Here are some pictures of my new 78 camaro. Paid $700 and drove it home. I'm a little short on the pictures, it's been raining all morning. I jumped on the first chance I could get when I saw a break in the rain. I'll get more pics up either later today or tomorrow. Please bare with me.

Once I ripped the inside out I found a few problems with the body that I wasn't expecting. Driver and passenger floorboards are rusted out. Back passenger floorboard rusted out. Other than that the inside is solid. A little bump in the road for sure. (pics of that later)

The frame is in great shape except for the rear driver side. It's nearly completely rusted through where the struts meet the frame. Needless to say I won't be jumping any train tracks until it's fixed.(pics of that later)

The trunk is nearly completely rusted out.(pics of that later)

It had a huge **** ant problem. The entire car was engulfed in ants in every nook and cranny. After a few days of spraying, stomping, and bombing I've got them under control.

Now something I do have pictures of.. Engine and body.
Passenger side:

Driver side/Front end:


Engine compartment:

Engine:

350ci bored over 30
1 size bigger cam
High performance distributor
650 double pumper Holley carb(needs rebuild, coming soon)
Edelbrock intake manifold/Valve covers/Air filter(not shown)
Big boy headers(Need gaskets replaced, and new bolts)

Installed new yesterday:
Dist cap, rotor button, plugs+wires, valve cover gaskets, oil change+filter, carb cleaned, ignition timing set, new belts, front shocks

Still need to buy and install:
fuel filter(doesn't currently have one..)
Header gaskets
Carb rebuild kit (wish me luck)
Steering column
trunk pan
fix the frame where driver side strut meets
fix floor (driver front. passenger front/rear)
reinstall/paint interior
sand/bondo/primer/paint body
Tires
--I'm sure I'm forgetting somethings so I'll update later

As of now the car is running great. I've nearly burnt all the rubber off the tires already since I've gave it a tune up. I just can't get enough. She just wants to go.., and I just can't afford to give her the attention she needs all at once.. Slowly but surely she'll come together.

I'll be updating this thread as I progress with pictures, and progress report. For myself as well as anyone else who wants to follow me on this journey. My first time restoring a car. Any and all advice, comments, criticism, and questions is welcomed. If you think I'm doing something wrong, or could do it differently for a better outcome please don't hesitate to let me know.

This will be a paycheck to paycheck build so don't expect to see a beauty anytime soon as the outside of the body will probably be the last to be done. Since I prefer performance over being purdy.

I'll probably be asking a lot of questions in this thread. So if any of you camaro gurus see it bumped please stop by and spread some knowledge.

 

good luck buddy, i have a 78 myself and i have the same problem of all the floors rusted out. Only problem is im a full time student an hour away from my car so i only get to work on it in the summer. But keep us posted with pictures, they will certainly help me out once i get around to restoring my baby

 

you should of started with a better car you will have a lot more cash into it then you could ever get out.if you want that car to be nice plan on spending at lest 15 grand i saw the same car but in 8 out of ten shape for 3200 with the stock motor in it today no rust at all.as you not haveing alot of cash and this being your first restore you are biting off more then you can chew.if i was you i would sell it for my 700 dollors back and save up for a while and buy one in better shape.you will save a ton of cash and headach

 

Sounds like a pretty major task, and definitely a learning experience if you've never done anything of this magnitude. Who knows though, it may be a project that when you're done developes a lot of skills you never knew you had!
If you don't have a big shop and a welder, better save for those before anything else! Doing a job this big will require lots of space, and welding skills, if you want to keep the budget under control.
Be sure to check under that window trim too before you get too far. Don't want to find out it's rusted out around the windshiled and back window too! That can really get expensive and time consuming!
Good luck!

PS-What's under the rear that has the rear sitting so high?

 

Yea, I've been pondering the idea of just buying another body/frame to set this drivetrain into. The guy I bought it from was planning on rebuilding it too, but I think the body/frame work overwhelmed him. I found a nice one for about 900 no motor/trans.. but thats fine.. I'll definitely give it more thought before I start putting money into the body and stuff. For now I'm only going to be working on the drivetrain. Replacing all seals, tinkering.. ya know


While I was shortening the brackets to raise the exhaust I noticed the Hijacker air shocks. That's whats got the rear end up so high. I raised them up all the way to make sure they didn't have any air leaks. So far so good. I think they are still in good shape. Very firm.

I don't plan for it to be a show car, or a super fast drag car or anything so I can't see putting 15k into it just fixing the problems it has.

A buddy of mine's going to have an empty spot in his garage he said I can use so when that space gets available it will be in there for a while.

 

sweet i hope it works out for you,mabee you can learn a few things also and alot of nice guys on hear who have done prety much everything one time or anther

 

At $700 you've got a ton of good parts to start with, regardless of which way you go. You can't buy the engine, trans and rear end for less than that, so how could you go wrong?
No matter what your skill level is, it's always something new to learn. As long as it's not your prime driver, you can take the time and money to do whatever level restoration you want.
Look forward to whichever route you eventually take!

 

I bought a 78 this past summer. Mine needs a lot of work too.

Your carb doesn't look like a double pumper. It has the vacuum diaphram (spelling) on the side.

 

I've actually got a question already, but it'll have to wait till tomorrow so I can get a pic.

Thanks for the support everyone. It's not my daily driver.. yet. The engine and trans was the main reason I bought the car. Both of them was completely rebuilt about a year and a half ago, but the car has been basically sitting since then.

As far as the carb goes that is what the original owner, a close friend, told me. I'll go out and get some numbers off it tomorrow, and look it up to be sure.

--
As far as progress for the car goes:

If it's not raining tomorrow I'll finish sanding/priming the trunk lid. Basically all I can do till I get some more cash..

Knock the rust off the frame on the rear end to see the actual damage, and maybe repair it if I can get a hold of a welder. I know a few people who's got one, if their schedules are open I may get that done tomorrow.

Just remembered I need a new starter. Going to re run the wires for the starter also tomorrow even if I don't get another one. If you see the engine compartment pic that yellow wire there on the fender well is coming from the starter. There's another one too, can't see in pic, they are way to long, full of naked spots, and just ugly so.. that's gotta go.

Maybe stroll a couple junkyards for a new steering column. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll find one with the ignition intact, and they'll have a key to it.

Gotta replace the ?wiring harness? behind the master cylinder there. Thing looks like it's melted or just real beat up. Can't tell it's so dark back there. Probably won't do that tomorrow.

so that's going to basically be my day tomorrow.

Btw if you see this "?words here?" that means I don't really know what that's called so if you can understand by my explanation go ahead and let me know what it's called.

 

Hmm, well could be worse atleast. could have no floor at all....
atleast engine been rebuilt could be a diamond in the rough, good luck on it mate