It lives! The motor is done.... for now

[woody80z28]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/03/tn_full_Zmotivation-1.jpg

This car is pretty much my first attempt at everything. Bought it when I was 18 and still haven't stopped dumping money into it. All built by me in my dad's garage (with the exception of the ring & pinion install). Now the build will continue in my own garage since I just bought a house.

UPDATE 2013: no more 355. Forged 383 roller with Holley EFI is going in. Paint job next.

There will be way too many pictures in this thread, cause I'm a pic whore.

Engine: 355c.i. V8
Transmission: T56 6-spd manual
Horsepower: ~400
Torque: ~425
Exterior: Maroon
Interior: Graphite/black
Mods:
.030 over
forged TRW pistons
10.55:1 compression
Vortec 062 heads
RPM AirGap aluminum intake
Comp Cams Magnum 280H ([email protected], .480", 110)
Hedman 1-5/8 long-tube headers
Summit 3" X-pipe and U-bends I cut & welded for 3" mandrel dual-exhaust
Flowtech 3" cut outs
Summit 2.5" chambered mufflers
750cfm Edelbrock Performer carb
K&N X-Stream air cleaner
MSD Ultimate HEI ignition w/ rev limiter
Energy Suspension poly engine & trans mounts & CA bushings
4.10 gears
Moser axles & support cover
SPEC stage 3+ clutch
SPEC retrofit flywheel
Pro5.0 billet short-throw shifter w/ shortened stick
Denny's custom length 3" HD steel driveshaft
Summit driveshaft loop
Hitachi high-torque mini-starter
Summit 100amp alternator
MAD Electrical relays & Start'M'Up kit
battery in trunk with NHRA-spec kill switch
Proform electric water pump
Volvo 60a fan & SPAL fan controller
Hotchkis coil springs & sway bars
KYB shocks
NAPA heavy-duty balljoints
Pro-Touring F-body solid body bushings & leaf springs
Alston subframe connectors & PTFB g-braces
IROC steering box
95 Camaro leather seats & seat belts
95 console, shift boot, shift knob and e-brake lever
Equus gauges (speedo, tach, temp, oil pres, volts, fuel, air/fuel, boost/vac)
custom-fabbed gauge bezel
Summit shift light
Manual 4-wheel disc brakes
Hawk HPS pads at all corners
1LE 12" front on B-body spindles with Wilwood GMIII calipers
ZQ8 11.6" rotors with 2WD&4WD Blazer backing plates, calipers & ebrake
Lokar e-brake cables to 4th-gen lever
70 Corvette master cylinder for manual brakes
MP brakes manual pushrod
B&M line-lock
Summit adjustable proportioning valve
275/60R15 Mickey Thompson drag radials
CE Slide-A-Link adjustable traction bars
AN-6 fuel system
pin-on fiberglass hood with 3" cowl
flat-blacked everything
18x8.5 & 18x9.5 wheels

http://www.waltoncruisers.com/members/ericwood.html
http://www.motortopia.com/vehicles/view/p/cars/v/182/i/z28



Fired up the 355 today and it came to life like it was nothin. I guess I put everything back together right. There's one more thing to check off the list.

I went from ****ty 336 heads to 062 Vortecs and a new Performer RPM AirGap intake and added a new K&N filter and Moroso Super HEI ignition kit. I also got an electric fan, all new gauges and a line lock. It should take me from about 9:1 to 10.5:1 and 300hp to about 390hp and 425 ft-lbs of torque, according to a CHP buildup. And, I got rid of all that gay chrome.

Going from standard heads to the Vortec style was more work than I realized, I didn't think about the little stuff like throttle brackets and plug wire looms, but it's all done now.

The heater core went though, so I gotta replace that when I tear out the dash and put in the 78 one. I'm glad I didn't already replace it cause I'd be pissed to have to take it out again. So the next project is the dash swap and wiring up all the new gauges. Then comes the line lock and subframe connectors... are these cars ever actually done???

SWEET:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

GAY:
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[srh3trinity]

The new one looks much better, I am not a big fan of the chrome look these days. Sounds like it's a little healthier now too.

[NvrDun71]

Whats the rest of the specs on the motor aside from your recent upgrades? Big improvement BTW, Looks Good :twothumbs

[woody80z28]

Flat tops, .039 quench, [email protected] .480 lift cam, Eddy performer 600cfm carb, 1-5/8 Hedman long-tubes, stock 1.5 self-aligning rockers...

I see you're going with a Vortec 355 too, nice choice, haha.

[woody80z28]

Transmission swap... plans for the winter:
6-speed, poly engine mounts, clean up engine bay and underside of car, new 3" X-pipe exhuast w/ cutouts from headers to the current 2.5" mufflers, new driveshaft, 4.10 gears, pro5.0 shifter, SPEC stage 4 clutch & flywheel, flat blacked window trim, fit 'glass hood for track time, ditch inner fenderwells, relocate battery to trunk.

That's all I can think of for now, but I should be busy until spring...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/01/tn_full_P1160020-1.jpg

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Ya gotta have the token "standing in the engine bay" shot too...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/01/tn_full_P11700322-1.jpg

[formula]

sweeet mang, glad to hear she's back together...I just got through dropping a 355 in a friend's 86, and like you said, it's the little things that end up eating you alive.

Whats your reasoning behind ditching the inner fenders? I've been thinking along the same lines, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not.

[woody80z28]

One of my goals for next year is to lift the front wheels, and every little bit of weight reduction helps. I also plan on kightening the front bumper, and I have a fiberglass hood and skinnies for track visits.

[woody80z28]

Another update finally. Progress is slow since I've been so busy. The project also got a little more involved when I decided to rebuild the front suspension too.

"Just a little bit more work..."

The suspension work consists of new ball joints, poly control arm bushings, poly swaybar bushings, Hotchkis coils, KYB shocks and maybe even tubular uppers. I also got poly engine mounts so the whole front end will shake at idle. muhahhaa

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/03/tn_full_000_0005-1.jpg

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SPEC Stage 3+ clutch with their retrofit flywheel for the pre-86 sbc/lt1-t56 combo.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/03/tn_full_P2160011-1.jpg

I got a pic next to the 4spd too. I think the 6spd is bigger?

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/03/tn_full_100_4422-1.jpg



This is one of the projects that has taken time away from the Camaro. I must say though. AIR TOOLS ARE PHENOMENAL!!!! haha

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Bought an Ingersoll Rand 2-stage 80gal 175psi 16.5 cfm compressor and some tools and plumbing. Just too bad I can't fit that impact in tighter places..

[WhiteG240]

What are you doing with the old 4speed?

[Boyd]

Your car is coming along nicely. I'll have to keep an eye on this project to see how your pre-86 block / t-56 install goes. I've been considering a t-56 for my '78.

[woody80z28]

More progress...

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[woody80z28]

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[zbugger]

Looking good Woody. I'm just wondering why the heads are a different color than the rest of the motor. Looks good anyhow. I can't wait to see it all together.

[woody80z28]

Well the heads were black when I put them on the orange motor last year and liked the look with the alum intake.


Time to start cutting! You can see the floor has already been hacked so it's not like I can butcher it any worse. It looks like the clutch linkage hole in the firewall was done with a screwdriver...

Got some little stuff like the fuel pump and new mini starter installed and put that big ass T56 in the tunnel. That trans is heavy. The headers can be installed much easier with the mini starter too.

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[woody80z28]

Progress pics:


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[woody80z28]

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video: open headers http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2034223980

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[woody80z28]

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[Gordz32]

wooo hooo, somebody's been hard at work. Its def. coming along nice man! Congrats

[trapin]

Some nice progress, Woody. Looks like you'll be rowin' gears in no time.

[rohrt]

Great details on the pictures. Very Cool!

[woody80z28]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/06/tn_full_100_4851-1.jpg

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http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...eoid=2037408172 (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2037408172)

[Steve1968LS2]

very cool.. LOTS of progress!

[woody80z28]

Update:

I took it to Carlisle last weekend and had no problems. The clutch is now fully broken in and I can tell you already I LOVE the 4.10s. Time for stickier tires.

[woody80z28]

Realized I haven't added any updates. I added some M/T drag radials and CE Slide-A-Links to remedy my traction problems. I also converted to 11.5" rear disc using 2WD & 4WD Blazer parts to clear the staggered shocks. For the front I just did the upgrade from stock 11 to 1LE 12" with IROC rotors and b-body spindles. That's basically the biggest I could go and clear the 15" wheels that I will retain for time spent at the drag strip.

Now I'm busy upgrading the whole electrical system with relays and some other stuff from MAD. I'll also be installing my new elec water pump & fan. I have more suspension work planned with some new parts from Pro-touring F-body and I'm still trying to find the right wheels.

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[woody80z28]

Went to a show yesterday and then got some decent pictures with the new camera and lens filters. I had my girl shoot a nice video of me pounding on it. Took it zero to redline 3rd gear, which according to gear ratios and my tire size should be 93mph. Seems about right since last year at the track I just hit 4th before the end and that was 101. Watching the video makes me grin ear to ear. haha

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...ideoID=36237473 (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=36237473)

And on to the pics for everyone who wont be at Camaro Nationals at Carlisle:

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[woody80z28]

And some more pics from this winter:

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[woody80z28]

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[woody80z28]

Wow no updates lately! Been busy the last couple years building a new car, buying a truck and then buying my first house... It won't take much to catch up on the Camaro since it has been a little neglected lately...

I have a new Moser 8.5" rear after I twisted the stock one at the strip in '08...and still no time slips I'm happy with yet. Best so far is a 13.51@106. I've since played with the carb and it feels better, but haven't had it back out to get numbers. I did get some good Pro-touring F-body leaf springs installed, and I have Hotchkis sway bars and 18x8.5 & 18x9.5 wheels in boxes ready to go. I put in a new AN-6 fuel system and upgraded to a digital MSD HEI ignition.

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Immediate plans are for tires, with hopefully OBD1 GM EFI following and paint.

[bonecrrusher]

Needs EFI and paint... hahaha.

[woody80z28]

I've actually been looking at lemans blue.

[68400BIRD]

Looks great Woody. Looking forward to seeing the new rims on the car. I think I will go with Lemans blue or an original color from 1968.

[bonecrrusher]

I have a lot of lemans blue....

[BritishGreen68]

Wow man great buildup! I cant't wait to get my 6 spd up and running, I'm jealous...!!... if I had to be critical about anything though I would say lose that hood... Don't the z28 hoods for these have the kinda teardrop shape scoop? Like the "fast times at Ridgemont High" car? I think Id have to run that one lol..

[woody80z28]

I did run the teardrop scoop for a while, but when I wedged the subframe to get more body drop I lost the hood clearance and had to run the fiberglass cowl. On the bright side though, the 15lb pin-on hood has to save about 100lbs compared to the stock steel one. I will be ditching the hood pin setup when I finally get to body & paint work. I like the Aerocatch latches for the front, and I'm planning to make my own hinge for the back corners & prop rod similar to the design on my Beretta.

It's a shame it won't work because the teardrop does look good. Especially with the stock Z stripes. Here's on old pic from back when the poor thing still had chrome trim & a 4x4 stance with skinny tires!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/tn_full_345jpg_Thumbnail1-1.jpg

[NOT A TA]

Lebanon Valley! I used to run up there when I lived in CT. I think the Lemans Blue would look good on there.

[woody80z28]

The gay auto trans in my truck ate 3rd & 4th gear, and the Beretta still needs some reassembly...so the Camaro is my DD for a few weeks now. haha I also bought one each of the tires to verify fitment on the new 18s. I only took it just outside the garage because the rear Nittos are .3" taller and I don't want to burn up the posi clutches. Fitment is great though! I don't know how the hell people run big tires up front with 0 offset...these are 20 offset. I'll order the other 2 tires soon. I still need to drop the front about 2" (when I cut & reweld the core support) and the rear about 1" (which will be easy since the leafs are installed in the tall hole of the shackle.)

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[woody80z28]

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[srh3trinity]

The new wheels look great. Do you have the stance where you want it? I am trying to envision this about 1/2 down in the back and 1 down in the front. Have you done anything to the fender lips? I have been thinking about going with 255/40/18 and a 285 or 295/35/18 in the back. It is nice to have these for a reference with a little more sidewall.

[mplecha]

the new wheels are much better! Great looking car!

[woody80z28]

The rear will come down about an inch when I switch from the lower shackle hole to the upper, and I plan to bring the front down about 2-2.5". I wedged the subframe a couple years ago and you can see how it screwed up the body lines. Once I cut & reweld the core support to straighten out the body lines it should drop 1-2 inches. After I do that I'll see if I need to cut a half coil or so. I'll probably do a photoshop to see how it looks first, but I figured the backspacing so I can tuck tire.

I'm going to roll the lip on the rear quarters and modify the front as needed to tuck. It might require some surgery to the inner fenders, but I think it will be worth it. Suspension-wise everything clears fine. If they were 17s with this much backspacing (5.5 on 8.5 wheel) the tie rod ends might have hit the wheel and the control arms are close too. 5.75 backspace on the rear clears everything fine with room to spare. Might even go for the 305/45/18 NT555Rs next time.

[woody80z28]

Swapped the wheel studs for my new spline drive lugs and gave her a wash finally. I think I'm really gonna like these wheels once I slam it. They should tuck under the fenders perfectly...

Now I need a paint job even worse! haha

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/06/IMG_6172JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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[67speedfreak]

Love all the changes, Cars is looking good !

[woody80z28]

I no longer need my 15" steelies up front, so I'm going to use one for the hose reel in my garage. Had to get rid of the tires to do it though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn3YTCb7Bvc&feature=youtu.be

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[bonecrrusher]

How much bleach you use there?

[woody80z28]

haha Bleach is for pansies.

I actually got the tires smoking better 6-7 years ago when I first installed the line lock and still had 3.08 gears. It got a lot more tire speed. I tried another run this weekend in 1st gear, but 2nd gear made more smoke.

Here's a couple pics from way back when...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/05/tn_small_smoke-1.jpg https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/05/tn_small_smoke2-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Grabbed a few shots yesterday since we got sent home from work early! Haven't had time to cut & reweld the radiator support and get the stance nailed...but I did roll all the lips so it will tuck tire nicely when I do drop it more. I will try to get that done before the summer is up so I can make sure all my clearances are good before I start on paint work. I've attached a fresh Photoshop as the motivation.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
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[bonecrrusher]

Needs this:

0FZFaEnqfTg

[woody80z28]

Well, a few weeks ago I caught my car on fire!

I rebuilt a ticking lifter and apparently the reusable washers on my banjo fitting for the fuel inlet were reused one too many times. Within 10-15 seconds of starting the car I had 3-4' flames shooting out of the engine bay. Put it out quick with the fire extinguisher in my back seat and only burned two nylon gauge supply lines and singed the plug wires a little bit.

So...I decided to fix a couple little issues I had with the fuel system. First off I replaced the banjo setup with a 90* AN fitting, and switched my return line from the vapor line that didnt work to another 3/8 line I added to the sending unit. Now I have a vapor line that works again and a full-flow return that doesn't pressure creep. I also replaced the mechanical oil psi gauge with electric and the nylon supply line for the vacuum gauge to braided stainless.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/08/IMG_7391JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/08/IMG_7412JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/08/IMG_7394JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg

So, thankfully it's still in one piece. If you don't have a fire extinguisher - go get one!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/08/IMG_7447JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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[LUV2XLR8]

do you still have the numbers off of those willwood calipers?

[woody80z28]

do you still have the numbers off of those willwood calipers?
These are what I put on while I was playing with pedal feel: (2.38 piston) http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIL-120-5344/

Most people use the 2.75 with the stock rotor and master cylinder: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIL-120-5861/

[bonecrrusher]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Where you missing the bumper/front splash guard thing in this pic?

[woody80z28]

Nope. It's just missing the inner fenders. That angle does make it look funny though. That open area is just the wheel well...that's why I think these F-bodies look funny with smaller 26" tires, the wheel wells are huge.

I've got the car in the air right now and hopefully sorted out my braking problem. A few years ago I was playing musical master cylinders trying to get the pedal feel how I wanted it. They all felt spongy. I bled and bled and bled and bench bled and power bled and had a shop bleed the brakes and could not find any air. I finally noticed the rear pass pad was not sweeping the whole face of the rotor. I took it apart and found the washer stack I used to center the pads on the rotor was not exactly the same. 5 washers on one bolt did not match the 5 washers on the other bolts...so the caliper was not exactly parallel. By remedying this problem with spacers it should get rid of the spongy pedal. Then I can really dial in the master cylinder bore I want.

[woody80z28]

I bought a used EFI kit that came in today, I'm psyched. Everything looks good. Accel DFI with all wiring and computers: Gen7 wth SFI and Alpha-N fueling. Even has the o2. And my low-pro Eddy TB linkage clears the rails with no spacer. (Sold off the shiny one...I don't like shiny). Drop base air cleaner also clears everything fine. I had to use a 1" spacer on the drop base to clear my fuel inlet on the carb, and the TB is 3/4" shorter than the carb, so I might even end up with more hood clearance with the single plane manifold than I had with the air gap!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/IMG_7578JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/IMG_7585JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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Current setup with the airgap & carb:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/08/IMG_7460JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg

I also bought a pair of AFR 195 CNC heads and roller rockers to make the swap from my carb Vortec intake to traditonal SBC EFI manifold. Unfortunately the heads were not the Eliminators, they were the old style. But I got a good enough deal on them that I got my money back after I sold them. Tony at AFR told me the older style would surrender about 30hp to the Eliminators on a 500hp engine. I was figuring maybe 450hp out of my 355, and it proabably would have been more like 430. Not even worth it when I'm making 400 now.

So, since I'm in the market for new heads and 195s don't really cost any more than 210s or 220s...I'm contemplating a build from scratch. I figure if I can sell the current 355 carb to pan with dizzy and fuel pump included, a nice 421ci forged Dart SHP short block would be nice. Skip white has a crazy cheap price on them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-CHEVY-421-COMPLETE-SHORT-BLOCK-KIT-FULLY-FORGED-CRANK-RODS-PISTONS-/330626949771?forcev4exp=true&forceRpt=true
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/IMG_7531JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/TEST-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Sold the Accel manifold & rails and bought a Hurricane manifold & rails. (Same carb height, but longer runners for better midrange.) It's a ProComp and the casting kinda looks like crap, but I'll clean it up. Came with ugly red anodized rails, but that's nothing a little oven cleaner can't fix. Photoshopped them black and I like the look.

Air cleaner height is actually exactly the same as the current AirGap since the TB is shorter and spacer is not needed. I've got 1" to play with to the cowl.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/IMG_7642JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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[bonecrrusher]

Get some sander cartridge tip things - and a power drill - and go to town.

[Crestronwizard]

Nice intake

[LUV2XLR8]

looks like a cool setup... what kind of fuel pressure do you have to run with that?

[woody80z28]

My die grinder fits Dremel attachments so I can clean it up nice.

Fuel pressure will be 43.5psi. I can go up from there if need be...there is adjustability in the software. The Accel software will take a little getting used to. I've only worked with GM OBD1 for my truck & Beretta...but I can convert this to OBD1 if need be.

[woody80z28]

Getting quite a bit of interest on my 355...hoping to have it sold soon!

[woody80z28]

Sold the 355 to another member on NastyZ28. Glad to see it headed for another Camaro. Also found some good quality used parts on NastyZ28 for myself. I'm loving the LS craze...it makes SBC stuff cheap! Picked up a fully forged 383 short block, studded 4-bolt mains with Edelbrock roller cam (232/[email protected] .575/.584" 112) and a pair of AFR 195 Eliminators for not much more than I got out of my complete 355. Throw the EFI on and it should make an easy 500hp. And it saves me a few thousand vs building a 421 from scratch.

Since the car is apart now, I'm going to go through it completely and finally do the paint job and detail work that has been waiting. This winter I have some Beretta projects to get to before the Camaro rebirth, but I'm hoping to have the Camaro done in a year or so. More power, EFI, new paint...will be like a new car!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/12/IMG_7857JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Got my regulator to plumb in the fuel rail. Gonna feed the front and return out the back. From what I read the injectors are a little more consistent if you Y the feed to the front and link the rears of the rails to return.

I don't think I posted any pics of the valve covers Tiff bought me either. I like to just stare at it. This thing is gonna be fun...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_8150-1.jpg
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[craigs73]

nice engine build.......have you got any power numbers yet? is it in the car? also since you said you like the ls craze because of sbc parts cost less then if you dont mind me asking what do you have in the motor cost wise.....

[woody80z28]

The Beretta is in pieces currently, so it's not in the car yet. I'll get to the Camaro when the Beretta is done this summer. Everything I've seen points to the 500-550hp range. And I'll have 383 running for about $4000. Adding up the parts brand new it would be in the $7500 range with the EFI.

[bonecrrusher]

Needs more:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/03/clarksonpower-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

More power? I already beat a 13.8@105 or whatever that blue thing ran. With the old engine! haha

[woody80z28]

Just recently started some body work on it finally. Picked up a little taller hood to fit the new EFI intake and have room for a nitrous plate. It's an American Sports Car hood that actually has a smoother cowl transition than my old Harwood...I like it better.

I looked over my used EFI harness and was unhappy to find a lot of hacked wires buried in the loom. I checked it all out with the wiring diagram and I can get it all sorted out with some new connectors and sensors, etc...but I'll still have a kind of outdated Accel system that way. Thinking a jump to the new Holley EFI might be the best way to go.

Tore it down and modded the core support and front bumper brackets to fix my alignment issues with the wedged subframe bushings. Now the core support sits 2" lower in relation to the frame than stock, which is roughly 1" less fender/wheel gap. Once everything is final assembled I'll see if I need to cut the Hotchkis springs to tuck tire. I plan on pulling the springs out and building the inner fenders on the bump stops to make sure there is clearance for everything at a low ride height.

I found two little spots that will need a patch panel. Very happy with the lack of rust to deal with. I fit a 2010 Camaro side marker that matches the lines of the fender flare nicely. I think I'm the first to try it...which is hard to do when building a Camaro!

Much more work to come...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/02/IMG_8762-1.jpg
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[srh3trinity]

That side marker light does work well with the line of the flare. Nice work.

[woody80z28]

Got all the sheet metal I need. Replacing the POS aftermarket fender with a good OEM one. Found a rotisserie locally that will be ready for me to borrow in a couple months, so I can really do a nice job on the underside. Also going to do a better job on the wiring with weatherpacks and a new bulkhead. Mocked up my final ride height by pulling the springs and adding a block in back. Gives me between 4.5" - 5" of ground clearance at my lowest spots. I think that's probably ok...at least I hope.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/03/IMG_9008-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

After a little inner fender surgery, the tires clear on the bump stops when straight. Obviously they don't clear at steering lock, but I don't know how you would bottom the car out completely at steering lock... Couple pics here show how much room I added by rolling the lip and slightly tweaking it out in relation to the stock inner fender. Still have to finish closing it in, and adding a rail to the outer so the inner can bolt to it. It might be a little ugly, but isn't visible. Haven't decided if I will weld that part, or maybe use the 3M panel bond to keep from warping anything.

Also installed my Aerocatch hood pins and a removable tow hook to keep from wrecking the front air dam.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/03/IMG_9117-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Finally got back on the car recently. In mockup mode now getting some things sorted out. Plasma cut a plate for the firewall and studded for the 3rd-gen column and stock gas pedal. Keeping visible fasteners to a minimum.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/08/IMG_9497-1.jpg
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Got my Holley HP from Keith at CustomWorks and getting the wire routing planned.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/08/IMG_9504-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/08/IMG_9516-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/08/IMG_9545-1.jpg

Also doing a little sheet metal work deleting the heater box and fabbing a better 6spd hump to replace the cobbed hole from when I was like 19.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/08/IMG_9524-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/08/IMG_9532-1.jpg

[bonecrrusher]

This looks familiar...

[woody80z28]

Finished up the exhaust today. Everything tucks up really nice. The bottom bolt on the header flanges hang just below the subframe, but that is it, and I rerouted the over the axle pipes for max suspension clearance. I modified the crossmember and the driver's header to keep everything up high. And those SpinTechs are fairly small so they aren't bad to locate. Should sound nasty too! Next thing will be the rear Hotchkis bar install and then cutting off & modifying the mount where the SFCs connect to the SF so it's removable for the rotisserie.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/IMG_9561-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Installed the rear sway bar via the Hotchkis instructions and don't really like how low it hangs. I may lengthen the endlinks by 3/4" or so.

Getting really close to rotisserie time!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/IMG_9597-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/IMG_9598-1.jpg

[bonecrrusher]

I see half your Camaro.... on the shelf!

[woody80z28]

Big update! Been burning more metal with the car on the rotisserie...cleaning up some ugly from the 6spd swap and the rear end through the back seat. haha
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/10/IMG_9612-1.jpg

Reworked the Alston SFCs. I was amazed at how much I could flex them when I cut the ends off to remove the subframe. So I built some heavy brackets with a big gusset and put a couple braces on the SFC tubes to the floor bracing to make them stronger. Now it should be just as strong as the Rasmussen/DSE-style connectors without redoing it all. Welded in the Hotchkis plates for the rear sway bar too.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/10/IMG_9602-1.jpg
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I finished the fab work on the 6spd hump and boxed in the floor bracing I had to cut for the shifter. Probably not an issue anyway given the solid SF bushings, but can't hurt. Also finished fab on the firewall for the clutch master bracket and filling/smoothing, and added an 1/8" band under the cowl seam where there was a lip. Should be a stronger spot to bolt my G-braces to and will look better when I grind & smooth it.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/10/IMG_9638-1.jpg
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Cut out the metal on the front lower quarter to access the rusted bracing. The pass side was repaired by the previous guy, but they didn't do anything with the bracing. I'm going to get both of those areas blasted when it goes to the blaster next week, and try to re-fab the bracing if I can see how it should have been. I already have the patch panels to close it back up.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/10/IMG_9661-1.jpg
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There is also a hint of rust at the bottom of the doors. My body guy says it might not even be worth skinning. Have a look and see what you think. The other rusty spot is the heavy gauge toe box up by the subframe mount. Not sure of the best plan to tackle that. It needs to be structurally solid in that area.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/10/IMG_9659-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Got the car back from the sand blaster finally and I've gotta admit, I'm disappointed with the job. Looks like they half-assed it. Sent the boss at the blaster some pics and they are gonna take it back and do it right.

Not much for rust surprises. Got down to the fiberglass patches from the PO in a couple spots so I can fix it right. Did find a new spot on the cowl to cut up though. Didn't see that one coming.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9676-1.jpg
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Doing a couple patches first. And cut out all the rust in the inner rocker/door jamb area of the quarter.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9684-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9700-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9704-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9697-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9699-1.jpg

So I knew the PO replaced the exterior sheet metal at the lower quarter...what I did not find out until just now was they wadded the holy rocker full of bondo. So I cut all of that out too.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9705-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9711-1.jpg

I also cut out the rusty part of the cowl panel. Borrowed a friend's cheapo HF spot weld cutter and it worked amazing actually. Very impressed. I put a post in the NastyZ swap meet section looking for just that part of the cowl in case someone had to use just the driver side for something. If no luck I'll just buy one and sell off the other half. haha

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9709-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9710-1.jpg

Finally got everything I need to finish up the underbody once I get it back from the re-blast job. I will be taking the car back over this week. I've got SPI primer and Lizardskin heat & sound coating.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/11/IMG_9713-1.jpg

[bonecrrusher]

Nice steel shelving!

[Gil]

keep up the good work !
Very nice
Gil

[woody80z28]

Haven't updated this in a while...

I took the car back to the blaster and they did a much better job this time. Unfortunately being November in NY...it started to snow about 25 miles from home. I blasted it with air as soon as I got it in the garage and cranked the heat to 80, but I still ended up with some flash rust.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9714-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9715-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9716-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9717-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9718-1.jpg

A wire wheel took care of the flash rust in no time.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9720-1.jpg

I burned in some bracing in the quarter areas with 16gauge. It's not pretty, but it doesn't need to be.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9723-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9727-1.jpg

I saw Kevin Tetz from TV is building a 79Z and I stole his idea where he cut out the firewall wrinkles. Patched it with some 16ga. Used a flanger and overlapped it from the inside. Simple enough to do and should be plenty strong.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9719-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9729-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9730-1.jpg

Bought a whole cowl panel to replace this little piece. If I hadn't already welded the whole front edge I would have done the whole thing, but now I have 3/4 of it left to sell if someone has a bad spot on the driver side. haha

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9728-1.jpg

And I started the filler work. Just finished the short strand waterproof stuff first. Stuff is a bitch to sand. Next step is the rage gold...I hear it sands much better.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9732-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9733-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9735-1.jpg

[Motown 454]

Its looking good! Nice job on the headers and exhaust.

[woody80z28]

Got my spare fender back from my buddy with the color test. The Code 29 Dark Blue (front) looks best most of the time, but it does turn blurple. The Code 492 Saville Grey looks too grey...but I like the slate-ish kind of hue. I'm gonna see if I can get a custom "492" mixed with double the blue ingredients.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9746-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9760-1.jpg

I got the firewall completely smoothed until I saw a post on Facebook and decided to relocate the wiper motor. So I ground out some of the filler I had just finished and worked it out. Had help from Kevin's post a few years ago when he did it.
http://nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113069&page=7

Now I just have to finish smoothing it out.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9762-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9764-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/12/IMG_9769-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Finished smoothing & mocked up the hidden wiper motor & line lock. I'll mount the clutch reservoir with a self-tapper once the engine bay is assembled and I can determine the best fit.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9784-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9785-1.jpg

I had to modify the sway bar holes in the frame for my Hotchkis bar. They said it was common. So I welded in a 3/16" plate and tapped it all the way through the frame.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9795-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9801-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9809-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9810-1.jpg

My buddy was dragging ass to help with the spot blaster so I just borrowed it and did it myself. It's not the greatest, but with some patience it works.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9816-1.jpg

And while I had the blaster handy I decided to melt out the factory lead on the quarter. There was a tiny crack starting. I see the factory welded a few beads in addition to the spot welds. So I figured I'd weld the rest before filling it back in.

Exposed with 3M rubbery paint/rust disc.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9812-1.jpg

Melted with my little torch.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9813-1.jpg

Wiped with a wet rag.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9815-1.jpg

Blasted.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9817-1.jpg

T-1000 Terminator leftovers.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/IMG_9818-1.jpg

[Motown 454]

Please make sure you rear the proper respirator that lead will kill you.

[woody80z28]

I always wear my Niosh when doing any sanding/grinding or something with fumes.

[woody80z28]

Designed & ordered a set of gauges from Speedhut. Nice to be able to do them from scratch so they are unique. Also just saw the touch screen from Holley and it would fit the dash perfect. May have to do that as well.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/mphrpm-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/dash-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/digitaldash-1.jpg
https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/fuel_injection/gauges_and_displays/parts/553-106

Slinging filler too. This part sucks.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9870-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9871-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9868-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9875-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9876-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Oh, and I welded the whole B-pillar seam, and then added a strip of sheet metal in the recessed area for more strength. And I welded the B-pillar to roof seam at the weatherstripping channel and added a fillet where it was sharp.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9820-1.jpg

Finished the bracing inside the quarters and then welded the quarters back closed. Then stripped the whole body.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9821-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/IMG_9836-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Put some plastic up to make a garage condom so I could spray. SPI epoxy first, Lizard Skin ceramic outside and LS sound control inside, then Raptor Liner outside. Didn't like the stacked texture of the Raptor on top of the Lizard, so sanded it back down smooth and reshot the Raptor. Now I just plan to shoot some more Lizard Skin ceramic on the inside of the firewall to make up for what was sanded off and then I can take down my "booth" and get this thing off the rotisserie finally!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9908-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9913-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9915-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9916-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9922-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9936-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9939-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9944-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9952-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9951-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9966-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9972-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9979-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9983-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9990-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9991-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

I also got some new parts in this week. DIY C5/C6 kit and SPC upper arms from Custom Works, and rotors & calipers from Amazon. I went Z51 spec withthe 13.4" rotors. The calipers came naked without the "Corvette" on them which is nice, because I had already planned on sanding that off and making them say "Camaro". I took the 4th-gen Camaro logotype and modified it slightly and arched it for the calipers. I think it will look pretty sweet...kinda stockish. The SPC arms will be nice for alignment adjustment in them without using shims, which is a nice solution since my G-braces mount to the A-arm studs.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9919-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9921-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9956-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9953-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/04/IMG_9954blue-1.jpg
^ Photoshop of a blue caliper and bare aluminum "Camaro". I think it should look pretty good.

[dragonfly jones]

nice work.

[instro84]

nice project

[rohrt]

Very nice.

[woody80z28]

Finally back to some hot rodding! Had enough of the sanding and spraying for a while...and I want to get the car on wheel dollies so I can move it around too. It's off the rotisserie and officially has some bolts in it again. haha

Did the Herb Adams spring eye relocation, which proved a pain with the Slide-A-Link brackets. Also found a spot where there was contact even before the relocation...nothing a little clearancing can't fix. Kept all my cuts under control and even did some grinding on the leaf and the bushing where there is more meat, rather than the spring eye bracket. All in all I'm happy with the result. 3/8" lower ride height, 3/4" more ground clearance at the SAL bracket, better instant center...for free!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0013-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0027-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0029-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0033-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0041-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0035-1.jpg

Also got a quick shot of the full exhaust before installing the tail pipes and the rear end. It's nice to be assembling...even if it is just baby steps.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0016-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0019-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Here's a reference pic of how low the SAL bracket used to sit compared to the subframe connector:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/IMG_5928JPG_Thumbnail1-1.jpg

[bonecrrusher]

Needs 345s out back...

[woody80z28]

Not gonna happen. Maybe on the Beretta...after a Schwartz chassis...after hell freezes over...

[wfo guy]

Progress is good. Keep plodding away.

[woody80z28]

Mocked up the front end too. Had to drill the balljoints to fit the SPC arms and modify the spindles for the C6 brakes. Now my balljoint is the droop limiter and the bj plate hits the wheel and full droop, full lock (ok at ride height). So when I get the steering linkage on I'll see how far full lock actually is, because the tires hit the Hotchkis bar in front as expected...so that will be my steering stop. haha I also mocked up my rollbar tube for under the rad support with cardboard. I'll get the template to a local shop and get it bent. Will require some surgery on the rad support, but it will fit nicely.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0067-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0069-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0076-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0077-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0085-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0090-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0091-1.jpg

I also finally got my custom Speedhut gauges and I'm excited/disappointed. The quality is very nice and the electroluminescence is awesome. I like that they are all electrical gauges and the daisy chained quick connect wiring is super clean. Unfortunately - they used the wrong blue compared to what I spec'd and approved. They used the middle "Giants" blue for the dials rather than the lighter "Panthers" blue like I wanted. I double checked their emails and it is correct in the proof I approved...so we'll see what they do about it. It might be picky, but it's what I designed...and being a designer makes me a little anal about that stuff. The middle blue won't match my stripes very well...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0093-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0097-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0095-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0098-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

I got my test fender back from my painter and I'm still undecided on a color. All these dark/slate blues tend to be very metameric. They look quite different in sunlight/flash/fluorescent. And I seem to like different samples best in each light source... I did cut up pieces of the hood decal I won't be using to see how the tri-color stripes will look.

Colors here are Volvo#492/80 Camaro #29/modified Volvo#492/13 Corvette "Night Race Blue"

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0102-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0106-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0110-1.jpg

[wfo guy]

I sympathize with your color dilemma. That's why my truck has a white cab. It makes a good undercoat if I can ever pick a color. :)

[woody80z28]

Back to hot rodding! Spent the last week (and all the long weekend) doing a whole new roof on my parents' new house. Glad I'm not a roofer for a living.

I got my bar bent by a local shop. It's 1.5" .120 wall tubing. For $30! Can't beat it. Had some 3/16 left over to plate the frame where it mounts. Welded the perimeter of the plate and the center hole of the frame to the plate. Super strong. Thinking about adding a cage nut to the frame where the rad support mounts. Would make it really easy to bolt in since my access hole from the bottom is gone now. This thing should keep the subframe square and be a nice spot to jack the front of the car up. haha

I had to cut up the core support some to get the best fitment. I'll see how that goes this weekend getting the radiator situated again.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0127-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0133-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0136-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0138-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_0139-1.jpg

[Motown 454]

That will stiffen it up nice.

[woody80z28]

Here's a pic of my clearance cut. Wouldn't need to clearance it at all if I hadn't modified the core support to work with the wedged subframe.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/06/IMG_0142-1.jpg

Made a template and then killed another shelf to make it. I love electric shears.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/06/IMG_0144-1.jpg

Went a little overboard welding...but overkill is perfect in my book. Had about an inch overlap on what was left, so I fully welded the top and then welded the bottom as far as it followed the straight edge. It's super strong now. I will weld in the rubber isolator mounts once I get a pair...mine are MIA.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/06/IMG_0148-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/06/IMG_0149-1.jpg

Radiator (3rd gen) & fan (Volvo something) fit like a glove now.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/06/IMG_0147-1.jpg

Also ended up getting a pair of door skins locally. Got a good deal on them and I'm gonna try it myself. Gonna need some youtube research. haha
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/06/IMG_0150-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Found my color! Finally. That BMW Midnight Blue looks great. Very similar to the stock 80 Dark Blue, but it doesn't turn blurple and the pearls give the metallic a little more flop. So depending on the light it's a little darker than the stock, or brighter reflection than the stock. I really like it a lot. I was almost getting ready to make a compromise on color...so I'm glad I don't have to!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0195-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0196-1.jpg

I'm taking the rest of the body panels down to bare metal now. I got the door frames and the core support blasted. And I'm going to shoot epoxy on the fenders and trunk lid too while I'm doing the doors. The pass fender got creased and repaired at some point...and the driver's fender had an antenna hole removed. Didn't these all come with the antenna in the glass? I wonder if someone added a CB at some point to outrun the smokies...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0198-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0200-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0201-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0202-1.jpg

I also found a surprise on the trunk closeout panel. I see the replacements are cheap, but I wonder about fitment.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0204-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

And here's an update from a while back I missed posting here:

So the door frames are getting blasted and my test fender is at the painter's with 8oz of BMW B38 and another batch of custom Volvo 492.

I've been busy trying to build a better mousetrap. I cut a new bezel for the Speedhut gauges and the fit was good - like always. I've done like 3 different stages over the years. But with the whole dash out I saw a way to make it better...so I started using some scrap stock and making changes. Now it's deeper and the gauge panel is angled up to your viewing angle. I'm on rev4 right now and have a couple of little tweaks to make, but it's getting really close. The last version is all made in one piece and thermoformed on a hot wire. Changed the gauge placement too...I think it looks more modern now. And my replacement faces came in so I swapped out the "Giants" blue for the new "Panthers" blue stuff. Much better.

2006:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/100_3473-1.jpg

2008:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/100_5342-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/100_5347-1.jpg

2015:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0188-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0168-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0176-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0177-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0178-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0182-1.jpg

I'm going to backlight the "Camaro" in the center like I did the "SS" on my Beretta project. And I just bought some SPDT 3-pos rocker switches that I can wire in for the fan etc as ecm/off/override on. with an LED indicator each. The big round holes in the center part are for Vintage air vents. Hoping I don't need to add AC, but I'll have the vents to do it if I do. The LEDs in the gauge face are the signals, highs, parking brake, alt light and check engine light.

And here's what I did with the Beretta. Same plan of attack for "CAMARO" but with blue LEDs.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9439-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/05/IMG_9440-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0007-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Made blockoff plate for the wiper motor hole in the cowl. Once I cut that part of the firewall out it would have been a waterfall inside the car! Also got some standoffs on Amazon to mount the EFI HEI coil on the firewall...I think it will work out nice.

Friend on NastyZ pointed out that the rad support had the 6cyl opening. So I cut the wings off, widened the opening and then bolted them back on. Should keep the air right where it needs to be...and if I have to take them off at some point it's just 4 bolts. I also finalized the radiator mounts and drilled some drainage holes so it doesn't fill with water.

Picked up an AMD deck filler too and WOW it fits like ****! I'll be better off fixing my OEM one and sending that POS back.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0206-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0213-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0208-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0210-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0215-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_0211-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Ok...no updates in a while. Partially because I've been busy with other stuff...partially because my photo hosting site sucks now. So I switched to photobucket.

Got the basic body work done on all the steel and put down epoxy. Hit the inside of the new door skins with Lizard Skin sound control. Put the door skins on and sealed the seams. Rebuilt the hinges, aligned the doors and burned some of the new seam sealer welding the god awful door gaps on the driver side. What's the best way to seal all that back up after the metal work is done? I'm a little worried about the folded over area with the skin & frame where it all had a nice coat of epoxy & sealer that is now burned off I'm sure.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0325_zpsk66t78ev-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0325_zpsk66t78ev.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0378_zpsezcadkyn-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0378_zpsezcadkyn.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0386_zpskk3p075t-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0386_zpskk3p075t.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0390_zpssfmngqlp-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0390_zpssfmngqlp.jpg.html)

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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0403_zpsq5ytqenr-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0403_zpsq5ytqenr.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0404_zpslagmcn83-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0404_zpslagmcn83.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0409_zpszluwd3pa-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0409_zpszluwd3pa.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0410_zpsugtuiqge-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0410_zpsugtuiqge.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0416_zpsz5mergfi-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0416_zpsz5mergfi.jpg.html)

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[woody80z28]

And I've been working on a brake retrofit. I did the 13.4" C6 Z51 brakes up front and it made the 11.6" Blazer rotors out back look tiny. So I wanted to engineer an interchangeable rotor combo for drag & street wheels. C6 Z51 rear rotors are 13.0" and I found that C6 Z06 rear rotors are 13.4"-and a visual match to the Z51 fronts. So the graphic designer in me has to make it happen.

The ebrake shoe is the same between Blazer and Vette. Check. Center bore is the same. Check. Offset is way off - but a spacer behind the backing plate will fix that. Rotor thickness is about 0.200" different...but shaving pads will fix that. There is enough difference in radius between the 11.6 and 13.4 to make an extension bracket to hang the Blazer caliper further out on the big rotor. So I made some templates out of plastic at work and got it all figured out. I just need to fab the final ones out of steel.

By using the Blazer caliper and pads (which are bigger) I can swap between street & drag brakes without bleeding the calipers or popping out the axles. Should be a 10min job per side. I like the sound of that. Oh - and I found GG friction rated Blazer pads at Advance so I'm all good to go there. Maybe this car will even stop after the rebirth!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0421_zpsgnsh5ixg-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0421_zpsgnsh5ixg.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0336_zpsvujddbzo-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0336_zpsvujddbzo.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0349_zpsk2x8ob9j-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0349_zpsk2x8ob9j.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0366_zpsr2l0ppuu-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0366_zpsr2l0ppuu.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0367_zpsohr9vkze-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0367_zpsohr9vkze.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/09/IMG_0369_zpsb9ogvsns-1.jpg (http://s113.photobucket.com/user/woody2136/media/camaro/build/IMG_0369_zpsb9ogvsns.jpg.html)

[bonecrrusher]

Needs more brake sauce!

[KB Camaro]

awesome build thread. great work!

[Motown 454]

Its looking great, nice job on the skins. Have you seen what Kevin Tetz did to the louvers on the fenders for his Eastwood youtube show, Hands on Cars? Pretty interesting. Nice work.

[cbpldc]

Looking great!

[woody80z28]

Its looking great, nice job on the skins. Have you seen what Kevin Tetz did to the louvers on the fenders for his Eastwood youtube show, Hands on Cars? Pretty interesting. Nice work.

Yup, clean look. And I actually had the 78-79 on mine originally but I'm using the 80-81 style now. Would love to find a way to blend them in completely, but from what I've read pot metal and steel don't get along.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[woody80z28]

Yes, I'm a dumbass. Just wanted to throw that out there first...

So, I caught the car on fire! And didn't even know it. I was almost finished welding the holes in the inner fender a couple nights ago right when the wife got home from work. So I finished the last couple, took off my helmet & gloves, turned off the welder & gas, shut off the radio and went inside to have dinner.

Came out a couple hours later to a garage full of smoke. One of the last welds must have slowly started the towel on fire. It burned the whole thing. Luckily there wasnt anything flammable but the towel in the immediate area. And it looks as though the only real casualties are the control arm bushings, ball joint boot and a caliper slider boot. Got lucky. Could have been a lot worse.

So, a few parts, some refinish work, and a welding blanket later I'll be all set. And BTW, oven cleaner works awesome for fire damage cleanup!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/10/IMG_0472_zpswlqzhkt1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/10/IMG_0473_zpstnvvaxk8-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Used the fire as an excuse to buy tall upper ball joints. And got new pivots from SPC to get it all back together during my second sheet metal mockup. Those new door skins have moved everything around... I'm waiting for a body guy buddy to come over and give a little guidance. I'm still not happy with all the gaps yet.

Picked up some button head bolts for the inner fenders to give just a little bit more tire clearance just in case. Every little bit helps right? And I dont think I've ever posted pics of the ugly fab work for the inner fenders for the extra tuckage. So here they are.

Also figured out my mounting for the Aerocatch pins. By moving the fender brace under the header panel now it clears the hood and the Aerocatch assembly, and gives me a solid place to weld on a tab for the pin and adjust height.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/10/IMG_0508_zpsbyeu2imb-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/10/IMG_0510_zpspxcjpmii-1.jpg
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[68400BIRD]

I have a rule in my garage about welding.
After my last weld I start picking up all of my tools and cleaning the floor. I stay in the garage for 20-30 minutes after welding.
I had one car go up in fire (not my fault) it will not happen again if I can help it.

[woody80z28]

Agreed. That is a new rule in my garage too. Really just a careless mistake that is easily prevented. Luckily it was a cheap lesson.

[Motown 454]

Glad to hear it wasn't too bad and you got it fixed.

[bonecrrusher]

Need more updates.

[rohrt]

Believe me your not the first guy to start a fire welding.

[woody80z28]

Wow, I'm way behind on updates. Here are more.

Guess it's time to update this thread again...even though it will be depressing how little I've had time to do! haha


Wow, haven't updated in while. Guess that's ok...haven't gotten much done. Working a ton of OT, but that helps the build fund.

Got the pins done. Actually used the burned up pivots from the SPC arm! haha
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0525_zpskdmdk33k-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0526_zps9hpfkwxy-1.jpg

Thought briefly about just running with the craptastic panel fitment from the Goodmark door skins...and then thought better of it. Welding the gap in the rear gave me a little warpage, and I found a different technique online. With this technique you use 1/8" solid round stock. A lot less welding. Got it looking pretty good now. Gonna mud the driver's side before I weld the pass to see if there is anything I can improve on. But I think it's gonna be decent.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0527_zpsvqjjj7ki-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0534_zpskimtvsfs-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0547_zps3dnjlnmx-1.jpg


I think the door gap saga is now over...pretty happy with the fitment. I highly recommend the 1/8 solid rod method to anyone tasked with this crap. haha

Next issue: fiberglass! Hood and rear spoiler fitment. I am so highly excited... :screwup:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0550_zpsny2jckz6-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0562_zpssyoacyns-1.jpg

[woody80z28]

Woooooooo fiberglass.

Two studs on the spoiler were gone so I cut some all-thread and glued it in with resin. (Notice the Buick door work bench since my dad stole my saw horses) haha Each end had cracks in them, so I wadded them full of duraglass once I ground them out.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0567_zps0bxbvsqr-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0569_zps1teewtcs-1.jpg

To get the spoiler aligned with the end pieces and fitting the deck lid better I had to add a little bit to the bottom side. So I taped the deck lid, laid duraglass on the deck lid and installed the spoiler. As it was starting to kick I ran the spreader down the front and I think it will smooth out really easily.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0577_zps2vdn1iu7-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0576_zps7qceeetk-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0580_zps7ckvcrw8-1.jpg

Hopefully all is well when it's done. Alignment was horrible before, and with the dark blue that's going on the reflection would stick out like a sore thumb I'm sure. I don't think it ever really shined when it was maroon so it didn't look as bad! haha


Haha. Probably a good call. It does have a hair more gap on one side. probably a slice and reweld would do it. You're an evil influence...haha

Cut the spoiler off, cleaned up the bottom side and got the fitment perfect.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/temporary_zpsxilqzcdq-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/temporary_zps1hnk7ngg-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0594_zpseec7tfvm-1.jpg

And saw a quote in the new Hot Rod that seems directly applicable...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160409_15_34_24_Pro_zpshyvbccb4-1.jpg

post

- - - Updated - - -


Made myself a bondo spreader on the CNC at work. Hopefully it helps me get the 3 pieces of the spoiler matching perfect. Should be a lot easier than what I have been doing...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/temporary_zpsim7d6tfs-1.jpg

Hood openings need work too. I'm trying to finish up the spoiler before moving on to the next issue, but I may be able to save some time by ordering a new nose. I'm still not excited about using the one I have. There are some waves in it, and has tiny little cracks when you sand it all the way down to the urethane. Wondering if a different nose will fit at the hood differently. The nose I'm looking at is the Stinger fiberglass one (same place that made my hood).
https://www.americansportscar.com/products/chevy-camaro-bumper-1978-1981-front-flex
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/temporary_zpsidiahf5n-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/temporary_zpsjhh8tict-1.jpg


So I bought the Stinger nose. My dad was headed to Mopar Carlisle to sell parts and Stinger was going to be there as a vendor...so I called them up and had them send a sweet Chevy nose on the truck with all their Mopar junk! haha Saved me about $200 in boxing/shipping charges.

Quality looks pretty good. I do see a couple minor flaws, but that's the beauty of fiberglass...it's easy to fix!

One little problem I ran in to though. Looks like I need to grind the fiberglass headlight bucket/grille structure down to fit the nose over it. It doesn't just stretch over like the urethane.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160717_17_56_42_Pro_zpso6ohoyzw-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Started installing the nose. I studded the fenders to make it easier to bolt on. Doing the bolts from the front was always a pain because there was no direct shot to get on them, you had to screw around with a knuckle or bend the urethane. Neither are a good solution... So now it goes on and I can start the nuts by hand. Then they are easily tightened with a knuckle on a long extension.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160723_16_41_34_Pro_zpscumllc9x-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160725_21_49_58_Pro_zps8nj1vm9w-1.jpg

Fitment at the fender extension kinda sucked, and I saw a post about steel supports that were never on my car. So I fabbed some up out of 1/8". Seems to work pretty well.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160809_23_16_48_Pro_zps9cau1vw4-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160810_22_02_48_Pro_zps6lt7rfcp-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160805_21_02_26_Pro_zpskaxazq9r-1.jpg

Hood gap sucks though. So that's something I need to tackle. Hinges need rebuilding before that though. So I'm drilling and using 1/2" bolts and nuts. Going to tack the nut to the bolt when I get the pivot at the tightness I want.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160810_22_23_02_Pro_zpsiunobzev-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160812_22_34_02_Pro_zpscz3ara5p-1.jpg

Test fit the headlight & signal buckets, and grilles. None of them fit great, so they will take a little work too.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160730_17_48_37_Pro_zps79krixhb-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160730_17_48_46_Pro_zpsgtyqfxms-1.jpg

But I kinda like that it almost looks like a car!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160810_23_29_45_Pro_zpseklnyvr3-1.jpg

So now I'm working on getting the spoiler perfect...finishing the last fitment project before tackling the newest one...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160817_18_44_06_Pro_zpskcgmsrub-1.jpg

post

- - - Updated - - -


Happy with the spoiler now. Check.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160818_22_22_00_Pro_zpsgnebj6wb-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160818_22_22_24_Pro_zpsarldk3hu-1.jpg


Ordered some hardware from boltdepot.com to rebuild my hinges. They have a TON of stuff. And I'm actually going to order some 3/8 brass washers and drill them to 1/2 because these 1/2 ones are huuuuge.

So, I like the way the hinges work now. I drilled all the 3/8 holes in the hinges to 1/2 and used a 1/2" shoulder bolt with a 3/8 stud. Plan is to blast and powdercoat the hinges, assemble, and tack the nut to the bolt when done. Maybe threadlocker would be better though. I haven't decided yet.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160904_22_29_14_Pro_zpsu1jkmddn-1.jpg
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https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/stylizationz28pair_zps7zhq3moa-1.png

I posted in BS about an illustration I did with some 20" ZL1 wheels. Totally loving the concave face and the blacked out look. Looks pissed off. NASTY! But I was a little worried that 20" wheels would just look too big.

So I had a friend come over and I tried the stock SS 20s...

Nope!

Too big.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20160920_17_31_22_Pro_zpsbgurve7l-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

I saw Fesler just released a flush mount glass kit for 70-74 with a the rear in the works for 75-81 and it got me all excited! Then I looked at the price and decided to see what other options there are... haha

This is a roll of T-trim that I used on my Beretta. It's a Dodge Dakota spec that is used as a universal. I'm going to check to see if there is something similar available that is slightly wider than 1/2". To set it up like the first picture I will have to weld additional metal to 3 of the 4 dimensions. To set it up like the second pic I may be able to use a 3/4 or something and have it look pretty good.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20161022_14_17_26_Pro_zps7zm6eayy-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/WP_20161022_14_18_35_Pro_zpssgexrryh-1.jpg

I'm pretty damn sick of body work though. And I do need to spray my subframe and inner fenders, and probably reshoot the firewall. So I dropped the engine in to do some final mockup.

Going to gusset the rear LCA mounting ears (since stock LCA brace doesn't fit with headers) and modify the G-braces to fit under the cowl instead of on top. Also hoping there is enough floor clearance to cut off the 3-bolt flanges and replace them with V-band clamps (did my whole truck exhaust with V-bands and love it).

I wanted to get all the EFI wiring harness stuff finalized, too. I'm adjusting wire length for a cleaner fit and I'll need at least one more hole in the firewall and a different disconnect for the distributor. Mounted my ignition coil on stand offs and really like the look. Also mounted the type-2 PS pump with my bracket and pulley from Speedway. Seems like pretty good stuff.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0999_zpsypns77qe-1.jpg
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Cardboard header gaskets to keep from chewing up the alum heads. haha
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0996_zpsywgzdbts-1.jpg

First time with this engine in the car and the pan is pretty damn low.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0997_zpsav28cz0z-1.jpg

This pic exaggerates it, but the pan looks to be about the lowest point for ground clearance. So that's not good. I did some research and found out it's a Summit pan with a 8.25 depth. So I'll be fine to cut it up and raise the sump an inch. Probably take me from 7qts to 5.5 or 6. I'll figure out the math.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_0998_zpsa4tn3nun-1.jpg

Fabbed a cowl brace for the g-braces. I moved the g-braces under the cowl to gain some hood clearance, new hood is tight. I used some 3/4 x 1-1/2" bar stock as nuts and welded them to a thick wall gas pipe. Button head bolts keep hood clearance maxed out. I already have 1/8" plate welded under the cowl for some extra strength. Got some big washers I'm going to weld to the fenders too- there needs to be spacers for the g-brace mounts anyway.

I also drilled holes in the tunnel for wiring. Going to weld the stock wiring hole in the firewall shut. Decided after mocking stuff up that one wiring hole looks out of place with everything else being so clean.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/IMG_1050_zpsmx3zi8kp-1.jpg
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[woody80z28]

Picked up some more parts on Black Friday sales...mainly DSE lower arms, QuickTime scatter shield and a Wilwood 7/8 master.

Fabbed a bracket and ran the throttle cable. First bracket didn't line up well so I offset it. Angle iron looks good when you clean it up! Going in the powdercoat pile.
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The SFI bell is a big heavy SOB. I put it in to make sure my planned wiring routes would still be ok. Looks like it will.
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DSE arms are like jewelry. Be a shame when they're all full of road grime. haha (Stockers are for sale in the swap meet section, with delrin bushings). What I really wanted was the added caster.
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Plumbing in a puke tank to eliminate the PCV. At 11:1, I don't need oil reducing the effective octane of the fuel. Area was tight, so I'm doing a pair of 90s looping forward to clear the MSD coil and the g-brace.
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Assembled the PTFE lines for the power steering with the S10 TypeII pump.
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Also think I've decided on a fuel line solution. Regulator up front for accessibility with crossovers front and rear to minimize any pressure spikes from injectors firing (especially in MPFI batch mode). The regulator being so close to the rails should also help with that. Routing the lines far away from the headers should minimize any problems with heat soak. Have a couple fittings in the mail to finalize the plumbing, but this should be it:

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- - - Updated - - -

Working on a project I started because of the aero thread on p-t. I've always wanted to smooth the fender vents, but they're pot metal. So I'm going to cut up the stock vent to use as a trim ring and fab the actual scoop out of the sheet metal. It's also going to quadruple the area for underhood air to exit (theoretically reducing drag and aiding in cooling).
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Made a date with my body guy to get this damn thing painted! And he's running behind schedule...so I'll post these for now. But it's in queue. I have the body work done to basically the best of my ability and he's going to finish everything up perfect and spray it. (I did my Beretta last year and a couple spots that I thought were perfect showed slight flaws a few months after fresh paint).

I really like how the fender vents came out. It was difficult to get a good decreasing radius bend that was smooth. My old landlord has an English wheel that I used and that's pretty tedious, but it worked ok.
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[woody80z28]

I also got my rear bumper project done. It's something I've thought about for quite a while. It has always driven me nuts that the bottom of the rear bumper isn't on the same plane as the bottom of the quarter. I photoshopped it to match and it looks so much better. So I cut up the stock one to try it out and fit a basic rear diffuser idea to match the aero package I'm going to do in a year or two.
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I was happy with the results, so I bought a Glasstek rear bumper and cut it up. I used the car as my jig and some ABS sheet as a backer to slop some kitty hair on it and make it one piece again. I also made some studded steel plates to eliminate the metal "straps" for the urethane bumper ends and duraglassed them in. Then I took it off the car, removed the self tappers and peeled the ABS off and hit it with fiberglass cloth and resin to give it some strength.
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I really like the "fatass" look. I think it helps with the really short and wide back end. I also like how the metal strap delete cleans it up. I got a 12" LED bar that will serve as the reverse lights right above the license plate and it can tint the whole taillight lens smoke red which will work with my "amber delete" tail idea. I also welded a much better mount for my kill switch than the one I cobbed when I was 20. haha. I'm going to make a license plate holder/trim piece out of ABS that looks much better when the plate is off and the switch is exposed.
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[Martin71RS]

Nice work! I like what you're building there :-)

[woody80z28]

Been too long since an update...but it's coming along. I need to quit racing the Beretta! haha Well, after this month...cause I'm taking it back to the strip. I figure if I break it again it will be a kick in the ass to get this car done.

Finally got some time to finish modifying my subframe. Got a bunch of stuff from John at Lab-14.com to strengthen it. Plates and studs for the UCA mounts, thick washers for the LCA mounts, plates for the body mounts, adjustable braces for the UCA studs. Saved a ton of time. I wish I had seen his site before I had done so much of the same stuff myself. I wanted to do the sway bar plate because I think a welded nut is a better solution than drilling and tapping a plate like I did, but I was not cutting off the plate I already fully welded on. But I did cut and weld the big UCA/shock mount as suggested.

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I also scoured through the depths of McMaster for some other mods I had planned. I welded a coupler nut inside the cross bar at the front of the frame horns. I figure I can use the bolt as a jacking point to get the front end in the air. Might work for a tow hook mount, too. I'll find out soon. The only problem with that big bar I welded in is the access to the radiator mounts, so I welded in some cage nuts.

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I've got some more stuff to update on Tuesday. That deep spring bucket of the DSE arms made it impossible to install my Hotchkis coils with my compressor tool - even with a coil cut and compressed as far as my compressor would go. So you can probably guess where this is going...

BTW, anybody need some Hotchkis coils?

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[woody80z28]

Here's where I am now. I hit the chassis stuff with epoxy and Raptor Liner. Made a couple changes to the firewall after my last mockup too. The Raptor really gives a nice look, and the texture hides some imperfections.
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This pic shows how it all works together with the braces to keep it all rock solid with the g-braces. The cantilevered subframe needs a lot of bracing to be stable. The bracing is a tight fit, but it works with the stock PS lines and the AN-6 setup I'll be running.
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[woody80z28]

Long time no update. Been working on my Beretta since I kissed the valves off the pistons on a missed shift...oops. But now that car should be about 270hp instead of 200. haha

I do have a bunch of old photos that I never did post for some reason. So here they are.

I picked up a set of double adjustable Viking coilovers from UMI. Went with the 550lb springs. My old Hotchkis were 600 (which I still have if anyone is interested) but I can adjust the shocks stiffer when racing with these. (And way lighter for drag racing.)

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I also did have to change the stock 6" length idler from ProForged to the Howe on "for threaded sleeves" meaning heim-style tie rods. The PF piece is really nice, but caused the tie rod bolt to hit the LCA bolt on the crossmember.

I also got some bumpsteer studs from Speedway for the knuckles. With the locknut barely catching threads they are really close, but I'm sure the correct adjustment will not be at the very bottom.
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[woody80z28]

Minor miracle alert! Car went off to paint jail after almost 2 years of waiting for a spot. Nice to see it in some daylight. And get the room back! It's been sitting around almost untouched forever.

Race ramps worked awesome. I love the open center of the trailer too, makes it easy to strap the car down. It may come in handy as a "lift" if I need it, too.

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[andrewb70]

Hopefully the paint jail won't be too long!

Andrew

[woody80z28]

Well, it came back from paint jail with some overspray on it...but zero progress. None. And now I have one of these things, so time is harder to come by. Body work is smelly, dusty and loud...none of them are too babysitting-friendly.
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So I dragged it out for some paint quotes at different shops..but DAMN they're pricey! I almost want to flat black it and send it...
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[mbuenavides]

The baby looks happy. Looks like this built has been keeping you busy in the long run.

[Mechanical]

Been following your story and wanted to say great job on keeping at it!

If you haven’t painted it yet, have you considered “dipping it” ?

I had done this to my Chevelle about 4 years ago and it came out great

Positives are you can do it in your garage for about $300 and when you are tired of it, just peels off and doesn’t harm anything underneath

I am also working on restoring my 81z28 !!

[Mechanical]

Been following your story and wanted to say great job on keeping at it!

If you haven’t painted it yet, have you considered “dipping it” ?

I had done this to my Chevelle about 4 years ago and it came out great

Positives are you can do it in your garage for about $300 and when you are tired of it, just peels off and doesn’t harm anything underneath

I am also working on restoring my 81z28 !!

[woody80z28]

I've "dipped" some chrome trim before and it worked pretty well. I'm so disassembled, though, that it really needs actual paint inside the window channels, etc. I'm going to spray it myself. I did that with my Beretta and it came out ok. Just need more time, and lately I tend to skipping the body work stuff and working on other projects that are more fun. But I will get there.
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Been doing a lot on my youtube channel lately. But this is the only Camaro video in a long time...haha
https://youtu.be/A_8OONuQ2m0
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[woody80z28]

Been quite a while since I made any progress...been busy with a lot of other stuff.

I fabricated a way to put 13.4" Corvette Z06 rotors with regular C6 calipers on the Camaro axle using Blazer backing plates. I also made it easily changeable so I can go back to 11.6" Blazer brakes when I need to run my 15" drag wheels...without needing to pull the axles and swap backing plates. I ended up spending about $300...I'll call that a win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD9eC8DCDtU

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[ryeguy2006a]

That's a very interesting rear brake setup. Can you tell us more about the parts combination that you used?

[woody80z28]

That's a very interesting rear brake setup. Can you tell us more about the parts combination that you used?

It's all covered in the video, but it's ~2000-2005 Blazer rear backing plates and ebrake components, with 2007 Corvette Z06 13.4 rotors and base Corvette calipers. Fits the Blazer ebrake stuff when spaced correctly, and there are custom brackets to bolt the Corvette calipers to Blazer backing plates. Blazer backing plates allow me to remove the corvette stuff and run 11.6 Blazer rotors and calipers when I need to clear my 15" drag wheels with slicks.

[woody80z28]

Another year, another update! Lol. Of course I ended up neglecting it most of last year again...but I've been hitting it hard the last month and it feels good to be making actual progress. I've lined up a painter so I've gotta finish fab on the splitter project (that I've had in my head for 10 years) before I send it off. After I turn my cardboard rear mockup into a finished plywood assembly and modify the pass rear wheel flare to match I can send it out. This particular video only took me 3 years...haha

https://youtu.be/bOfbB7yDSXY

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[woody80z28]

I had to come up with my own hitch cause I found nothing available new for 78-81 and I've modified the rear bumper quite a bit anyway. So I used my time-tested process of making & refining a plastic mockup and then having my buddy at Empire Metal Works laser and bend it in steel. It came out really nice. It's pretty simple and that's what I like. Easy on/off, and the bumper bracket part of it will be a mount for my rear diffuser too. As a side benefit, it should help protect the battery kill switch.

https://youtu.be/JBQQXC1dU3M

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