I recently was given a 78' camaro by a friend who had no space for it, it has no engine/trans and is pretty rusty but since it was free Ï'm gonna fix it up. I figured that since it needs fenders/quarters and the bumpers are cracked I'm going to do the early 2nd gen conversion. I'm also putting a 5.3 H.O. engine, with ls2 intake/ls1 camaro accessories. I have the money to put into the car and i think its a good investment, any suggestions for parts/instructions?

 

I suggest you try to find a complete front clip if possible. That would make the frontend swap a whole lot easier. The back will be hard no matter how you go, but I'd suggest you keep the larger rear window there, and just change the tail panel and fill the quarters where the existing lights wrap around.

 

I'm just gonna buy all the front clip new, my stuff is rusty and I'd rather not try and patch it up anyways it'll look better in my opinion, I priced parts on ebay and nos and used cost as much or more as what new stuff is, which is pretty dumb, so I'll just get new since I don't care about originality since I'm saving the car from the crusher anyways, and the on the rear I'm leaving the wrap around window, I saw a pic of a guy who did it somewhere and he put the quarter panel skins from the body line down which are $80each and the rear valance which is $80, but I'm worried about the trunk inside not matching up?? what else might I need?? I'm not leaving the back the way it is, no offense to anybody but I think its as retarded as a 73 vette with its chrome rear bumper and plastic front, seriously wtf gm.

 

Inside the trunk won't line up. You'll need to fab filler panels.

 

I really hope you go ahead with this. I see a lot of posts here related to the idea of making late 2nd gens into early 2nd gens, but most never go beyond the post and original ideas.

 

Original idea, ha! We get one guy a week asking if it will fit. For every guy that asks that theres another one that asks if its been done. To the OP. I meant no disrespect. You never asked if it could be done, that gives you a leg up with me. Please do it. I was sitting on my stool sanding away at my car this weekend and I really started to look at the rear and what it would take.

Here's what I noted. The rear panel on the later cars curve to the front at the ends, where the 1/4s meet it. 70s are flat across the back. The trunk pan it not flat like a 70 either. The gas tank not only is flat, it has a shorter spout on a 70. Then I said screw it.

 

well I'm still doing it even if that means changing the complete trunk pan with a 70 trunk pan, its only $150 more than just replacing the 78 center trunk pan it needs already, the gas tank is not a big deal either.

 

the front fenders are rusty, the trunk is rusty, the lower quarter panels are rusty, the bumpers are cracked and front bumper has a hole punched in the corner, but the rest of the car is complete, so everything I'm replacing is part of converting the car to a 70 RS style anyways, it might cost me a little more to go this way but the end result is well worth it.

 

Wheres the pics???? Great idea if you go all the way, but in your first post you said it would be a good investment, if your gonna sell it afterwords i would just restore the 78 to a 78 not many people want to buy frankensteins unless you go all the way with it (at least fabing the tail panel as well as replacing the front end), just MHO.

I would do it just because i would keep it, but get some pics of that beast. Already 9 posts and no pics, whats up with that lol j/k but seriously, wheres the pics lol

 

here's some videos the previous owner took, I got the car without the engine/tranny.

YouTube - ‪78 Camaro turbo and carbed 6.0 lsx‬‏
YouTube - ‪78 camaro turbo lsx "on the streets"‬‏