1967 Project PO-maro

[arue333]

Ok so after lurking on here for better than a few days I have finally decided to post up my project. Be advised this is a LONG term project, suspension has been in the works for a few years and I am now just finaly being able to get it all put together.



"POR-Maro" cause I have a tight budget. It's 25 bucks every two weeks. And 1/3 of any overtime I work. So most of the income for thise project has been from selling other toys or parts.
This Camaro is a plane Jane 67, that has a 96" LT-1 and T-56 out of a newer camaro. There's lots of rust! working on that, so don't be offended if you see pictures with rust that has just been welded over and painted. I have a 7month old daughter that takes a ton of time so the goal of this current project is to just get it on the road and driving within the year. Then maybe a few smaller projects to upgrade a few things.

OK on with the pictures!


This is how I bought the car 10 years ago. Like most I have been discovering rust ever since. The current project is replacing the rear suspension, going from leaf to a combination of DSE, BMR, Fays, and other ideas gained from lurking on these forms for so long. Please feel free to add ideas or critique things that might not work, as I'm learning something new with every step I take. Sorry for the poor quality of pictures, they will get better as my phone camera improves.

[arue333]

Starting off with a 78' lincon Mark VIII axle, 50 craigslist find, cut off all of the brackets and installed new berrings. The pumpkin was cleaned and had a TruTrack with 3:73 coggs installed, 31 spline axles that were found at Dutchmans Motorsports in Portland. All of this was done years ago and has been just slowly moving around the shop waiting on more parts.

[arue333]

and with the new axle I upgrade to disks for free! Well maybe, since I'll need to get a more aggressive proportioning valve, and I have no idea if these brakes will even be able to be adjusted to work with the stock front brakes =/ but that'll be another project down the road.... Those are also the stock Rotors for the Ford that I re-drilled 5X4.75.

[68firebird]

YES!!!! someone else with about the same budget as myself, LOL. Our stories almost seem the same too. I'll be keeping an eye on your build. Good luck and don't give up, I almost did a few times.

[cornfedbill]

+2 on that budget. My Nova has been on the back burner for many years while I have been raising 5 children. I am getting down to one left at home, so time and money are beginning to loosen up a bit.

I will be watching your build eagerly to see what I can learn.

I recently moved and am on hold until I get my garage finished. Then I will begin a build thread too.

Good luck!

[KnightMare]

+3 on the budget, the economy hasn't been so kind the last few years. I finally got the cash to go take autobody classes this year so I can do all the work myself to really cut the cost down. Good luck, I got a 69 Camaro waiting on me to name a few

[arue333]

OK, Just going over some freebie mods. I looked over the DSE sub-frame connectors and then checked out CarlC's website, another form member. I followed DSE's instructions and used some 2"x3" .120 wall tube. I picked up the steel as scrap from a local fab shop out of their skiff bin. Unfortunately I found some rust while cutting the floor. Without the bends in the tube you have to angle the back edge and front edge to mate well with the stock subrames, front and rear.

[arue333]

Orignal paper drawings and ideas for a torque arm.


It's great to have so many amazing company's out there doing all the R&D for us home builders. So with that in mind, flagrant copyright violations ahead.....
I picked up a FaysII watts link piviot and off a member here for cheep and ordered the frame from Jim. Great guy to work with by the way! I sourced the hex links from AllStarPreformance, 13" alluminum, threaded rods for 11 bucks. I can't make them for that! I bought the LCA tubes and welded in threaded bungs, but then later found out that you can buy swedged tubes to your specs for 15 bucks, cheeper and easier, no welding. Pivot points are Johnny Joints. Don't know if i would use them again, some of their quality control is lacking, allong with customer service. just my .02.


And the him joints form QS Components. The axle mounts are 3.25" ID tube cut in-half and .5" tube welded to the outside for bolting it to the axle. Then I realized you could buy this axle mount from Speedway for ~15buks. That would have saved a ton of time. anyways TO THE PICTURES!

Shocks picked up from the classifieds and shock mounts made by following LowBuckX's 3-link build. Let me know if anyone wants to copy anything I have done and I'll post up more specs. I remember that was the hard part of reverse engineering everything.


The Upper cross member was another 25 dollar Craigslist find. But is simply a .25" U channel welded into the rear frame. As you can see, I'm starting to collect quite a few different manufactures products, but then again, it is what is in my budget.

[arue333]

So a 6 months ago, my daughter was on the way and I was running out of time so I decided to do something that I really hate doing, spending money. I chose BMR suspension, TA and have been buying Torque Arm, only, in small pieces as I can afford them. Rich at BMR has been excellent to work with and very helpful, including keeping track of the peices I had ordered and needed. FYI the coatings on BMR stuff is ultra tough. I had to modify the cross-member and a wire wheel just wont take this stuff off. I finally resorted to a sanding wheel. Witch also took some time, but THATS GOOD PAINT!

Marked for clearance of solid welded sub frame mounts

[arue333]

Do you guys ever get tired of mocking somthing up just to take it out and put it back in for what seems like the 20th time? Once I have the top TA mounts placed and welded I'm going to have to take it all out to place the shocks, then again to place the watts axle links, and then it'll all come out again for paint! There has to be an easier way right? I work in the shop mostly by myself and it takes a long time to set up 2x4s to hold stuff up when you really just need an extra set of hands.

Ok. Rant is over. Back to the Pomaro!

[BMR Sales]

I work in the shop mostly by myself and it takes a long time to set up 2x4s to hold stuff up when you really just need an extra set of hands.

Looking great so far Tom! I wish I was closer to you so I could lend a hand!!!!

[srh3trinity]

I like where you are going with this build. When I didn't have extra money for the car, I had to stop and wait, but you are pressing on with what you have and that is inspiring.

[arue333]

Got a little bit of time in the shop this weekend and with the help of my Dad, the TA is finally welded, all brackets are made and the shock mounts have been positioned and are ready for final welding. Now I just need to bribe some friends to help me, manuely lift the axle through it's range of motion to make sure there aren't any clearance issues.

TA upper and lower mounts. Made to be on axle center line and slightly adjustable. When ever you are doing a one off operation it's always better to be able to adjust something than have to cut and re-make it.



Upper shock mounts, also slightly adjustable. The offset to allow the shock pin to go through the eye with enough room to remove it on the other side too.



Ok, fire away!