My 68 Camaro pro touring project.

[partsguy57]

Well here is my project. I will post up older and newer pics as time allows. I bought this car about 25 years ago as a future project. I have done all the work myself in my shop other then the final minor body work , shooting the color and the cut and buff.(my buddy shot the color) The original plan was a fast street strip car (early 90's at that point big inch big block) The car was straight, but had some rust. I had ordered 2 factory gm quarter panels way back then (300 each side, try that now) installed them and a minor mini tub. The car basically sat from then on. (this was around 1994) About 3 or 4 years ago stumbled on this site and the gears started to turn in my mind. I decided to change course and do the pro touring thing. I began to play around on the car and started stockpiling parts. Here's what I got and have done so far. Full Speed Tech rear suspension. (torq arm) Full Speed Tech front clip with all the good stuff. Wilwood brakes frt and rear. 13" 6 piston frt,12" 4 piston rear. Budnik wheels. 315 on the rear with room for 335. 17" wheels. May go with 18" wheels in the future, not a fan of wheels any bigger then that. 9 Ford. rear. 35 spline axiles, 5 speed trans (Legend) on order from Spraker Racing. Had one on order from Keisler, was number two on their list when he flaked. (big crook!!! 5069.00 gone not even a call or email from the thief) I used a Pay Pal card, they refunded me in full nearly a year after the order. When I ordered I was 220 on the list. I kept track and called and made it up to number two according to them when they went bankrupt. Nothing but good to say about the credit card people at PayPal. Engine LSX block. (a litle more weight then I like, but I wanted some cubes) My engine is at the machine shop (I will do the assembly) I ended up with 444 cu inches. 11.2 comp, Trick Flow Gen X 255 heads, Holley Hi Ram intake, wanted something a little different as I don't much care for the look of the LS engine, or all the plastic on them. (thats why I have the big hood for clearance.) Working with a cam guy now for a custom grind. Not sure what ECU I'm going to run, but leaning towards the Holley set up. I put on two quarters,mini tubbed it for the second time, cut the floor boards for DSE sub frame connectors, trunk pan, frt floor boards driver and passenger side. rebuilt the package tray and all the bracing. (guy I bought hacked that all up. The car will appear to most as a restomod unless they know what they are looking at. Please don't be offended here as this is my opinion. I don't care for black wheels, unpainted carbon fiber, no bumpers, or painted bumpers and trim. I don't care for the billet stuff all over and trendy paint jobs hence the restomod look. The car will have stockish interior, center console, Dakota Digital VHX gauges, Vintage Air etc. Tell me what you think, (I'm sure some will think a little boring with out all the "pro touring" bling) Thanks Ken

[lucky13firebird]

Dig it man. I absolutely love the Red with white stripes. Couldn't agree with you more on the trim opinion I love the stock interiors on 60's cars. I see no reason to Change them out to swoopy techno mod interiors. If I wanted my classic car to look and feel like a 2013 kia I would've bought a 2013 kia... big brakes and wheels with super wide tires are a must for me though.

If I tell you your family was right will you finish the in the next year? I mean 25 years is a long time to have that much money tied up and not be enjoying the road with it... ;-)

Hopefully soon you'll see the sun with it.

[Rod]

looks awesome to me!

[partsguy57]

Home from my friends paint shop today! The real fun starts now as I can get it back in my shop

[Buryingthesun]

looks great!

[partsguy57]

Finally am getting some time to work on the car, Put the drip rail mouldings on tonight and they look great. My originals were in very poor shape. I decided to roll the dice and try some after market before trying to find some originals to work on. I'm pretty good at fixing minor dings and buffing stainless(I have a 2hp Baldor buffer) but it takes me a long time. Long story short I tried some from D&R Classic as they were advertised as new tooling and heavier then others out there. They fit very well, other then the corners, no good, or junk in my opinion. I spent the time to fix my original corners used them and the car looks great.

[Gil]

Sounds good ! Beautiful car
Keep plugging away !
Motivation from familly is the best
Gil

[duvall408w]

Car looks great,surprised u didnt pick up a edelbrock vic jr and a 4150 t.b so u could run a round air filter so u would have more of the resto mod look. But holley is bad ass.

[partsguy57]

You are right and the thought did cross my mind, In the end I decided to kinda go more the resto mod on the outside and inside of the car, and not so much on the engine and engine compartment. Besides I needed a reason for the tall hood and the high ram fits the bill for that, and as you said it looks bad ass. I have not seen to many (none in my neck of the woods) around so it is a little bit different then the norm. (still trying to decide what to do with hood hinges, using the original and old bolts for now untill I decide) Pic of the mod we did to the hood to clear the high ram. (the color looks funny in the pic, must be the flash, the color of the inner fender is what the hood looks like in real life)

[duvall408w]

Do u ever get on ls1tech? Go info on big inch motors over there. I would call tick talk to martin on a cam for that beast.

[partsguy57]

I have been on their site a number of times, lots of good info. My buddy has a full machine shop and does only high performance stuff (mostly race motors) he has a guy back east that does all his cams for him. The guy used to work for one of the major cam companies as a engineer and went out on his own and according to my buddy is very good and up on all the lastest stuff in the cam world. He is working up a grind for me right now, but maybe I should get the specs before he grinds it and maybe run it by the guy you are suggesting. Thanks for the info Ken

[partsguy57]

Had a little time so I posted up a few more misc pics

[Y-TRY]

I'm glad you posted this. I was drooling over your avatar and wanted to see more.

Is that red? It looks like Inferno Orange on my iPhone. Either way it looks great. In fact, it has me second guessing my own color scheme.

[partsguy57]

Lol your good! It is inferno orange. I like a more classic or traditional look so I went with this color. In the shade, dark, in the shop etc its looks a lot like a hugger orange. In the sunlight the pearl in the paint really comes to life.

[partsguy57]

Getting a little more done on the car. Sprayed the inside and inside roof of the car with Lizard Skin. Put two coats of sound control and two coats of heat control. Easy to do and turned out nice. The only problem I had was I under estimated the time it would take me to mask everthing off. LOL Looking forward to starting the inside of the car. I will also spray the underside of the car with two coats of sound and heat control when I get it up on the lift later. This is the first time I have used this so I am looking forward to see how well it works. This stuff is so much lighter then dynamat and I am hoping I won't need to add that later. We shall see.....

[partsguy57]

A few new pics added
Installed my first headliner. Went well and easy to do. Turned out perfect with no wrinkles, sags, etc. Tried a set of the Morris Concepts mirrors they fit very well and the quality seems first class. Door panels look very nice, but lots of work to get to that point. After market uppers junk! Went on ebay and bought some original uppers and then took apart the new interior and replaced with the originals, fit well then. I would not recommend new interior with aftermarket uppers. Buy unassembled interior and use original uppers. Vintage air install going well so far and am happy with the fit so far. Only complaint is the underdash vents could be of a little higher quality. Visited the machine shop check on the progress on my LSX block. Looking good. I'm looking forward to getting the block home so I can assemble and then install in car. Ordered my ecu today for the engine so I guess it's time to start wiring up the car.

[partsguy57]

A few updated pics

[partsguy57]

More pics some reason I can't add the pics to my earlier post. Sorry...

[partsguy57]

Used a american powertrain hydraulic clutch kit. Did not care how they attached the clutch master to the firewall so I used a speed tech bracket I had ordered in but had decided not to use. (Uses a stock gm type master) I rebent it in my press, reshaped it, tig welded their holes shut and redrilled it for my wilwod master assembly. Nice solid mount now.

[lftnwhls]

This is what I ended up using from Hurst Drive line conversions. The billet firewall bracket and the I hated the plastic hose connector on the clutch master so I made an aluminum adapter to AN style hose then had it black anodized.