Project "SWISS CHEESE" the 68 Camaro

[nuke1]

First i have to say, i have way too much on my plate but if that is not enough here is another one!

So today a new little one folowed me home. This is a friends car, it has quite the story, I will start with that. My old shop foreman has always wanted a 68 Camaro, last january he bought on, online from Mishigan. The pics seemed ok, he knew it was a little bit of a project, but he was ok with that. Well he sends a friend down there to go get it, this friend knows nothin about cars. Strike one. Well he gets home and Mike drives it around a bit. It creaks and groans a little but he seems satisfied. So he finally decided that he will take the interior apart and go from there. BAD NEWS. you can see through everything, he pulls the engine and lifts the car off the ground, subframe falls off, rusted right out. The P.O told him he could just jump in it and drive it back. STRIKE TWO. Now Mike is frustrated and comes over to my side and talks to me. Rmember he is my boss. We decide it be better not to let anyone at work know i am doing this for him. So he disassembles the complete car. I go look at it and i am floored. It is GONE. beyond that infact, this is the worst case i HAVE EVER TAKEN ON. Anything for a friend. So we orderd every single part of sheetmetal that we can. As of now this is how it sits, later this week i will take the plasma to the rest of it and go from there. So for now i will let the pics speak for themselves. All i am doing to this car will be the sheetmetal work. not a show car, just a driver that we are trying to save.

[nuke1]

more.

[nuke1]

more yet

[nuke1]

more

[nuke1]

This is it for now, so this week the plasma will get happy, once that is done it will be off to the sandblasters with supports in it and then metal replacement time. Oh yah. Who all thinks that I am nuts for doing this.

[glendale]

dude he would be better off buying another body. that car is gone!

[ya it is a classic]

OMG!!!! i feel for you buddy! have fun with it!

[67ChevyRedneck]

It's time to call Goodmark and order a complete shell! Seriously, if you can save that, my hat is off to you! Friend or not, unless you're doing it for free, how is it not cheaper to get one of those new shells? It needs everything and then some!!!

[kyull67]

Yeah you're nuts, That looks bad! At least you're practiced from the '69.

[rwolf9653]

Yup, your crazy. Thats is REAL bad, but the project name is very fitting. Good luck, but I wouldn't attempt it.

[samwise68]

That...looks like something I'd buy and try to fix! And sadly, that's not saying much. My hat is off to you, sir, and I wish you the best. I'll definitly be following this one.

-Sam.

[69GMCor70Chevy]

This makes me realize how lucky I was with my Camaro buying it sight unseen!

As far as a shell vs panels I'm sure than panels can be had for $6000 vs $13000 for the shell. Is there $7000 worth of work for James to do on this to get it to that point? Quite possibly......

[67ChevyRedneck]

Wow, I never knew how $ the bodies were. I had always just "guessed" they were around 7 or 8 grand. $13,500 is quite a chunk of change for one!

My dad is giving me his old 67 Firebird that he's had for about 25 years. It was originally an SC car that was brought to NY. It was never driven in the salt/snow, but it did sit outside, in the grass, for MANY years. It rains and snows A LOT where I'm originally from. I'm scared of how bad it might be, but my dad says it's still pretty solid. It will need quarters and a lot of patches, but should hopefully be nothing like this poor car.

I'll definitely be following this too! The more pics the better for when I someday tear into my pops car.

[mcbassin]

Wow! James you are setting some kind of record there! Just in case he changes his mind Camaro Body this is a 69 but maybe he can get a 68? Anyway, I have a 68 that you can start on next.

[nuke1]

Holy crap guys, this car sure stirred up some ppl. It is true, he should have gotten a shell, but to be honest by the time he is done he will have a new car and will have saved a few thousand. Besides he trusts me to do it. One of the few ppl he can. I do have my work cut out for me, but to be honest i am looking forward to this, it will be a challenge. But a good one, as you all know i enjoy the challenges, it is what makes us stirve for the better in ourselves. So either friday or saturday, i will cut it up and we will go from there.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Since you seem to have a lot of time with these cars, I have to ask, who sells the best reproduction parts for these cars (body/patch panels)? Or who is the best manufacturer to look for? ESPECIALLY for quarters. After lots of reading and watching videos, it actually looks easier to do a complete quarter swap and weld it back up like the factory did, rather than trying to weld many many feet of seams.

For example, I know for these trucks (67-72) I've seen: Tri-Plus, Counterparts, and Key-Parts.

I'll be looking for all of the panels at the Charlotte swap meets (TONS of venders for these cars there!!!) and want to make sure I get the best fitting/thickest metal parts, especially for the quarters. I want to keep the car as much GM as possible, and I'm pretty sure the front clip only needs small patches and the doors will need a reskin. In the videos I've watched, I didn't like how the complete doors and fenders fit the cars at all.

[nuke1]

Well, to behonest, there is 2 suppliers forthe metal on these cars, look up dynacon or golden leaf, they are the same company, one american, and one canadian. Do full qtr's, the only way to go. Look at the 69, i have done one re-skin, and hated doin it. Welding that 4 foot seam is horrible and it is just asking for future problems, besides they never fit right at the front rear or wheel well. The skins for he doors, seem ok, still need a little adjustment, no matter what you do, all the metal you need will have to be adjusted. This will be the 16th or so camaro i have done. I know these cars well. The wheel tubs in the rear require work, you have to fit them to the qtr first, then put the qtr in then put the wheel tubs in, then mark them in the spot ......... That is the hardest part with these cars. Remember if you neeed help i am here.

[mcbassin]

James, I have no doubt you can fix this car and hope you didn't take offence. I watch craigslist pretty hard for Camaro parts that's why I offered that link. BTW, is it possible the parts place is Dynacorn you are talking about? I searched Dynacon and couldn't find any body panels. Dynacorn here
I hope you have patients with me too. BTW, my 68 has a vinyl roof which has attracted rust all over the roof. How hard is it to do a full roof? thanks

[nuke1]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

James, I have no doubt you can fix this car and hope you didn't take offence. I watch craigslist pretty hard for Camaro parts that's why I offered that link. BTW, is it possible the parts place is Dynacorn you are talking about? I searched Dynacon and couldn't find any body panels. Dynacorn here
I hope you have patients with me too. BTW, my 68 has a vinyl roof which has attracted rust all over the roof. How hard is it to do a full roof? thanks

No worries, no offense taken, i am way too easy going for that. I would have prefer a body, but whatever. And yes it is Dynacorn. My Bad.The full roof is easy. Just watcha nd learn. I will let you know, no worries. Later

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by nuke1

The full roof is easy. Just watch and learn. I will let you know, no worries. Later

I plan on watching and learning! Please go slow and take lots of pics. I haven't worked on a car in a long time. When Mike orders the parts, ask him to put together prices if you don't mind. I am going to try to start saving for our 68. If it is going to cost me $7K for parts....well I'll probably just sell the car. Thanks,

[kyull67]

You can doooo it!!

[Mil-Spec]

I dig it!! You may have to replace a lot of metal but you'll still save some original 68 metal, which is cool.

I've been seeing alot of 1st gen camaros getting skinned down to the inner structure lately. Definately should rock solid when down. Good onya and keep us posted.

[nuke1]

Thaks guys, and no prob Mike

[67ChevyRedneck]

Yeah, it sucks these cars get in such bad shape, makes you wonder if they were zinc dipped like they are today, how much better these cars would look.

Thanks for the quarter tip, like I said, after watching a bunch of videos, some with cut and weld and some with a complete quarter, I was like, why the hell would anyone want to do all of those welds? You just need to do the plug welds around the ends like the factory, I think I could do those without messing up too bad

Unfortunately, my doors are pretty solid, but my pops had trouble moving the car one day by himself with the backhoe, and rubbed her against a tree on the PS, and on the DS, the door got backed into At least the front clip was safe up in the garage rafters

[nuke1]

LOL, rubbing elbows with the fellow branches was she. There is parts on these cars that are galvanized, the rear rails and inner rockers, but once they get this bad, it does not seem to matter with them. I wish i could find one for myself or a 70 chevelle, that is what the wife wants, but up here it is really hard to find something so we always end up with junk and fix it, hence the reason i am not scare to tackle anything. All i know, is that by doing these cars, and a few more by the end of the year me and the wife should be back on our feet and that is all that matters to me, hence the other reason i will work on anything. Thanks for all the replies gus, i will make sure to take a ton of pics of this one, because i knowthat there is alot of camaros out there that need the help and most ppl do not know where to start.