69 Camaro Convertible Build

[esenior]

I've been a member for a while now and have posted many times, but never started a build thread. Better late then never...

I bought the car back in mid 2000 on eBay (located in New Jersey). It was an original SS350 (X11) A/C car that now had a 396 backed by a M21 4-speed.





We enjoyed the car for several months, before deciding to pull it off the road and have the engine gone through (was leaking a lot of fluids). Before we knew it, we had the entire car apart and the body was heading out for acid dipping.



Initially, the plan was to put the car back to an original look and to swap the 396 for a ZZ502 crate motor. But as so often happens, plans changed. We ended up putting the 502 in my wife's Chevelle and I started down the pro-touring path with the Camaro.

The car ended up at a shop for several years having various customizations made. Long story short, I decided it best not to have the shop finish the car and took it back. I continued with fabrication and mock-up in my garage and started looking for a painter last fall when I met Pat ( 67-ls1-vert).

After only a couple of months, I got the car back painted GM Torch Red with Ford Tuxedo Black stripes. I'm now in the process of putting everything back together. Below are a few pictures of the car when I got it back in January.







Here are some of the details on the car:
DRIVETRAIN
Dart 540 with Brodix heads
Whipple 3.0L EFI Supercharger
F.A.S.T. EFI
Tremec TKO-600 5 Speed with Hydraulic clutch
Chevy 12 bolt (narrowed 2"), 4:11, Auburn Posi

BRAKES/SUSPENSION
Wilwood 4-Piston (front and back)
ABS Power Brakes Electro Boost system
Leav springs relocated inward front & back (Earl's Classic Chassiworks)
Hotchkis rear leafs and front sway bar
Superior 2" Drop Spindles

TIRES/WHEELS
Colorado Custom Lazaer Wheels
18x8 Fronts with 245/40-18 Pirelli's
20x12 Rears with 345/25-20 Pirelli's

BODY
Stock cowl hood raised 1/2"
Smoothed (door handles, locks, side markers, etc.)
Smoothed firewall and hidden wiper
Painted Torch Red with Tuxedo Black stripes (by Pat's Custom Cars)
Painted and Smoothed Bumpers
Custom radiator support and Grill
Modern side mirrors (Buick)
Marquez Billet Tail Lights and Driving Lights
HID Headlights

INTERIOR
New (2000) Camaro front seats
Marquez Door and Rear Panels
Custom center console with double din nav(still being planned)
DSE Dash with Autometer Nexus gauges
Vintage Air Gen II Compac system
Electric-Life power windows