my new project.68 camaro,family owned for 30 years

[wadem]

I signed up for this site hoping to get some info and help on a new project i am getting started on.I can honestly say everybody i have talked to have been a huge help so far so i figured i would post up a few pics of what im starting with.Long story short my grandfather was a factory drag racer in the 60's and 70's with a 68 z28 (which he still owns to this day).Somewhere in the mid 1980's he purchased another 68 camaro to have a street cruiser.Unfortunately with the family business,then retiring and building a new home along with many other things he never got started on it so he called me last weekend and told me to come get it.So my dad and myself rode down to look at what we were getting into since he had it sitting in an old barn of his all this time.We got the car out into the daylight(first time in 20 years i know).At first we wanted to see if the motor was even locked up in it so we pulled the spark plugs,sprayed some pb blaster in each cylinder and let it soak while we ran to the parts store.We came back and installed new plugs,points,10 gallons of fresh 93 gas and put a battery in it and it fired right up on the second turn of the key.We are going back this weekend with the trailer to bring it back home to us and get started on it.Simple plans for now are it get nice wheels and brakes on it front and rear,fix a few very small rust holes,and just clean it up and get it driving and start accumulating parts as we go.I know this isnt a huge budget build or something thats going to go quick like some cars on this site however i am just excited to finally have a car i have looked at my whole life and excited to get to work on it s i figured i would share a few pics of it.
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[eric1967]

Looks like a solid car. Keep us posted

[Mizzouri]

I wish mine was starting out with metal in this good shape. Good luck!

[wadem]

Thanks guys.i can't wait to get it home this weekend and get started on it.

[68400BIRD]

Looks like a great start. My only advice would be to get it drivable and enjoy it for a while. Then do small projects that do not put the car out of commission for long periods of time.

[wadem]

tahnks 68400bird,that is my exact plans for it.

[SRD art]

What a great story and project! Check out the 80s vibe on the seat covers! Good luck, and keep updates coming. Can't wait to see it dusted off and polished up.

[wadem]

thanks alot guys it going to be a special project for sure.not all radical like some of the ones on here but im proud to have it now and couldnt thank all the guys who have answered questions for me enough for helping me out.ill have new pics by the end of the weekend after i pick it up and wash all the farm dirt off of it

[wadem]

Got the car loaded up Saturday morning and made it back home in one piece.Car is surprisingly very solid cro. The looms of it and the motor fired right up and drove on the trailer.7760877609

[69toplessbird]

Nice. My son and I started the same deal 8 months ago. Did brakes, spindles, coil overs, and wheels.

Enjoy.

[wadem]

thanks man thats about where im gonna start.which spindles did you use?

[wadem]

Ran through the car wash real quick with it on the trailer just to wash the farm dust off of it and get a better idea of what I'm starting with.7770977710

[wadem]

No big updates yet but I did pick up a brand new Amd cowl hood for it.

[wadem]

Still no updates on work yet due to it raining almost non stop here but I have been picking up parts for it.So far I have grabbed a new AMD cowl hood,deck lid and rear spoiler,new AMD gas tank,new ceramic coated headers,new aluminum radiator,and hotchkis rear drop leaf springs along with energy suspension bushing kit.

I can't wait to get to work on it,the plan is to get all new suspension and brakes on it,get it running and driving and reliable and leave the outside with the "patina" on it for now and drive it and enjoy it and paint it over the winter.

[Mizzouri]

Chipping away at it like me. At least progress IS being made.

[T_Raven]

Pretty cool story. I've been trying to find a 68 Camaro since I was 14. I like that blue. Can't wait to see what you do with it

[wadem]

thanks guys,hoping i can get some work done this weekend if it will stop raining long enough

[wadem]

Still no huge major updates however I did finally get it off the trailer and up under the car port so it will be out of the weather

[Rod]

very cool! it will be a fun build

[wadem]

Thank u sir.I have really enjoyed following your build especially since u do everything yourself in your driveway,congrats on the mag feature

[wadem]

Well I got started today by removing the interior so I can get the old 70's style seat covers off and sanded and primed the seat frames so I can paint them with some nice chassis black in the morning hopefully and start recovering the seat with the new upholstery.I also ripped the old carpet out so it can be replaced whenever the interior goes back inside along with I wanted to see what the floor pans looked like underneath it.

[wadem]

Today I really tool a close look at the floor pans and I was very surprised and blessed at how solid the were,no holes or rot anywhere just a small amount of surface rust in the trunk pan.plan is right now to just hit it with a wire brush to knock the rust off and I'll spray out with some good rust converter then maybe undercoat it or spray it with lizard skin or something.

[jfreakofkorn]

looks fairly solid and a great start ....

congrats on the wheels ....

[Mizzouri]

Alright, you've one upped me. Now I gotta get back out to the garage soon. I AM jealous that your metal is in much better shape than mine.

[wadem]

Nothing really fancy going on here but i did happen to scuff the floors down a little bit and spray bomb them to keep moisture off of them.I will more then likely go over the top of it with some spray hushmat or just spray some cheap bedliner/undercoat on the floor before carpet goes back in it.

[32deucecoupe]

I looking good, I started down the same path but ended up removing the floors for rust. Which caused me to pull the motor and subframe. Which led to sandblasting the frame, which leads to welding the frame. But since the motors out filling the firewall......dominos. The best advice you have been given is to enjoy and do little things first. Mine has been parked for a year now.

[wadem]

Finally got a little bit done,still no major progress yet however i have been getting my parts together and marking things off my list of stuff i will need.I did get all the suspension sprayed down with PB blaster,wheels off,all the rear suspension is loose and ready to come out


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[wadem]

Finally started making some small progress.Got the old exhaust cut off,old gas tank is removed,all rear suspension is out and all the old undercoating has been scraped off the bottom of the car.The rear end has been drained of fluid,scraped with a paint scraper and soaked with easy off oven cleaner to remove all the old road grime and dirt off of it.We also hit it with a fresh coat of chassis paint to keep it looking decent until we can get it all apart for the rear disc upgrade.We also have started planning out relocating the leaf springs and minitubbing the rear before it finally goes all back together.