Project 'Mad Max' - 1968 Camaro Build

[srengr]

Hey Y'all,

Greetings from Texas. I did an intro thread last week, but now that I have actually committed funds and acquired a donor car for the project, I thought I should start the thread to document the process.

The donor car on the jig getting new metal:

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The shell will come off the jig tomorrow and head to the shop for initial body fitment, prep and primer.

The wish list:

- LS3 stage 2 engine
- T56 6-speed (likely a Viper type)
- TCI coil-over IFS front suspension
- TCI torque-arm rear suspension
- 9" Ford rear end (3.70 gear)
- mini-tub
- Forgeline ZX3R wheels (18x13 rear, 18x?? front)
- Wilwood 13" 6-piston brakes all around
- 2 1/2" stainless exhaust
- A/C
- Power windows and locks
- RS aesthetics (hidden headlights) with a low-key look

I'll be ordering the suspension, engine, transmission and brake system in the next couple of weeks so all the parts will be on site and ready for mock-up when the body gets out of the shop.

Here are a few pics of my garage queen:

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More to come...https://www.pro-touring.com/images/misc/pencil.png

[rfalker1]

Welcome to the thread!!!! And when you say mad max what exactly do you mean???? I am so curious to know.

[srengr]

Welcome to the thread!!!! And when you say mad max what exactly do you mean???? I am so curious to know.

When I asked my wife about a name for the project, she immediately said "Mad Max -- "The last of the V8 interceptors."". Even though his ride in the movie was a Javelin, I thought it fit perfectly.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiNZbcEzogU

I am sure she meant as a metaphor in more than one way, at least the 'mad' part...

This is sort of a mid-life crisis event for me.

It's good to see another '68 fan. I get tired of seeing wheel well scallops all the time. What size/width wheels are on your car? I have been getting conflcting info on how wide you can go in the front.

[cluxford]

Love the project and look forward to watching it...

But just to be clear Mad Max drove a Ford Falcon Coupe (Black Blown car) and a Ford Falcon 4 Door Sedan (police car). Not a Javelin

So when i saw the name, I was instantly thinking a big bad blown big block in a black tough as nails coupe

[srengr]

Love the project and look forward to watching it...

But just to be clear Mad Max drove a Ford Falcon Coupe (Black Blown car) and a Ford Falcon 4 Door Sedan (police car). Not a Javelin

So when i saw the name, I was instantly thinking a big bad blown big block in a black tough as nails coupe

I stand corrected, Ford not AMC, apologies to our friends down under.

You seen this? - http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/03/31/251311_news.html

[johnny68]

welcome to the club the car sounds sweet chris may i suggest giving blake over at speedtech since you want a both a front end and torque arm just another option i hear tci stuff is good also im just partial to speedtech
john

[rfalker1]

When I asked my wife about a name for the project, she immediately said "Mad Max -- "The last of the V8 interceptors."". Even though his ride in the movie was a Javelin, I thought it fit perfectly.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiNZbcEzogU

I am sure she meant as a metaphor in more than one way, at least the 'mad' part...

This is sort of a mid-life crisis event for me.

It's good to see another '68 fan. I get tired of seeing wheel well scallops all the time. What size/width wheels are on your car? I have been getting conflcting info on how wide you can go in the front.

Well I am running18x8 inch rims on the front, and on the back with no mini tub I have on 19x8 and another 18x9.5 currently being built from driverz. I think you might be able to go wider on the front, but you might have to pick up a different front sub frame. But don't quote me on that. However on the photo, those where 19x8's or something I forget.
P.S enjoy the mid-life crisis, it seems to be a good one!!!!

[srengr]

Greetings,

The shell came out of metal fab today and was delivered to the body shop for the first round of prep and primer. Slicked fire wall, mini-tubbed and fresh metal as needed.

Here are some pics:

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Big parts order on tap-- suspension, engine, transmission and brakes to mock-up while the initial body work is underway.

[2blownstangs]

welcome to the show! Hope to see more updates real soon.

[Ron.in.SoCal]

Fresh metal's lookin sweet. That's a big step to get past!

[monteboy84]

You have no idea how happy I was to open this thread and not see your Camaro covered in superficial body scoops and flat black spray paint, the Mad Max title had me worried :fingersx:

In all seriousness, your car looks great, 68's are my favorite first-gens by far.

-matt

[srengr]

Hey Y'all,

Body has been at the body shop in prep for a week. Surprisingly, they jumped right on it. Three guys pretty much full time. The shop is packed and they want to make space...

Here are some pics:

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They plan to shoot the under body with semi-gloss black tomorrow.

Then it goes back to the shop and waits on suspension and drive train parts to arrive for mock-up.

[srengr]

Hey Y'all,

It's been a couple of months and some progress has been made, so I thought I would post an update.

The front sub-frame and rear torque-arm suspension from TCI has been assembled and installed. The car has very wide mini-tubs, and there was not enough clearance between the outside of the frame rails to mount the frame brackets without interfering into the wheel well. To solve the problem, the fabricator I am working with modified the TCI mounting brackets by shortening the bracket to match the front edge of the wheel well. This is a nice solution, and installation proceeded pretty smoothly from there. Note that the frame brackets and upper bar are welded into place, rather than bolted.

Here are some pics:

Front sub-frame assembled-
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Front sub-frame mocked-up-
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Rear torque-arm installation-
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Finished suspension mock-up-
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I am really psyched by how the suspension turned out. Cudos and thanks to my fabricator. These guys have decades of experience and make things that are complicated look way too easy. It's nice having the 'A' team on the job.

Next steps are to hang the front clip sheet metal and doors for mock-up, procure the engine and transmission and install them for mock-up, and then fabricate the exhaust.

I decided to go with a T56 built with viper-type internals (rated at 795 ft-lbs). The T56 Magnum would have required mods to the tunnel that we can avoid using the original T56. The engine will be an LS3 stage 2.

[Motown 454]

It looks really good. They did a nice job.

[Protournova]

Can't wait to see how you do your exhaust. One of todays challenges was fitting Magnaflows "X" pipe.. still thinking.

[Scarelane]

Very cool build!

[ruquik]

Who did the fabrication work?

[Chad-1stGen]

Can you post any bigger pics close up of the mods you made to the 2 link brackets to clear the wheel tubs?

Thanks

[srengr]

Can you post any bigger pics close up of the mods you made to the 2 link brackets to clear the wheel tubs?

Thanks

Sorry it took so long to respond. For some reason, I am not getting notifications of posts to the thread.

Basically, they shortened the bracket by cutting off a portion of the curved section that follows the floor line towards the rear of the car. The mod prevents the bracket from interfering into the tubs.

Here are a few close up shots:

Unmodified bracket (before):

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Cut off parts:

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Close ups of modified bracket as installed:

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[ruquik]

any info on the fabrication shop that did it all?????

[srengr]

any info on the fabrication shop that did it all?????

All the fabrication work was done by the talented folks at Camaro Concepts in Houston, Texas. Great group to work with, and Roy has a first rate fabrication shop.

They also built a complete custom exhaust system for my car in stainless. I'll be posting some photos shortly.

[srengr]

All,

My project has been moving along at pace and I will be posting detailed updates shortly. If you read my first post in the thread, you will note that I have another '68-- a stock-restored RS convertible in butternut yellow.

When the time came to pick a color for the new build, I just could not get away from the yellow. Visions of the two cars, stock and pro-touring, sitting side by side, painted the same color just sticks in my head.

As a result, I have renamed the car 'Yellow Jacket'. The theme is yellow and black. All the trim will be satin black, black bumpers, black door handles from Ring Bros, and all black Forgeline wheels, etc.

Here are some teaser photos of the shell in paint (prior to wet sanding):

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[BulldawgMusclecars]

Looking good!

[Soarer]

beautiful work... subscribed!

[HerbyJr]

I would love to see some updates on this project. Show us what's going on with her now!!

[ragz]

Yup, i agree, this project needs an update ...with pics .

[rfalker1]

I third that statement!

[BMcClane]

Do you have pictures of the bolt-on panard bracket.

[pittpens24]

Wow - turning out to be a fantastic build!