new body shell

[zdog]

Hi, I got a rusted out 68 Camaro (runs and drives) and am looking to replace it with a new body shell. YearOne, Real Deal Steel, and Danycorn have them are they the same? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Yukon Cornelius]

I thought Dynacorn was the manufacturer and the others were just distributors.

[MuscleRodz]

they are not all the same. check your local dmv regs before heading this route.

[Snowcatter]

I have been researching this for hours and have not been able to find any real answers to this question...I would also like to know some real feedback on these repop bodies. Everybody just says the same ole answer "Just fix your existing body" Well folks, I don't have an existing body, I don't care about the registration process, I'm not building an authentic 1969 Camaro, but I do need a body for my build. I am torn between Dynacorn & Real Deal Steel (RDS). Is there a significant difference between the two other than RDS being more expensive? I live in the North West which makes Dynacorn the choice since they ship from Cali rather than Florida. I would love to hear how the two compare rather than the same old banter about using an original body...there just aren't any available around here anymore and I wouldn't want to chop up an original for this build anyway. Insight from those that have used either of these bodies or both would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for 69 Camaro Coupe body for my project.

[MonzaRacer]

For the most part make sure its certified by GM as an authorized replacement part. I had a friend who had no documentation on his used (ie abandoned) Dynacorn body he got from an unopened storage locker.
He drove up to a car wash to spray off his car from country road drive, they were having sale and he wandered over. The guy was putting minimum of $50 per and only bids were $10-$25 so my buddy threw up $50 bid(guy next to him gave up his paddle and left.
So after jumping for joy as his luck(yeah a Dynacorn for $50!!!!) he had to haul it out as storage owner had to shut down for some reason. so he calls AAA and asks them about hauling a body with no axle or suspension.
Long story short he found local guy with about 2 dozen rearends and rear springs all take outs from circle track cars. Finds appropriate width spring/rearend, gets it for $75(turns out it first gen 12 bolt, 4.10 gears with Moroso limited slip that all look like new and are perfectly set up. digs around and gets enough bolts and parts, installs rear, figures out local town had harbor freight and got couple of the car dollies. So he throws everything no trash in car(had glassfront and back and doors and trunk lid.
AAA shows with flat bed and manages to work out deal with two different tow companies to get it home as first tow driver service cant operate in his home state. Gets it home and he decides to try to get specially constructed vehicle status. Well as he was using later model ZR1 Corvette blown engine it would be based off THAT, so it has to maintain like 2016/17 emission status. Not big deal but he has no parts car. He had engine and a 6l?? trans with controller in garage.
Well sourcing all the parts would have ran well over $10k as he would need dealer receipts ie no salvage exhaust or other emission pieces. And new Corvette exhaust and emission parts are salty.
So without bill of sale for Dynacorn body and not having a stock body to swap numbers from(legal in hsi state IF ITS AUTHORIZED REPLACEMENT PART!) hi project stalls for 6 months.
Then I find him rusted out Camaro that was recovered from White River here in Indiana and old owner STILL had title.
So he had build tag and vin tag finally and its now on to see if he can locate who bought it. Called Dynacorn with all but last 3 of receipt number.
Finally finds owner, guys injail for having small amount of weed for treating his cancer chemo symptoms. But wants his body back , wont help with any documentation. So my friend waits, guy goes into remission, gets out of jail ,sues my friend, loses. Now my buddy had every part now needed to build car EXCEPT PROOF ITS PROOF ITS PROPER REPLACEMENT PART.
Previous owner gets married, cancer comes back and he passes from heart failure. Wife decides she needs some cash for funeral expenses and offers my friend the receipt for $2800.
My buddy flew out with cashiers check, gets info and has copy of original reciept.
So now about $5k in all totaled with lawsuit, he has proper documentation and takes body to local shop to swap vin and body tag. Then had them soda blast and epoxy spray whole car, found some guy to do old school rust proof(like drill and spray but even into frame rails after minitubs and such installed.
He is still finishing body and mods he is installing but it will be a sweet ride.
Short story is make sure you understand ALL your states rules.
Watched a guy lose $20k on street rod as he didnt have all documentation and because he had late model driveline in Brooksville roadster the area he moved too told him he had to install tons of crap to meet requirements of emissions to title it in his new hometown.
He just sold it to some guy in Fla and that guy had zero issues.
Good Luck

[MuscleRodz]

I have been researching this for hours and have not been able to find any real answers to this question...I would also like to know some real feedback on these repop bodies. Everybody just says the same ole answer "Just fix your existing body" Well folks, I don't have an existing body, I don't care about the registration process, I'm not building an authentic 1969 Camaro, but I do need a body for my build. I am torn between Dynacorn & Real Deal Steel (RDS). Is there a significant difference between the two other than RDS being more expensive? I live in the North West which makes Dynacorn the choice since they ship from Cali rather than Florida. I would love to hear how the two compare rather than the same old banter about using an original body...there just aren't any available around here anymore and I wouldn't want to chop up an original for this build anyway. Insight from those that have used either of these bodies or both would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for 69 Camaro Coupe body for my project.

RDS uses AMD sheetmetal. One of the major differences. Don't know anyone happy with fitment of a Dynacorn shell yet. The other reason for starting with original car is all the little crap that will nickel and dime a build.

[Snowcatter]

RDS uses AMD sheetmetal. One of the major differences. Don't know anyone happy with fitment of a Dynacorn shell yet. The other reason for starting with original car is all the little crap that will nickel and dime a build.

MuscleRodz, I completely agree that RDS is the better choice but I am wondering if it is worth the large price difference. Dynacorn - $12k / RDS - $14k plus another $2400 to get it shipped to Idaho. Dynacorn is close enough that I can go and get it myself or ship for around $800 so the Dynacorn is roughly $4k cheaper. Also I do not plan on using anything from the original 69 except the body...not even most of the interior. I keep hearing that Dynacorn has gotten better over the years, but are they still inferior to RDS?

[killer69]

We just finished fitting and body work on a RDS 67. Not super impressed! lots of gap fixing and the roof to 1/4 needed to be cut apart and redone as there was a large bump in it. we have 240 hours in the metal work gaps body work and it is now in first primer. if that is any indication.

[andrewb70]

Why guys keep insisting on building Camaros is beyond me!!! There are so many other cool cars that can be found in creampuff, original surviver condition. That's the only way to start any build, as far as I am concerned. Just my 2 cents on the situation....

Andrew

[raustinss]

Why guys keep insisting on building Camaros is beyond me!!! There are so many other cool cars that can be found in creampuff, original surviver condition. That's the only way to start any build, as far as I am concerned. Just my 2 cents on the situation....

Andrew

Yep , I was desperately trying to convince a friends dad to sell me his 69 ss convertible, so glad he didnt take the bait . I ended up finding my 70 ss 396 chevelle , lower price , lower mileage, build sheet AND not a Camaro lol

[Snowcatter]

Why guys keep insisting on building Camaros is beyond me!!! There are so many other cool cars that can be found in creampuff, original surviver condition. That's the only way to start any build, as far as I am concerned. Just my 2 cents on the situation....

Andrew

Andrew, My first ever build was a 69 Camaro out of high school, and the last car I owned and loved was a 2013 ZL1 which I was forced to sell. I want to take the best of those two cars and build something awesome. Maybe everyone wants a Camaro because they were one of the most popular cars GM produced. Frankly I don't care what anyone else thinks of it...it's what I want. I am going to use a repop body because I have no other choice, I have been looking for awhile now. ****OP i'm sorry for hijacking your thread, but I was trying to help get answers to yours and my question.

[Rick Dorion]

So disappointing to still hear about quality issues with the repro bodies. Especially in light of all the claims about using special jigs, build quality, etc. No reason a great body can't be assembled and sold.

[andrewb70]

Andrew, My first ever build was a 69 Camaro out of high school, and the last car I owned and loved was a 2013 ZL1 which I was forced to sell. I want to take the best of those two cars and build something awesome. Maybe everyone wants a Camaro because they were one of the most popular cars GM produced. Frankly I don't care what anyone else thinks of it...it's what I want. I am going to use a repop body because I have no other choice, I have been looking for awhile now. ****OP i'm sorry for hijacking your thread, but I was trying to help get answers to yours and my question.

I can understand all that. I guess I never got into Camaros because I never fit comfortably in them. I'll stop hijacking... carry on.

Andrew

[Twentyover]

So disappointing to still hear about quality issues with the repro bodies. Especially in light of all the claims about using special jigs, build quality, etc. No reason a great body can't be assembled and sold.

This is an area where my interest in Little British cars may be insightful. And perhaps painful. You cn buy a replacement shell for a Mini, MGB, TR6, Spridget- All stamped off original jigs and tooling, assembled by the same old farts that assembled them in 1980. The British Motor heritage has secured tooling that was used to build these cars when they were new. You can purchase a new 1967 MGB powered by a Miata drivetrain (from Frontline), or buy the shell and stick your VIN and a V8 in the shell.

[zdog]

Thanks for your replies. Looks like Dynacorn is best choice because I live on the west coast. They are 8 to 12 weeks out and don't have the RS rear valance. I think they are make to order business. They quoted me 14K out the door shipping not included.

[Snowcatter]

Thanks for your replies. Looks like Dynacorn is best choice because I live on the west coast. They are 8 to 12 weeks out and don't have the RS rear valance. I think they are make to order business. They quoted me 14K out the door shipping not included.

Zdog, look at restorationperformance.com they are advertising the Dynacorn bodies for 12K and please let me know how yours turns out.

[langss]

OP....No personal experience here, just what I observed. A good friend restoring a 68 Fastback Mustang decided to get a Dynacorn Body, after he did the math for all the replacement panels and figured he was money ahead considering all the rust this car had. He purchased directly and since we are local, he brought his trailer and had built a cradle for the body to sit on while in transit(about 100 miles.) In the end he saved about $600.00, buying from them..... But that is where the joy sort of slows down. He spent countless hours working the Sheetmetal. This was not going to be a "Show Car", just a driver, but he told me there was no way it would have been ready to prep for paint straight from the factory. He does as much of his own work as he can, so he saved a lot of money in that respect, but I'm sure in retrospect, his time was worth a lot as well. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say.....if he had it to do over, he would have just fixed what he had. I think the deciding factor was at the time he was doing this, there was not as much available in replacement parts for the Mustang as there were for say a 1st gen Camaro. If your car still runs and drives, I would look into all the replacement panels and see what that adds up to. If you cannot do the work yourself, that adds a lot more money, but would you not spend as much or more getting a new body in shape.?????

[southernfriedcj]

I have been researching this for hours and have not been able to find any real answers to this question...I would also like to know some real feedback on these repop bodies. Everybody just says the same ole answer "Just fix your existing body" Well folks, I don't have an existing body, I don't care about the registration process, I'm not building an authentic 1969 Camaro, but I do need a body for my build. I am torn between Dynacorn & Real Deal Steel (RDS). Is there a significant difference between the two other than RDS being more expensive? I live in the North West which makes Dynacorn the choice since they ship from Cali rather than Florida. I would love to hear how the two compare rather than the same old banter about using an original body...there just aren't any available around here anymore and I wouldn't want to chop up an original for this build anyway. Insight from those that have used either of these bodies or both would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for 69 Camaro Coupe body for my project.

Just playing match maker here, I have no involvement with the car in this link. Seems like a much better deal than a new shell that will need to be reworked and this one comes with a lot($$$$$) of extra parts and a registration.

https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...ni-tub-project

[badazz81z28]

Swapping a body is no different than any other part on the car.

[raustinss]

Sort of lol , hall of a lot more work . The biggest issue it seems is the legality of licensing.