Get another 79 with a good body and take some stuff off yours,switch vins and tags. You can find a solid junker for around 500. It will take about 20 grand just to turn that into a junker.

 

I would agree about a new car but, it does have significant value to them. I guess I would begin with all of the structural stuff. Glass, Floors, suspension, etc.

 

How are the rear frame rails? If they are rusted through the car may be gone. It may be worth it just to get another parts car just to take what you need. Also get some tape and mark the wires from where you un hook them, if you dont know what it came from just mark both sides with letters. (A1 goes to A1) As for keepint the car that he had, there will be sooooo much sheet metal on it that it wouldn't be the same car. So it would be just the same as swaping body tags and vin plates. That would cut the cost of all the body guys and the swap can be done by you.
OOOPS, Thought that was 79 Berl, ..................He may be a Ford guy just tryin to see if we Camaro guys are crazy enough to fix up any camaro no matter what the cost.

 

well let me rephrase: How much would it cost minus the cost of a shell and the labor needed to install just the engine, tranny, and harness? I can basically instal just about everthing else. Am i missing anything?

 

What are you gona have a shop do? Are you doing the welding or is the shop going to do all that

 

how much if I junk this body and then just puit everything into another "shell" just the body I have eveything else its just the body is really messed up

 

If you get a good shell you should be able to do the whole swap your self in a few days at no cost. As far as paint it could be $400 to $4000, It's all in how nice you want it. If you need all new wires, I just found a 85 trans am that was in great shape (but hit in the rear) took out all the harnesses and put them in my 74. this saved me around $500. It's all the same just new wires for the computer.just get rid of the extra. How much do you have to put into the car? The first thing to do is find another car to work with and go from there.

 

How do i find out if my 79 berlinetta is a 305 or 350, its has a 4bbl carb, and i need to replace my valve cover gaskets, what would the torque specs be for that?

 

You better start a new thread, or your answers will be lost in this 5 yr. old thread!
Your engine has a milled boss in front of the pass. side head on the block. The suffix letters on that boss will tell what engine it is. Post the letters in a new thread and we can tell you what it is.
Valve covers just get good and snug. I've never torqued them to any spec. Just use a 1/4" nut driver to snug them down.

 

looks like you have your work cut out for you, but it will be worth it