Back from the bodyshop... [Archive]

barno68

07-09-2008, 07:37 PM

... and not quite painted! After two and a half years in the shop I thought it would have been finished, but with a move coming up I had to pick it up yesterday.

This was really a learning experience and I will make sure to have milestones set in the agreement next time. I can't complain too much as the shop did a tremendous amount of work for what I paid. Of course at this point I have no idea what to do, but know I need to get the whole thing in enamel primer before trailering it for the move.

I have three more weeks, so plan on getting the undercarriage painted and welding in the center console mounts. Past that who knows...

Here is how she sits:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1954-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1955-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1956-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1957-1.jpg

chevelle19700

07-09-2008, 09:13 PM

Do you have any before pics the car looks pretty good but id like to see the carnage before

David Sloan

07-10-2008, 03:47 AM

Good luck. Looks like a good start, body looks solid.

Martin71RS

07-10-2008, 04:46 AM

Looks nice and straight....but waiting for that long is terrible.....I had mine back in 2 weeks!

hotrdblder

07-10-2008, 05:05 AM

looks nice, either epoxy prime it or urethaneprime it, at the stage the car is in, i would urethane prime it as its high build and will take wet weather

barno68

07-10-2008, 05:17 AM

I do have pictures from the start, but most of the rust and old repair work were not uncovered until the paint was removed. I had thought that it was pretty solid until that point. When I bought the car it was in the process of being converted to circle track and was a mess. A lot of missing parts and the firewall and trunk looked like swiss cheese from all the holes that had been drilled in them. I had some repair done about four years ago when the vinyl top was removed, but a lot of that had to be redone this time.

The usual vinyl top rust issues along with the lower quarter
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN0592-1.jpg

This is what it looked like prior to taking it to the shop
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1175-1.jpg

It needed patches on both sides on the dash corners and lower cowl. The firewall was smoothed also.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1920-1.jpg

Always amazing what paint is covering
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1937-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1938-1.jpg

barno68

07-11-2008, 04:47 PM

Made a mounting bracket for the A/C compressor today, just need to get is painted up. I decided to go with a Sanden as the stock LT1 compressor was all of a 1/4" off the upper A-arm. It is not pretty, but should be functional :-)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1958-1.jpg

Motown 454

07-11-2008, 08:14 PM

Looks good keep us informed on progress and the move.

souljaboy9768

07-12-2008, 06:55 AM

what size tire and rims are you running? What brand of rims?

barno68

07-12-2008, 08:23 AM

what size tire and rims are you running? What brand of rims?

They are 17" x 9.5" aftermarket BMW rims. I bought them a couple of years ago for rollers as they fit over the PBR calipers.

65BuickGS

07-13-2008, 04:41 PM

I feel your pain...I took my project to a body shop,,,the guy tinkered around,,,after a year of tinkering I got sick of it and took the car home,,,I just took it back 3 weeks ago,,,all it needs is for the final block sand and paint,,,I told him the car is leaving August 9th,,,painted or not!!!! I made him mark on the calender that it would be done that day,,,pulled out my camera and took a pic of his writing on the calender!!!
Sooooo,,,the following saturday I was at his shop again...of course nothing had been done,,,so I asked him if he knew what day it was,,,after a few guess's...i told him that it was 7 days closer to August 9th,,than it was 7 days ago when I dropped the car off!!! He got the point!!!!!

barno68

07-13-2008, 05:14 PM

I think next time I will go with the time line approach with bonuses for early phase completion.

I was under the car today grinding all the patch work, the rear section just needs to be degreased and I can spray. I decided to do one half at a time, seems more managable. I did find a couple of holes that were missed, so I will have to break out the welder and take care of those.

I also noticed that the sheetmetal lip is really banged up around the rockers and rear end. I may try to straighten some of that out, but my skills are on the mechanical side rather than bodywork.

barno68

07-15-2008, 07:31 PM

Funny thing about working on cars, some lessons come the hard way... Yesterday I learned that taking out the old seam sealer with a wire wheel makes a huge gooey mess. Now I will have to figure out how to clean the garage floors and the tile I tracked it onto in the house :pat:

Anyway, mocked up the dash and center console and now have everything drilled. This was originally a column shift car, about five years ago I purchased a repro center console and shifter. Had I not already had them in storage I would have converted it to a 6 speed when I did the LT1, such is life. The console did not quite fit right under the dash, so I will have to tweek the dash mounts later on.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1962-1.jpg

My wiring harness came today from EZ2Wire (can't remember who they have make them). I really like the fuse and relay box, nice consolidation. Also, it is a much nicer and smaller unit than the factory harness that I modified originally.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1965-1.jpg

barno68

07-17-2008, 06:03 PM

:) Paint arrived today, so I was able to get going on the undercarriage. The Zerorust is very easy to spray, no issues with running. This is the first time I have tried this, but spraying the first coat in a light color really helps with ensuriing coverage. My only complaint is a numb spray can finger :-) While at the paint store today I saw they had this same paint in quarts, so I may use that on the interior.

Also ordered a U-pol Raptor kit, so it looks like I will have to lay out some more tarp in the garage...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1967-1.jpg

Motown 454

07-17-2008, 06:38 PM

Looks good your making better progress than the body shop did. Does the zero rust come in a few colors or did you tint it your self ?
Wayne

barno68

07-17-2008, 07:47 PM

I think it comes in 8 colors or so. The blue was on sale for $4, so I had to go for it for the first coat. The final will be black. They make a tan, and since that will more than likely be my interior color, I will pick that up also. The shop I had it in did a lot of work on the car, just not in a timely manner. I have not complaints about the work they performed.

Good news, I have a friend that has a custom paint and restoration shop, he will be coming by on Saturday to see if he can fit my car in to finish the body and paint.

Motown 454

07-17-2008, 07:51 PM

Good luck, I hope it works out for you and he can get you in!
Wayne

barno68

07-18-2008, 11:59 AM

Just wanted to give a report on the ZeroRust quart. I really liked the spray, not so sure about the liquid. It is not self-leveling like Rustoleum, so I have a lot of brush marks. Is was tacking up by the second stroke of the brush, but then again it is over 110 degrees here today. I think with a second coat it should look Ok and will post a photo once I get that applied.

XTRMEASURES

07-18-2008, 02:20 PM

looking real good

barno68

07-23-2008, 07:44 AM

Just an update- got the undercoating done this morning, so should be able to start getting the rear back in tomorrow. I got some great guidance on applying the Raptor bedliner from members, here is the thread if you are looking to use this product:
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?p=416729&posted=1#post416729

Also, I will be trailering the car next week and taking it over to a friends place to finish the bodywork and paint :yeah: . He is a member here (bk2life) and I appreciate him making room for my project.

Oh, and the second coat of ZeroRust did the trick on the interior. I used foam brushes this time, but think in the future I would just by a better quality brissle brush.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1976-1.jpg

perple76

07-23-2008, 08:34 AM

Man sorry to hear about your body shop story. Unfortunately your story is all too common and familiar. I don't know what it is about the autobody industry that makes it draw so many unreliable or flat-out dishonest individuals to it. The ones that are honest and keep to their timeframes are usually booked up for months or years and usually are too expensive for the average guy to engage anyway. That's why you don't even blink when you hear about a car having a $20,000 or even a $50,000 paint job.

My old man and I worked on a 62 Nova Wagon about seven or eight years ago and did everything but the body and paint, which we tried to farm out. That process took almost three years and four body shops to find someone who did what they promised and kept to a reasonable time frame. The first three body shops kept making promises, made no progress, and kept asking for more money for "materials." I can only surmise that the "materials" they needed came in a case of 24, if you know what I mean.

Four years ago I started shopping around my 77 Nova for a little freshening up. This car already had a beautiful paintjob and good bodywork on it (a bare metal job done in 1995), so I just wanted some dings straightened and some rock chips handled. Guys started shooting me prices from $4500 to $7000 with a 4-6 month timeframe. I couldn't believe it. All of them told me the same thing - they were too busy to do such a "small job" and the cost was so high because they would have to take time away from their "big jobs." It just wasn't worth it.

I tried a fresh approach, for me anyway. Instead of using my limited resources on a body shop, I spent the money on an air compressor, a good quality spray gun, all the chemicals, and lots of sanding paper, sanders, and blocks. I did a lot of reading on the net and in magazines and decided to give it a whirl myself.

My early work was pretty subpar, and I had to refinish a bunch of panels while I was learning, but I am now painting my third full car and have to say, without giving myself too much credit, that the first two turned out pretty well. I don't do exotic bodywork and have not worked up the courage to paint a black car yet, but I think eventually I'll get there. I'm not expert by any means, but I can tell you that an amateur can paint his/her own car with a little courage, some investment in good tools, and a lot of patience.

The other thing about doing your own paint job - you might actually enjoy it. Before I started this my entire focus on the car hobby was about driving the car to and from car shows, cruises, parades, whatever. Now I'm just as happy to be out in the shop prepping a car for paint, spraying it, and buffing it. I get more of a charge out of rolling that freshly painted car out of the shop than I ever did walking up to that trophy stage. That's just my take on it, but I would guess there are others who feel the same way.

In parting, here's a shot of a truck I painted for my old man last year as a "thank you" for all of his support through the years. We were really proud of this truck because the entire truck (except stitching the seats) was done in-house and without the help of any outside professionals.

Anyway sorry to ramble but I feel your pain because I've been there. Good luck with your project and hope it all turns out well for you.

Jason

barno68

07-23-2008, 09:00 AM

Jason,

The truck looks great and I am glad you enjoy your shop time. I do too, but lean toward the mechanical side. I painted three cars in my younger years and learned that I really don't have the right attitude for painting. I love to weld, but the detail work just kills me. I decided that I will leave the body magic to those who do it for a living.

Luckily this car has not been a costly learning lesson, I will end up around $7k in the paint and bodywork. Considering the modifications and all the little rusty areas that had to be repaired, I am thankful for that.

barno68

07-25-2008, 03:02 PM

Hopefully this was the last time pulling the rear end off the car! It is back on the ground and ready to be loaded on the trailer for the shop. The only thing I am working on right now is finishing up on painting and sealing the trunk (seam sealer is in and first coat down).

The other project for today was to put different terminal ends on my mirrors so that the wiring hole would not need to be widened. I like these mirrors, but was really leaning toward those on a C5. Here they are mounted up, any opinions?

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1986-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1987-1.jpg

Martin71RS

07-25-2008, 10:38 PM

looking from the front the mirror looks pretty similar to the original, from the side it looks more massive. (not sure if I like it, but hard to tell since it is not painted yet)

Do you just want different mirrors or is it about them being electric adjustable? if so, have you tried to transfer the mechanism to the originals?

anyways, keep up the good work!
Martin

SatisTraction

07-26-2008, 12:53 AM

not feeling any love for the mirrors. maybe once it is all tied together???

barno68

07-26-2008, 04:50 AM

I agree, they are a bit big, but then again I never thought the originals were very functional and were not much help with the Camaro's blind spot. So I suppose it is a combination of better visability and remote adjustibility.

I think they will tie in better when the door handles are finished, but I am not sold on them either. I have to say though, I have seen a few camaros with the C5 mirrors and they looked great. Until I went and looked at a vette I did not realize how huge those mirrors were; so who knows, when it is done these might look great :fingersx: . If not, I hope whatever I find later has the same mounting pattern!

barno68

10-19-2008, 06:29 AM

I have been slacking on the updates. There has been a tremendous amount of progress on the body the past three weeks or so. Since August I have been working out of town and only make it home on the weekends, so it should be interesting when I get it back and start putting the pieces back together.

Last weekend I went out to the shop and mocked up the Vintage Air system, which was pretty easy. Anyway here are some photos:

The engine has been done for some time, but did notice that the new Sanden compressor is hitting the P/S hose...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/engine2-1.jpg

A couple of the body work in progress
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/body1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/body7-1.jpg

And finally in one primer color ready for blocking
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/body-1.jpg

Maybe not a big deal for you body types out there, but this work impresses me
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/doorhandles-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/handle__4_-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/handle__7_-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/handle__6_-1.jpg

It should be heading to the paint booth this next week and be in my garage by the beginning of November! It has not seen the garage in almost three years and we miss it.

Martin71RS

10-19-2008, 10:28 PM

Nice!!

barno68

10-25-2008, 06:59 PM

It is coming along, should not be long now before it is sitting in my garage! The color is HOK True Blue Pearl

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/fenderpainted-1.jpg

WS6

10-25-2008, 07:08 PM

love the color. Do you have plans for any stripes or just solid blue?

Motown 454

10-25-2008, 09:04 PM

Brent Sweet color . I like the handles done like that .

Steve1968LS2

10-25-2008, 09:11 PM

Wow.. that's one sweet looking floor....

So, where did you move to?

barno68

10-26-2008, 04:35 AM

love the color. Do you have plans for any stripes or just solid blue?

I have gone back and forth on whether to stripe it or not, but have decided to leave it solid and see how it looks. Figured it would be easier to add stripes that I want then remove ones I did not like.

barno68

10-26-2008, 04:41 AM

Wow.. that's one sweet looking floor....

So, where did you move to?

I am in between moves right now. In August I moved about 200 miles south of Phoenix for work and have been commuting home on weekends to see the wife. Next March I will be moving to the bay area and teaching at UC Berkeley, which I am really excited about. I moved from the south bay about five years ago and miss it.

So the plan is to get as much put back on the car as possible before having to pack up. It is a bit of a challenge when you are only home on weekends...

67speedfreak

10-26-2008, 02:41 PM

Looking good man. Love the blue.
I have been considering that color for our Convertible build.

Brian

awr68

10-26-2008, 07:51 PM

Lenie

10-26-2008, 08:03 PM

Great color choice.

gearheads78

10-26-2008, 08:22 PM

Stories like the first body shop are just way too common. When I get ready to paint mine I am just going to have to learn myself. I can't afford the quality I want from a know good builder and I would end up in jail if I took it to someone that dicks me over.

I really really like the color you picked out. Is the body already painted? I would think that is a color that you would have to paint the whole car as once to make sure its uniform.

-Richard

barno68

10-27-2008, 04:23 AM

Sweet color! That's going to look great!

I hate to hear about your experiance with the first shop...even if it just takes too long it's not right! I've been threw it and it's not fun!

Ok, back to the good stuff! The color is awesome and all the work you have done looks great!! Do you have any pics of the bottom after you finished it?

It needs a few areas touched up, but I figured there would be some overspray that would need fixed after the body was painted anyway. It came out really well and I am happy with both the zerorust product and U-pol raptor.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/07/DSCN1982-1.jpg

Here are a couple more:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCN1984-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/10/DSCN1985-1.jpg

Motown 454

10-27-2008, 01:18 PM

That looks good it came out nice.

barno68

11-01-2008, 12:52 PM

Here are a couple of update pics. I am pretty sure the body has been sprayed, but have not seen any pictures of it yet; maybe tonight. I am thrilled with the color!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/hood1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/trunk-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/trunk2-1.jpg

Motown 454

11-01-2008, 04:04 PM

very nice color

barno68

11-01-2008, 06:23 PM

Got the new pics, here it is.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/car2-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/car-1.jpg

awr68

11-01-2008, 06:57 PM

Looks awesome Brent! Congrats!!

Code Red

11-01-2008, 07:52 PM

really liking the blue

gearheads78

11-02-2008, 06:40 AM

Looks increadible but I am worried for you that the paint will not match when the car is together. I have been told over and over again that most metalics and all pearls have to be shot assembled so the angles are exactly the same and color consistant from one panel to the next. I hope I am wrong as I have no personal experience in shooting one myself.

-Richard

BMF Machine

11-02-2008, 09:01 AM

Look at MotiV8R, I believe it is a metalic silver? It was not assembled when painted.:idea: It looks absolutely perfect.:dunno:

This car is SicK as well, I love that blue, can't wait to see her together!

Good painters are good painters. Poor painters absolutely suck and can not match anything. Put together or not.

Motown 454

11-02-2008, 10:17 AM

WOW awesome color .

barno68

11-02-2008, 12:45 PM

I have the same color match concern, but I trust IIGW. James is an excellent painter and I don't think he would have painted it this way if he was worried. Also, I know he will make it right if it is off. I will have to wait for a week or two to see it in person, but then it will be all together and ready to trailer home.

The two things (well, three with the weather stripping) that I want to get done quickly are the fuel system and exhaust. I have everything ready for the exhaust and just need to get the hard line and fittings for the fuel system. These are the items that are taking up the most room in the garage and will make more work space once on the car. The Vintage Air takes up a bit of room too, so it is third... It all should go fairly quickly as most is bolt on with just a tad of cutting and welding.

67speedfreak

11-02-2008, 12:56 PM

WOW looks great !!!!

1968CamaroSS_Sam

11-03-2008, 02:01 PM

Gorgeous blue. Looks great.

2nd Gen.Camaro_lover

11-04-2008, 12:08 PM

Man that thing is pretty. An inspiration to my wife and I and our 70. We look forward to more updates!

jy211

11-04-2008, 12:12 PM

awesome looking blue!

barno68

11-17-2008, 09:45 AM

We spent most of Saturday putting on the panel and I was able to trailer in home. It still has some sections that need to be wet sanded and buffed, but that should all be done next weekend. Sadly, my hood hinges were crap and I ended up with a number of chips from trying to get it aligned (should have taped the edges :hand:); none are particularly visible so should be ok once touched up.

It is a beautiful color and James at IIGW did an outstanding job on the bodywork. The only thing left is to get the door handles painted (had to order a different set last night).

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/DSCN2001-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/DSCN2003-1.jpg

GM_muscle

11-17-2008, 04:20 PM

looks killer. i know you got some money in the paint.

lh_kustoms

11-21-2008, 08:47 AM

love the color looking good

BK2LIFE

11-22-2008, 10:45 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

the blue is awesome, the car is really pretty, the panels are straight, the door handles came out really nice, over all this car is goin to be a trophy winner when she's all back together.

i have many pics of this, if anyone wants high res pictures of this car, feel free to send me an email
[email protected]

Martin71RS

11-22-2008, 11:00 PM

it looks awesome!!!

GM_muscle

11-23-2008, 04:12 AM

thats a bad a$$ paint job their. keep up the good work.

Munster

11-23-2008, 10:38 AM

By the looks of the last pics you are in a very car oriented neighborhood. Is this your new place or you movin out? Great to have neighbors who understand what comes with the car hobby.

BossaNova

11-23-2008, 10:57 AM

Good grief! You should've warned me or something.
That paint is unbelievable. Beautiful color!

bonecrrusher

11-23-2008, 04:52 PM

Nice playboys.

1BADRS

11-23-2008, 05:40 PM

Any hint as to what color blue that is?
Sorry..you told us already "HOK True Blue Pearl"

Very nice... One of the nicest blue paint jobs Ive seen.
:1st:

barno68

11-23-2008, 08:04 PM

By the looks of the last pics you are in a very car oriented neighborhood. Is this your new place or you movin out? Great to have neighbors who understand what comes with the car hobby.

James posted the last photos and they are from his house where he painted the car. The ones above that when the car is on the trailer is my place and I will be moving in March to California.

If anyone is in the Phoenix area and is looking for a good body man I would definitely recommend James as the car look fantastic.

Motown 454

11-23-2008, 09:21 PM

It looks like he does very nice work

MiDiablo

11-23-2008, 10:04 PM

That blue is BEAUTIFUL!

barno68

12-02-2008, 05:35 AM

Managed to get a little work done over Thanksgiving. My goal was to get the Magnaflow exhaust installed, but the fitment is not right and I may have ordered the wrong kit so am checking on that now before trying to modify it to fit.

Since I will be moving to Berkeley in the spring I am trying to empty as many parts boxes as possible, moved on to the A/C and sound deadner.

The Vintage Air system has been a fairly easy intall, just a few modification to the mounting brackets so far. This could be due to the after market core support also, as I had a few fitment issues with it on install.

Took Franks advice and ditched the bulkhead fitting and widened out the holes to one inch.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/IMG_0674-1.jpg

The condenser looks good, it is a well crafted kit.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/IMG_0680-1.jpg

The evap is just roughly installed as I needed room on the work bench. The sound deadner is from Elemental Designs, unfortunately I have had it for 3+ years and the adhesive is toast so I used 3M Super Trim adhesive. A bit of an overkill, so I will go with their straight trim adhesive once this can is gone. I can say that it is doubtful that this stuff is coming off! I had thought about pre-cutting all the holes first, but it seems much easier to just cover everything and then cut them out or punch through the deadner for mounting holes.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/IMG_0679-1.jpg

Also installed the passenger side inner fender... what a pain! Again, another aftermarket piece. Finally got everything lined up and bolted except for the rear frame mounting bracket. The inner fender does not have the three holes in the right area so I will have to redrill. I did not want to take the piece back off, so bought an angle drill and will get it finished next weekend.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/IMG_0677-1.jpg

The last thing for the holiday weekend was installing Electric Life regulators. I am missing one small window sash, so only got the regulator install on one side. It is a loose fit now as I am trying to find new window rollers before putting in the glass. Also I need to put new felt on the window guides and order a window for the drivers side as the old one is really scratched up.

Young Gun

12-02-2008, 08:33 AM

looking great! that color really pops! when do you expect to be all done?

barno68

12-02-2008, 06:53 PM

looking great! that color really pops! when do you expect to be all done?

Probably 1-2 years, you know how these things go. I should have it running within a year, but I am still deciding on the interior and wheels.

barno68

12-03-2008, 04:26 AM

I am amazed, and a little shocked, at the prices that the repro companies want for replacement window bumper felt. I had read that some people are using velcro as a replacement, but I went another way. My house has wood floors, so we have put felt on the legs of all the furniture. It is pretty durable stuff and seemed to be much hardier then the original felt from the factory on the car. I think I may have gone a tad thick as it was hard to form, but well see how it fits this weekend.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/IMG_0683-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/12/IMG_0684-1.jpg

BK2LIFE

01-09-2009, 06:15 PM

Thanks for the kind words. i put alot of time into this car, and the paint came out lookin really nice. i take pride in my work, and treat everything as my own. thanks again for the thumbs ups!!

1971CHEVELLE

01-23-2009, 04:35 AM

:1st:this car is going to be awesome. Good work:)

barno68

01-23-2009, 06:33 AM

I have been slacking on the updates, but have been working on the car when in town. The gas tank and all the fuel lines are in. Both inner fenders are done, but the AC compressor was hitting so I will have to fab a new bracket. All the Vintage Air components are in an the heater hoses are run, just need to have the A/C lines built. Passenger glass is in, working on the drivers. All the weather stripping is done (PIA!).

Lots of little stuff, the exhaust and brakes have been the major headache. I had one Magnaflow kit that was crap and just got a new one that is only marginally better. I have wasted a week messing with poorly designed direct fit kits and am really frustrated. I think I will just use the current mufflers and OTA pipes and have the rest built locally.

Here are some pics:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/01/DSCN2016-1.jpg

hours and hours getting this window aligned, drivers should go much faster.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/01/DSCN2018-1.jpg

some of the sound deadner is in, need to finish is up and start on the second layer.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/01/DSCN2012-1.jpg

I bought some of the stainless screw in trim posts for around the windows, they worked really well.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/01/DSCN2011-1.jpg

icebird84

01-23-2009, 06:37 AM

:1st:this car is going to be awesome. Good work:)

indeed

barno68

02-06-2009, 04:10 PM

Really made good progress that past few weeks. All the glass is in, bumpers are on (have to pull them again later), sound deadner is all in except on inner door shells and the dash pad in.

All the interior wiring is in the car, but it is not routed yet. Everything to the rear except the trunk light and fuel pump is wired. I don't think I will tackle the engine until the move is complete. Ordered all new seals, so most of the lights are now installed. I think I spent more time cleaning all the previous owners silicone repair jobs off the lights then installing them! Only issue I see right now is that the one marker light I had to replace is a different shade from stock.

This morning I finally got the door handle installed (passenger only). Had to pull the door glass again, but it is getting to be a pretty quick job now. Funny enough, I have been stressing the handle linkage and turns out the stock handles linkage fit perfectly. A few more pieces and it will hopefully keep the rain out!

Earlier this week I ordered the carpet, so things are shaping up nicely!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2043-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2042-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2045-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2047-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2049-1.jpg

WS6

02-06-2009, 05:07 PM

good job Brent. Keep it up.

socalfandabodys

02-06-2009, 06:23 PM

Awesome car. Whats with the playboys? Haha

thetoystore

02-06-2009, 07:07 PM

who does'nt like playboys?? and i love the handles looks like they should be there

Motown 454

02-06-2009, 08:07 PM

Your car is looking great. I agree on the handles they look factory.

icebird84

02-07-2009, 12:17 AM

Your car is looking great. I agree on the handles they look factory.

indeed handles :1st:

barno68

03-28-2009, 08:05 PM

I won't say we are settled in, but the move to California is done! The house is nice, commute is a bit long, but the job is great so far.

Not a lot to update as I have to dig through boxes every time I want to work on something... I picked up a set of seat out of a Firebird that are really similar to Recaros (extendable leg rest, adjustable lumbar and bolsters) and had the rears re-upholstered to match. If you are in the Bay Area I highly recommend A-1 Auto Upholstery in Dublin, he did a great job for a reasonable price.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/IMG_0328-1.jpg

WS6

03-29-2009, 06:10 PM

Look comfy.

craigs73

03-29-2009, 06:40 PM

i'm lovin this color and is on my favorite year camaro

barno68

03-31-2009, 04:28 AM

Its funny how life gets in the way of my projects... years to get to the point where I can see the end of the restoration tunnel and now I have no time to work on the car!

wickedred

03-31-2009, 07:59 AM

Car Looks awesome. I hope my 70 Cmaro turns out that nice.

BK2LIFE

05-14-2009, 07:09 AM

the handles were easy to fab, and yes they really do look good. i was a little questionable at first, but they work really well in this body style. keep the pics comin!!

barno68

02-07-2010, 10:07 AM

Between the move and our new baby boy, there has been little time for the project. But a little progress has been made, mainly on wiring.

The new wheels arrived this week and got me excited about working on the car again. Boze puts out a nice product, can't find anything I dislike about these wheels.

The studs will have to be changed out down the road... but the fit is good.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/IMG_0466-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/IMG_0468-1.jpg

Tires were a tough choice, ended up going with Nitto 555's
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/IMG_0464-1.jpg

The door panels have been fun to make
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/IMG_0442-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/IMG_0444-1.jpg

buddyleerc512001

02-07-2010, 10:36 AM

car looks awesome. what car did you get the door handles off?

barno68

02-07-2010, 11:14 AM

car looks awesome. what car did you get the door handles off?

It is in the thread somewhere, but I think I ordered them for a 2000ish monte carlo. They are the same for many of the GMs over this period: grand am, corvette, etc...

elitecustombody

02-07-2010, 02:02 PM

looks great, love the color, is that a production color or custom mixed?

Stefan

barno68

02-09-2010, 12:39 PM

sfsvettes

02-10-2010, 02:52 PM

Car looks Super ! Kep up the good work !
:1st:

CruizinKev

02-10-2010, 09:12 PM

very nice! coming along nicely :twothumbs

DYNODANNY

02-10-2010, 09:22 PM

Those BOZE wheels look asome on your car. Big bucks!

Dalamar

02-10-2010, 09:54 PM

nice man.

I think you'll like the tires, I run them on my 96 and they do well.

gearheads78

02-11-2010, 02:55 PM

I was just wondering the other day how your car might be progressing. The wheels look great.

qnitro

03-13-2010, 12:07 AM

I am sure this is a common problem, but after five years and two moves I am having trouble finding parts. The latest is the gaskets for the door mirrors. Sad thing is, I remember thinking as I put them in a particular box that, "oh, I should remember where I put this without a problem!"

On the positive side, while looking for the gaskets I did find a roll of teflon tape and some solder that I thought was lost for good :-)

I wish I knew where I put all those parts I bought... Its seems to be magic, once I buy another replacement set.. I find them..

Nice car... Im building another Second Gen, my first was a 1973 Z28, now Im building a 1975 Tran Am (no smog) :) Im in Union City.. about 30 minutes from you.. we should sync up sometime