1971 RS Camaro project. The infamously long project.

[POS71RS]

Well, I'm positive that at some point, many years back, I had a progress thread on here somewhere.

So, I'll just do a quick run-through of the progress. I would like to start off by admitting that I've owned this car for 18 years now.

Here's the beginning, and a few sporadic pictures through the process. But long story short, I got the car on my 16th birthday. It was a present from my dad... he very reluctantly gave it to me after years of pleading. He just couldn't sell it!


So, in H.S., I rolled on 14" slot mags before landing a set of Z wheels. This is just after H.S., about 96







I found out while digging that the quarter had already been replaced, then RE-bashed AND RE-rusted. :(



There wasn't a full quarter on the market then (not that I could have afforded one then) so I had to make due with a skin.





I was beginning to see why my dad couldn't sell it for the $300 or so bucks he was asking then. In 94, you could get a NICE 70-73 for a grand or two.

[POS71RS]

Then, a couple years later, some old guy turned in front of me and hit me head on. No insurance, etc.. I was screwed.




And yet another teardown to replace the sheetmetal.


By this time, I should have fastened the car with Dzus fasteners... I was getting too familiar with this car!

So, at this point, I was so disgusted with the wreckage, that I let it sit in the backyard for 3.5 years. I was ready to junk it.

[POS71RS]

But almost 4 years later, I decided it was time to get some work done again. I couldn't find a RS clip for the life of me, so I was about to make it a standard bumper car and just sell it.

Then I found a steal on an RS clip! I was stoked! So, I started embarking on my journey to paint her my all time favorite color combo... Viper blue with white stripes.







And finally started mocking up the 'new' front sheetmetal.

[POS71RS]

Somewhere about this time, I finally landed a good job to start my career... and finally make some good money.

So, shopping sprees persued...

I located a great deal and I dropped in a 6spd trans, and that was a blast. A month later, I purchased a Weiand 177 blower.
Within one month, I went from a 700r4, to a T56, and a dead stock 350SBC to a stock 350 with a blower.
I also had no choice but to rid of the 3.08 pegger so I could use 6th gear. So I found a deal a few miles from home, guy was parting out a 72 that had a 3.73 with Auburn and Moser axles.
That was a BLAST to drive. Also put a nice blue spotty color on the Centerforce dual friction!
Here's just before the blower install... clean hood:


Had to cut up the hood for the carb... the dang bowls were higher than the hoodline!


During this time, I also replaced the stock replacement springs front and rear with Hotchkis lowered springs and added bolt in subframe connectors.


Also carried the color into the interior. It's an aluminum gauge panel that I polished, then sprayed a translucent blue over. It doesn't look as spotchy as the pic suggests...


If I had known that a few years later, I'd change my mind on colors entirely... I would have not hosed on so much blue!

[POS71RS]

out with the old...


In with the new..


I built this engine to be relatively low compression, and a tight cam for a blower. I have either the 177 blower (not going to use that, as I don't want anything that tall) or a Procharger P600. I'm putting off the Procharger until I get all the paint and everything else completed. The motor in it's current form is plenty fun!

[POS71RS]

Immediately awaiting the engine install, was a set of new shoes.

It's not often that I'll get hooked on something like wheels... but these were a MUST for me. Shelby Cobra wheels from AR.

These are 315s on 17x11 wheels. Who says you can't fit huge tires under nearly stock Camaros?... I rolled the wheel well lip and banged in the seatbelt bulge a little.

[POS71RS]

Off with the old quarter (again)



Off with the drop off...



New quarter on...



I went a little different on the tail panel replacement. I didn't see a need to replace the pass. side, so I only replace what I felt was necessary. (and I have an easier time straightening flat metal than I do curved shapes..)

[POS71RS]

well, unfortunately, after all the years I let her sit outside, the roof finally threw in the towel to rust.



Cleaned and POR15'ed:


New roof on and welded:

[POS71RS]

A local body shop gave me a quote. I thought they overshot the mark by about... double. So, I asked what the cost would be if I brought the car with every jamb painted... in essence all they'd be responsible for would be blocking and spraying the outside.
The cost came down a few thousand. That was all I needed to hear.

As you can tell... I don't have a track record for getting paint laid. So, for me to sand back down the only portion of the car that's even had PAINT in the last 20 years.. yes, it stung a little. But everytime I see the color... the pain is gone.


And here she is right before I took her to the body shop. The body shop said they'd have it done in 2 weeks. It took about 10 MONTHS.

[POS71RS]

This was after 3 months. They had done some blocking on the black primer, but I didn't even take pics cause it barely looked any different.

Here was a little progress. :(

[POS71RS]

This portion was from November... ;)
My painter decided to paint the black first, then the body color later.
The black is sposed to be a semi gloss black... And thats a bit more problematic than gloss black.
In fact, he took a few attempts at black/satin clear and wasnt happy with the results. So, although it looks like progress here.. He immediately was sanding it back off...lol

[POS71RS]

a little color to be seen! He missed several areas in prep, and ended up doing a lot of redo to get it looking decent before respraying the whole car about 4 more coats, then clear to follow.
Then he'll pull off the paper and re-do the matte black.

My cellphone makes the color very RED. It is not red in person nearly at all. It's more like a dull penny in person. I can't begin to explain why all the pics look so red.

[POS71RS]

yup. CLEARED!!

Again, I'd like to specify... There was hardly any progress at all since August...
Days before, I finally HAD IT with the wait, and cleared space in the garage to bring it back home to paint it myself. The next morning, the car was in the booth with the wheels off. I didn't tip him off at all... Just bizarre coincidence.





I'm actually a little shocked at how straight some of the panels appear. I wasn't sure it would look this good.

He's going to unmask the black areas, re-black the stripe, cut/buff the orange.

[POS71RS]

And finally... Outdoor pics to show the color.

This was the next day (Feb 15th) and he was already color sanding it...but stopped after the door as the clear was still soft




I love this shot of the trunk. It seems to best show the color and transition from the metallic.

[POS71RS]

Got the car back last week. There are a few flawed areas, and he said he'll fix them, but wanted to get the car back to me for assembly and then he will do a few spot repairs.








And back to her room,

[POS71RS]

Still have some trim pieces to buy/restore... But the wife (and I!) really wanted to get a drive in the car. The longest drive I've taken the car in the last several years was to the body shop which was less than 2 miles away.

I'll be taking my interior to a local shop tomorrow to have the rear seat covered to match the Procars.

[andrewb70]

Feels good, doesn't it?

Andrew

[coolwelder62]

This is awesome build.

[Olav]

[QUOTE=POS71RS;979730]Still have some trim pieces to buy/restore... But the wife (and I!) really wanted to get a drive in the car. The longest drive I've taken the car in the last several years was to the body shop which was less than 2 miles away.

I'll be taking my interior to a local shop tomorrow to have the rear seat covered to match the Procars.


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What hood is that?

[19,69camaro]

Great color combo with that stripe. I bet your glad to have it almost done.