off the bus. After trying to get local body shops to get estimates it looked like a failure to ever getting repairs made. So on too the internet I went searching for a car body I could put my part on. I found a really nice convertible that had been through a body shop and had all the basic body work done and NO RUST! I had the car shipped and figured I would use the parts off the coupe to get it going. Ha ha parts off a coupe don't fit a convertible. In the mean time trying to get everything organized I did find a guy that would make repairs to the coupe so oh boy I now have two Camaros to build. My wife loved this turn of events by the way. SO I ended up selling my 69 Pace car numbers matching mostly original to fund some projects. Fast forward a year later and the coupe has been sold and now on to the convertible. I ordered a Blueprint engine (having bought 3 I really liked them) this time I wanted a little more ponies under the hood and went Fuel injected 383 stroker. I decided on a 2004r transmission to get the cruise ability and eventually a 12 bolt with 3.73 gears is in my future. American auto wire harness kit and of course the vintage air kit that's leftover from my ill fated attempt to add air to the first car. A couple pictures to start things off and I will update this as time and money allow...
This all started as I was building a 1968 Camaro coupe. It was a running driving car when I bought it. Unfortunately I decided to add AC to the car and that seems simple enough. So I order the Vintage air kit and get ready to tackle the project. Removal of the inner fender is a must so removal of the front of the car begins. After getting everything off we discover the one nightmare to any Camaro owner. The torque boxes are rusted, the toe kick area is rusted and the lower tulip area is rusted, the inner rockers, the outer rockers etc. So I begin trying to get the problems fixed. This is where the wheels come off the bus. After trying to get local body shops to get estimates it looked like a failure to ever getting repairs made. So on too the internet I went searching for a car body I could put my part on. I found a really nice convertible that had been through a body shop and had all the basic body work done and NO RUST! I had the car shipped and figured I would use the parts off the coupe to get it going. Ha ha parts off a coupe don't fit a convertible. In the mean time trying to get everything organized I did find a guy that would make repairs to the coupe so oh boy I now have two Camaros to build. My wife loved this turn of events by the way. SO I ended up selling my 69 Pace car numbers matching mostly original to fund some projects. Fast forward a year later and the coupe has been sold and now on to the convertible. I ordered a Blueprint engine (having bought 3 I really liked them) this time I wanted a little more ponies under the hood and went Fuel injected 383 stroker. I decided on a 2004r transmission to get the cruise ability and eventually a 12 bolt with 3.73 gears is in my future. American auto wire harness kit and of course the vintage air kit that's leftover from my ill fated attempt to add air to the first car. A couple pictures to start things off and I will update this as time and money allow...
#3
Merry Christmas,, Progress so far front suspension is done and coil overs are in and serpentine pulley system is getting done. Later I pushed the loaded sub frame up to the body getting ready to bolt it back together.. I think of this point in the car, as a huge milestone to get the frame and engine trans back on the body..
Last edited by Icecobra; 12-30-2016 at 11:34 AM.
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