Transition Camaro

[MX145]

Since it’s customary to name a car project I’ve been thinking about what I would name mine. Growing up with a drag racing family in the 70’s and 80’s I saw a lot of awesome cars with cool names and cool drivers like Don the Snake Prudhomme and Shirley Muldowney. Although I admit, as a kid, I was drawn to the Jolly Rancher wheel-stander fire truck as much as the top fuel cars. I’m sure it had to do with the candy they threw out to the crowd! I’m not creative nor am I witty so I’ve chosen Transition Camaro. The name seems to fit as I move on from motocross (R.I.P. MX145) and loss of my best friend and brother to a new chapter.

I’m really excited to get back to wrenching on cars and seeing the fruits of my labor. Thinking back Its hard to believe my dad trusted having his boys working on his race car. I don't know how he had the patience to teach us and keep an eye on us while he was thrashing to make the next event. Luckily the worst thing I did was forget to plug in a harness and burned up an ignition box. But still, we had the motor and tranny out of the car all the time to tear down and refresh for the next event. He kept the extra critical stuff for himself but I remember being a school kid with his guidance finishing assembly, putting the intake on, setting valve lash, or whatever else my dad would let us get our hands on.

As luck would have it I ended up buying a 68 RS from a nice family in Sandy OR last October. This happens to be the same year my brother was born which makes it even more fitting. The car was in decent shape but has a long way to go to be resto-mod worthy. It’s originally a California vinyl top car but sat outside for a number of years on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington before making its way to a enclosed shop in Oregon. Still has the original CA plates. The roof was so rusty I had to pull off the freeway twice to remove pieces to keep more from flying off. The rest of the car wasn’t to bad other than the front floor boards, bottom rear window and windshield cowl area.

My plan is for a garage built big brakes, upgraded suspension, nice driving car that I can hopefully autocross and take to events to hang out with my dad with his 62 Corvette. I ultimately would like a LS motor and T56 but it’s not in the budget. I’m keeping it in mind as I make modifications to hopefully make things easier for a later upgrade. Initially I’ll be putting in a 383 with Vortec heads and a Super T10 connected to a Ford 9”.

[camcojb]

Should be a great project. :thumbsup:

[MX145]

Originally a 327 Automatic, Matador red, standard interior. I haven't decided on a color yet. It's going to be wearing black SPI epoxy until it's a runner and I work out a lot of the bugs.

[MX145]

Thanks Jody! I was hesitant to post a build as there's so many high end cars on here but I want to keep a chronological history and have something to refer back to. I've already lost track of a lot since October so I need to get to posting.

I want to thank Dave AKA Flash68 for the encouragement on the thread and help! Thanks to Cris@JCG, Will427, James-OLC, Jay Hilliard! All these guys have already helped me out answering PM questions. This is an awesome community.

[camcojb]

Thanks Jody! I was hesitant to post a build as there's so many high end cars on here but I want to keep a chronological history and have something to refer back to. I've already lost track of a lot since October so I need to get to posting.

I want to thank Dave AKA Flash68 for the encouragement on the thread and help! Thanks to Cris@JCG, Will@Fikse, James-OLC, Jay Hilliard! All these guys have already helped me out answering PM questions. This is an awesome community.
You know Dave? Sorry to hear that......... :lol:

[Flash68]

Ryan, glad you posted... as I said many of us enjoy reading the back-stories about projects and family stuff. Yours was fun to read. Working on dad's race car in grade school.... priceless.

You know Dave? Sorry to hear that......... :lol:

He knows me just enough now to maybe get himself in trouble. :D

[tubbed69]

Jody good luck with this project,it does not have to be a high end build for us to follow along and enjoy with you,keep pics coming.

[MX145]

Thanks guys!

Original quarters and factory deck lid off another Camaro didn't quite fit right and needed work.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-5.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-3.jpg

I was hoping to keep the factory quarters but found more body filler than I expected. After stripping the paint it looks like the car was once a ping pong ball. Front, rear, and both sides had damage.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-19-2.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-36.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-97.jpg

I also found the passenger quarter inside support that the door latch bolt ties to was bent up so off they came.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-1-1.jpg

Trunk floor and dropouts weren't too bad but since I've gone this far they're getting replaced.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-9.jpg

[MX145]

I was able to straighten the support with the BFH. You can see how the door is still tweaked.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-7-1.jpg

The inner structure needs cleaned up but is in good shape.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-8.jpg

The wheel wells don't look to good but they're coming off for new outers and DSE mini tubs.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-31.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-16-1.jpg

I test fit a used Golden Legion quarter I picked up a the Puyallup swap meet but I wasn't happy with the trunk gutter fitment. Maybe this is why the last guy really gave up on it and went with OEM's. I was able to get the rest of the quarter to fit fairly well.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-35.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-18-2.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-20-2.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-19-2.jpg

After screwing around with it for hours I decided to buy some new metal from AMD.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-45.jpg

[MX145]

Going through the process of bracing, making reference measurements, and cutting out the bad metal and cleanup.

*Some of my pics are out of order as I came back to document the build. While removing the quarters I purposely cut around and left the front side of the quarters in the door jamb area until I rebuilt the door hinges and was able to maintain an accurate body line for reference.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-23-2.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-20-3.jpg

The inner structure is cleaning up nice. The rockers look good top and bottom.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-35-1.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-51.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-50.jpg

The package tray filler area will have to be patched where it meets up with the trunk gutter.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-14.jpg

Looks like someone installed the rear speakers with an axe. Hopefully I can find the awesome stamped/recessed 6x9 patch panels I've seen on some Lat-G builds somewhere.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-9.jpg

The front floor boards have seen better days. The dash is good and tunnel is salvageable.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-22-1.jpg

The top dash panel was shot all along the bottom windshield area. I'm going to have to replace the upper 2" of the cowl across the entire windshield area as well.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-24-1.jpg

Anyone know what the slot is cut out for on the passenger side cowl? It looks like a dealer/aftermarket install as the cut-out looks like it was done with a chainsaw. Whatever mounted in there looks to have been bolted to a factory installed bracket. Something for CA emissions?
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-21.jpg

The doors are worse and will have to be patched as well. Here's a pic after I cut most of the shredded metal away. I sure hope it wasn't a stereo shop that did this.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-755.jpg

[Vince@Meanstreets]

. Anyone know what the slot is cut out for on the passenger side cowl? It looks like a dealer/aftermarket install as the cut-out looks like it was done with a chainsaw. Whatever mounted in there looks to have been bolted to a factory installed bracket. Something for CA emissions?

Looks like someone installed the rear speakers with an axe.
dealer installed ac. I've seen some done with an 1/8" drill bit.

[MX145]

The inside rear fenders are some of the best metal on the car. I felt bad cutting them out but have to make room for the DSE mini tubs.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-49.jpg

I took the good areas down to bare metal, prepped and epoxied. I didn't prep and spray everything to save work and material. I can't say enough about Barry and the crew at SPI. Those guys would fit right in here. I also bought a new 3M Accuspray primer gun with PPS cup system. I can't believe I didn't buy one of these sooner. Its the cat's meow! Way less work and material to clean up.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-30-1-1.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-50-1.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-101-3.jpg

The inner cowl and firewall cleaned up well.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-1192.jpg

The rear floor and seat area are in good shape.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-54-1.jpg

The package tray cleaned up and got coated along with the inner structure.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-64.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-53-1.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-52-1.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-65.jpg

Tail pan inner structure
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-17-2-1.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-11-1.jpg

[MX145]

dealer installed ac. I've seen some done with an 1/8" drill bit.

It's been a mystery for months around here. Thanks Vince!

[MX145]

Drivers side door gap looked great. Hopefully I can get it right with the new quarters. I took measurements of door gaps, fender placement and trunk gaps, adjusted the doors and left them in place while replacing the quarters. My intention is to leave as metal in tact and brace as much as possible. Since I don't have a body jig Im supporting the weight of the car with the front tires and rear end on jack stands or tires.

The passenger side cowl box has to be replaced but the drivers side looks pretty good. Just need to patch the bottom and put the new outside pieces on. AMD didn't sell the parts individually so they hooked me up with the whole assembly for the price of the outer!.

Firewall is in good shape other than where the e-brake mount tore through.

Not sure whats up with the passenger side windshield pillar. Seems like a strange place to drill holes. Maybe it was metal termites. :). I welded up all the holes when I repaired the cowl.

39918

39919

39920

39921

39922

[MX145]

Whoever packed this for Amazon wasn't thinking. A gallon of body filler shipped on its side. What a sticky mess! UPS gave it the usual treatment. I called Amazon for the first time and didn't know what to expect. As soon as I told the customer service rep why I was calling he apologized and placed a new order. Didn't ask another question. Great customer service!

[MX145]

Seems like I fit the quarters, tail pan, deck filler, and roof 20 times! Things were lining up pretty well so I welded the drip rails in for good.

Cut out the old trunk floor center section because It had some pin holes and a couple bad spots. I'm glad I went that far so I could clean up the gas tank supports and inside support for the tail pan.

The trunk patch from Classic Industries fit well but was a little thinner than the factory 18ga. Not a big deal but the AMD stuff was as thick or thicker on every piece I've touched so far. Unfortunately AMD doesn't have this piece. The center floor section patch works really well when installing a DSE like rear crossmember. I kept the factory side edges so the weld would be hidden inside the frame rail from below.

Since I had to primer the tank reinforcements and frame rails before they got covered up I decided to make a patch for the bottom cowl box and epoxy it along with the firewall.

*Coming back to look at my build thread I realize I should have posted more pics showing each area of the car as it was fully prepped before painting. I didn't just paint over the rusty gas tank supports below. Haha.

[MX145]

The cowl was rusty around the bottom of the windshield where the top of the dash held water. The rest of the cowl is good so I'll come back to it later. The upper dash piece was a throw away. The cowl isn't too bad but I want to get as much rust out of the car as possible.

The floors from the seat pan back are good. Both the driver and passenger side foot area is rotten. The rest of the main structure cleaned up nice.

The passenger cowl box had too much rust to realistically make a patch for. I decided it was a better use of my time to replace the whole thing. Also gave me an opportunity to clean up the inside kick panel area. Both sides are now treated and prepped for epoxy.

[MX145]

I think I measured a dozen times before cutting the floor and frame for the mini tubs. I didn't think it would be a big deal since I've had to cut so much else of the car for rust repair but I guess this was a little more intimidating. I laid my lines out in tape which seemed to help me cut straight as I went over all the various elevations.

Pair of 1st gen air shocks. Not quite Ridetech so they're going to go!

Also started laying out the crossmember. It was nice to see it fit as I kinda guessed on the front length when I had the industrial supply bend it for me. I'll trim the bottom side flush with the floor later.

I used the DSE templates to cut the frame but I decided to make my own closeouts as I wanted to tie as much of what I had in front of me together. Not sure how the various years differ exactly but I wanted maximum strength and least amount of water possible.

[MX145]

First part to not fit well. I'm guessing it's not an AMD part based on the high quality of everything else I've fit so far and it came in a generic box. The passenger side cowl box wasn't close to fitting so I cut a pie out of both sides and filled them.

I also decided to fix the toe board at the bottom of the firewall.

Jumped back to the crossmember and mini-tubs. I started welding in the crossmember now that it fit how I wanted.

Fit the drivers side closeouts to tie everything together on that side as well.

Welded the new trunk dropouts in and finished welding the trunk floor to the crossmember.

Also got the drivers side drip rail on.

[MX145]

Jody good luck with this project,it does not have to be a high end build for us to follow along and enjoy with you,keep pics coming.

Thanks tubbed69. I have about 6 months of pictures that I'm going though. It would have been way easier to start this sooner. Haha

[Rick D]

Ryan, cool project how long have you been working on it? You seem to have a lot of the hard part done already.

Believe me there are way more home built cars on here the you think. And the more that are posted the more it helps the others guys that think hey if they can do it I can to!

Keep up the great work!

[MX145]

Hi Rick. I've been working on it for about 6 months. It's become my refuge. I wish I could work on it more but I'm trying to maintain balance so I stay married and my kids remember who I am. ;)

You have a good point. Reading others build threads has definitely been an inspiration to me not to mention a wealth of knowledge!

[MX145]

Put my son to work marking spot welds so I can match up the new to the old.

Went back over the car with 80 grit before the final epoxy on areas that will be covered up by the roof and quarters.

Stripped the inside edge of the drip rails and the edge of the roof panel to accept the 3M panel adhesive. I set the roof on blocks to give me room to apply the adhesive to both pieces before dropping into place and clamping. The AMD root panel fit great. Didn't require much fitting at all.

[MX145]

Pictures are a little out of order as I'm trying to catch up my thread.

Got the roof, tail pain, quarters on and welded. I chose to sheetmetal screw and clamp the roof to quarter seam while I skipped around plug welding one hole at a time. The quarter to under body was a little faster as I just clamped and welded.

[MX145]

Also got the trunk hinge supports reshaped and back on the car so I could remove the bracing. This took a lot longer than it should have but turned out ok. The supports tied into the original inner fenders at a different point on the curve so It took some time to reshape for the DSE inners.

[MX145]

Got the deck filler under structure prepped, metal on and what seemed like 50 plug welds. The trunk gaps are as good or better than the factory. Looks like the bracing and trial fitting paid off. Can't say enough about the AMD quality after seeing what some other guys have had to do and what I've done with other brands myself. The passenger side of the deck lid is tweaked and bent up extending past the quarter a little. I will replace the decklid later but wanted to keep the same one in place while the quarters were off so I could keep my measurements. All of the damaged metal (beside the temporary deck lid) is gone so the car is pretty straight now. The quarters, taipan, outer fender to quarters are looking much better.

[MX145]

Came back to the upper cowl area. I could have patched a few sections but couldn't live with the thought that theres rust between the panels in the seam area. I decided to patch the entire width of the windshield in 3 sections. I hammer and dollied it to match the curve of the factory metal figured out my shape, traced, and got to cutting. Cleaned up and primered the seam area as well.

[MX145]

Also filled in the dealer add on AC (Thanks Vince). Couldn't figure out what that hole was for. Was a bit of a challenge shaping the patch to simulate the factory rolled edge and match the curve. Things came together well as the replacement top dash panel fit.

[MX145]

Picked up a used Vortec 350 from a nice guy down in Napavine. I have a 4 bolt main block out of a 72 GMC if this block is bad. I mainly wanted it for the Vortec heads. I'll be changing most of the internals anyway. More on that later.

[MX145]

Took every clamp I own but I finally welded the passenger side cowl box on while I waited for the kevlar/fiberglass reinforced filler to dry on the trunk and cowl patch seems as well as the quarter to roof seems.

[MX145]

Started on the Ford 9" housing out of a 70's pickup. Cut the brackets off and ground them down. Also cleaned up the main section of the housing. I'll be narrowing this thing up once the 18" Fikse's show up so I can measure. I also picked up a Posi center section with 3.50 gears at the Puyallup swap meet that I'll be rebuilding and throwing in there. The center section out of the truck is in good shape but it's an open diff.

The ospho gives the metal a funky purple hue.

[MX145]

Now that the quarters on welded on in the proper place I took the doors back off so i could rebuild the hinges and clean up the surface rust. These things took what seemed like half a day but man it was worth it. I tighted the gaps between brackets so they are smooth and tight on the car. No slop at all. I can't believe these had all plastic bushings except a single bronze from the factory. These doors seem too heavy for plastic bushings. I replaced all of them with bronze and new springs and tension rollers.

I need to take a final picture. Here they are as they're coming apart

[MX145]

Media blasting seems to get everywhere but doesn't take care of the hidden areas so I'm glad I'm pulling the seat pans to replace the floor halves. The floor pans fit ok but they are about 1/4" too narrow (for my car anyway). I had to hammer and dolly the entire edge that gets plug welded to the rocker. I got the passenger floor panel in place and screwed it down along the toe board in the front and rear seat area and a couple places along the tunnel. Once I had it where I wanted, I scribed the tunnel line, removed the floor, and cut and reinstalled for final fit and welding. The beads that were stamped in the floor were off. The radius was way too small to match up to the factory metal. Seems like It took every round punch and radius'd hammer and dolly I could find to rework them. I would have had the same issue with the Classic trunk floor patch panel except I installed a suspension crossmember which broke it up. The cross member is in between the beads in the patch and the beads in the original floor.

I took the opportunity to figure out my subframe connectors while the floor was out. Measuring it out, a 5 degree angle was what I needed to keep the connectors as tight as possible to the floor. I decided to make the bend at the same location as the floor bend. I don't have a tubing bender so I cut a small pie (not much more than a 1/16 cutoff wheel) ouf of 3 sides and tacked it to verify fit. I was able to notch the tubing to fit around the torque box and meet up with the rear frame rails. The frame rails are narrower than the 2x3 tubing so I'll shape the end to match up later. Same on the subframe side but opposite. I'll have to add material on to the connectors to make it as wide as the subframe. Since I got it to fit I welded up my 3 seams and set them aside for final install after the floor is finished.

[MX145]

Tucked up pretty well underneath. This picture isn't reflective of the final install. I matched the top of the connector with the top of the sub frame. 1/2" below the floor based on 1/2" DSE body mount bushings.

[MX145]

Started laying out the 4-link. Took me some time to get things packaged as I wanted as there's not a lot of room to work with retaining the rear seat floor and utilizing the front leaf spring mounts.

I was originally going to run a bushing end on the car side and a heim on the rear end but I found 5/8 hole 3/4 shank heim ends with teflon/kevlar liner so they hopefully don't rattle. I'm going to build aluminum bushings to center the link in the brackets so I can change to the poly bushing style link if it doesn't work out.

I'm held up a little waiting on the wheels. I need to mock this up with real parts to double check my measurements before I cut the 4-link brackets and narrow the rear end. I want to make sure I have the anti-squat and ride height I'm looking for when its said and done.

It's looking like I won't be able to re-spline the 31 spline axle's on the rearend due to the offset center section. Based on my measurements I have to narrow the rear end 4" or more each side to safely re-spline. Not a problem on one side but might not work out on the other. Ordered 18x11 wheels with 5-1/8 BS so we'll see when they arrive. I designed the suspension around a 4" stroke Ridetech coilover. My dad offered up some 6" stroke coilovers off his vette but I can't seem to get them to fit in redesigned brackets with proper stroke centering.

BTW if you're looking for CAD software Draftsight is free and awesome! The 2D stuff is a lot like AutoCAD. I haven't done any extrusions/3D modeling with it but 2D works great. I imagine they steer the 3D stuff towards products like Solidworks. (Same company). I haven't used AutoCAD for years and wasn't looking forward to the cost of buying new software to run on my Macbook.

[MX145]

While working on the floor I realized something wasn't right on the subframe. The seat pan frame bolt was off center with the floor section. I decided to pull the sub off and measure it all out. It came out within spec's but had some cosmetic damage due to a previous accident. Turned out the subframe was sitting crooked in the car. (Probably from the impact). My father and I straightened out the core support and the subframe to make it look cosmetically better in line with the rest of the car. I'm not 100% sold on it yet as I still have work to do on it. If it doesn't look great by the time I'm ready to do the coil-overs I'll look for another. It just has minor surface rust so it's worth messing with compared to what I've been seeing for sale in the local area.

Some of the damage is hard to see in the pictures. We tack'd a bolt to various points on the crossmember and used blocking and a bar to run a nut up against. We tightened the nut down pulling out the dent and hammered the bottom flange flat as we went. This 1/8 stuff took some time to move compared to 18ga. We also fixed the front crossmember that had a rise in the flange. I cut off the formed tie between the two crossmembers. This piece had the most damage. While discussing how to fix the formed piece my buddy Ron came up with a great idea of running a piece of 2x3 tubing between the two. It shouldn't look out of place with fabbed coilover mounts and some of the other work on the car. Hopefully I'll have some "after" pics to post soon.

[MX145]

I found some rust across the front flange of the inner seat pan structure. (The piece that the subframe bolts to). I cut off the rust, treated and primed the rest of it and built a crossmember to run between both rockers to give the seat pan a good support to weld to and stiffen up the car. The gap in the crossmember fab pic is the bad lighting and cell phone camera. I chamfered the edges of all the pieces before I welded them.

Since the floor was in I permanently installed the passenger side connector, seat pan inner, and outer.

The crossmember fits great at the same height as the finished seat pan and sits about 1/4" below the floor on the bottom side of the car. I don't like how high it sits in the middle but wanted to error on the side of clearance for a t56 hopefully in the future. After looking at it in the car I'm going to slice the center section and lower it about 1/2 to 3/4". The bottom will stay in the same location but the tube will be about 1 1/2 or 1 1/4"x3 instead of 2x3. This should look better and still be high enough on the front side for the new higher transmission tunnel when the time comes.

[MX145]

Ryan, glad you posted... as I said many of us enjoy reading the back-stories about projects and family stuff. Yours was fun to read. Working on dad's race car in grade school.... priceless.



He knows me just enough now to maybe get himself in trouble. :D

Hey Dave. Good to see you on here. Nice to see Jody give you a hard time. Sarcasm goes a long way with buddies! I posted a few pics. Almost caught up to what I'm currently working on.

[waynieZ]

Nice job it looks great.

[Flash68]

Man great catalog of pictures! Great job and keep it going. You have some nice skills there. :thumbsup:

[WSSix]

Welcome to the site. You're doing great work. Man have you come a long way with the car already. Good job!

[Tuske427]

Impressive build! You sure seem to be moving fast. I wish my build went this quick...

[MX145]

Thanks guys for the encouragement. As you all know It's a long road ahead!

I've been checking out your builds too. A lot of nice work going on. I can't wait until I get the motor in my car. I'm a little jealous ;)

[MX145]

Cut the crossmember down on the hump section 5/8". Should look a little better when finished off with some 1/8 plate.
40078

[MX145]

Started filling in the holes on the firewall.

[frankv11]

Good work your doing overthere

[tubbed69]

Jody you are doing some great work and really moving along,keep it up you will be riding soon.

[windycitychev]

Sweet build I love seeing cars start this way and end up being beast keep the pics coming and great progress. Any idea what color youll be painting the car yet

[MX145]

Thanks guys.

Windycitychev, I've been leaning toward a tungsten charcoal grey but can't make up my mind. At this point, its going together in black SPI Epoxy.

[MX145]

Crossmember finished.

[MX145]

Not so high above the transmission tunnel now. Passenger side seat pan and subframe connector done. Drivers side to go.

[syborg tt]

Awesome Project

[ChuckDriver]

Wow, you've done some really great work! Look forward to watching your progress!

[MX145]

Thanks guys. I'm pushing to get this thing on the road as soon as possible.

Replacing driver's side floor and building driver's side subframe connector.
I also picked up some 3/16" plate for the 4 link brackets and some 1/4" for new front UCA and coilover mount. Nobody in Olympia seems to have 1" OD .156 wall 1022 DOM tubing so I have to run up north for it next week. I'm planning to thread the tubing for the 3/4" shank heim ends. Brakes, coilovers, wheels and tires should all be here by the end of the month. Can't wait to get the new suspension in the car.

[MX145]

I'm definitely glad I decided to pull the seat pans. Even though the tops looked fine both sides had more than just surface rust on the subframe inner structure. I want a nice solid mount for my seats and subframe to bolt to. I cut most of the rust out making room for the crossmember.

[frankv11]

Not so high above the transmission tunnel now.

Nice work on cross member. I think you mentioned you'll be running a t56 and if so , you may need to cut about 3/4" on the top front to clear shifter. It also depends on setback of you motor and height of body mounts . You are definitely taking care of business
KEEP IT UP

[MX145]

Nice work on cross member. I think you mentioned you'll be running a t56 and if so , you may need to cut about 3/4" on the top front to clear shifter. It also depends on setback of you motor and height of body mounts . You are definitely taking care of business
KEEP IT UP

Frankv11. What do you think about taking a notch out of the crossmember and filling in with angle iron? I'm running 1/2" solid body mounts and using the factory small block engine mounts for now. Here's a terrible sketch of what I'm thinking. Lol. I figure worse case when I get the t56 in there I will have to notch the entire top section of the xmember around the shifter area but this way would retain some more strength if it works out. Like you said. Its all about the height and set back. Sure would be a lot easier if I already had the transmission so I can measure it out.

[MX145]

Other option.

[MX145]

Got the drivers side floor patch fit and tacked today. I plan to cut the crossmember access in the new patch panel after I get the seat pan cleaned up and installed.

[MX145]

Also cut and notched 2x3 1/8 wall tubing to make my drivers side subframe connector. Cutting a small pie shaped slice and welding worked better than trying to bend the tubing in the press even with this slight angle.

[MX145]

Added the notch on the bottom side of the top center.

[MX145]

Filled in the inside open ends with some 1/8" plate. Should be ready for permanent installation.

[frankv11]

At this pace you'll be done in no time. Cross member & frame connector look good

[MX145]

At this pace you'll be done in no time. Cross member & frame connector look good

Thanks Frankv11. What do you think of the notch? Does it look like it will work? I'm going off of pictures and posted measurements as I don't have a T56 yet. I notched it 1".

[MX145]

I cleaned up the toe kick structure and torque box before the floor went in for the final time.

[MX145]

Final crossmember install. I used blocking under the car to make sure the seat pans and crossmember were level before tacking

[Rick D]

Nice work! Just wondering did you raise the trans tunnel for the T56? I know you don't have to but it can get tight in there and all the other work that you did it would be easier to do now then later?

Also nice job on the cross member, for the 750 that DSE gets for theirs, you have what $60 in materials, and your labor? Nice job!

[MX145]

Nice work! Just wondering did you raise the trans tunnel for the T56? I know you don't have to but it can get tight in there and all the other work that you did it would be easier to do now then later?

Also nice job on the cross member, for the 750 that DSE gets for theirs, you have what $60 in materials, and your labor? Nice job!

Hey Rick. I haven't raised the tunnel yet but plan on it. I'm a little paranoid about losing the shape of the car so I tend to create more work for myself than probably need to. Since things all went back in place where they should its coming. I have the sheet metal but need to figure out how to bend it with a nice radius.

I'm very impressed with the quality, design, and fit of the DSE parts I purchased but I don't have the budget to buy them all. I had to go with the $60 option on this one.

[waynieZ]

It looks great, if you didn't tell anyone it wasn't DSE they could never tell the difference. Nice work !

[19sixtynine]

WOW, just went through the thread. Great pics and progress! You're doing some amazing fab work, can't wait to see this continue to come together. Plus, it's always nice to see a fellow Washingtonian :woot:

[MX145]

Thanks Wayne, I didn't plan on putting a crossmember in but it made sense to cut out the rust on the front side of the inner seat pan structure. It was salvageable but I'm kinda OCD on rust pitting. Hopefully I don't upset anyone as it is very close to DSE. I'm sure there's other ways to build it but, like I said.. I'm not creative. ;) My 4-link will share some similarities to the quadralink as well but it's my own math/geometry and a few tweaks. It sure would be nice to go with AM, DSE, Speedtech, or the like but I'm on a budget. There's some very talented fabricators on this site. I really enjoy browsing through the build pages! I wish I had some of their skills but I go with what I know. haha.

It looks great, if you didn't tell anyone it wasn't DSE they could never tell the difference. Nice work !

[MX145]

Hey 19sixtynine! Same here. I haven't come across to many other Washingtonian's on the site. I'll try to get a picture in the sun this summer so we have something to look back on the other 9 months of the year while its cloudy and raining. haha. J/K it's not that bad.. 8 months.

WOW, just went through the thread. Great pics and progress! You're doing some amazing fab work, can't wait to see this continue to come together. Plus, it's always nice to see a fellow Washingtonian :woot:

[MX145]

I had to cut a pie out of the subframe connector, taper it down to the size of the frame rail and weld it back up. At 5 1/4" away from inside flat of the rocker it hit the drivers side torque box and wouldn't go all the way back.

40197

[MX145]

After tapering the end it fit right in place. Got it all welded up and ready for epoxy.

[lil427z]

Looking good good job .
Thanks rick k:thankyou:

[frankv11]

Thanks Frankv11. What do you think of the notch? Does it look like it will work? I'm going off of pictures and posted measurements as I don't have a T56 yet. I notched it 1".
I would say so but It's tough to call it. I liked the 2nd drawing just to play it safe. But what do I know I been working on my exhaust for close to a year now.
Nice welds on the frame connectors

[waynieZ]

It looks great ,nice welds!!

[MX145]

Looking good good job .
Thanks rick k:thankyou:

Thanks Rick. I just found your car! Very well done. It has a great stance too.

[MX145]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments.

[MX145]

I would say so but It's tough to call it. I liked the 2nd drawing just to play it safe. But what do I know I been working on my exhaust for close to a year now.
Nice welds on the frame connectors

I agree the second option is safer. However when I got to looking at it before I started cutting I didn't want to make a sharp 90 corner since it would be visible. I decided the notch would look better and be easier than trying to make a compound radius'd corner. I don't think I'll be lucky enough to come across a magnum I can afford so hopefully this fits the smaller T56.

[lil427z]

Thanks :trophy-1302:
Rick k

[MX145]

Everything's permanently welded from the seat pan back. Thankfully all the fitting and refitting paid off. Seat pans are level!

[MX145]

Found a nice surprise when I got home.

[waynieZ]

Oh man could I use those! Nice.

[MX145]

Firewall was torn where e-brake mounts. I made a thicker patch out of 16ga.

[MX145]

The original tore where the metal was thinner around each stamped recess so I made one recess out of heavier gauge metal. I'll finish this up when I finish the cowl box.

[Rick D]

Wow your are doing some great work on this!! :thumbsup: nice tires, what sizes are you running?

[MX145]

Wow your are doing some great work on this!! :thumbsup: nice tires, what sizes are you running?

245/40R18 and 315/30R18.

[Flash68]

Man you are kicking some butt... and are talented. Aren't you glad you decided to post this all up? We are.

:thumbsup:

[MX145]

Man you are kicking some butt... and are talented. Aren't you glad you decided to post this all up? We are.

:thumbsup:

Just plugging away at it. Haha yeah. I enjoy the conversation and It will be good to have something to refer back to once the car is done. (Are they ever done?) My wife doesn't know it yet but I'm going to get a new wardrobe out of the deal too. I keep burning holes in my t-shirts and shorts.

[waynieZ]

Awesome job on the patch I would never have know you did anything there.

[MX145]

Brakes showed up today!!! if you haven't tried them, Matts Classic Bowties is top notch. Kim has always taken care of me and never made me feel rushed. It's nice having a trusted source who takes time to answer my questions.

[MX145]

Drivers side cowl box was way off. I had to reshape the radius that meets with the upper cowl and lower it about 1/2". I sliced each side and hammered it into shape. Once I had it the way I wanted I welded in pie shaped pieces to fill the gaps.

[MX145]

Awesome job on the patch I would never have know you did anything there.

Thanks. My goal is for it to blend right in when I'm finished.

[MX145]

Fits a lot better now.

[MX145]

I got hung up with making the hydraulic clutch bracket so I'm a little behind on finishing up the firewall. I couldn't find the dimensions of the 98-02 clutch master cylinder anywhere on the Internet. The parts store should have one in tomorrow afternoon so I can finish up my bracket. In the mean time I tore down the sub frame.

[tubbed69]

very nice work so far,also Matts Classic Bowties service is hard to beat

[MX145]

I got the old shock and upper control arm mounts cut off and the frame cleaned up. I went through a lot of cut off wheels and grinding discs. I wouldn't do this without a torch or plasma cutter if I had to do it again. Way too much work. Same goes for sanding and spot blasting. Next time it's going to the blaster.

[MX145]

I picked up some 1/4 x6 flatbar and the UCA jig Tuske427 sent. I cant thank tuske427 enough! I'm almost ready to start mocking up the front end.

[Tuske427]

I picked up some 1/4 x6 flatbar and the UCA jig Tuske427 sent. I cant thank tuske427 enough! I'm almost ready to start mocking up the front end.

Anytime. I'm glad you could get some use on it. Lookin' forward to the updates on this

[MX145]

The jig wouldn't sit tight to the crossmember so I had to slot the holes.

[MX145]

After more sanding and wire wheel I prep'd the subframe with Marine Clean and Metal Ready.

[Al Moreno]

Great work, really enjoy the pics, keep them coming :thumbsup:

[waynieZ]

Nice job it coming out great.

[MX145]

i got the car mocked up at ride height to check and recheck my measurements. I setup the front and rear suspension for 4" ride tech coilovers taking into account the midpoint of stroke plus approx 5% for a little additional compression over extension. I also factored in shaft and suspension component bump stops. The packaging on the 4-link is very tight so I'll be tacking brackets into place for final mockup before getting too serious with the welder. Especially since I did all the original design work based on product specs and compensation measurements taken from stock suspension, wheels and tires, and ride height. The packaging on the front coilovers is pretty tight as well around the subframe pocket area. I was able to get ahold of a coilover for test fitment and was surprisingly right on with all measurements but one which was an 1/8" off. Fortunately I was able to mock this up before cutting the coilover brackets as this 1/8" ended up being a big deal since the pocket area is extremely tight throughout the travel arc.

[MX145]

I've also been working on the hydraulic clutch setup. As I mentioned a few days ago I can't find specs anywhere on the internet for the 98-2002 GM master cylinder so the bottom bolt pattern is a guess based on another rough template I found that was missing a lot of dimensions. Because of this I started from scratch with my own measurements for the entire thing. I also wanted to closely follow the firewall contours especially above the brake master cylinder and retain the factory speedometer cable location. I'll update the bottom bolt pattern when I pick up the clutch master cylinder. I was able to measure the rest of it out based on the car and my Wilwood brake master cylinder and it seems to fit well.

[MX145]

This is the front coilover mount. I haven't posted any dimensions of the upper control arm mount out of respect for DSE's design. I go back and forth on my 4-link as well because it has DSE packaging similarities but it's all my own math and dimensions. My shop drawings could also use more detail and be more complete but they are enough for me to remember what I'm doing and layout as intended. I've also gotten too accustomed to the ease of CNC/GNC and not having to dimension all my drawings. Draftsight has also been a little quirky with printing and exporting to PDF. There's a strange extension on the radius location in this drawing that's not there in the dwg file. The artifact just showed up on the export. Also for the life of me I can't figure out how to get Draftsite to export to PDF in 1:1 scale. For my own use I've had to save the DWG file and convert to PDF using the AutoCAD app for MAC to get the proper scale. I can print 1:1 scale but the app seems to randomly pick centering and loses the 1:1 scaling after each print job regardless of saving a printer profile or not. All these quirks exist in sheet and model views. Other than that its an awesome 2D CAD program. Especially since it's $0 cost. Hopefully some of this info is useful to help someone out there and I'm not ruffling any feathers.

DSE's engineering and craftsmanship is awesome. I just can't afford all of their parts so I'm making the best of it with what I have to work with. If I had the funds I would have gladly purchased all of their components and saved a lot of headaches, measurements, and computer time.

[frankv11]

I've also been working on the hydraulic clutch setup. As I mentioned a few days ago I can't find specs anywhere on the internet for the 98-2002 GM master cylinder so the bottom bolt pattern is a guess based on another rough template I found that was missing a lot of dimensions. Because of this I started from scratch with my own measurements for the entire thing. I also wanted to closely follow the firewall contours especially above the brake master cylinder and retain the factory speedometer cable location. I'll update the bottom bolt pattern when I pick up the clutch master cylinder. I was able to measure the rest of it out based on the car and my Wilwood brake master cylinder and it seems to fit well.

Putting in some leg work :thumbsup:
I just bought mine from ebay and called it a day.
But again last time I did any CAD work my computer screen was black and green and had to type 20 commands to make 1 dot.
Great work

[MX145]

Haha. I hear ya. The new features in Autodesk Inventor and Solidworks are crazy. I wish I had the patience and ability to learn the new tools to do all that fancy stuff like Cris@JCG can. I'm just getting by trying to remember what commands I learned 20 years ago. I don't think they use digitizer boards anymore either. LOL.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

This is the front coilover mount. I haven't posted any dimensions of the upper control arm mount out of respect for DSE's design. I go back and forth on my 4-link as well because it has DSE packaging similarities but it's all my own math and dimensions. My shop drawings could also use more detail and be more complete but they are enough for me to remember what I'm doing and layout as intended. I've also gotten too accustomed to the ease of CNC/GNC and not having to dimension all my drawings. Draftsight has also been a little quirky with printing and exporting to PDF. There's a strange extension on the radius location in this drawing that's not there in the dwg file. The artifact just showed up on the export. Also for the life of me I can't figure out how to get Draftsite to export to PDF in 1:1 scale. For my own use I've had to save the DWG file and convert to PDF using the AutoCAD app for MAC to get the proper scale. I can print 1:1 scale but the app seems to randomly pick centering and loses the 1:1 scaling after each print job regardless of saving a printer profile or not. All these quirks exist in sheet and model views. Other than that its an awesome 2D CAD program. Especially since it's $0 cost. Hopefully some of this info is useful to help someone out there and I'm not ruffling any feathers.

DSE's engineering and craftsmanship is awesome. I just can't afford all of their parts so I'm making the best of it with what I have to work with. If I had the funds I would have gladly purchased all of their components and saved a lot of headaches, measurements, and computer time.

i'd change that R.75 to something longer and more of a 45*. Also use misalignment bushings and drop that bolt size to .500 that way you can use more material surrounding it.

looking good.

[MX145]

The parts store ticked me off so I haven't been back yet to pick up the MC. I hate driving somewhere for 30 minutes one way to find out the order didn't make it in on time and its going to be another day. I miss the days when parts stores stocked parts. Now it seems like every time I need something beyond plugs or a filter it has to be ordered from a warehouse. I've resorted to amazon, partsgeek and autohausaz for a lot of things. If I have to wait, I might as well get it cheaper.

[MX145]

i'd change that R.75 to something longer and more of a 45*. Also use misalignment bushings and drop that bolt size to .500 that way you can use more material surrounding it.

looking good.

Hi Vince. Good point on the 45. I was worried about shock body clearance and figured boxing in the top side would be enough but you're right. I should be able to 45 that.

On the bolt sizing.. I'm using a 1/2" grade 8 with 3/4" OD 1/2" ID bushings. one bushing gets welded to the mount and the other slides through the 3/4 hole as a press fit so there's tension on the shock bearing.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Hi Vince. Good point on the 45. I was worried about shock body clearance and figured boxing in the top side would be enough but you're right. I should be able to 45 that.

On the bolt sizing.. I'm using a 1/2" grade 8 with 3/4" OD 1/2" ID bushings. one bushing gets welded to the mount and the other slides through the 3/4 hole as a press fit so there's tension on the shock bearing.

thats right, thats an all star stye bracket. I don't do them like that anymore. Carry on. : )

[MX145]

thats right, thats an all star stye bracket. I don't do them like that anymore. Carry on. : )

LOL. I went to a 1.5" radius and the bracket's looking better. I'll have to check out clearance tomorrow to see where I'm at. 1.75 or maybe even 2 would be better.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

that looks much better.

[MX145]

that looks much better.

I squeezed as much out of this as I could on the inside. I ended up having to go from a .75 radius to a .5 radius because the Ridetech coilover was wider at this point than the Monroe I was mocking up with. I went backwards. LOL. I'm left with .032 gap between the edge of the coilover and the bracket but the coilover swings away during travel so it should work. In addition to my plan to box in the top/back side I added more material to the top of the coilover mount hole location and changed the top from a straight line to a 3" radius. I think this should work as most of the force will be in an upward direction.

[MX145]

Finished grinding plug welds and sanding the interior. I sprayed the floor in black SPI epoxy.

[MX145]

I also sprayed the cowl box kick panel area so I can weld the cowl box in. The passenger side is ready to be seam sealed so I'm trying to catch up on the drivers side. 2k epoxy in a spray can would be handy for areas like this.

[MX145]

My dad cut the UCA mounts and coilover brackets for me. He also machined the spacers for the upper coilover mount. Everything fit together great.

[MX145]

I welded the brackets to the mounts then cut the slots for the mounts on both sides.

[MX145]

I welded the UCA mounts to the frame on both sides.

[MX145]

I'm pretty happy with the progress this week. Still need to box in the coilover mounts and add some gussets.

[MX145]

The Wilwood brake kit I picked up from MCB came with these nice billet hubs and new bearings.

[MX145]

I test fit the brakes the other day. The Wilwood kit is well designed and includes all of the parts and spacers to properly align the caliper radially and side to side to center on the rotor.

[MX145]

I cut and welded in reinforcement pieces between the coilover mount ears and added gussets to the longer UCA tab. I decided reinforcing the coilover side of the bracket would be stronger than boxing the top side as the force is primarily going upward. The 1/2" coilover bolt and spacers are a press fit and pinch the coilover ball mount so the ears will be strong as a finished unit.

[MX145]

Here's the gusset.

[MX145]

I welded in the driver's side cowl box. I need to finish grinding and sanding for final epoxy and seam sealer so I can close up both sides.

[WSSix]

Looking good. Are you sure those gussets will be plenty?

[MX145]

Looking good. Are you sure those gussets will be plenty?

LOL. No. But I think they will. I'm confident in the UCA mount and gusset as its similar to DSE's which has gone through finite element analysis but the upper coilover mount is based on my own madness. I'll keep a close eye on them.

I should add the coilover gusset goes all the way down to the bottom of the UCA plate beneath the surface of the subframe. I did this to resist stretching or tearing with vertical force and should prevent buckling sideways. I think the weakest point is the ears bending sideways in the top area but I'm confident the bolt and press fit spacers under tension will prevent that. The packaging requirements made this tough as the UCA shaft is on the motor side and I need the clearance on the ears for the coilovers to fit. I formed some more pieces out of 1/8" to box in the top too if I need them. The UCA mounting plate is 1/4". The UCA gusset and coilover mount ears are 3/16" and the reinforcement I added is 1/8".

[MX145]

My wife came across this hotrod on the freeway the other day

[MX145]

Looking good. Are you sure those gussets will be plenty?

I'm still thinking about this. :) and now after looking at the front end on Payton's build I'm heading out to the shop to look at boxing in the top again.

[Tuske427]

Awesome job on all this. Not just anyone could engineer and build their own suspension components. That's something to be proud of.

[MX145]

Awesome job on all this. Not just anyone could engineer and build their own suspension components. That's something to be proud of.

Thanks Brendon. I get inspiration from you guys and your awesome builds. Your car has a lot of custom work put into it that not only make it look cool but improve function. I'm trying to do a little of that.

[MX145]

The first gear and cluster gear in my Super T10 have seen better days.

[MX145]

My dad found a place in Spokane to pick up a new cluster gear and first gear.

[MX145]

The old first gear makes a nice stand to hold the main shaft waiting for assembly. I had to pick up a new case and mid plate but now have all the parts for my dad to put it together.

[MX145]

I've settled on my current coilover mount reinforcement after staring at it for a while and consulting with my dad who has an engineering background. The thought is the internal gusset extends beyond the apex of the hinge point and the major force will be vertical going upward. One step closer to pulling the subframe and prepping for epoxy.

[MX145]

My fathers got the main part of the gearbox together. He's now working on the tail housing and building a shifter. I was pretty excited to see the pic he sent! I'm anxious to start installing parts in the car even though its still a little ways out.

[MX145]

The family has been kicking around color ideas. We all agree on Crystal Red Metallic and Berlin Blue Metallic. We also like Cyber grey. I'm kinda leaning toward Berlin Blue right now. The car won't be painted for quite a while but I would like to get the under body, engine compartment, and subframe in final color before assembly. I like the idea of a charcoal metallic engine compartment and subframe with the Crystal Red body color or satin black with the Berlin Blue body color. Berlin Blue is known as NightvRace Blue on the Corvette.

[MX145]

Here's the Crystal Red Metallic

[MX145]

Looks like Crystal Red is out. It's a nice color but the family is leaning toward Cyber Gray, Supersonic Blue or Night Race Blue/Berlin Blue. Here's Cyber Gray.

[MX145]

Supersonic Blue

[MX145]

Another Supersonic Blue picture.

[Code510]

I'm a fan of the gray, but that's the color of my car. The blue is pretty sharp as well. I vote for blue! :thumbsup:

[MX145]

I'm a fan of the gray, but that's the color of my car. The blue is pretty sharp as well. I vote for blue! :thumbsup:

Thanks for your input. Supersonic Blue or the Night Race Blue on the previous page?

[MX145]

Here's another Night Race Blue pic

[MX145]

I switched from ridetech to DSE JRi coilovers. The JRi's showed up the other day and fit right in the car. After looking over both brands they both do a great job on fit and finish. I can't say one is better than the other. Just a little different design.

[MX145]

JRi test fit in the car.

[MX145]

DSE sent me the coilovers for the speed kit front and quadralink rear. The rear springs are shorter and lighter weight rating. The rear coilovers are also a little different design with a bump stop on the shock shaft and a snap ring lock for the bottom spring holder. The fronts have a heavy duty o-ring instead of a snap ring. I also like the drilled rather than notch style spanner nut. It seems like it will look nice longer and not scratch as easily or get banged up from adjustments.

[MX145]

I started work on the support between both cross members on the subframe. I started with 2x3 rectangular tubing but it looked too massive so I cut the top off and tapered the front. My plan is for the angle to meet up right at the edge of the front cross member.

[MX145]

I changed the look a little from stock. I may add a flange to the sides to make it tie in a little better with the style of the stamped cross members. I'll see what it looks like in primer first.

[MX145]

Here's the "finished" support ready to weld in. I still might add a flange to both sides.

[MX145]

New wheels are ready.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-5-3.jpg

[Al Moreno]

Great job on car! Keep it up. Wheels are beautiful:G-Dub:

[MX145]

Great job on car! Keep it up. Wheels are beautiful:G-Dub:

Thanks Al!

[tubbed69]

you sure are doing great work on your car,also I really like those wheels:thumbsup:

[Ricochet]

What an undertaking!! Awesome job! Look forward to seeing this one come together. I don't think you'll go wrong with either color. Grey is and has been played a lot - but there is a reason - it looks killer! Tough call! Good luck!

[DaleTx]

Nice job on the build... the wheels look great :thumbsup:

[Flash68]

Ryan, you are kicking some proverbial ass....

I like that blue with those wheels. :thumbsup:

[Sonar Chief]

Here's the "finished" support ready to weld in. I still might add a flange to both sides.

Been keeping an eye on your ingenuity with your suspension and frame mods .... question, looks like most of the metal you are adding is 3/16", is that correct? How bout the subframe connectors?

Nice work, I'll be lurking in the background .....

[MX145]

Wow! Thanks for the compliments, encouragement, and advice. I greatly appreciate it. I check my thread as often as possible (work permitting) to see if you guys posted something.

[MX145]

Been keeping an eye on your ingenuity with your suspension and frame mods .... question, looks like most of the metal you are adding is 3/16", is that correct? How bout the subframe connectors?

Nice work, I'll be lurking in the background .....

Hi Chief. I've been watching your build as well. You do great work! I have family in Golden and Westminster so it adds even more interest.

The subframe connectors are .120 wall 2x3. Most of the additional structural support I've added has been 1/8". The front upper control arm mount is 1/4". The coilover mounting tabs are 3/16" along with the vertical arch support I added on the taller side of the UCA mount. The rearend brackets for the 4-link are all 3/16". Hopefully I covered what you're curious about. I know its hard to be sure with pictures. If you are curious about something I missed or dimensions I'm more than happy to share what I'm doing. You guys have helped me out so I want to return the favor when I can!

[MX145]

I got the tires mounted up tonight. Man that was stressful praying the wheels wouldn't get damaged. Here's a pic of them sitting next to my buddy Will's 68. After seeing this I'm think'n black with wheel color rally stripes would be cool. I can't seem to make a styling decision so the more input the better.


http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/null-21.jpg

[Vince@Meanstreets]

I agree, its gona look great. Are you gonna shave your drip rails?

[MX145]

I agree, its gona look great. Are you gonna shave your drip rails?

Hi Vince. I thought about shaving the drip rails when I was replacing them with the roof. I'm horrible at styling decisions and ended up leaving the drip rails. I also have a hangup with the front end. The car is a RS but I'm not sold on the RS grill with squared turn signals and square driving lights. I think the 67 all round lights and turn signals looks better but my car's a 68. I also put a non RS tail pan on the car because I think the square backup lights look out of place. I should have hired a designer to draw up a rendering but I imagine that's big money. I like pro touring but also like classic styling so it makes it tough. Maybe I can talk my wife into another Camaro so I can have one of each. Yeah right!

[Vince@Meanstreets]

haaa haa yeah good luck with that. i agree with the RS tail. Too big lights don't belong.

[dinos67's]

:wow:

what more can I say your metal working skills are top notch I should shut down my shop and stop building what am amazing build

[Sonar Chief]

Hi Chief. I've been watching your build as well. You do great work! I have family in Golden and Westminister so it adds even more interest.

The subframe connectors are .120 wall 2x3. Most of the additional structural support I've added has been 1/8". The front upper control arm mount is 1/4". The coilover mounting tabs are 3/16" along with the vertical arch support I added on the taller side of the UCA mount. The rearend brackets for the 4-link are all 3/16". Hopefully I covered what you're curious about. I know its hard to be sure with pictures. If you are curious about something I missed or dimensions I'm more than happy to share what I'm doing. You guys have helped me out so I want to return the favor when I can!

:thankyou: for the info .... I am looking at upgrading my welder, my Lincoln SP100 is maxed out at 12GA .105. Just trying to get into something I can weld with most of the time..... and if I need to do 3/16 I can.

I am not a fan of the RS stuff either .... and I have RS fenders, I have to convert them of course. As far as color NOT BLACK!!!!!!!

[WSSix]

I wouldn't paint the car a very dark color with those rims. It will cause them to blend in and you will loose the details. Of course this is simply my opinion. I would go with a lighter to medium blue. Colors you may want to consider are Marina Blue, Jetstream Blue, and Admiral Blue. Those are corvette colors. Lucerne Blue, Martinique Blue, and Nocturn Blue are Trans Am colors. Can you tell I like blue? :lol: You could always do a shade of green or yellow too!

I'm right there with you on styling decisions a lot of them time. That's why I typically believe in less is more and keeping it simple. If not, I'll overwhelm myself. Good luck and keep up the good work!

[MX145]

Thanks for the feedback guys!! I'm taking it all in!

[MX145]

I've been working on the firewall and cowl while I go round and round on color.

[DaleTx]

Supersonic Blue


http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s364/daltol/supersonicblue_zpse66a5189.jpg (http://s1048.photobucket.com/user/daltol/media/supersonicblue_zpse66a5189.jpg.html)

I would vote for this color... the supersonic blue looks good with the black wheels and trim.

decisions... decisions!

[MX145]

Thanks Dale. I'm leaning back toward blue as well. I think the grey centers on the wheels will get lost with black and possibly clash with cyber grey metallic as its close but not the same. I like the cyber grey color but have been noticing there's a lot of everyday cars painted a similar grey. I also think it mutes some of the body lines. Red is nice but mght look funny sitting next to my dads red car that's a custom pearl mix. Supersonic is probably the safest bet on my gamble.

[makoshark]

Good luck on color choice! Your car is going to turn out great, though. It took me a very long time to make a final decision on color. I finally pulled the trigger on HOk Stratto blue.

[MX145]

http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s364/daltol/supersonicblue_zpse66a5189.jpg (http://s1048.photobucket.com/user/daltol/media/supersonicblue_zpse66a5189.jpg.html)

I would vote for this color... the supersonic blue looks good with the black wheels and trim.

decisions... decisions!

Well guys. Just got back from the paint supply. No turning back now. It's supersonic blue.

[Tony V]

I think it will look great...can't wait to see the pics....keep up posted

[MX145]

:thankyou: for the info .... I am looking at upgrading my welder, my Lincoln SP100 is maxed out at 12GA .105. Just trying to get into something I can weld with most of the time..... and if I need to do 3/16 I can.

I am not a fan of the RS stuff either .... and I have RS fenders, I have to convert them of course. As far as color NOT BLACK!!!!!!!

Hi Chief. I have a Miller 211. I know its the wrong color but it seems to work well up to 1/4 on 220V. Havent gone past 1/4" but its rated up to 3/8. I usually run it on 110 for small stuff because its convenient. I've been very happy with it.

[Greg from Aus]

Looks like a great choice, can't wait to see it. :thumbsup:

[Sonar Chief]

Hi Chief. I have a Miller 211. I know its the wrong color but it seems to work well up to 1/4 on 220V. Havent gone past 1/4" but its rated up to 3/8. I usually run it on 110 for small stuff because its convenient. I've been very happy with it.

I'm not partial to a color ... I looked at the Miller 211, and if I remember correctly (which I could be wrong) you could not weld 3/16 single pass w/o flux core wire? Sound right?

It looks like the Lincoln Power Mig 180 Dual should work for me.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread :popcorn2:

[WSSix]

I think the supersonic blue is a good choice as well. :thumbsup:

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Well guys. Just got back from the paint supply. No turning back now. It's supersonic blue.

bamm, there you go. black wheels too right?

[MX145]

I've been playing around with the firewall trying to get it straight and all the seams consistent. Here's a pic of where I started this afternoon.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-680.jpg

[MX145]

bamm, there you go. black wheels too right?

Hi Vince. I changed them from black to dark titanium.
Here's a pic.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-15-1.jpg

[MX145]

I think the supersonic blue is a good choice as well. :thumbsup:

Thanks Trey!

[MX145]

I'm not partial to a color ... I looked at the Miller 211, and if I remember correctly (which I could be wrong) you could not weld 3/16 single pass w/o flux core wire? Sound right?

It looks like the Lincoln Power Mig 180 Dual should work for me.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread :popcorn2:

The Lincoln is a sweet welder! Don't think you can go wrong there. I may have been a Lincoln owner as well but my local welding supply made me a deal on the Miller and a new bottle. I looked at a few Lincoln's and Millers before choosing the 211.

According to the Miller manual I can weld up to 3/8" with .035 wire GMAW. I'm assuming multiple passes but still using GMAW gas instead of FCAW flux core. I personally have only welded a few pieces of 3/16 to 1/4 using .030 wire GMAW single pass and it worked fine based on their settings chart. Even though the 211 is rated at 210 amps its 150@30% duty cycle. I've always stick welded bigger stuff until I recently bought the Miller.

[camcojb]

Hi Vince. I changed them from black to dark titanium.
Here's a pic.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-15-1.jpg
those look great.

[Sonar Chief]

The Lincoln is a sweet welder! Don't think you can go wrong there. I may have been a Lincoln owner as well but my local welding supply made me a deal on the Miller and a new bottle. I looked at a few Lincoln's and Millers before choosing the 211.

According to the Miller manual I can weld up to 3/8" with .035 wire GMAW. I'm assuming multiple passes but still using GMAW gas instead of FCAW flux core. I personally have only welded a few pieces of 3/16 to 1/4 using .030 wire GMAW single pass and it worked fine based on their settings chart. Even though the 211 is rated at 210 amps its 150@30% duty cycle. I've always stick welded bigger stuff until I recently bought the Miller.

Nice to know .... I was mistaken, I read the Miller 180 specs ... too small for me. Maybe the 211 is the way too go.

Those wheels look awesome:thumbsup:

[tubbed69]

Sure do like the wheels,also you have done a good job on the firewall so far

[Tuske427]

I've been playing around with the firewall trying to get it straight and all the seams consistent. Here's a pic of where I started this afternoon.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-680.jpg

Looking great, Ryan!

[waynieZ]

X2 ! and I like the color on the wheels.

[MX145]

Thanks for the comments guys!
I worked on the firewall some more yesterday and today but its hard to show progress in a pic. Hopefully I'll have something to show soon.

[MX145]

I keep getting side tracked reading Ron Sutton's suspension threads so I'm not getting much work done.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

I keep getting side tracked reading Ron Sutton's suspension threads so I'm not getting much work done.

HAAAA HAAAA my ADD has kept me in the shop, It hard to read and retain all that info.

[RBuhr69]

I like the color combo on the wheels as well....Cant wait to get mine in the same color...:)

[Flash68]

Hi Vince. I changed them from black to dark titanium.
Here's a pic.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-15-1.jpg

Dude those are classy and bad ass!

[MX145]

Dude those are classy and bad ass!

Thanks Dave! Especially coming from you. Your car was sweet and now even better with new motor and new shoes! I need all I can get just so I don't get laughed out of the same parking lot.

I got lucky on the wheels. They aren't even out yet. Hopefully I can finish my car before they are released. :)

[MX145]

I like the color combo on the wheels as well....Cant wait to get mine in the same color...:)

Thanks RBuhr69. I went back and forth between black and the dark titanium. I like both but was afraid my car would be too black and sinister while I work out the bugs leaving the car in black sealer. Since I finally chose a paint color it might now get painted sooner than later.

[MX145]

HAAAA HAAAA my ADD has kept me in the shop, It hard to read and retain all that info.

Is that what that is? I thought I just drank too much coffee and developed bad listening skills - tuning out my mom's yelling as a kid. :headspin:

Luckily Ron has a good way of explaining things.

[MX145]

Here's the firewall after filler, sanding, filler, sanding,... Seems like it took forever and I ended up sanding most of it off.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-2305.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-1759.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-2355.jpg

[Richio1]

Nice... Well done.

[MX145]

I put my son Josh to work today helping me get the front end back on the car so we could push the car out and turn it around to finish up the 4-link and get the new rearend under it.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-2194.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-563.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-940.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-395.jpg

[MX145]

Nice... Well done.

Thanks Jeff. Your car turned out awesome with a well tied together theme and details. I can't wait for the day I fire mine off and make the maiden parking lot voyage just to see it move. I'm jealous of all you guys firing up these new motors with drivable cars ;) I'm almost a year in already and gotta long way to go.

[MX145]

Since the car has no rearend under it it's sitting on a floor jack and 2x4's so I could measure the rearend width.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-452.jpg

[tubbed69]

keep up the good work,that subframe looks really nice,like the wheels too:thumbsup:

[waynieZ]

I like the wheels. Nice job on the subframe.

[MX145]

keep up the good work,that subframe looks really nice,like the wheels too:thumbsup:

Thanks Jeff. I'm lookin forward to seeing more pics of your build.

[MX145]

I like the wheels. Nice job on the subframe.

Thanks Wayne! I think I'm doing good. So far nobody has said I hate the wheels. ;)

[cencalc6]

Your doing an excellent job on this build:cheers:

[MX145]

My dad layed out the rearend for me based on my measurements. Hopefully I didn't screw up. I made a run down to his house tonight to drop off the Wilwood brake kit to be safe. There's a lot of variables when considering a 1" offset pinion on an offset center section on a rearend with different axle tube lengths and throwing a disc conversion in the mix. :headscratch: :headspin:

Too much for me. I left it to the professional. I can't wait to see this thing in the lathe getting cut down.

[MX145]

Your doing an excellent job on this build:cheers:

Thanks Phillip. You as well! :thumbsup:

[MX145]

I fixed the passenger side door. Removed the old skin, sanded and wire wheeled the inside and painted with SPI black epoxy to protect before reskinning.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-766.jpg

[MX145]

Here's the new door skin.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-1628.jpg

[Vince@Meanstreets]

AMD skin? Looking good.

[MX145]

AMD skin? Looking good.

Hi Vince. Yes. It's heavy gauge and fit well. Only complaint is the mid door body line is a little soft. Its not as crisp as the stock/AMD fender and quarter. I'll have to deal with it later.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

oh,thats easy,

[MX145]

oh,thats easy,

I'm really happy with how the passenger side quarter and door turned out. All of my body ref points measure out within a 1/16 comparing side to side now. The car was wrecked and covered with an inch of filler in some places when I tore into it. The quarter was crunched in a couple places and the door was crunched and twisted. i repaired the inner door structure and used 3M panel adhesive which allowed me to work the skin a little before it set up and I made my spot welds.

[MX145]

We re-hoop'd the wheels to get better fender clearance with the new front brake kit and to go a little wider with improved scrub radius and front/rear track offset. I added 1/2" width and moved them in 1/2". The front wheels are now 9-1/2" wide with 6-3/4" back spacing. (Was 5-3/4 BS. Now 6-3/4 BS going from a 7" inside rim half to an 8")

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-301.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-1948.jpg

[WSSix]

Coming along nicely. I'd say you've done a good job of fixing the body considering how bad it was when you started.

[Tuske427]

Incredible work! Wish my car looked half this good

[Smitty68]

Looking good!!

[MX145]

Thanks guys. Seeing your builds keeps me motivated. There's so many cool cars on here! At times it seems like I have a long way to go but progress is progress and I'll eventually get there. Even when it's just a little at a time.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

hows that rear suspension coming along?

[MX145]

hows that rear suspension coming along?

It's all designed but only partially fabricated. The long story behind it is we found the stock Ford 9" housing axle tubes aren't round. Ford built the housing and then machined the bearing and seal surfaces in the ends true to the center section. This is different than the Dana and Chevy housings we've worked on. Now we know why people just cut the ends off without much thought and use a bar with alignment slugs in the carrier and ends. We were thinking people were just a little careless with tolerances but now we know why. We have to do this as well but we still cut the ends off in the lathe and indexed the ends to the housing and true'd up only the ends and the axle tube where the ends press fit before welding. We couldn't true up the entire length because the tubes are somewhat oval and would leave thin spots. If I new this going in I think I would have replaced the axles tubes so the outside OD would be round within a few thousandths instead of 130 thousandths. The tubes being oval shaped by .130 has made things a pain as we don't want to mill the holes in the brackets .130 over to fit. We're still kicking around the thought of machining oval holes in the brackets or machine a round hole compromise and grind as needed to get the brackets indexed properly for the pinion angle. We may even replace the tubes.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Damn, well let me know if you need some input and a bare moser housing. Much easier route if you don't mind forking up 460 for a bare housing

[MX145]

Damn, well let me know if you need some input and a bare moser housing. Much easier route if you don't mind forking up 460 for a bare housing

Dang. I wish I knew that before I bought this one. :bang: :) I appreciate the offer.

My dad messed around with it today and figured out a solution. He turned the tubes down a little and made the bracket bores a press on fit so it will work out. Fortunately this rear end has the thicker 3.25 diameter tubes.

[MX145]

I don't have any good pictures to post but have made a little progress. All of the 4 link brackets have been machined and the new axles are here. I wasn't able to use the Wilwood offset bearing retainer with the new updated bearings i got from Strange. The new A1013A bearing is wider so I picked up some flat retainers from AME yesterday. I also picked up the 1" .156 wall DOM tubing for the links themselves.

My buddy mounted up my 245's on the wider wheels. They're a little stretched but work to my advantage for fender clearance. I'll take a look at 275's later.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-408.jpg

[WSSix]

Those 245s don't look too bad. If clearances are really tight, a 255 might give a good balance. 10mm makes a lot of difference sometimes.

[MX145]

Those 245s don't look too bad. If clearances are really tight, a 255 might give a good balance. 10mm makes a lot of difference sometimes.

Thanks Trey. That's a good idea. I could also possibly run an 8-1/2 rear wheel half instead of an 8 and give up some turning radius. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. The 245's fit perfect with the 8 at 6-3/4 BS. I don't need to change it but Sutton's got me thinking about wider front tires ;)

[Vince@Meanstreets]

looking good, let see the rear man!

[Flash68]

Wheels look killer... I'd also recommend trying at least a 255 tire on there if you can.

[MX145]

Seems like forever since my last post. It's been a busy end of summer. Sent my baby girl off to college, bought a new car, moving, works crazy busy, a few birthday parties, kids sports,.. Stuff you guys know all too well.

I plan to spend more time in the shop in November. I did however finish up the 4-link pockets. The rear ends in the car finally. I'm happy with how it turned out. The axle tubes are within .010 on the dial indicator now. Phew.. That was stressful. I never realized the factory 9" rear ends had such large tolerances. Mine was almost .050 out on one side before we started on it.

I should be hauling the car down to my dads in the next few weeks to throw on the lift and finish up the bottom side and mock up the engine and trans.

[tubbed69]

Seems like forever since my last post. It's been a busy end of summer. Sent my baby girl off to college, bought a new car, moving, works crazy busy, a few birthday parties, kids sports,.. Stuff you guys know all too well.

I plan to spend more time in the shop in November. I did however finish up the 4-link pockets. The rear ends in the car finally. I'm happy with how it turned out. The axle tubes are within .010 on the dial indicator now. Phew.. That was stressful. I never realized the factory 9" rear ends had such large tolerances. Mine was almost .050 out on one side before we started on it.

I should be hauling the car down to my dads in the next few weeks to throw on the lift and finish up the bottom side and mock up the engine and trans.

Keep updates coming,we like them

[MX145]

Here's some pics of the 4-link pockets. I second guessed myself at least half a dozen times on the design and location. Luckily I had Brendon to keep me straight.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/6DBD20BD-161D-4F8F-BDE0-9CCB0D4DCF40-3377-00000399C857C88F_zps862eb3a2.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/F2B85614-A997-447B-9651-231812BD8CCB-3377-00000399BF22FEE3_zpsaab4ec3a.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/07F986C0-17EF-4A17-ABD7-2C1624CB9D7F-3377-000003996A7AB3E6_zps89110c67.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/805595A9-93EC-4F89-8A0F-76A280971265-3377-00000399606E3CE1_zps2ca6bcb4.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/FA361D31-B8D6-46B6-83C0-C976C2208FC5-3377-00000399136AC55A_zps99edffd6.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/70C6F14B-10F1-4B63-B73A-C7594C884932-3377-00000393AAB05853_zps1d7c9b38.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/AB1E3480-4502-43BE-961F-5182C913A9A2-3377-00000392EC756864_zps8de69a4a.jpg

[MX145]

I tweaked the rear end geometry and brackets so many times I lost count. After debating over and over and factoring in excellent advise from successful racers like Ron a Sutton and my dad I ended up settling for two different anti-squat configurations. One for road race and a second setup for drag. I'm not 100% sold on arch slotted brackets so I went with multiple holes. The pan hard bar will be slotted as the load is perpendicular to the slot.

Here's some of the brackets off the CNC mill.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/EEC38FDA-CA70-4121-BDD9-397409CFB81B-3377-00000399E2CB7CC1_zps5476f1c9.jpg

Here's the round stock and bushings my dad turned in the lathe to be able to setup the rear end. We bolted the 3rd member into the housings with shims the same thickness as the thinner gasket to locate the bar which we used for reference with the dial indicator to check the housing ends before I welded them on. We reused the old ends and turned them down to make a step in the tube side to locate them on center. I took most of the pictures with my dad's phone. This is all I have at the moment.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/null-1437.jpg
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/94D629FE-E349-4764-9819-F2481A93E1E6-3377-00000394419072A1_zps9cb190c5.jpg

Here's the spacers that go between the brackets and the heim ends. I used 5/8" heim joints with a 3/4" shank and turned and cut left and right hand threads in 1" .156 wall 1022 DOM tubing I picked up from Morrisons shop.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/4427E3AE-CE47-4C00-B985-73E6D0CA3BCF-3377-0000039448F6BE8C_zpsc2793361.jpg

I set the wheel base to 108". 2 deg pinion angle with the holes in the outside brackets at 90 deg (vertical/plum) and the bottoms of the inner brackets at 0 deg (level)

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/146A5CA6-D759-45F5-B5A3-6514C4C5DD3A-3377-00000394B3C5A902_zps0aded64b.jpg

Here's the finished width. I was barely able to squeeze the 11.5" wheels with 315's in there. The rear end articulates well with a rolled edge on the inside lip of the fender.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/4A570633-8FE2-4118-849A-C629ECD2B3E3-3377-000003945BB7FA30_zps9d9f9eb4.jpg

[MX145]

Keep updates coming,we like them

Hi Jeff. Good to hear from you. I was just checking out your updates yesterday. Your car helps motivate me. You're getting so close and man is it nice!!

[MX145]

Wheels look killer... I'd also recommend trying at least a 255 tire on there if you can.

You guys are right. A 255 will be the way to go. Gotta wear these out first though.

[MX145]

I installed the trunk lock and threw the front fenders back on to get an idea of the stance. ;). It's been a long time since I've been able to push this thing around on its own 4 wheels. It was nice to get it outside.

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/7479BAC2-BA56-4006-A0F1-D2207EB28E94-3377-00000393C41F06DE_zps8b41cb67.jpg

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/1B99AAD6-A8D0-4F58-A6B1-C8D71058B1F7-3377-0000039400957610_zps456011f6.jpg

[MX145]

Wheels look killer... I'd also recommend trying at least a 255 tire on there if you can.

BTW Dave, what do you feed your cat? He looks to be a little intense.

[tubbed69]

I like your wheels and the stance is real good,keep up the good work,really nice.:thumbsup:

[MX145]

Thanks Jeff. The guys at Fikse did a great job for us! This new design will be available soon. I'm really happy with it. They've got a lot of good things going. New designs, more hoop choices and bigger wheel sizes.

[WSSix]

Looks great! Glad you've made good progress.

[lil427z]

The old girl is looking good . :G-Dub:
Thanks rick k:king:

[Vince@Meanstreets]

nice work

[Tuske427]

Looks awesome, Ryan! At this rate I think you'll be driving your car before I'm driving mine..

[DaleTx]

Coming along nice... the fab work looks great :thumbsup:

[72Z/28]

Awesome build man and love the stance. By the way what is the finish on those Fikses?

[Tuske427]

Any updates, Ryan??

[MX145]

Picked up some new steering parts a while back to make the car easier to move. I threw the IROC steering box and linkage in the car. The Hotchkis tie rod adjusters look to be well made.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/2E51502D-E440-46AE-B4B4-5D86B6B3DDA6.jpg

[MX145]

Here she is leaving the house headed for my dad's shop. He called me after he got home and was laughing at me for how sad I looked while he pulled out of the driveway. :)

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/34C39810-124B-4699-9086-45CF5DCE6529.jpg

[MX145]

I finished welding up the rear end and made a drain plug. Needs some brake line brackets and its ready for paint.
http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/mx267/Transition%20Camaro/C9B7B39D-9F30-4D2A-B12C-D326F5A307D0.jpg