SlowProgress Project Introduction

[SlowProgress]

67 Camaro SlowProgress ( Project in process)

I finally decided to start a build thread. Hoping it will keep me and others motivated, without slowing the build down even more. I will post it up in sections to try and get caught up to the current status over a few weeks and gradually add all the more recent photos and then try to keep up. There is some risk this will be one of those projects that drags out for a long time but I hope it can wrap up in the next two years so I can drive the car on its 50th birthday, a goal my son came up with.
Because some people won’t want to read the boring background story here is the top level plan so far. It will be a low end to mid-level build with most of the work done in my garage. Pretty good chance I will have the painting done by someone else, but I may take that one on as well.

Typical DSE stuff

Quadralink out back with rear swaybar
Mini tubs
Weld in subframe connectors
Hydraulic clutch bracket and clutch master
Firewall fill plate
Hydraulic booster
Wiper kit (TBD)

Narrow the stock 12 bolt with 3.9 gears

Wavetrac 3-series differential
9-Inch Torino Ends
Moser cover and 35 spline axles

T-56 Magnum (wide ratio with .5 final drive)
Ride Tech True Turn in front (I am still sentimental about the stock front clip)
Ride Tech muscle bar
Rushforth Livewires all around

12 x 19s in the rear (6.0” B.S)
10 x 18s in the front (5.75” B.S)

Michelin Pilot Sports

325/19-30s Rear
275/18-35s Front

Baer 6P Calipers, Nickel finish with 14 –inch rotors
Engine – LS7 ( 75% sure at this point)

Dirty Dingo mounts
Hidden coil brackets
Drive by wire (TBD)


Paint color – Not 100% sure yet but probably will paint it similar to the high school red color
Interior will be mostly stock because it is just fun that way.
Probably will upgrade the seats a little using TMI kits or something similar (may do leather?)

Open still and looking around to finish final plans

Stainless headers ( haven’t decided which ones yet)
Stainless 3-inch exhaust with cross-over ( probably will build myself)
Mufflers are TBD at this point
Fuel tank with integral pump (still undecided whether to buy, or build from Vaporworx parts)


Recent History

It all got started when I met Jason Rushforth at Goodguys to talk about wheels and he and I collaborated on a simple rendering. I was sure I wanted to use his wheels and it was fun to see how the car will look when finished. I was sort of stuck on how to proceed and going through the rendering process created a good starting point and really got me going with ordering some parts, starting with the Livewires. For now it will be belly-button “Camaro Red” because it has always been that way. Here is the rendering.

https://i.imgur.com/3SPkmwL.jpg

I have been waiting (lurking) and learning on this site for a few years now. This 67 was bought used as my first car in 1978 for $800. It was faded purple with side pipes and pretty cheesy Z-28 strips in white. The body filler was flaking in spots and it was pretty clear the fenders and tail panel had been whacked and the right quarter had been replaced using some sort of primitive chisels and clubs and about 20 lbs of brazing rod. My parents were pretty sure I had been taken but it was a typical Southwest solid body car which was great, even though it was pretty worn for an 11 year old car ! It also came with the bonus of about 300 Coors pull tabs under the seat and a couple recreational pharmaceuticals still in the ash tray.
I saved parts up under my bed to build up a decent iron 12:1 compression 427 with a big solid cam. Coupled with some 4.56 gears out back, it was always a blast to drive. Gosh I have no idea how many times I fished through the gears with the original wide ratio Muncie transmission. Working at the local Firestone I managed to save up my nickels for some used Keystone Classics and finally a quickie paint job from a local painter.

https://i.imgur.com/oR8CxFJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/h28dN9C.jpg

I polished up the chrome and got all the electrical circuits working and drove it daily for several years, hauling friends around and cruising Fridays and Saturdays around the local Sonic drive-in (those are great memories). I added some skinny Centerlines up front and always intended to take it to the strip but never really had the time or money to do that.

https://i.imgur.com/KEYMYyj.jpg

Eventually I went back to school, got married, had a son and life changed directions. For some reason I hung onto the car, always intending to repaint in and leave the rest more-or less alone.
In the early 90’s, just before my son was born, I took it all apart and freshened the engine painted the bottom, firewall, sub-frame, door interiors, dash, door jams and trunk edges preparing for the final bodywork. The paint was shot and peeling on the outside by that time.

https://i.imgur.com/r3cS8hvl.jpg

I sold the original fenders which were rusted in spots and full of lead in the fender lip area and stuck on some reproduction fenders (more on that later). It sat for a while when my son was born and having recently moved to Arizona I found out the cruel intentions of the state to force emissions on my old hotrod.
Putting it through emissions was a trick at best. By the time I got it tuned to pass the yearly emissions test the engine would barely turn the dyno rollers and was seriously intimidating to the emission technicians who had never driven a lean, high compression 427 that would buck and spit fire out the carburetor at times. The yearly emissions grind, oppressive Summer temperatures and working to pay off the house meant the Camaro sort of just sat in the garage most of the time, fun to drive but a hassle at the same time.
I occasionally drove it around in the cool mornings to keep the fluids circulating, but the more frequent downtime meant there was always a dry seal, leaking carburetor needle and seat, dead pump, low tire, or broken switch that got in the way of a really fun cruise, not to mention the blast furnace air that would lead to boil-overs. This engine always ran hot and I never did really figure out why. I was having fun taking it to the drag strip occasionally and did manage to get it down around 12.40s at 114 MPH, nothing stellar but fun at the same time. Problem was I still had to drive around with skinny tires and a less than road-friendly 12:1 compression engine.
Around 2008 I started looking on the Interweb for cool ways to have fun with an old Camaro. That’s about the time I came across the Pro-Touring and Lat-g websites. I really liked what was happening with the old musclecars, improving their handling and driving them looked way better than having a garage blockage. I wasn’t sure I wanted to cut up a perfectly good 67 to perform all these handling mods but I decided to start on the body repairs while the ideas sort of percolated a bit. I really liked all the wide tires and low stance of the g-machines. Of course there is no way I am going to spend $4000 on wheels. Guys that do that must be crazy (more on that later).

[fleetus macmullitz]

Always cool to see a long-term ownership car get radically transformed...even more so IMO the ones that have been set aside for awhile, for one reason or another. :thumbsup:

[WSSix]

Thanks for starting a build thread. I like the plans you have. Glad you stopped lurking too.

[sleepertime]

:G-Dub: :clap:


Welcome to the site. I also love to hear the back stories about the old cars, that to me means a great deal. As you can see it takes quite a bit to put one of these cars back on the road both from time and money spent on them, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Keep up the motivation and remember the pain is temporary, the memories last forever...

:flag2:

[CURVES]

I've always envied those who kept cars from their early years.
I certainly wish I had kept a couple of mine.

Take your time, after all a forty year build is not unusual for this site! :lmao:

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Great cars with even better back stories are cool. Thanks for sharing. Welcome to the site!!

[SlowProgress]

Thanks for all the encouraging words.
Here is a quick shot from today. I will post up the "how I got here photos" soon !

Scott

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r68/chaos_19/fa73190c-c079-4052-84fb-666d772faab4.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/user/chaos_19/media/fa73190c-c079-4052-84fb-666d772faab4.jpg.html)

[SlowProgress]

The rear lower valence was always wavy on the car and when I put the backup lights in it was obvious there was a lot of filler. Besides being wavy, one side was flat and the other rounded. It gave the valence a real wonky look that just felt wrong. That was one of those little things that always bugged me.

When I stripped the paint this time around I bought a stud gun to pull the panel out thinking it would be a really easy to fix the lower valence.

https://i.imgur.com/rBNLCpml.jpg

The metal was really stretched on one side and it was just beyond my skill set to fix it. I was a little discouraged and set that aside for a while. In 2011 a friend had a left-over tail panel that he gave me. I was able to cut off the lower valence and weld in a new one. It was good I did because the backup light holes were punched wrong from the factory. One side was ¼ inch higher than the other. I was able to fix it by lining the mis-punched hole up with the inner valence and now everything is lined up properly.

https://i.imgur.com/ssIOEbyl.jpg

Also there were always two holes burned around the hole beneath the license plate. I always assumed it was something the painter did. When fitting the valence I noticed the center hole would not sit flush because the inner valence was not trimmed correctly. The factory could not get the panel to sit flush so someone bridged the gap with a stick welder and burned a couple of holes around the opening. There were no spot welds anywhere. The inner valence hole was pretty jagged like it wasn’t trimmed right, or was early enough in production that it just wasn’t worked out properly (my car was built in Sep 1966). I trimmed the hole correctly and the parts dropped right in like they should and I was able to spot weld it in.

https://i.imgur.com/86uErBkl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3tvSCntl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oEm7Hpxl.jpg

There was a softball sized dent in the lower right quarter. Again using my trusty stud welder I was pretty sure I could pull it out. Again the results weren’t that great so I bought patch panel and welded it in while working on welding in the lower valence.

https://i.imgur.com/6bKnUyDl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0jFtFwwl.jpg

Overall this part came out well. The car will have a straight lower valence now which was something missing for years.

[SlowProgress]

I got the new fenders and put them on the car in 2009 and it was pretty disappointing. With the fender shoved all the way back the gap was too wide.

https://i.imgur.com/o6sBp9Ol.jpg

I was thinking about welding on the edge of the fender or door but the gap was pretty big. To make it worse I figured out there was no way to save the original LH door skin and had to cut it off. This was actually a pretty low point because I was optimistic to bolt new parts on and everything would fit. It really slowed me down but I decided to just start cutting and fixing.
Cut the firewall bracket off the fender and slid it forward so the fender would slide back more.

https://i.imgur.com/OTWrke6l.jpg]
https://i.imgur.com/vt9YQBdl.jpg

Cut the door skin off to fit a new one.

http://i.imgur.com/moIfE0Nl.jpg

But it wasn’t as easy as I expected. The new door skin matched the fender more closely but it really fit poorly on the frame so I had to build up the edge of the frame to get an edge to crimp the skin to and also slit the skin and change the shape.

https://i.imgur.com/LSFD64tl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tdVEBqBl.jpg

The back edge of the skin was too narrow and didn’t match the quarter panel so I had to slit it and widen to match. Overall the door just about took me out but I hung in there and learned a lot about putting aftermarket parts on an original body.

https://i.imgur.com/5W8NHhAl.jpg

I was finally able to media blast and prime everything.

https://i.imgur.com/9p2zY33l.jpg

Somewhere in there I build a temporary paint both and primed most of the front end pieces.

https://i.imgur.com/jifXSHEl.jpg


Was great to get the door back together. Overall the door skin fit was pretty good.

https://i.imgur.com/eQX8Ppol.jpg

I media blasted the fenders so I could weld on the edges to finish off the gapping process. Probably 80% done. Waiting to build up my TIG skills and refine the gap a little more.

https://i.imgur.com/DBwtvsHl.jpg

This took many weekends and it was great to get this behind me and finally start to order all the shiny pieces to go on the car.

[frankv11]

great story
you will definitely learn a lot by doing your own work and appreciate the people that do it for a living. the only drawback is once get better you'll want to redo some of your previous work.
keep it up and post plenty of pictures.

[JoeLightning]

Great story. Keep posting up as I want to hear more :)

[tubbed69]

Very nice work so far,it sure feels good when you do the work yourself.keep updates coming.

[SlowProgress]

great story
you will definitely learn a lot by doing your own work and appreciate the people that do it for a living. the only drawback is once get better you'll want to redo some of your previous work.

Yes I agree with you. I have done some work over already and seriously thought about digging deeper and replacing the right quarter. I can be a perfectionist to a fault so I am trying to get better at drawing the line and accepting work that is not perfect but good enough. I can have a ton of fun with this car when it is running again !!

[SlowProgress]

I had been putting nickels in my piggy bank for some time and honestly I was just hesitant to spend it. The economy, family issues just seemed to keep me stalled out. Finally after settling on the wheels and tires I ordered some of the first pieces needed. This was a relief because it set the direction and it also allowed me to commit.

https://i.imgur.com/L6CDEaLl.jpg

I had a simple plan to install Tru Turn system from Ride Tech and drive the car around a little. The plan was to motivate me and also find out what sort of sheet metal mods I needed in front. Ride Tech had just built the 48 hour car so I just ordered the kit and wheel backspacing to match, along with their Muscle Bar. I had run my hand over the fender lip at Goodguys and had a pretty good idea how far I would have to roll/flatten the wheelwell.

In the mean time I ordered the brakes and all the DES rear suspension parts in order to have that ready. I also picked up some Ring Brothers hinges. Their designs are really nice and I knew from previous years that the Camaro hood always sits high in the rear after closing. I am hoping to eliminate that and walking around the car manually pushing the rear of the hood down every time I shut it.

https://i.imgur.com/d6dchSEl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7fPS8drl.jpg

In the process I found out that all the vendors I was working with were really good to deal with. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rushforth, DSE, Ride Tech, Ring Brothers or Baer to anyone.

Having the tires mounted up was super cool. I just had to post the mandatory new tire versus old tire photo. I settled on 325s with 12 inch wheels. The thought process was to reduce the front/rear stagger (a little), knowing I could only get a 275 up front with the factory clip.

https://i.imgur.com/kVOjLKZl.jpg

[HBRod]

Wow, you really did make a commitment. Good choices and lots of fun ahead. Really like the picture of the tires. Can't think of a better statement of intent then that pic. Was wondering who's hood hinges you decided to go with? They look nice in the picture. This will be a thread that I will continue to follow.

Rod

[SlowProgress]

I had fun bolting on the True Turn kit and muscle bar in. It is always nice to work with clean parts. It was good to finally be able to mock up the brakes and wheels.

https://i.imgur.com/0ZL6H4Rl.jpg

I started rolling the fender lip.

https://i.imgur.com/lHCavsel.jpg

It was excited to see the body sitting lower over the front tires and all the Baer brakes parts installed as expected. I still have quite a bit of work to get the front fenders finished and the final ride height worked out. I need to set the camber and really dial in the front end. It is going to be close but I am pretty sure it will work out.

https://i.imgur.com/OQENs2kl.jpg

I started working the inner wheel tub by first cutting a donor piece out of an old fender laying around for spare parts.
The plan for the part I cut out is to flip that piece around and weld to the inner lip and make a connection with the inner tub. It made a great window to look through and see what all goes on in there.

https://i.imgur.com/huGn9tGl.jpg

I cut the part of the inner tub that is stamped down toward the wheel so I can make the whole tub as tall as possible. A good sheet metal person probably would be more clever but I decided to work with what it have. The idea was to figure out the left side and then copy it on the right.

https://i.imgur.com/aM8CCBSl.jpg

You know how when things are going well something always happens. In this case I had to get a car running for my son to go to college. Some neighbors gave us a car several years previous and now I had procrastinated my time away and needed to get it running. I spent several weeks off-and-on getting the old Pontiac running and was a little distracted by the whole preparing my son (and myself) for college. It was hard to get anything done while the garage looked like this.

https://i.imgur.com/uJvqgZfl.jpg

I finally got the Pontiac running and reliable for the school commuting. The Camaro had been sitting for a couple months and the Pontiac was in the way, but at the same time it sort of forced me out in the garage and got me accomplishing things again, which was good. Playing around with all the sensors, swapping parts, fixing harness issues and changing the tank mounted pump also got me thinking about how nice it would be to have an LS engine in the Camaro. Now I was thinking just two more cylinders and basically the same process, but I was committed to the big block for the short term !

I jumped back in planning to finish the front fenders and go for a victory cruise with Tru Turn installed. I pulled the old high compression big block that I first built in high school in 1978 to put on the shorter pan.

https://i.imgur.com/xtUxAqnl.jpg

I had already purchased the pan and flipped the engine over to install it.

https://i.imgur.com/nKvRNWAl.jpg

I did a quick fit check and was about to work some clearance issues with the oil windage screen when I noticed the crank scraper was bent. Looking around I found a piston skirt laying in the engine. Dang ! so much for reusing the old big block without a rebuild !

https://i.imgur.com/VdBhDRBl.jpg

To say I was discouraged is pretty accurate. But I decided to set the engine aside and work out some of the sheet metal projects to keep me busy while I figured out what to do for an engine.

[SlowProgress]

When you’ve blown up your favorite engine, it’s time to buy a welder. I had been looking at the 211 for some time and realized I would need it for building up the back end of the car.

https://i.imgur.com/FD0Tm1Dl.jpg

Since my MIG skills are even worse than my poor TIG skills, I decided to build something easy as a confidence builder. I may not know a lot but I know that thick metal burns up slower than thin metal, so I started putting together a simple body cart to give me a chance to practice with the MIG. I bought some telescopic tube online and had it delivered to my door. That stuff was great and saved a bunch of heartache trying to get tubes to slide together.

https://i.imgur.com/i6ePRYTl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rvyA7yJl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/J6oQQsNl.jpg

I bought the good urethane wheels. Don't do that if you want the cart to roll. When I switched to the metal wheels I can move it around with one hand now. I also pulled the 12-bolt out to prepare the axle ends for the Quadralink brackets.

http://i.imgur.com/wegBxnDl.jpg

Since I knew the ends were going to be changing it was pretty easy to just cut them off and grind all the welds flush. Easy is a relative term I probably have about 3-4 hours in that grinding. The RH perch had been stick welded back on so it was obvious the wreck that caused the RH quarter to be replaced had also damaged the perch. Good time to straighten everything back out correctly. That perch was hard to remove because they stick welded every square inch. It came out in a bunch of pieces.

https://i.imgur.com/w3FUIxll.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/08zaXO1l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/u6nlABxl.jpg

Having the car up on the cart really helped and with the rearend out I was able to really get going finally. Cool weather in the Spring helped also. Working with the garage door open is nice.
I got started on the upper 4-link pockets

https://i.imgur.com/qWTcoAbl.jpg

I also cut out the LH tub. After drilling all those spot welds I realized I should have just cut them out. Guess I should have watched a few more videos on Youtube. Probably doesn’t hurt to be cautious the first time anyway.

https://i.imgur.com/ZWMrwJ2l.jpg

It was super cool to get the tub up in the wheelwell the first time. This is one of those big milestones in the whole back end project. This was installation #1 of about 100 test fits.

https://i.imgur.com/c3ndPfJl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JFjymfXl.jpg

Or course it didn’t take very long to shove one of those 325 up in the wheelwell. This car had tires sticking outside the wheelwell the last 40 years. What a huge improvement in the looks to have the tire up inside the wheelwell !!

https://i.imgur.com/iSW8BBQl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/USRkJgkl.jpg

[tombar67]

Huge improvement indeed! Looking great

[SlowProgress]

It felt good to get some progress on the tubs and closeout panels.

https://i.imgur.com/pxRuEFul.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/a3GnhVul.jpg


I also spent some time working the lip around the wheel opening. I know some people with experience don't event do this part, but I decided it would make the car a little stronger and I felt like it would make it easier for me to weld in the tubs.

https://i.imgur.com/aFudmpbl.jpg



The RH side went a little smoother because I knew the steps and what to expect.

https://i.imgur.com/FYOM78Zl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JM9S444l.jpg

I mocked up all the filler panels on the RH side and welded them together on the table.

https://i.imgur.com/p1TdQiHl.jpg

I saved a little bit of time doing this but it really didn’t come out any nicer than the LH side. MIG welding thick pieces to thin pieces that are covered in zinc just isn’t my specialty.

https://i.imgur.com/wBLtMs9l.jpg

In the end I was more of a grinder than a welder on this job.

https://i.imgur.com/itIlvW4l.jpg

I finished the closeout on the LH tub somewhere along the way.

https://i.imgur.com/oLpTtVRl.jpg

Finally I cut the trunk floor for the cross-member. This was surprisingly more stressful than I thought it would be. I guess because the back of the car was starting to look like a disaster and I was wanting some things to be going back together by now.

https://i.imgur.com/iqOPTuVl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sTBeD6Pl.jpg

I had been throwing all the bits and pieces in a tub and decided to lay them out to take a photo. I ended up drilling all the spots around the outer wheel house to take the old flange off. If I had to do it over again I would not have done that, too much work for almost no benefit. There was no rust or anything in there and it would have been a fine surface to weld to. But looking at all the pieces reminds me of all the time I spend in the trunk !

https://i.imgur.com/sJEMuA7l.jpg

During the Christmas break I spent a few hours actually planning out what to do next. I decided what order I was going to work in and the best way to get started. I decided I was sick of burning paint and flaming seam sealer. Step 1 would be to get the car ready for media blasting, so that I would have a clean body to weld all the parts back to. I figured the cost was worth it, so I started getting the body, sub-frame and rear axle housing ready for media blasting.

https://i.imgur.com/N9Q3Ax6l.jpg

I found a local wrecker company that was used to hauling cars to media blast. The cart came in handy for this part. He did a great job getting it there and back.


https://i.imgur.com/lTpfGDbl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MWvFKnkl.jpg

[HBRod]

That is great progress you are making. It takes a lot of courage to cut out the tubs when you feel the uncertainty of how it will turn out. Looks great so I think you are making great progress. I am following your build to learn what to watch for when I do my project.

So thanks for the posting of the many pictures. It does take time to maintain the build thread an I appreciate the time you are taking to update all of us that are watching.

Good luck on the next step.

Rod

[214Chevy]

I'm liking this build thread. Nice parts list you have there too. Keep up the good work and oh, keep the pics coming too.

[Ricochet]

Great story!! Nice that you had it for over 35 years. Look forward to watching your progress! Keep up the good work.

[bonecrrusher]

Nice 3100 in that Pontiac - was it a Grand Prix?

[SlowProgress]

Nice 3100 in that Pontiac - was it a Grand Prix?

Yes it was. We swapped in a 2001, 3100 large port from a salvage yard. Super clean engine runs like a top.

[Sonar Chief]

Like the progress and your story, you are doing a great job and it will show in the end. Love those rims, how is the clearance on those 325's?

I'm jealous of your welder .... that's what I need someday!

Keep up the good work.

Michael

[SlowProgress]

Thanks Sonar chief. I have been following your build as well. The 325s have about 1-Inch clearance inside and outside. My car already had the rear openings rolled with a baseball bat when I mounted my first set of wide (8-inch) wheels in 1978. I was also pretty careful to put the tubs in a little deeper than necessary. I just ordered the axles and differential so I should be able to post some photos in a couple weeks. Right now the axle ends are just tacked in case I need some last minute tweaking.

[SlowProgress]

I shouldn’t have procrastinated starting this thread for so long. Getting caught-up is cutting into my project time.
It was great to get the Camaro back from the media blaster. If you live in the Phoenix area I highly recommend Patrick over at Pro Strip Media blasting. He always finishes when he says and is a very conscientious person. When I visited he was actually repairing a 55 hood that had been damaged by another blaster. I didn’t even know you could do that. Anyway the car looked great and it was odd to see it heading down the road on the flatbed

https://i.imgur.com/Moc8KgZl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CZXjcORl.jpg

I was itching to weld something, without burning up a bunch of paint and sealer and not wasting all my time grinding to bare metal before I welded anything. I had already D/A sanded the quarters so I didn't have them stripped. The metal has quite a few scratches. When I was younger I unknowingly took a body grinder to it to strip some of the paint. I will get to pay for that little mistake when I start the body work.

https://i.imgur.com/6QqXJnal.jpg

The blasting didn’t reveal much that was unexpected. I did notice just how bad the firewall was and found some of my 20 year old braze repairs. I was a little disappointed to see in detail just how wrinkled the RH outer wheel house was. I knew the quarter was replaced (poorly), but I didn’t see all the wheel house damage because it was undercoated. You can see a little in the photo below at the bottom.

https://i.imgur.com/0LjPuXFl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/s8195B3l.jpg

I decided to keep the quarter and the wheelhouse for now. Both are solid. It will require a little bit of filler in the wheelhouse to make it visually smooth. It is going to get coated with bed-liner anyway. I guess it would be fun to have a perfect car but I sort of like the little warts and bumps on this one. Having the original (to me) quarter just sort of fits somehow.
Anyway the first task was to prepare the cross-member. I didn’t get photos for some reason but the first thing you have to do on a 67 is weld up the odd chamfer and scallop that must work just fine on a 69. This had me scratching my head and I even called DSE to make sure I had the right part. You can see where the pieces need to weld in from this photo.

https://i.imgur.com/Xm14OD4l.jpg

I capped both ends of the cross-member with some .116 material I had purchased for the filler panels. I also welded a closeout on the inside of the frame rail on the left side. The panhard bracket closes out the RH. You can see the weld marks where the inner closeout was in this photo on the left. I tacked it from below after it was all aligned and then took the cross-member out and final welded before I put the cross-member in for the last time. This made welding the inner closeout easier.

https://i.imgur.com/OzYCrVNl.jpg

I was finally able to start welding in the cross member after hours of leveling and checking. Here is where the Miller 211 came in handy. I could see where I needed to weld but sometimes it was hard to get in there. My TIG skills are probably not good enough to have completed some of the welds. It was great having the cross-member in because now I could finally get going on the tubs.

https://i.imgur.com/FL6F4bkl.jpg

I tacked the panhard bracket in but I wasn’t really happy with how far it poked out into the wheel well. I decided to plug weld a ¼ inch spacer behind it and weld to that. This part took some time. I am sure there are better ways to do it but this was the way I chose. BTW I found out my MIG skills are poor welding thick to thin material. I still have a few burn-through spots to repair.
https://i.imgur.com/1hGl2Url.jpg

I finished (mostly) welding the rear (trunk side) of the cross-member. It came out Ok but again there are some holes that need TLC. I was a little discouraged about some of the welding mistakes. Finally I realized that you just have to learn somewhere, or pay someone else who is better to do it for you. It will take some grinding time to clean-up but that is not a big deal really.

https://i.imgur.com/AFv19mpl.jpg

I finally sat down and drilled all those holes in the 4-link dog house assemblies.

https://i.imgur.com/szJ4Fe9l.jpg

Having the cross-member in allowed me to finally weld in the tubs. I used a combination of MIG, TIG and spot welds where I could save time. This was actually one of the more relaxing parts to the back-end work, because everything was clean and all the hard work had been done already. Here the speed of the MIG really pays off and most of the plug welds came out fine. I should have taken some photos with all the clamps installed before the welds. Sometimes I forget to take simple photos that I actually would have liked later.

https://i.imgur.com/tMqFjQal.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PaAGT2ll.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HgF2shBl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WblHwW4l.jpg

Man the tubs and cross-member were in the car. That was a huge morale booster. Honestly this job isn’t that difficult. It does take time to get it done in your spare hours and all the starting and stopping isn’t very efficient with a few days, or weeks in between each work session. Overall I am glad I did it myself.

[Spiffav8]

Wow...that's crazy clean. Great work. Thanks for the motivation!!

:D

[bonecrrusher]

OT - that large port 3100 should run forever. It might end up having bad lower intake manifold gaskets - and the camshaft can snap inside the block.

I have owned several of those 60* V6's - and was swapping a 3400 5 speed combo into a Beretta Z26 - then I got a job 1000 miles from Chicago, so I scrapped that project and bought the C6...

Back on topic - those welds look really good.

Where is your spot welder from?

[tubbed69]

That's great pics and detailed work,that's real good info for others to go by.Looks like it's still a solid car to start with,here in WV you would be ordering a lot of new metal after sandblasting,keep those good pics coming:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[cwylie]

What size/offset front wheels are you running? Interested in seeing what you do to the front fenders.

[SlowProgress]

OT - that large port 3100 should run forever. It might end up having bad lower intake manifold gaskets - and the camshaft can snap inside the block.

I have owned several of those 60* V6's - and was swapping a 3400 5 speed combo into a Beretta Z26 - then I got a job 1000 miles from Chicago, so I scrapped that project and bought the C6...

Back on topic - those welds look really good.

Where is your spot welder from?
The spot welder was a Miller, don’t remember the model. I borrowed it from a friend. Probably only good for non-structural welds because the current and clamp force are a little low. But it sure is heavy !!
What size/offset front wheels are you running? Interested in seeing what you do to the front fenders.

The wheels are 18x10-inch wide Livewires with 5.75. backspacing. I know for sure this is right at the limit. Depending who you talk with, a 9-9.5 inch wheel and 265 may be more conservative for Tru Turn and a 67 Camaro. There are so many variables. I plan to really work on the fender lip to make it all work out. I just decided I was going to commit to 10-inch wheels not matter what. It worked on the 48 hour car with some camber so I am pretty confident I can make it work on mine. Hope it isn't false confidence !

[SlowProgress]

With the tubs in I was finally ready to weld in the upper 4-link pockets. It went really fast with the MIG welder. There were a couple of spots where I had to bang the floor around with a 20oz ball peen hammer but mostly the gaps closed up nice. I still need to skip weld around the edges, sort of saving that for a rainy day.

https://i.imgur.com/UmSDZW7l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/h2SJHh2l.jpg

With the pockets welded in (mostly) I was just looking to get some motivation. I purchased a digital level and tack-welded some temporary stands to the welding table. I decided to buy a pinion center locating tool from Moser. It was really well made from stainless, so it won’t rust and everything is laser cut. I like buying things that turn out better than expected. With the pinion angle set, I was able to slip the Quadralink brackets on and start tacking everything. This took a lot of time but it was really an interesting job. Compared to working in the trunk on the wheel tubs, standing upright at the welding table was just more fun !

https://i.imgur.com/v2BLOwPl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BB6gvQEl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nDbU3mtl.jpg

With the brackets tacked in place I was able to put the rear end under the car and get it all centered left-to-right and also front-to-back. I put the wheels up on stands and sighted down the axle tubes to get it lined up in the center of the wheel wells. This was a pretty good evening.

https://i.imgur.com/eB3G92Vl.jpg

I had gone back and forth whether to spend money on a rotisserie. It is sort of a luxury and I really didn’t want to tie up funds in something that wasn’t directly car parts. I was having some problems with out-of-position welds various places around the car, so I decided to just buy it and plan to sell it to someone after I am through. I was thinking of building one but I decided that would eat up too much car time and actually cost more than buying a good one. I ended up buying the AT+ from Accessible Systems. I have been really happy with it. Top notch quality and it has lived up to all their claims on the website. Since I work by myself, I really needed a lift that was easy to balance and manipulate with one person. I set the car up and had it balanced within an hour or so. The body seems really secure on this stand.

https://i.imgur.com/qCLmOVDl.jpg

Before putting the car on the rotisserie I wanted to finish some of the firewall work that would be harder to do with something in the way. I cut out some of the beat up firewall and started welding in the DSE panel. This actually turned out to be really easy and took only about 8 hours spread out over a couple of days.

https://i.imgur.com/TEDhsrfl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pN9Hvszl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tJx5yhWl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UW59NEil.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JFhrKeTl.jpg

So, I thought the filler panel was going to be hard and the hydraulic clutch bracket was going to be easy. It turned out just the opposite for me. For the clutch master bracket, fabricating the filler panels, welding the round hole up underneath and getting it all to look good really took some time. There are so many curved surfaces and compound angles that I threw away a couple sets of closeout pieces before I got them close. I am pretty sure I have almost as much time in the hydraulic bracket as the firewall filler panel. It came out pretty good but I still have a little clean-up work to do.

https://i.imgur.com/KHutS9sl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/X8GyAyQl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9v4mbq0l.jpg

Time to move on to the subframe connectors.

[SlowProgress]

Starting on the subframe connectors I cut out the seat pans per the DSE instructions.

https://i.imgur.com/cbe5i2tl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3CXwKBXl.jpg

Then cut the slot in the floor. This was another one of those sort of stressful jobs. I measured a bunch of times to make sure I didn’t mess it up before slitting the floor pan to slide the connectors in place.

https://i.imgur.com/lT0t7sWl.jpg

I cut the opening per the instructions but I actually ended up having to weld a piece back in. I wasn’t too bummed because it didn’t take too long to fix. I wasn’t sure why so far off but my body uses aluminum full–height mounts. I think the cut dimension is more geared to half-height mounts. Cut conservatively was the lesson I learned.

https://i.imgur.com/JgnkYiul.jpg

Of course the second one is always easier because you know what to expect.

https://i.imgur.com/C7KqSukl.jpg

I welded the closeouts before final tacking in the connectors. I also welded some sleeves inside so the tubes won’t crush when I tighten the bolts. I drilled some small holes and tack welded the sleeves in place so they would not drop out.

https://i.imgur.com/eqfOiFkl.jpg

Cleaned-up they look like this. I decided to use all pilot holes for bolts rather than weld them together. Someday the subframe may come out of the car and having it welded in doesn’t seem like the best idea.

https://i.imgur.com/rPC9noQl.jpg

I decided the best thing to do now was to put in the front subframe and line everything up. I spent quite a while leveling and measuring to make sure the subframe was in square.

https://i.imgur.com/75AjmZol.jpg

Once it was square and tight, I put the connectors in and made sure everything lined up. I was happy that it did. This would have been a bad thing to mess up, so it was nice to see it all work out.
I tacked the connectors in place and also tacked the brackets to the subframe.

https://i.imgur.com/cskgXehl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RjaR032l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jNa0YEPl.jpg

I decided not to weld the brackets until the car is a little further along. Some people claim it will settle with the engine, interior and seats installed. So I will cut the spot welds and do final weld at a later time.
To take a break I decided to weld up the firewall blower motor hole. This really was an easy job. Sometimes you just have to do some easy things to get motivated to do the hard jobs.

https://i.imgur.com/z9y0MFjl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1JB69h7l.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/liV8aG7l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FWLQ6del.jpg

It was good to see most of the big holes in the body start to close-up. The only big job left is cutting the tunnel for the T-56 installation. That is a ways off at this point.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

nice work, coming out very clean.

[Jay Hilliard]

You are doing an excellent job. Taking your time is key, so don't get discouraged. Doing it right like you are doing takes time. Great story with the history of the car also. I can't wait to see more.

[SlowProgress]

nice work, coming out very clean.

Thank you !
You are doing an excellent job. Taking your time is key, so don't get discouraged. Doing it right like you are doing takes time. Great story with the history of the car also. I can't wait to see more.

Thank you.

BTW. I got some ideas from your 69 project. It really came out great. I just bookmarked the silicon braze link !

[waynieZ]

Nice work! Your doing a great job on this rebuild.

[SlowProgress]

After I finished the small repair where I cut a little too far I finished welding the seat pan cutouts back in the car. I was a little more careful on the other side.

https://i.imgur.com/er2OyDnl.jpg

I use lots of magnets to hold things in alignment. This works pretty well with MIG but don’t try it with TIG. First time I welded up close to a magnet with TIG I couldn’t figure out why the arc was wandering all over the place.

https://i.imgur.com/XQ4zs87l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Z9Yx3XTl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zIAG7CEl.jpg

I re-discovered a cool thing about this time in the project. Flap disks are probably the best creation of all time. They remove material like crazy without getting too hot and warping everything. You still have to be careful not to over-grind things but they work great. When grinding MIG welds you need a really aggressive cutter because it is so hard and these flap wheels just work well. This photo is from today after making my weekly welding store run. These parts are going to be 3 layers under everything but they actually came out looking OK.

https://i.imgur.com/Y3VbcGRl.jpg

With the subframe connectors partially installed I was tripping over fewer loose parts every trip to the garage. I decide it was finally time to put the body up on the twirler because that was the largest piece I was tripping over. This not only was easy but it lets me lift the body and tilt it at an angle so I can get everything stored underneath when I want to park my other vehicle in the garage !

https://i.imgur.com/R0vQnHRl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yyh6eYdl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pBpLDu0l.jpg

Here is an image the first time I had it all balanced and went vertical. I knew that the stand and connections were strong but the first time you go past vertical just feels weird.

https://i.imgur.com/iGQNWHxl.jpg

Finally had it upside down so I could get some things welded and cleaned-up on the bottom.

https://i.imgur.com/N0cMtUZl.jpg

I started cleaning the left side of the cross-member with the flap wheel. I had a few holes to weld up. I think they were from the original cross-flow rear muffler – long gone by the time I got the car. I don’t want to go crazy on the bottom but it will get paint not bed liner so I want it to look decent. The coil-over mounts are just tacked for now in case I want a make minor changes once the rearend is all lined-up.

https://i.imgur.com/AFJiez5l.jpg

I also finished welding the left subframe connector on the bottom side. Now all the litte burn-throughs and gaps are filled with weld so the topside should go fast with the MIG welder.

https://i.imgur.com/1PJWrcEl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Cjq1QpYl.jpg

I still can’t lay down a constant bead to save my life but it is strong and that’s all the matters. Nothing a few extra coats of primer won’t cover.
I finally got my alignment bar and adapters on order. This was a fun time because I got to actually put the axle ends on the housing. I flipped the car over and lowered it to place the wheels and tires in the tubs. This was so nice to see all that rubber not sticking outside the wheel opening. It is just a little high in the photo but that is the lowest point of the twirler and good enough to take some width measurements.

https://i.imgur.com/3O73G07l.jpg

[SlowProgress]

I measured 3 or 4 or 10 times and then wrote a number on the floor. I subtracted the rotor hat thickness and came up with 55 inches axle flange-to-flange (more-or-less). I wrote that number in big letters on the floor so I couldn’t forget it. The rear wheels are 19 x 12 with a 6 inch backspace. The tires are 325/19s.
Then I made a pretty dumb mistake and cut the housing flange-to-flange width to my axle flange dimensions. Got the ends all tacked on didn’t figure it out until my final measurement. So the photo here is really 5 inches too wide. I have to admit that because someone will spot the axle ends are not close enough to the outer 4-link brackets. It is just best to admit my sin now!

https://i.imgur.com/lbKoMSkl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tRiLag3l.jpg

With the ends tack welded on the housing it was fun to mock-up the brakes and put the Moser rear cover on. It is starting to look pretty good and after the final fit check with axles I will weld all the brackets up to complete it. There are two version of this mock-up photo.

Tidy version: where it looks like everything is pretty organized and under control.

https://i.imgur.com/FVzdUQUl.jpg

Real version: looking the other direction at all the chaos.

https://i.imgur.com/TJLNYU0l.jpg

With the final sizing all planned out I ordered the axles, differential, gears and setup kit. Those will be coming in next week. Soon after the rearend is all fitted, I will get the transmission on order so I can mock that up and start cutting the tunnel, the last really big metal job. Next after tunnel mods is to fit the air-conditioner under the dash. I want the A/C mounted because I can’t body-work the firewall until all the holes are drilled and mounts all figured out. Those two jobs will probably take me deep into the Fall. I still need to weld the RH subframe connector and clean up the cross member on that side of the car. There are quite a few hours there and I will work that in between rear end assembly mock-up.

Procrastination sucks ! Posting all this at once was way harder than if I just started doing it as I went along. But I am finally all caught up on posting. Now I can post the occasional project shot and answer "why aren't you working on your car " questions and it won't take so much time !

[SlowProgress]

Nice work! Your doing a great job on this rebuild.

Thanks Wayne. You know your build over at MCC was one of the things that got me hooked on this site. I was shocked how far one of these old cars could be torn down and built back up again. I learned a lot from watching that body being put back together. It gave me confidence that anything I could mess up would be possible to fix again by someone !!!

[SlowProgress]

The nice man in the brown truck brought a few things today !

https://i.imgur.com/5tgB6rFl.jpg

[Rick D]

Great project can't wait to see it sitting on the ground! Love the wheels!!

[tubbed69]

It's always a good day when this guy shows up:ups: very nice work:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[bonecrrusher]

Nice tip of the flapper wheels.

Love how the welds clean up on your build.

I can't tell - but does the DSE subframe get welded to the car - or are you making it removeable?

[SlowProgress]

The DSE connectors are designed to weld in. That makes them a little stiffer.

[SlowProgress]

It was a little forward and a little backward the last few days. I had planned to mock up the rear end and maybe set it back in the car to check all my clearances. The axles and differential seem to fit OK.

https://i.imgur.com/Iaxv6IHl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cfLPhmzl.jpg

But there was a problem putting the Baer axle retainer in. With the 35 spline axles there isn’t enough room between the shoulder and the bearing seal. Ironically I knew this was coming because a coworker unknowingly just had the same problem. He was asking about my combination and he said it was the same as his and I would have to send the axles back to have the shoulder cut. So, I knew it was coming but was hoping maybe not. You can see here where the retainer won’t slide in. It is soooooo close!

https://i.imgur.com/XnjacA1l.jpg

I think the best way to avoid this is to specify the “B” dimension when ordering the axles.

https://i.imgur.com/NYTm5Mjl.png
If you are using the Baer “Torino” ends then the adapter is just a touch over 5/8” (mine was .628 after anodize).

https://i.imgur.com/rpnObQNl.jpg

I didn’t think of this so I just accepted the default dimensions. Also since the axles are pretty heavy I am thinking to have them gun drilled when I return for the machining of the shoulder. I could have this done locally (except the gun drill) but Moser will do a good job because it is their specialty.
I also finished most of the clean-up on the cross member welds. If I had to do it over I would have cut and welded a little more carefully to save the clean-up time. I also finished welding the panhard bracket so it is just lots of grinding and cleaning at this point.

https://i.imgur.com/2bo8hnFl.jpg

Finally finished the bottom welds on the both subframe connectors, just completing the RH today. There were a few gaps from poor trimming and that slowed me down a little. I still have trouble welding thin to thick material. It isn’t beautiful but it is done.
One minor thing that slowed me down on both sides was the huge gap on the inside of the connectors. This is probably needed to slide the part in but it leaves a gap that I wasn’t really prepared to fill with the MIG. You can see the gap and the filler piece here.

https://i.imgur.com/Mbezc10l.jpg

This is a shot zoomed out so you can see where the filler piece is.

https://i.imgur.com/4ML7rk3l.jpg


Here is the whole thing welded up a combination of TIG and MIG.

https://i.imgur.com/PBWF6s5l.jpg

Next plans clean up all the Panhard bracket and RH tub wells. Finish the inside welds for the subframe connectors and get the axles headed back for trimming and gun drilling.

[Rick D]

Nice, on the floor I've had to massage that area so you don't have as big an area to try to fill with mig welding. Great progress!!

[SlowProgress]

I didn’t get that much done this weekend. It was partly the hot garage and partly laziness. I did manage to get the RH 4-link pocket welded. That seems pretty easy but just odd angles and it takes a little while to work around it. I had to spot and hammer it down short sections at a time because the floor wants to pull away and burn back when welding. It came out OK.

https://i.imgur.com/1ha0XRGl.jpg

I didn’t get the whole thing ground down but started on the easy side.

https://i.imgur.com/komlgFpl.jpg

The other three sides just take a while because it is hard to get in there. I almost cut the emergency brake bracket off to get in there but thought it probably wouldn’t save any time after welding the bracket back on. I am seriously thinking about buying one of those mini-belt air sanders for getting into tight places like this.

Tonight I spent a little time working the panhard bracket. There were some pretty ugly fat welds to bridge all the gaps and I wore out at least one flap disk getting it roughed out. Still not complete but way closer to finished than it was before. Probably just a little more weld clean-up and some work on the inside. Then it will be good enough for filler before I put on the primer.

https://i.imgur.com/qZtf2dil.jpg

I also spent a little time roughing out the wheel tub plug welds by knocking them down a little bit. Still have a little more clean-up in the tub but starting to look better.

https://i.imgur.com/wvyQkWCl.jpg

The outer wheel house has some wrinkles and gaps from a previous collision where they beat it into submission before brazing on the quarter. I can’t really figure out a good way to patch all the gaps because it will be at odd angles and very hard to weld. I may buy a new outer wheel house and chop out some patch panels that I can plug weld in easier to the quarter wheel opening lip. It will be stronger that way anyway than just brazed along the edges. I was taking this pretty casually but now it is starting to look harder. I may regret not replacing the rough RH quarter if this outer wheel house job balloons up on me!

Overall the bottom is very close to being done. I need to keep up a little effort and then I can spin things back over and work the top side again. Need to get some big ticket items on order and have been procrastinating. But I am almost out of little things so I need to get the transmission and the A/C on order to start those projects. After that I can put some primer on the whole bottom, firewall and inside. Really need to keep pushing that because it is a big milestone and will be a big motivator !

[HBRod]

Looks like good progress to me. I can see where having the car on a rotissere really helps at this stage. Like your thread says "Slow progress.." Speed is not the issue. You are doing a quality job, just have to keep plugging away at the car and you will "Git Er Done".

Rod

[SlowProgress]

I had a pretty good week working on the car. I received my Vintage Air Unit and Axles back from Moser. The rearend went together well and it was exciting to see the rearend all mocked up.

https://i.imgur.com/FWCNy2fl.jpg

I was determined to get the car off the rotisserie and on the tires this weekend. I started getting organized Friday evening.

https://i.imgur.com/7PtSQRpl.jpg

Everything went pretty well but I was surprised how hard it was to find all the little nuts and bolts. Even though they were all in bags and organized it took some time digging. Fortunately my son was around to help put in the rear axle. Not sure how much it weighs but it took some wrestling by both of us to get it in there. The front clip was a little easier.

https://i.imgur.com/98Adsd7l.jpg

By early Sunday afternoon I was able to roll the car out and take a few photos in the 102F weather.

https://i.imgur.com/o2FUXaSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/E0gyRXHl.jpg

It’s so nice to see the car on the ground. Of course I have to pull the wheels off to put them back in storage and eventually the whole things comes apart for paint. But I am glad to be back down on the ground to start on the T-56 tunnel mod and the Vintage Air installation.

https://i.imgur.com/DSGYdr7l.jpg

I also had some fun with the GoPro and will post up a time lapse of this weekend. I know those things are corny but I get a kick out of watching the work happen fast. If only I was that fast in real life !!

[Vince@Meanstreets]

nice work. very clean.

[Spiffav8]

Great progress. It's looking super nice!

Thanks for the motivation.

[waynieZ]

I guess I'm corny too because like time laps videos too . Bring it on ! Nice job on the car it's coming along great.

[SlowProgress]

Having some fun.

frB146i-qFc

[SSLance]

That was a cool video...if only things happened that fast in real life!!

Congrats on getting it back on rolling stock, even if only for a short time.

[HBRod]

Agree, it's a cool video clip. If only the car could be done as quickly as that video. Good progress. Great work and looking forward to seeing this build all the way to the finish.

Rod

[SlowProgress]

I figure if you are going to be lazy and not work on your car you should at least partially redeem yourself by purchasing a few needed components and also post a helpful tip.
I purchased a new power steering box from DSE and realized (through my own fault) that I would need a power steering pitman arm due to the larger spline diameter. Don’t ask me why I didn’t know that. Good news is that the correct arm for a 67 Camaro is available at the local O’Reilly Auto. Thanks to Pozzi’s website and some other helpful tips on line I was able to figure out that the long style pitman arm K6582 fits the 67 Camaro perfectly. Nice when your local shop has parts for your almost 50 year old car in stock.

https://i.imgur.com/WvfQjqCl.jpg

A few photos of the new items are shown below. Most notably I was lucky to have a Tremec dealer in the area. Tom over at Amp Performance in Phoenix has all the Tremec goodies and the Quicktime bellhousing in stock. Now I know where to buy all the wiring harnesses, gears, housings, etc. in the future.

https://i.imgur.com/vSkd5kdl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3h3lowQl.jpg

I also unboxed the other pieces from Vintage Air and Moser.

https://i.imgur.com/a7WR9jUl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7QoAh4Kl.jpg

Next up fabricate the Vintage Air supports and put the transmission in to figure out how to get the tunnel mods accomplished. I am looking for a scrap LS block in the Phoenix area if anyone has one laying around. A friend has the plastic one but I was wondering if it would hold the Tremec T-56 Ok without breaking ?

[SlowProgress]

I didn’t get out in the garage Saturday because it rained two inches and I was chicken to open up the door with all the bare metal. I really need to get some primer on this thing soon !!!
I couldn’t decide whether to start on the Vintage Air install or the T-56 mock-up. Since the T-56 box was bigger and harder to keep moving around I decided to start there. I had been looking at the Hurst mount for a while and finally ordered one through AMP Performance in Phoenix. It seems well built !

https://i.imgur.com/YseDzXQl.jpg

My friend at work had this plastic mock-up sitting around and loaned it to me. Hopefully I wont break it in too many places. Also shown are the Dirty Dingo slider mounts. They seem well made, and are local so I decided to give them a try.

https://i.imgur.com/2UPG272l.jpg

Also if you use one of these you will have to drill a hole to clear the input shaft because it is flat in back. The piece I drilled out looks like this and I used a 1.5 inch hole saw.

https://i.imgur.com/aLJVndIl.jpg


I supported the transmission and then hung the plastic mockup from it to prevent putting too much pressure on the plastic.

https://i.imgur.com/vPOF6aDl.jpg

Then I installed the Dingo sliders and my original mounts on the plastic block and gradually lowered it in place. This is as far back as the setup will go but I think it looks about right.

https://i.imgur.com/JDDG8zXl.jpg

Here is a view from below showing how the Hurst mount curves back to meet the T-56 tail mount. Also you can see I added another strap under the transmission case to keep a little pressure off of the plastic engine mock-up. It actually seems pretty strong, but I thought best to support it a little bit more.

https://i.imgur.com/6UkhQG1l.jpg

I probably need to look into rear mounts. This poly mount used the two small inside holes. I need to figure out if there is a mount that will use the two large outside holes because it will be much stronger. That may be for the factory clamshell mount which I would really like to use to cut down on vibration. I will check to see if that will work with the Hurst rear mount.
I removed the shifter and taped up the hole before rolling it back. Overall, it doesn't fit that bad. Nothing touches on the top but it won’t go all the way back due to interference with the widest part of the transmission case. I still need to check that the engine is the proper down angle. It looks a little too far down which means raising it will put things even closer to the floor. I am not sure how much I will raise the tunnel yet, but somewhere around 1.5 inches looks about right so far.
One more view where I left if for tonight.

https://i.imgur.com/5eopLqPl.jpg

[SlowProgress]

I got a little done this weekend on the trans tunnel cut. I started by just making some rough cuts as straight as possible down both sides and drilled out the pinch welds to separate the tunnel top.

https://i.imgur.com/0A3KnQUl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/P5zhEXdl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/S9iJiRTl.jpg

It is always so fast to cut stuff apart, too bad welding it in takes so long. My plan is to keep the console level and I had some strips sheared at 1.5 and 2.0 inches. I will use which ever size fits the best.

https://i.imgur.com/B0oGvGnl.jpg

I made the cut slightly past the end of the console so the taper back down to the unmodified tunnel will be behind the back edge of the console. We’ll see how that works out. My plan was to cut a couple of slots forward and lift the tunnel up. But it is really shaped wrong and that didn’t work out.

https://i.imgur.com/cQHpXqtl.jpg

So I trimmed it forward a little further and it is starting to look about right. I still need to cut a little more. Also notice I had to flop the tremec shifter around to come out close to the stock location.

https://i.imgur.com/BgE14LPl.jpg

I haven't decided whether to make a new forward piece or reshape the parts I cut out. I measured the engine angle and it is 4 degrees down. I am shooting for 3 degrees, so I will need to raise it just a little bit more. Probably take a few weeks to get it all fabricated, tacked in and finished welding. That is a lot of welding.
I am still undecided what to do with the shifter boot. The Tremec boot is too big for the stock opening which I was hoping to reuse. So I am thinking about ordering one of Brian Finch' adapters.

https://i.imgur.com/CiIQ9bel.jpg

The only problem is that it is too nice to cover up with the stock console. So I may build one from scratch. I will sleep on that. I also decided I need to get headers and oil pan on order before I finish weld all this. It would hurt to find out something doesn’t fit after welding 12 feet of metal back in. I am looking at the Mast pan and the Kooks headers which are known to work fairly well with the Dingo Double-D billet mounts I already have. So, looks like next week will be pretty typical, fabricate a little and spend a little bit more !

[JoeLightning]

Looks like a very productive weekend! Great job.

[SlowProgress]

Well it was a two “Negro” Monday evening. I moved everything outside and it was a great evening so I left the garage open. Nice to finally have Fall here!

https://i.imgur.com/FMD1iFEl.jpg

Here are a couple of side views showing the 1.5-inch raise. I just quickly tacked the 1.5-inch strips in temporarily to see how it looks. Sides are going to be easy obviously. The bell at the front is going to take some time, as is the transition back down at the rear. Need to avoid cutting into the seat belt doublers at the rear, so that will take a little planning.

https://i.imgur.com/TpMYtiIl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zdWDYCAl.jpg


This looks like about the right height increase but I do still need to raise the transmission 1 degree. Headers are on the way and should have them mid-week. I will Probably mock up the header fit by Friday. The Mast pan is delayed a bit so it will miss the weekend with that, but I think the headers are the most important.

Looking outside the old 427 looks like a fish out of water.

https://i.imgur.com/rrK2Bd5l.jpg

I had a lot of fun with that engine in the car. Bitter-sweet to be replacing it with the modern LS, but that is going to get me back on the road and really enjoying the car again. I am looking forward to really putting some miles on the car when this is all done.

[Sonar Chief]

Things are looking great! QUESTION: I see you tacked the sub connectors up top and then fully welded them on the bottom.... any reason for welding the bottom?

I am right behind you and thought I'd ask ... keep at her!

Michael

[SlowProgress]

Things are looking great! QUESTION: I see you tacked the sub connectors up top and then fully welded them on the bottom.... any reason for welding the bottom?

I am right behind you and thought I'd ask ... keep at her!

Michael

I just move around a little too much sometimes. I actually finished welding the bottom because I was having burn-through troubles on top. The idea was to finish the bottom on the rotisserie and then finish weld the top. I still haven't welded the top as you noticed, or skip welding around the 4-link pockets yet. I did notice where I got good penetration from the bottom there really isn't much need to weld the top (it would work that way not matter where you start if you are good). But, I put a little too much heat in due to inexperience in some spots. I think a small weld on each side is probably the best. Start with the side you are best at and then you won't get any small burn-throughs when you move to the other side. I am not good welding thin to thick, so I probably didn't do it that well. It would be great to watch someone who knows !! I used to agonize over doing it right and then I just decided I have to try things and learn. That was hard at first but I am getting the hang of it finally.

[Chicken Louie]

Alot of great work here, your posts have given me insight on how to tackle my project!!

[SlowProgress]

Thanks glad I could help out. I think that is the best way to tackle things by learning what other people do, copy those ideas you can and modify those that you can't !


Scott

[Sonar Chief]

I just move around a little too much sometimes. I actually finished welding the bottom because I was having burn-through troubles on top. The idea was to finish the bottom on the rotisserie and then finish weld the top. I still haven't welded the top as you noticed, or skip welding around the 4-link pockets yet. I did notice where I got good penetration from the bottom there really isn't much need to weld the top (it would work that way not matter where you start if you are good). But, I put a little too much heat in due to inexperience in some spots. I think a small weld on each side is probably the best. Start with the side you are best at and then you won't get any small burn-throughs when you move to the other side. I am not good welding thin to thick, so I probably didn't do it that well. It would be great to watch someone who knows !! I used to agonize over doing it right and then I just decided I have to try things and learn. That was hard at first but I am getting the hang of it finally.

Hey thanks for the insight .... I think I'll just weld top and seam seal the bottom. I just got out from under the car spraying epoxy, what APITA! I have real tight gaps so I should be alright, we'll see.

Keep up the good work.

[SlowProgress]

Hey thanks for the insight .... I think I'll just weld top and seam seal the bottom. I just got out from under the car spraying epoxy, what APITA! I have real tight gaps so I should be alright, we'll see.

Keep up the good work.

I think that is a great plan, weld one side full penetration and seal the other. Congrats on getting the bottom primed.

[SlowProgress]

Summit is great. I ordered the Headers Sunday evening and they showed up today ! I went out in the garage and did a first quick fit check, fingers crossed the whole time. Both sides seem to go in fine with decent clearance. The right goes in easily from the top. It is close to the upper A-arm shaft but I was goofing around with camber settings using old hex nuts as spacers so it doesn’t seem bad if I cut the camber back to normal. I guess I should check it first !

https://i.imgur.com/8fADOddl.jpg

The left side clears the steering box but it is pretty close. If I can’t do better than this I will probably make a heat shield to keep the box happy. I am going to run a power steering cooler so that will help.

https://i.imgur.com/sAGXjEil.jpg

Overall the fit is pretty good and I like the way they sweep back really cleanly. Some of the headers look like a mass of spaghetti. The quality is fair. You can see some mandrel bend marks on the tubes and the collector is wire welded by a machine. Not the prettiest but not the worst either. They do clear Tru Turn by a mile which is great. The only weak spot so far is they hang down a little lower than I am willing to accept for normal driving.

https://i.imgur.com/QQukWNWl.jpg

I did adjust the engine angle to 3 degrees to make sure they were pointed in the final direction.

https://i.imgur.com/ePeEkmGl.jpg

Overall it looks like if I raised the engine a little it will solve pretty much all the close fits and raise up the collector. I need to think about that because I want to keep the engine C.G. as low as possible, and make room for manifold-to-hood clearance. Going to take some measurements and make sure I have the right frame stands by looking on Pozzi’s site. Also make sure I don’t have the rubber mount upside-down on the adapter plates. That seems like a common problem. Even though a big block came out this was an SS 350 car and I didn’t see any evidence the frame stands were changed, but I will check for that anyway. Pretty good easy night, didn’t even get dirty, but still have some things to work out !

[SlowProgress]

I spent most of the afternoon Saturday at a cruise and someone came over Sunday and we looked over the wounded 427 to see if we could agree on a price to sell it. So, I didn’t really work on the car but did get it mounted back up on the body cart and got the garage cleaned. It was fun seeing it on the tires, but it is just too hard moving it around. The car slides sideways on the cart which makes life easier. The tires are also back in storage to keep them fresh.
As I was wrapping up I snapped this photo. Still cool seeing the 325s on the rear. It is going to look good going down the road.

https://i.imgur.com/QAghl2El.jpg

Next weekend is Bakersfield so I won’t get anything done for a couple of weeks. Hopefully by then I will have the headers worked out and the oil pan will come in. Can’t say much more on the headers until the pan is in place and I see the whole story. Probably a 50% chance I will change to a mid-length design to free up ground clearance. I talked to a few people and there are so many choices. The Ultimate headers keep coming up as a mid-length, low clearance option. I really like the design and construction.

https://i.imgur.com/N73lzaTh.jpg

I also like their ball style coupling. I was already going to use V-band couplings but this type looks really good at the header connection to allow a little misalignment.

https://i.imgur.com/AU4BOdbm.jpg

Lots to think about !!

[Sonar Chief]

I spent most of the afternoon Saturday at a cruise and someone came over Sunday and we looked over the wounded 427 to see if we could agree on a price to sell it. So, I didn’t really work on the car but did get it mounted back up on the body cart and got the garage cleaned. It was fun seeing it on the tires, but it is just too hard moving it around. The car slides sideways on the cart which makes life easier. The tires are also back in storage to keep them fresh.
As I was wrapping up I snapped this photo. Still cool seeing the 325s on the rear. It is going to look good going down the road.

http://i.imgur.com/QAghl2El.jpg




That is the money shot there .... what kinda clearance do you have on those meats? I know the 69 is supposed to have a little more room than the 67/68, what is your measurement at the top of the fender into the well house?

Looks like you are done with the axle jig and have DSE all welded on? ... I may take you up on your offer, let me get a hold of Moser and see what ends I need.

Keep at her, looking good :popcorn2:

[SlowProgress]

At the top it is about 14.75. I did make sure to cut a little deeper without totally cutting the frame in half. The wheel lips were rolled with a bat when I was younger. I could flatten the lip even more and probably get a solid 15 inches at the top. I think the closest point is around 14.5 at 10 and 2. The DSE brackets and axle ends are tacked for now so I could make sure the axles fit. I need to finish welding the brackets and make sure it doesn't warp the tubes and then finish welding the ends. I can probably do that in a weekend so let me know what you find out.

Scott

[Sonar Chief]

At the top it is about 14.75. I did make sure to cut a little deeper without totally cutting the frame in half. The wheel lips were rolled with a bat when I was younger. I could flatten the lip even more and probably get a solid 15 inches at the top. I think the closest point is around 14.5 at 10 and 2. The DSE brackets and axle ends are tacked for now so I could make sure the axles fit. I need to finish welding the brackets and make sure it doesn't warp the tubes and then finish welding the ends. I can probably do that in a weekend so let me know what you find out.

Scott

Scott .... thanks for the measurements, I'll check mine. DO NOT rush your welding for me, I'm still months out on the rear end, still need to finish the drivers quarter and start on the pass side. Then I can start on all the mechanical work!

Michael

[SlowProgress]

Last weekend I was in Bakersfield for the Hot Rod Reunion. Tons on Drag Racing fun to be had there. I was expecting to get more done on the header fit up this weekend, but the oil pan didn’t ship out until Thursday and won’t be here till mid-week. That was a little disappointing, so I decided to work on other things and make up for it. I have been thinking of making a dolly for the rear end because it is just too heavy to move around and put in by myself. I got started on that with some scraps left over from the body cart. I underestimated it a little and didn’t quite get it finished. I was hoping to make it a 3-wheel dolly to save space and make it easier to roll. Well it is just too top-heavy, so I need to add a fourth wheel. Hopefully get that done Monday evening. Here are some photos of the progress so far. The height is adjustable to match the body cart so I can roll it in at the lowest point and then raise it to connect the 4-links ups. The rear will be in and out of the car a few times, so this should be worth the effort. Time will tell on that one.

https://i.imgur.com/sZeadxml.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cTJYj6Ul.jpg

Also I have been really enjoying the small Makita belt sander. I thought I would use it for small weld clean-up in hard to reach places, but it turns out it is really handy for knocking burrs off after the chop saw. It also makes quick work when you drill a through hole in tubing and raise a burr on the inside. Glad I bought it !

https://i.imgur.com/1PkvaTxl.jpg

That’s it for this weekend. Hope to make some actual car progress the next few weeks before the holidays start to take priority.

[G4CERAT]

It's amazing to see how far you and the car have come. Very motivating for me. Nice job. Btw....did the fender roller work nice?

Thanks again!

[SlowProgress]

Thanks it is quite a journey and I feel like I have just barely started. The Eastwood roller did work well. I am still not done with the fronts. Sort of got stuck and moved on to things I knew would work out better. Maybe someone will have a steel fat fender by the, time I get back there.

[HBRod]

That is a neat dolly for the rear end. Good idea as a one man tool for moving and positioning the rear end into the car. Will add that to my list of projects that I'll need to do at some point.

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Rod in HB

[SlowProgress]

It seems like I mostly did landscaping and cleaning today, but I did manage to finish the axle dolly – mostly. It is a little larger than I wanted but had to make it stable. Dropped right off the body cart and now I can move the car around and start welding up the rear housing. Plus this will be a good way to keep it when everything is all painted and assembled. I have a temporary tube holding up the pinon snout. I will make a new adapter to fit the front yoke when it is installed.


https://i.imgur.com/bgkmPqdl.jpg


This was an easy project and it is all modular so I can take it apart and reuse everything. I really got my money out of the telescopic tubing. There are so many things you can do with it! The wheels are huge but I had them laying around so they were sort of free.
I finally received my Mast pan on Wednesday this week. I was able to slide it in place because the mock-up block is flat on the bottom. Too bad it won’t be that easy when the crankshaft is in there. It looks pretty good. The pan is about 1-Inch above the cross member in the front. I laid a straightedge across the subframe and the lowest point on the bellhousing. The pan is not the lowest point which seems like a pretty good plan. This is my first cast aluminum pan and I am looking to keep it away from the ground as much as possible.

https://i.imgur.com/hAZbRVFl.jpg

I ran the steering back and forth and it clears True Turn by a mile. Overall I think this is where I am going to leave the engine. I boxed up the Kooks headers and I am going to order Ultimate Headers to take advantage of the mid-length design, and route my exhaust up high. I hope to have those on order in the next few days.

[syborg tt]

I really wanted to sleep in but I woke up early so I grabbed my phone and read this entire thread. I love all the thought you put into every post and it's pretty cool to see you doing all of this in your garage.

Keep posting as I'm looking forward to watching this cars progress.


Marty-MJ
www.garagescene.net

[Rick D]

I really wanted to sleep in but I woke up early so I grabbed my phone and read this entire thread. I love all the thought you put into every post and it's pretty cool to see you doing all of this in your garage.

Keep posting as I'm looking forward to watching this cars progress.


Marty-MJ
www.garagescene.net

Ok that's weird, because I just did the same thing :lol:

Great build, love how everything is being done in your garage!! Looks awesome sitting on all fours!

[SlowProgress]

Thanks for the encouragement Marty and Rick. I was going to sleep in but ended up getting up early to go on a bike ride. I logged in and got a chuckle out of your posts !

[rapture670]

I really wanted to sleep in but I woke up early so I grabbed my phone and read this entire thread. I love all the thought you put into every post and it's pretty cool to see you doing all of this in your garage.

Keep posting as I'm looking forward to watching this cars progress.


Marty-MJ
www.garagescene.net

Likewise, I didn't even pay attention to the MNF game. Awesome thread with great detail. Look forward to your future posts.

[SlowProgress]

Thanks guys. I try to post up as much detail as time will allow. Always wish there was more time, or that one photo you forgot to take !

It was a great night in the garage, beautiful, cool evening, just fun to be outside. I didn't get that much done but sometimes it is just about being out there, rather than wasting time in front of the TV, or computer.

I took the differential housing off the dolly and finished all the welds on the dolly which was pretty easy. Not very fancy but it works great.

https://i.imgur.com/vZNd4BWl.jpg


I also mounted the differential housing back on the welding table to get started on the final TIG welding. I am looking forward to that so I can mount some brake lines and get it off to powder paint, a huge step.

Got the Kook headers sent back to Summit yesterday. I have mixed emotions there because they were pretty nice. I placed the order for Ultimate headers today, hoping to pick up more ground clearance.

Couple photos from tonight and that's about it.

https://i.imgur.com/cW2SjjZl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hSL0VH4l.jpg

[SlowProgress]

Well, I finally got some time to weld up the differential housing. What a lot of work. It took me all weekend. Here are the nicer welds. I am not going to show all the bad ones.

https://i.imgur.com/U1vVdhPl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2bIJ7U8l.jpg

I still have trouble going around a tube. This was a great project to practice on because there are so many angles and hard to reach places. I had to buy a short back cap to get into some places.

https://i.imgur.com/0cstnpBl.jpg

I thought this was a cool picture of my welder. It is old, mechanical and worn out just like the operator. But it hung in there for me all weekend and didn’t miss a beat.

https://i.imgur.com/9LzCy1Ml.jpg

These old housings always weep a little around the axle tube. I decided at the last minute to TIG braze the tubes to the housing with silicon-bronze rod. It won’t really add much strength, but hopefully it will keep it from leaking. I tried both DC and AC settings. AC seemed to work the best. It looks pretty ugly before grinding.

https://i.imgur.com/uaZEkiTl.jpg

But it ground down fairly well !

https://i.imgur.com/PoxnqASl.jpg

I decided not to weld the ends on until all the brackets were finished. Good thing because there was a large mismatch on one side and I had to reposition the ends for final weld. Both of my axle tubes are bent slightly. Rather than scrap the housing, I decided to just live with it. This means there is a mismatch where the end and tube come together. I made three passes and then a weaving pass at the end to smooth it out a little. I told my coworker that I probably created some sort of metallurgical taboo doing this but it is done !

https://i.imgur.com/YP9A0qzl.jpg

Afterwards the alignment jigs still slid in the ends fairly easily with the alignment bar, so everything is straight and fine. I snooped around on the DSE site and found a housing where they put the brake hose tabs in this location. I just blindly copied it so I hope it doesn’t interfere with anything later.

https://i.imgur.com/mQwq10rl.jpg

I finally got to cut these housing stands off my welding table. It is great to have those out of the way.

https://i.imgur.com/8IT1bIPl.jpg

I mounted the housing back on the cart and I will do just a little clean-up before taking it to the powder painter this week.

https://i.imgur.com/5yH3eJAl.jpg

Next weekend is Goodguys, so I will be crawling all over the cars getting ideas for the next phase of the project. Probably won’t get much done this week but looking forward to some nice times at Goodguys !

[JoeLightning]

This is a major milestone that was beautifully executed. It's done! No more worrying about how it will turn out. All your careful planning and yards of laying bead produced a perfect rear end. Have a great time at Goodguys.

[SlowProgress]

Just a quick mid-week update, Brown Santa arrived with the Ultimate Headers today. These are just really nice pieces of hardware. I will admit I was a little worried they would get damaged in transport, but they are packed really well for shipping. This is my first set of shorty/mid-length headers and it was cool to see just how small the box is.

https://i.imgur.com/zXbQU7Pl.jpg

Here is a quick photo fresh out of the box. I had the low profile ball style coupling installed which I think will really reduce stress when things heat up and move around.

https://i.imgur.com/zlo1XaIl.jpg

Everything fit really well, improving my steering box, control arm and ground clearance.

https://i.imgur.com/plzPL45l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DWvHL3ol.jpg

Both headers go in from the top now which was an unexpected bonus. The passenger side has an amazing amount of room.

https://i.imgur.com/NOaM1Y1l.jpg

The only down side is they are so nice I will have to build a really decent 3-Inch exhaust now. I am very pleased with this purchase. Jim Browning at Ultimate was very good to work with, answering all my dumb questions. I can tell he has a passion to deliver a really high quality product. Also need a shoot out to Joe VanNus at Dutch Boys. I called him out of the blue one day asking which headers fit their Camaro projects the best. He spent a bunch of time on the phone with me, in spite of how busy he is. I had heard of Ultimate from Camaro XV, but was actually not seriously considering them until we talked. I want to extend kudos to Joe for the good advice.

Next up the differential is getting powder painted and should be done tomorrow. I will start putting that together this weekend and hope to complete it if all goes well this weekend!

[SlowProgress]

Anyone in the Phoenix area have a new 12-bolt pinion nut ? Hate to admit that I misplaced the new one in the Moser setup kit. I am about ready to wrap up the differential and can't find one. I can replace early next week. You could PM your contact information - appreciated !:ohsnap:

[syborg tt]

Sorry I can't help you with the nut I'm loving the progress


Marty-mj
www.garagescene.net www.syborgtwinturbo.com www.2ndcamaro.com

[SlowProgress]

Finally started setting up the differential and gears. I Ended up not working on it the last two weeks because I was missing the 1350 input yoke. Funny I took for granted that the local drive-train shops would have it in stock due to my lack of experience. I had to order it costing me a weekend. As mentioned above I also misplaced the pinon lock nut. I called GM and they said they had one. Unfortunately when I got home it was 7/8-14 rather than the 7/8-16 thread that is needed. Gosh I have forgotten all the little things that can go wrong with a simple axle build-up. I need to start planning a little better. I will post up some more pictures tomorrow. If I can't find the locknut tomorrow it will be shimmed and the pattern set, but I will have to stop there.

https://i.imgur.com/UFOiOItl.jpg

[Vince@Meanstreets]

its always the little things isn't it.

[SlowProgress]

Yes it is. I think my problem is the last time I built the car was 25 years ago. There were 2-3 speed shops within a 15 minute drive of the house. Now everything is online. You can get anything now in 2-3 days, but there is no local backup up if you find you are missing something Friday evening.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Sign of the times my friend. I remember when you use to shop at a place for the bond you made with the people that worked there. Now it's all about how much money you can save. Too bad you aren't local. I got a bunch of those parts on the shelf.

[SlowProgress]

I didn’t get finished with the diff., partly I didn’t have enough time and also I lost the locking pinion nut somewhere, probably at the hardware store. So I will post up what I have and finish the build this coming week hopefully. Here are a few things that may be helpful if you have never built up a 12-bolt.
First off I was surprised to find something I had forgotten. The 12-bolt pinion nut uses a 7/8-16 thread. So when I bought a fine thread nut from the store it would only spin on a couple of turns. You need (well it is nice to have) a free-running nut to set up the pinion depth so I cut off the first few threads of the 7/8-14 fine nut and it worked for my setup nut.

https://i.imgur.com/PTi4fc8l.jpg

Then I sanded down my old pinion bearing with the dremel tool so it was a nice slip fit on the pinion gear. This worked great because I had the pinion out about 5 times tinkering with the best gear pattern and it would have been a pain to press the bearing on and off 5 times to adjust the depth shims! I don’t have a press.

https://i.imgur.com/ifC9xPNl.jpg

I drove in the new races and once I had the pinion easy to take in and out of the housing I checked the radial and axial runout on the Wavetrack unit. Both radial and axial were about .0015 which I considered pretty good. Also I measured the height of the new bearing and race and the setup bearing and new race and they were within 1 tenth (.0001) so I knew my pinion depth measurements would be good.

Radial
https://i.imgur.com/CpA9WZKl.jpg
Axial
https://i.imgur.com/mBpVPTdl.jpg

I put the ring gear in the oven around 300F for a while and the diff. in the refrigerator. Everything slide together easily which was nice. I had a couple of old studs I used to line it all up. I had Moser press on the carrier bearings so I didn’t have to mess with that.

https://i.imgur.com/ICjCxTPl.jpg

Then I got hungry

https://i.imgur.com/wgRPzYZl.jpg

I started with the pinion shims from the previous rearend setup, adjusted the side clearance and backlash with the carrier shims as required.

https://i.imgur.com/d5eqSxyl.jpg

It took several tries to get everything right. I bought some cheap brass drivers for putting in the races and also for taping in the shims. The differential needs a few extra thousands of preload during the last installation. I haven’t done that yet. I called Moser and they said they don’t usually use a case stretcher, just carefully tap in about .010 extra shims. I was going to make a case stretcher but figured if they don’t use one then I won’t. It is probably a good idea for high power applications. Some diffs. it is mandatory. Anyway the brass drifts work well – so far.

https://i.imgur.com/tcGiDXgl.jpg

Lastly I messed with the pattern and used a prybar to load things up so I could get a good preload on the gearset.

https://i.imgur.com/L70Rjmcl.jpg

I purchased this cool pinion holder from Raytech http://www.ratechmfg.com/toc.htm.

https://i.imgur.com/8PxLDcbl.jpg

It came in really handy for checking the pattern and will be necessary during the final pinion nut torque. I am also going to bolt it to the differential stand to support the pinion, so I can remove the back brace and install the rear cover to button everything up.
I will try to finish up the rest this week and post the final images. It is taking too long for sure !!!

[Rick D]

Nice write up on the 12 bolt! I've done several rear ends and it always takes WAY longer then it should. Th least one I did was on my old daily Dodge Ram, wasn't to bad but only lasted two years then blow up again :headscratch:

[Sonar Chief]

Nice writeup for those that have never messed with the 12 bolt ... I hope my 12 bolt had this much attention put into the rebuild!

:thankyou:

Michael

[SlowProgress]

I finally got some time to work on the differential this week. With all the clearances set I did a few pinion swaps changing the depth a few (too many) times to get the pattern I thought looked the best. This is a little tedious but I was happy with the final result.

https://i.imgur.com/o0Von0nl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/h8SkBvfl.jpg

I bought this inexpensive pinion checker from Raytech

https://www.ratechmfg.com/toc.htm.

https://i.imgur.com/yDm705Vl.jpg

I was a little skeptical about how accurate it would be. To be fair it did take me a while to get the hang of it. Since I was getting a slightly different reading each time I just set the pattern using the marking compound supplied by Moser and put the original shims in there. I saw somewhere online where it was suggested to start around .032 with the pinion shims. That’s exactly what was in the gearset I took out and the wear pattern was really pretty good. I only had to tweak it about .005 more. When I had a good pattern, I put the tool back on, took two readings and averaged them. The number came out exactly the pinion depth on the gear. So, I would have to say with a little practice this tool can get you pretty close!
Moser ships solid pinion bearing spacers with their 12-Bolt setup kit. That was fine with me because I hate the crush sleeves.

https://i.imgur.com/oqZkewRl.jpg

I installed the sleeve with a few shims and started making adjustments to get the proper drag. It took several installations, each taking out a few thousandths to get the bearing drag right.

https://i.imgur.com/rjPZreGl.jpg

The holding fixture worked well. I could just put a breaker bar against the cart and run the torque down to check the preload. Even though it took several installs, it went really fast. I used a modified nut with no locking feature so the pinion threads don't get worn out.

https://i.imgur.com/JxnuCCVl.jpg

Finally all the shims are selected and everything is setup. I took a few minutes to think about how cold/hot I needed to get everything to slide the real bearing on the pinion, since I don’t have a press. I looked up the expansion coefficients online and figured out that I should be able to put the bearing in the oven at 300F and cool the pinion down with some dry ice. I wasn’t sure how cold I could get the pinion, so I just assumed around -30F. Should be possible to get it colder but I was just guessing a little. Sorry about the geek stuff but here is the spreadsheet I used. Actually it was a fun learning refresher and I realized I need to ask for an infrared thermometer for Christmas so I don’t have to guess at temperatures!

https://i.imgur.com/zdK5S7wl.jpg

The bearing in the oven and the pinion in with the dry ice.

https://i.imgur.com/W1iu0ubl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3uIg3ZBl.jpg

The bearing slipped right on. I just held it down with some pressure until the temperatures started to equalize. We do this at work with liquid nitrogen so you don’t have to heat the other part. But I don’t have any liquid nitrogen at home.

https://i.imgur.com/bqs8S64l.jpg

I cleaned up the housing really well prior to assembling it for the last time. There was some loose scale inside the tubes from welding on the outside. I ran a hone inside the tubes just to break all the loose stuff off and then hosed it down with mineral spirits and hot water to clean everything.


https://i.imgur.com/6FdwmNVl.jpg

The last little bit of work was to shorten one axle. I knew from pre-assembly that it was just a touch too long. Moser suggests using a chop saw. I taped up the bearings really well and then cut it off carefully with a .040 cutoff and the Makita. It only took a few minutes.

https://i.imgur.com/SAWaw3ml.jpg

I forget to plug the gun-drilled hole and made a real mess inside. I ran some rags and mineral spirits inside and finally got it clean. Lots of junk came out. I realized that I really hadn’t checked the other axle and it had quite a few metal chips inside from gun drilling. So I am glad I looked them both over before slamming it together. This is just some of the junk that came out.

https://i.imgur.com/fJZcdgkl.jpg

It was really nice to have the whole thing done. No part of this is particularly hard it just takes a lot of steps to get there.

https://i.imgur.com/HllQ3QDl.jpg

I decided to put it back in the car. The dolly worked out well by positioning it close. I still had to move stuff around with the floor jack but it was an easy one man job. It looks pretty nice in there!

https://i.imgur.com/CjGCq5sl.jpg


Overall, I was able to re-learn some things I hadn’t done since the 80s. I am happy I did it but if I ever blow this one up, I will probably buy the next one to save some time!!

Here is just a short refresher on how to setup the 12-bolt in case you are reading this to get some setup ideas.

1. If you don’t have a really accurate depth tool, I suggest to make a setup pinion bearing. Sand the inside to get a slip fit but not too loose. Grind evenly so it is centered. There are videos online where people show how to do this properly. Use either a new bearing, or lightly used bearing so the height is the same as your new pinion bearing. Measure to be sure so the setup distance is the same.
2. Start with the shims from the old gear set, or something around .032.
3. Check the pinion depth
4. Set in the differential and adjust the shims where it taps in with medium effort.
5. Check the pattern. If it is close then set the backlash and recheck.
6. Adjust pinion depth as needed. Each pinion depth change means re-shim the differential.
7. When it is all final then press on (or use temperature) to put the new pinion bearing on for the last time. Don’t use a really high temperature or the bearing hardness will be affected.
8. Set up the pinion bearing preload and install the seal and torque the pinion flange nut.
9. Double check the pinion drag.
10. Add about .010 to .012 extra differential shims (split evenly on each side) and tap in the differential. It will take some effort this time and you won’t be able to easily pull it back out.
11. Double check the gear pattern and backlash. Nothing should have changed.
12. Button it all up.
13. Have a beer !

[waynieZ]

Nice !

[SlowProgress]

I finally got out in the garage after a couple months off. Home repair projects are the worst hobby killers. Ramping up slow but made some progress on raising the tunnel. Took a while to find my build thread for the small update because it was so many pages back. I need to remember to keep it fresh the rest of this year.
I had 1.5 inch strips tacked on but substituted 2-inch strips and I think the height is closer to what I need.

https://i.imgur.com/yIl03bgl.jpg

I used my poor man bead roller to sort of match the original factory bead near the floor seam.

https://i.imgur.com/AW7FuNRl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FHX9CTql.jpg

I trimmed the edges clean to line it up on the welding table and tacked it on.

https://i.imgur.com/dGQD50ml.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/09deMdPl.jpg

Did the same thing on the other side. It went pretty fast.

https://i.imgur.com/dDvc2Lgl.jpg

I plan to use the original style console so I set my beat up old console in there to make sure it all fits.

https://i.imgur.com/tlvQ9kul.jpg

Now I need to do the hard stuff, work on the rear transition back down to the original tunnel height and the front transition into the firewall. I will also cut a larger hole in the top to be able to access the shifter cover. There is still a lot to do but it was a good few hours of easy work to get me fired up again.

[KPC67]

Great update! what about raising the remainder of the drive shaft tunnel? You would have to think about your rear seat of course if going with one.
just a thought you might already have a way, and a better one to boot.
I enjoy your build progress!:thumbsup:

[SlowProgress]

Yes, I am keeping the back seat. I have seen this done many different ways so my approach was to start with dirt simple and see if that works. If it tilts down front-to-rear it could make the console look funny, so keeping the original angle seemed best with a stock console. I still may need to split and widen the tunnel at the rear to ease the transition. It is probably time for some paper templates and try to figure out what looks the best. I am probably more worried about the front bell area due to all the compound angles and difficult access.

[KPC67]

I don't have a great picture of what I did but I re used the top and just added to it where it was needed.
A picture is worth a 1000 words.. maybe.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx299/Kcarter67/file-10.jpg (http://s765.photobucket.com/user/Kcarter67/media/file-10.jpg.html)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx299/Kcarter67/file-9.jpg (http://s765.photobucket.com/user/Kcarter67/media/file-9.jpg.html)

[SlowProgress]

Thanks good to see how you did yours. The piece in front is really beat up on my car. It looks like every engine swap the transmission was smashed into the bottom of the floor and also a little clearance work with a big hammer. I saved it to do what you have done but I am not sure I can straighten it.

Scott

[Justin@EntropyRad]

love the fab work involved

[SlowProgress]

Just a short update. I didn’t have a lot of time this weekend but plugged away TIG welding the tunnel extension. I decided to use TIG so I could practice my hammer welding. It was worth the effort because I got better and faster as I went along. Also filled a couple holes and repaired the ragged edge that tore when I drilled out the spot welds incompletely.
I welded it as uniform as I could and then used the bench as an anvil to hammer if flat.

https://i.imgur.com/y4e2Rnul.jpg


I cut the weld bead down with the edge of a cutoff wheel, hit it with a die grinder and 80 grit, then smoothed it a little with the DA sander and 80 grit. It is a little wavy but not too bad.

https://i.imgur.com/fhKJ6RIl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/V2zRbXDl.jpg

I need to work on my organization. I got the bench so messy I couldn’t work and had to stop and clean.

https://i.imgur.com/GXfjsT5l.jpg

Then moved on to the ragged edge. I just chopped it out and trimmed in a new piece.

https://i.imgur.com/3EdmLQdl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MN8IoW5l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hKK7yxYl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sQBAW98l.jpg

Overall it came out pretty good. Passenger side is better because I did it second. It will all be under carpet and the bottom side will smooth out with just a tiny bit of filler.
I still need to figure out what to do with the shifter. The extra two gears use up more room and hits the console insert in the 1-2 gate and also going into reverse on the other side.

https://i.imgur.com/JK1Kolal.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BOv6quHl.jpg

I can countersink the fasteners but that isn’t going to be enough. It would be better if someone made a wider insert. Anyone know where to get one? Some of the shifters have a shorter attachment, but I know other people on this site have had leaking problems with aftermarket shifters, which makes me want to keep the Tremec if possible. If anyone has solved this I would like to see your stock console solution. It is probably easy and I am just missing something !!

[Sonar Chief]

The tunnel came out nice! Keep at it ....

[SlowProgress]

Brown Santa brought a nice present from Rick’s tonight. I really like the looks of the stamped tank and have been waiting for the production to kick in. This has the ZL-1 kit, corner pickups and sending unit. Vaporworx controller is on the way via drop ship. Overall very pleased with the design and hope it works as well as it looks !

https://i.imgur.com/vwlar7jl.jpg

Here is a size comparison with the stock tank.

https://i.imgur.com/bdpVu8hl.jpg

And the side view

https://i.imgur.com/Rr7H5aPl.jpg

[Sonar Chief]

Nice score .... :ups: Is that new to Rick's? That's really cool, :y0!: where did you get it?

[SlowProgress]

I just called Rick's after seeing a post about this on Facebook.That was about the first of the year and they said mid-to-late February. I checked back a week or so ago and they are shipping out, so I placed the order. It has the sort of "resto" look to it that I liked a bit better than stainless. If it works well I think they will sell a bunch of them. Good for them !!

[KPC67]

The tank looks very good! I would love to see pictures of it in the car from the rear, I hate how the stainless ones stick out. Even painted black to me they look a loaded diaper hanging underneath the car. If this doesn't look like that my stainless one will be up for sale!
I enjoy your posts by the way:thumbsup:

[SlowProgress]

Just messing around trying to figure out what this tunnel transition piece will look like. I think I am going to keep it simple and make something like this. Need to wrap this project up before I get stuck in sheet metal quicksand!!

https://i.imgur.com/2GYuRxpl.jpg

Here is the front piece I need to make. I am pretty sure this is the ugliest stamped piece I have ever seen - anywhere ! The wrinkles even have wrinkles.

https://i.imgur.com/12ISf9cl.jpg

I probably can’t fabricate it from scratch with 2 x 4s and large hammers. I am thinking about having a local sheet metal shop roll the edge bead and then I can wrap it around some pipe or something.

Searching I found this nice piece from Bowler, they package and sell them as a kit but said I could get just the front piece in few weeks when the next next production is complete. That was nice of them to offer. I will probably just work my way through this on my own. But it is still a pretty nice piece and probably would have saved me some time.

https://i.imgur.com/aUDBgvyl.jpg

[SlowProgress]

The tank looks very good! I would love to see pictures of it in the car from the rear,.......
I enjoy your posts by the way:thumbsup:

It does seem a little thicker than the stock tank. I think that is probably a little bit unavoidable due to the long GM pump module. But I am hoping the stamped surface will blend it in a little better. I will try to get some photos this weekend because next weekend is Goodguys and I will be distracted ! Thanks for the complement. I enjoy posting on Lat -g it is a good crowd !

[waynieZ]

That's a nice looking tank. Should be sweet in there.

[SlowProgress]

Here is a quick shot of the Rick’s stamped tank mocked-up in the 67. I think it looks pretty good. Sorry night time photos aren't the greatest. It is still a little deeper than stock in front, but I think it is a good trade to have the Zl-1 pump in there. Those stamped ridges and the flat black look really good IMO. I am not sure if I will paint it another flat black or not - hmmm decisions !

Rear View


https://i.imgur.com/xNySh5Wl.jpg

Sides

https://i.imgur.com/DdjDP2zl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qMsPwCbl.jpg

[Sonar Chief]

That looks great in there ... photos make it look grey?

Good idea w the stamped tank, think I'll follow suit!

[SlowProgress]

I will get one in some good sunlight today. Actually a really nice flat black.

[waynieZ]

I think it looks great in there. I,m sure it's going to work perfectly.

[KPC67]

I think it seems to blend in a little more than the stainless ones, it looks good. I have a friend in Maricopa, next time I come visit him I would love to check your car out. Keep up the great work.

[SlowProgress]

I decided to save the mangled piece that connects the tunnel to the firewall. I was going to start over but as I looked at the firewall, the metal there is all folded and wrinkled in many spots. So, I beat on this piece for a while to get as many wrinkles out, glass beaded all the sealant off and welded closed a few holes. I decided to just tack weld the same 2-inch strips to the sides as the rest of the tunnel.

https://i.imgur.com/o7t0Kuhl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ksclxenl.jpg

I also added some Clecos through some of the old spot welds to help hold it in place. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as careful as I should have been cutting this piece out and I had to add another small strip on the driver’s side.

https://i.imgur.com/mJCdIeGl.jpg

I kept going back to the trunk to eyeball and make sure it looks square and flat. It still needs to move over a little at the rear. I will take some reference measurements before I do my final welds.

https://i.imgur.com/qWI8tcfl.jpg

I used my little handy bead maker tool to sort of match the factory stiffener rib that runs around the pinch weld joint. This simple contour matched surprisingly well and I can fine tune it in the vice.

https://i.imgur.com/Fjx11Hal.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hBs48uml.jpg

I made a few paper patterns and cut out the final piece in front.

https://i.imgur.com/PO21w64l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sENx0WYl.jpg

It all looks pretty crude now, but as I trim and start butt-welding it together and work out a few more high/low spots I think it will work better. I don’t have a photo, but I trimmed the firewall area at the front and there is plenty of transmission clearance all around.

I am still about 1000 hammer blows away from finishing this, but it feels like it is heading in the right direction !

[SlowProgress]

I took a couple hours tonight, trimmed and tack-welded the puzzle pieces together on the tunnel piece that connects up to the firewall. It actually went pretty well with the TIG. I fit it close enough in most places to not need filler. There are a couple of gaps but nothing terrible. I trimmed the edges back a little more and it is starting to look OK. If I had a bead roller, I would roll a couple of beauty marks in it to make it look a little better.

https://i.imgur.com/UvsxpXNl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fg5Aitgl.jpg

I am taking next week off and plan to finish this and move on. See how that works out. It should weld in OK as long as I don’t get in a hurry and trim it wrong.

[waynieZ]

Its looking good already.

[WSSix]

x2 good job saving that piece. Good luck getting a lot done next week.

[JoeLightning]

It looks really really good! Almost one more off the punch list. :trophy-1302:

[SlowProgress]

I spent most of the day Saturday at Goodguys and most of today just being lazy doing planning.
I did pick up the rear anti-roll bar because DSE brought the big truck to Scottsdale. They have three sizes now. I decided to get the 1-1/8 bar, which is right in the middle. I can soften, or stiffen up the bar as needed, when I actually have a running car. Having this in, as well as the gas tank will let me start thinking about the exhaust routing which is not too far down the road. Ok, it is pretty far down the road !!

https://i.imgur.com/UzIllb7l.jpg

[SlowProgress]

Well I have been plugging away on the tunnel raising project this week. It was slower than expected (surprise). This is actually one of the harder metal projects I guess because of all the curved surfaces and I find it difficult working up under the dash. I think not being able to reach the backside and hammer/dolly things straight also works against me. I started by finishing the welds on the puzzle piece up front.

https://i.imgur.com/cjRz1Mgl.jpg

I wrestled with keeping it flat or rolling a couple of stiffening beads in it. I have been thinking about buying a Harbor Freight roller just to have around for simple projects. I normally don’t waste money on cheap tools but there are so many people modifying these with motors and stands that I decided to buy it and have it for a future upgrade project. I can always sell it if I ever have room for a proper tool. I rolled two simple beads to make the piece look slightly better. It is not symmetrical but that is just how it wants to fit best !

https://i.imgur.com/g7RYDdyl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/k0cc3Fnl.jpg

After that it is just hours of carful trimming and bending to get it all to fit right. I finally did get a pretty good fit. The galvanized sheet is to protect parts from weld spatter.

https://i.imgur.com/iyyNJMtl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wDECp6Ol.jpg

I need to work on my MIG welding so this was a good practice project. Carpeting and sound deadener will hide it anyway. Here is a little trick I re-discovered. Someone has probably posted it before.
These little rare-earth magnets will hold the little bar in place on your MIG clamps, so you don’t keep dropping them. Works pretty cool !

https://i.imgur.com/Scx4KaFl.jpg

I finally just decided to quite stalling and start spraying weld everywhere! That is sort of what these photos look like. I still have occasional burn-throughs with MIG. I know it is me and not the welder.

https://i.imgur.com/Eq4ogr0l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/H0FrI8El.jpg

I will post up some more photos after the weekend. Hope to have the tunnel at least tacked in place.

[SlowProgress]

Well it was a good weekend overall but not so productive for the Camaro. I finally got a contractor out to finish some concrete work to replace a dirt atrium in my house. I wasn’t planning to do this work now but he had an opening so I dropped everything to make it happen. This took a lot of late evening preparation and I had to pretty much be there while he was working on it.

https://i.imgur.com/WLEyGr4l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0YlAsJtl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NLfEzC0l.jpg

I finally got the front tunnel piece welded in. It was harder than expected due mostly to the dash being in the way. Now I know why so many people remove the dash and then weld it back in at the end. Overall the welds came out pretty poor, mostly due to me burning too many small holes.

https://i.imgur.com/HJSs1PEl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CAXTGLkl.jpg

I did get them all ground down finally. The clean-up took a long time due to the messy welds.

https://i.imgur.com/66hz6UGl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rzq88Sal.jpg

For those who haven’t done this yet I shot some in-process grinding photos. I am now qualified as a contortionist as a result.

https://i.imgur.com/Rf3F6usl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oVqVNaOl.jpg

I just got started figuring how I am going to cut the shifter access opening, and also planning the tapered area down at the back.

https://i.imgur.com/qGtGiybl.jpg

I think I have it all figured out but that could change as I start making cuts. The plan is to install a large opening so the shifter can come out without removing the transmission. On top of the large cover I am planning to relocate the factor 4-speed opening and try to retain the 4-speed boot for a good weather seal. I still may need a wider console shift plate, but first I need to just get the parts all installed and see how it all falls in place.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Just a tip,

Do a series of tacks then grind them down after they cool. It makes it go faster and doesn't put much heat into the panel as doing a whole bead.

so tack, 2-4" gap tack then grind. repeat.

nice work.

[SlowProgress]

Thanks Vince good tip. I will try that on the longer part of the tunnel. I will be able to TIG some parts on the bench, but probably need to MIG the final installation ! I seem to have a better rhythm with TIG. Even when the welds aren't pretty they are smaller, cool slower and grind easier.

Scott

[waynieZ]

It looks like they did a nice finish on the concrete. As far a contortionist I could get in that position...... But I would never get back out! Nice job on the tunnel.

[SlowProgress]

I got a little behind on posts trying to make more progress on the transmission tunnel. Lots of pictures this time in two parts.

Well, I didn’t get the tunnel in yet!! I decided to get all the shifter boot details worked out on the bench so it would be easier to weld. I had decided to reuse the stock shift boot as a weather seal because you can get that easily from lots of places. First I cut out the stock ring and then laid out the Tremec shift plate dimensions and cut the hole.

https://i.imgur.com/wYF1NHql.jpg

Here is the template and all the parts roughly laid out. The shift ring is really close to one side and too low to clear the stock Tremec boot which means it needs a spacer.

https://i.imgur.com/r9qcF1Ml.jpg

I started with the piece that will eventually weld into the tunnel.

https://i.imgur.com/sEopBgKl.jpg

It seemed like a good idea to bend the inside edges down to make it stiffer. I cut the sheet metal off the stock shift ring doubler and mocked everything up.

https://i.imgur.com/TThRkkFl.jpg

It was pretty easy to grind the edges smooth and make an extension for the stock ring. I used an old piece of pipe and dead-blow hammer to make the radiused corners and started figuring out what the cover will look like.

https://i.imgur.com/LK0SZ54l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oKewRGyl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/a7I3q3ml.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/q2mQaosl.jpg

I used 18 gauge which is pretty thin so I decided to use lot of mounting holes to avoid warping when all the screws are tightened. I also put a small bead in the large flat area to stiffen it up a little. Then the whole assembly was mocked-up and all the pilot holes were match-drilled.

https://i.imgur.com/TThRkkFl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sYFxAskl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/orULinIl.jpg

The welding took a while because there are so many small pieces.

https://i.imgur.com/PG9M45gl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Luhr3CEl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LAO3666l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LAO3666l.jpg

[SlowProgress]

At first I was going to just plug weld the lower ring onto the tunnel. That would have been faster. But I decided to trim and butt weld it in to make things a little cleaner. Trimming it nice and close to TIG weld took quite a while. :welder:

https://i.imgur.com/eovT0MIl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GmqVCXil.jpg

My welds aren’t the greatest, but I like how soft and easy it is to grind TIG. I can clean it up a lot faster. Also I get tired of the splatter from MIG.

https://i.imgur.com/Y6U6EMtl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mdQPVxdl.jpg

It came out fine and will cover well with a little primer when I get there !

https://i.imgur.com/F18gD5Sl.jpg

I did the final trimming on the cover and bent the edges down where it was close to the corner of the tunnel. I welded up the Cleco holes that won't be needed for mock-up any more.

https://i.imgur.com/lQZ45E3l.jpg

I put everything together and it seems to fit fine, or at least good enough that a few well-placed hammer blows can fix it.

https://i.imgur.com/N6pdLTRl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6cjv8mXl.jpg

Hope to have the tunnel complete this week. I have been saying that for three weeks but it finally seems like it is just over the horizon!!

[SlowProgress]

I started getting the tunnel ready to weld back in today. First fabbed the little transition piece at the rear.

https://i.imgur.com/VdWLOJnl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hN3BE80l.jpg

and weld it in and grind smooth.

https://i.imgur.com/u0QNUSdl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oyGqksrl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jkxHAnWl.jpg

I spent quite a while grinding the opening to set the gap and about an hour welding all the factory tooling and cleco holes closed.

https://i.imgur.com/IConLfRl.jpg

Tomorrow I will weld it in and hopefully get all the welds cleaned-up.

https://i.imgur.com/y0DHLe1l.jpg

[WSSix]

Nice work. Are you planning to incorporate the center console into the tunnel design?

[SlowProgress]

Nice work. Are you planning to incorporate the center console into the tunnel design?

I am really keeping this sort of a "resto" build so I am reusing the stock console, at least for now. I probably have to modify the stock shifter gate area a little but otherwise it all fits and I have checked it along the way. It's hard to explain but little things like the way the stock console slams shut are just sort of part of my fun memories of this car !

I just need to figure out what to do for cup holders because I am doing the Power Tour in 2017!!

Scott



https://i.imgur.com/2GYuRxpl.jpg

[WSSix]

I see. Thanks. For cup holders, you could just go with those ones that hang on the door. They still make those don't they?

[waynieZ]

It's coming out nice, great job.

[SlowProgress]

It's coming out nice, great job.

Thanks Wayne.

I had a pretty productive Saturday and Sunday. Beautiful weather and yard work got in the way a little, so there wasn’t quite as much progress as intended, but almost done with the tunnel.

Before tacking it in I finished the little doubler ring that the shifter ring will screw into. Seems like a simple part but I had to match drill all those holes and radius the inside corners. This will be removable in case the threads get stripped. I made it out of 10 gauge material to stiffen the large opening. I think this is going to work out well.

https://i.imgur.com/DP4fR0bl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4chf0vgl.jpg

Went around the whole tunnel and tweaked gaps and then tacked it all first of course.

https://i.imgur.com/YHEWJnRl.jpg

At this point it is about 75% done.

https://i.imgur.com/vDTL7NHl.jpg

The welds are mostly clean on the left side and about half on the right. I decided to weld it in without pulling the front clip out. I covered the transmission with a blanket and used an old piece of galvanize sheet to protect everything from weld splatter. That worked OK but not having access to the bottom really hurt when a problem area needed a few hammer blows.
I will finish any pin holes and rough spots when I get it back on the rotisserie.

When cleaning up I reached down to pick up my creeper and grabbed a handful of this magnet that had latched on the bottom and cleaned the floor of metal filings and snipped wire pieces. It scared the heck out of me because it felt alive and one of those metal pieces poked me. I didn’t know what had a hold of me.

https://i.imgur.com/vqCXH89l.jpg

That's it for now. I am really looking forward to installing the rear sway bar and Vintage Air setup next. Anything new at this point sounds great!

[SlowProgress]

I decided to take a short break from grinding and install the rear anti-roll bar. It is a pretty easy piece and bolting things on is way more fun than grinding. The instructions are fair, but not many pictures. First match drill pilot holes using the brackets and drill out to the right diameter.

https://i.imgur.com/s4a13GHl.jpg

I didn’t have the required 15/32 or 17/32 drills (and none of the hardware stores did either). I had to carefully grind to fit the correct diameters and snug for the Rivnuts.
DSE gives you this nice drill bushing to match the frame rail inner holes. It worked pretty well and I only had to slightly oval two holes, probably because the frame rail isn’t exactly square.

https://i.imgur.com/4S43BlSl.jpg

There is also a tool included to install the Rivnuts. You could make this but it is nice that it is included with the kit.

https://i.imgur.com/szVAsT9l.jpg

Install all the Rivnuts and make sure the center holes line up and the frame brackets are done.

https://i.imgur.com/VF96Lual.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KXQtG4Sl.jpg

I installed the bar and swung it into place. There were actually 3 minor issues that I didn’t expect.

1. With the rear housing dropped down (normal weight off wheels) the bar pivots up and it was too close the outside of the upper 4-link bracket. After scratching my head I decided to clearance the edge a little because the rearend is always hanging down like this. I did a little edge touch-up with a black Sharpie. It looks fine.

https://i.imgur.com/yFRKxLIl.jpg

2. Stop collars on the inside of the support bracket keep the bar from sliding around. However they were too tall to fit between the bar and the mounting point on the 4-link bracket. I just decided to make some spacers under the pivot points. If something better comes along I will try it but they will probably stay there. You can also see the spacers under the pivots in the photo above.

https://i.imgur.com/2ZAXyhjl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bg1uwAql.jpg

3. There was no work-around for the third one. With the rear housing dropped down the upper 4-link drops down onto the anti-roll link arm. I am not sure if I caused this somehow, or if it is normal. Obviously won’t be a problem with weight on wheels, but I had to put a piece of plastic tubing in there to keep lots of metal contact from occurring! That will be a pain if I always have to remember to do that when the car is jacked up. Any ideas please let me know what you have done to fix that.

https://i.imgur.com/1r0bGSIl.jpg

Overall I am pretty happy. If I were to do it over again I would buy the anti-roll bar earlier in the process and fit everything before powder paint. I am pretty sure my upper 4-link brackets are slightly too wide on the axle housing and that would have been easy to fix with it all tacked before final weld. Here are a couple of overall pictures. I really like the DSE anti-roll bar design, it tucks in nicely and looks really robust !

https://i.imgur.com/tF220khl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Q2gpdfPl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YOgMjttl.jpg

After having some fun with the anti-roll bar kit it was back to grinding the passenger side tunnel welds. Feels good to have the tunnel raise out of the way.

https://i.imgur.com/cHwyJ6Gl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OU3HRYpl.jpg

I straightened up a little and grabbed the Vintage Air unit for a quick check.

https://i.imgur.com/qSixFUll.jpg

I am going to see if I can make a bracket that supports the unit a little better and avoid those holes that go out into the cowl area. Also looking to see how much of the stock glovebox I can salvage. The plastic piece that comes with the kit doesn’t leave much glovebox and doesn’t look nice in my opinion. So hopefully a few weekends will get the V/A unit installed and then I can figure out where to go next.

[SlowProgress]

It was beautiful in Phoenix and hard to get out in the garage with yardwork and such. We will get our first 100F days this week, so it was a scramble to get all those lingering outside jobs completed. In spite I got a little done on the A/C evaporator install. I guess there is a heater in there too but we only talk about A/C in this part of the country.

I started mocking up the bracket with some welding wire about Wednesday and it really only took a short while to see what the bracket would look like.

https://i.imgur.com/vVWSyuyl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fkWIH0Fl.jpg

I started planning how to make this and within a short while I realized that the fabrication was going to waste a lot of my time. I ordered up the DSE bracket for a 69 Camaro, figuring I would be able to make some small mods to fit my 67. The DSE bracket showed up Friday and I did a quick install on the V/A unit.

https://i.imgur.com/EKKcNIYl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QWcmpRgl.jpg

It fit very well on the unit and I put it up under the dash to see if it would work at all. The 67 doesn’t have the center brace that the 69 has, but I will make my own. Overall it looks to be positioned pretty close.

https://i.imgur.com/o3oFNlWl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/znHzcyil.jpg

I took the staples out of the old glove box and started cutting it to see if I could make a cardboard glove box even work. Overall it seems like I will be able to pull this off. The box tapers toward the center of the car and I will lose a couple inches of space on the left side. The owner’s manual and tire receipts still fit.

https://i.imgur.com/DzL25h8l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/f26Gbisl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/znHzcyil.jpg

Bought the bulkhead as well

https://i.imgur.com/h48sAFTl.jpg

Thinking about installing this in the firewall just to give it a little custom touch

https://i.imgur.com/WLodyILl.jpg


I put the ashtray and heater controls in for mock up. It looks like I may need to shorten the bracket and move the whole thing to the right to gain just a bit of ashtray clearance. I am trying to avoid things that rub and will cause squeaks and other annoying sounds. I will play with that this week and see where it all ends up.

[Sonar Chief]

Looking good there .... did you opt for the upgraded VA controller or you still using the OEM controls? I'm thinking of using a delete panel and digital controls when and if I get the VA unit, not a top priority right now!

Good to see the 69 bracket fits the 67 w mods.

Keep at it ....

[Che70velle]

Great work, and very detailed posts with lots of pics. Keep at it.

[SlowProgress]

Looking good there .... did you opt for the upgraded VA controller or you still using the OEM controls? ......

I am going to use the V/A control panel conversion kit with the OE sliding controls for now. Still tying to keep the interior sort of resto !

[SlowProgress]

Sorry lots of little photos for such a simple project. I spent a few hours this weekend on the A/C evaporator installation. Plan is to use the 69 Camaro DSE bracket in the 67. Without modification, the bracket pushed the evaporator a few inches too far to the left. I mocked up the radio and ashtray and there was interference with the ashtray bracket. I started by cutting off a couple inches and tack-welding the bracket back on and it seemed to fit well.

https://i.imgur.com/gQxJPyzl.jpg

I used the Vintage Air bracket along with the DSE one to help hold the unit in place while I got everything fitted. The cowl looks like metal termites were there. I will plug all the extra little holes before paint.

https://i.imgur.com/NVxXbACl.jpg

On the right side the DSE bracket has an angled tab that picks on something on the 69. I built this little box to pick up that tab,

https://i.imgur.com/3JtinNfl.jpg

and used one of the leftover Rivnuts from the sway bar kit. I really like these steps drill for stuff like this. They never grab, or drill triangular holes.

https://i.imgur.com/0wS08TJl.jpg

I had to remove the wire harness hook temporarily but I will put it back when I find the best location.

https://i.imgur.com/NigRLOQl.jpg

Then just position the little box, plug weld and install the rivnut.

https://i.imgur.com/ESthU9Jl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SCh0vgil.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UmXvf7ol.jpg

Here it is bolted in. I will repaint the bracket when I finish cutting, hanging and welding other things from it.

https://i.imgur.com/y5YYkPBl.jpg

Then I moved to the center bracket. The 69 apparently has something for this to bolt to. I just made a simple bracket that welds to the cowl area, bolted it to the DSE bracket, Cleco’d it in place and plug welded it home.

https://i.imgur.com/XRqcgmml.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ah7yNDGl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/x5qHiRWl.jpg

I am pretty happy with the fit.

https://i.imgur.com/mUlR14Nl.jpg

I made my little box on the right just a little too tall, so a nibbled about 5/16” out of this part of the bracket. You probably wouldn’t need to do this, but it just made it look more level. I spot welded in on the back and you can see two burned paint areas where it was rejoined.

https://i.imgur.com/kwiHfF7l.jpg

Overall I am pretty happy. I still need to figure out the hose routing and the bulkhead. That will start in a couple of weeks.

[Sonar Chief]

Sorry lots of little photos for such a simple project. I spent a few hours this weekend on the A/C evaporator installation. Plan is to use the 69 Camaro DSE bracket in the 67. Without modification, the bracket pushed the evaporator a few inches too far to the left. I mocked up the radio and ashtray and there was interference with the ashtray bracket. I started by cutting off a couple inches and tack-welding the bracket back on and it seemed to fit well.

http://i.imgur.com/gQxJPyzl.jpg

I used the Vintage Air bracket along with the DSE one to help hold the unit in place while I got everything fitted. The cowl looks like metal termites were there. I will plug all the extra little holes before paint.

http://i.imgur.com/NVxXbACl.jpg

On the right side the DSE bracket has an angled tab that picks on something on the 69. I built this little box to pick up that tab,

http://i.imgur.com/3JtinNfl.jpg

and used one of the leftover Rivnuts from the sway bar kit. I really like these steps drill for stuff like this. They never grab, or drill triangular holes.

http://i.imgur.com/0wS08TJl.jpg

I had to remove the wire harness hook temporarily but I will put it back when I find the best location.

http://i.imgur.com/NigRLOQl.jpg

Then just position the little box, plug weld and install the rivnut.

http://i.imgur.com/ESthU9Jl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SCh0vgil.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UmXvf7ol.jpg

Here it is bolted in. I will repaint the bracket when I finish cutting, hanging and welding other things from it.

http://i.imgur.com/y5YYkPBl.jpg

Then I moved to the center bracket. The 69 apparently has something for this to bolt to. I just made a simple bracket that welds to the cowl area, bolted it to the DSE bracket, Cleco’d it in place and plug welded it home.

http://i.imgur.com/XRqcgmml.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ah7yNDGl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/x5qHiRWl.jpg

I am pretty happy with the fit.

http://i.imgur.com/mUlR14Nl.jpg

I made my little box on the right just a little too tall, so a nibbled about 5/16” out of this part of the bracket. You probably wouldn’t need to do this, but it just made it look more level. I spot welded in on the back and you can see two burned paint areas where it was rejoined.

http://i.imgur.com/kwiHfF7l.jpg

Overall I am pretty happy. I still need to figure out the hose routing and the bulkhead. That will start in a couple of weeks.


Nice Hot Rodding .... don't they make the brackets for a 67? I am more inclined to a heater delete on my car, especially after seeing this fitment on a 67.

Looking nice!

Michael

[waynieZ]

Nice fix it looks good.

[SlowProgress]

Nice Hot Rodding .... don't they make the brackets for a 67? I am more inclined to a heater delete on my car, especially after seeing this fitment on a 67.

Looking nice!

Michael

I was told they don't make a 67-68 but maybe that has changed since I bought mine. I don't care about the heater but A/C is a big plus in Phoenix

Scott

[SlowProgress]

I was out of town for a week and came back sort of lazy. I spent most of Saturday just catching up on yardwork and not really too motivated to work on the Camaro.

A coworker showed me an online CAD tool called Onshape. I decided to play around and see if I could model my shifter bezel with a wider slot for the 6-speed. I started a couple weeks ago and just about finished. This weeked I worked on making the shifter pattern which turned out harder than I planned. Onshape doesn’t have an engraving feature yet so I could not put the numbers next to the shift pattern, and had to use other tricks to get the nice milled grooves in there also.

https://i.imgur.com/zU2mE0Wl.jpg

The back side is just flat. I haven't decided exactly what I want to do yet.

https://i.imgur.com/nDJ8Svsl.jpg
This should be good enough to get a plastic part 3-D printed to check the fit. Once I am happy with the fit, I will have a local CNC shop hog it out of 6061 aluminum and possibly have it anodized and sealed. I have to admit this was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I started dreaming of all the things that I could model and have machined. I get distracted too easily sometimes!

I did finally make it out in the garage to finish the evaporator install.
I started by rolling a short stiffener section to mount the last bracket to. It runs all the way across the firewall panel and ties into the cowl area, and the thick doubler at the bottom. This not only mounts the last tab but will also stiffen the large flat filler panel.
After banging it flat, I just drilled a bunch of holes and plug welded it.

https://i.imgur.com/NIHzhzDl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Yj5Nk2pl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ErOFRnFl.jpg

Then I mounted a little tab to pick up the Vintage Air bracket. The photo is not very good but it is just a little “L-shape” tab, bent to match the angle of the Vintage Air bracket (which isn't perpendicular to the firewall). I matched drilled the holes and then plug welded it onto the stiffener.

https://i.imgur.com/4QnmeQ0l.jpg

The evaporator bolts in with 5 different locations and feels really solid, using a combination of lateral, vertical and fore/aft brackets. I am happy with the installation.

https://i.imgur.com/5vZVdPCl.jpg

Next I need to get a firewall pad and see how that is going to fit. Also quite a bit of work left to mount the Vintage air bulkhead so I will get started on that next as well.

I was just about to order an LS7, but sat down and did some planning over Memorial weekend. There are about a dozen small tasks that need to get done before I have an expensive boat anchor sitting in the frame rails. So, I decided to figure out all the small things that need to be ordered to support those tasks and it is a long list. I need to get all that ordered in the next few weeks. Looking at the plan was a little scary because there is a ton of work left to do before I can seal and prime the body shell!!

[waynieZ]

I love your work,your doing an excellent job!

[SlowProgress]

Minor update, I got A/C bulkhead installed this weekend. Simple job, but I know they all add up!
I bought this formed plate from user Metalfab on ebay

https://www.ebay.com/sch/metalfab/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

I spent a little time trimming in up,

https://i.imgur.com/My890Ahl.jpg

then laid out a slot so it would sit flush and sprayed the firewall to scrib a cut line.

https://i.imgur.com/S5b3HZXl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4Ecnvh2l.jpg

Finished the rough opening with the grinder.

https://i.imgur.com/Rk6mH4vl.jpg

It took a while to get it tacked it in because it didn't want to sit flush, but once there it only took a short while to finish the welding.

https://i.imgur.com/scdvMHDl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Q82TZvAl.jpg

I rough ground it and checked the bulkhead fit.

https://i.imgur.com/IhN6OAcl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/na0hMLll.jpg

Pretty easy job, nothing a little filler won't hide!

[Vince@Meanstreets]

nice work.

Thats Dan Holohans ebay store. Good stuff.

[SlowProgress]

Yes he has some nice products !

[Scott Haggai]

great looking build!

[SlowProgress]

I tinkered around with the filter-dryer install this weekend. Doesn’t look like much, but I spent some of my time this weekend figuring out the best way to install it and running around for the right fittings. All that took more time than expected. But, it is ready for the engine/condenser plumbing. I picked up some -6 and -10 aluminum tube and will start figuring out the internal plumbing. I am thinking to do all that in hard aluminum tubing to save space. Here are the filter-dryer brackets, just simple angle brackets.

https://i.imgur.com/IBumhY6l.jpg

Here are all the fittings and the first hose installed from the dryer.

https://i.imgur.com/hvSlwkHl.jpg

For the hoses I think I am going to use the EATON E-Z Clip system. You can buy the fittings and hose from Vintage air, or local A/C outlets. It may not be as clean as some hose systems but the beauty is that you can have control of your own hoses assemblies. Here is a photo crimping the little clips the system uses.

https://i.imgur.com/hhLHPUOl.jpg

I bought the uber expensive pliers for this on the right for around $50 and then found I already had a pair of KD Pliers, Part 3374. These are CV boot Oetiker clamp pliers and they work just as well. So, live and learn on that. Oetiker clamps pliers are all over the internet from as low as $15.

https://i.imgur.com/m4GMITOl.jpg

I also played with the shifter plate modification. There are dozens of people who will print your .STL files in plastic. This is a medium resolution PLA part. I am pretty happy with the fit. The inner boot is the stock GM, 1967 Camaro boot. I will add some sort of outer boot to fill the hole a little better. This was the first prototype and it only cost $30 to get it made in a couple of days. I will probably tinker with it some more and then machine it in aluminum when it is all worked out. I still need to put the numbers on the shift pattern.

https://i.imgur.com/MiXnheBl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZavhzOTl.jpg

Next week I will probably work on the inside evaporator hard lines and get the fuel line and a good tube bender on order.

[SlowProgress]

I put a few hours into working out the evaporator lines. I took the Vintage Air supplied lines, plus a couple of auto store fittings and some aluminum tubing and started mocking up the hard line routing.

https://i.imgur.com/XjNTO8ll.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AmCTNcjl.jpg

The condenser lines were pretty easy. I decided to not try to make them complete, but tack them together and let an A/C house make them correctly.
I need some really tight bends for the heater core lines and ran out of parts. I will work on that this week. I sacrificed a bunch of pieces to get this far.

https://i.imgur.com/gvAM7iPl.jpg

I think Vintage Air needs to develop a kit to support the vertical bulkhead. I realize many people do it differently, but almost all the vertical bulkheads end up close to the same spot. If the hard lines were complete, it would really make this job easier!

I also pulled the tank out so I can get the fittings on order to start the fuel line work.

https://i.imgur.com/DR2tif2l.jpg

Lack of parts is really starting to slow me down. I got a few things on order and need to get a bunch more of the little bits on order this week. It is surprising how many hours of shopping/studying it takes to figure out all the right things to buy. As always it's the little things.

[im4u2nvss]

I was out of town for a week and came back sort of lazy. I spent most of Saturday just catching up on yardwork and not really too motivated to work on the Camaro.

A coworker showed me an online CAD tool called Onshape. I decided to play around and see if I could model my shifter bezel with a wider slot for the 6-speed. I started a couple weeks ago and just about finished. This weeked I worked on making the shifter pattern which turned out harder than I planned. Onshape doesn’t have an engraving feature yet so I could not put the numbers next to the shift pattern, and had to use other tricks to get the nice milled grooves in there also.

http://i.imgur.com/zU2mE0Wl.jpg

The back side is just flat. I haven't decided exactly what I want to do yet.

http://i.imgur.com/nDJ8Svsl.jpg
This should be good enough to get a plastic part 3-D printed to check the fit. Once I am happy with the fit, I will have a local CNC shop hog it out of 6061 aluminum and possibly have it anodized and sealed. I have to admit this was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I started dreaming of all the things that I could model and have machined. I get distracted too easily sometimes!



Have you considered having a couple made? I am sure there are fellow 67 owners on here that would like to buy a final product. :thumbsup:

[SlowProgress]

I thought about it. When I have the final part all worked out I will at least let everyone know how much it costs to machine it. I would probably just share the .STL file so people can make it with their local machine house, work with whoever makes mine, or just print it in plastic. Thanks for asking!

[DKz Garage]

Looking nice...great fab work! Keep the pics coming....

[waynieZ]

It looks great Scott. is there any room to lower the VA dryer? I was thinking of mounting mine there but my hoses come out of the blower opening.

[SlowProgress]

Wayne I think there is some room. I really quickly threw the bracket and inner wheel well on there and convinced myself to just weld it and be done. I didn't have the dryer mounted yet so I didn't snap a photo with it all there. I will try to remember to take a photo with the bracket and inner wheel well mocked-up this weekend. I also haven't figured out how much access I have for changing the dryer in case the A/C compressor dies. I may add an access door at some point?

Scott

[waynieZ]

Thank you.

[SlowProgress]

Wayne here are a few shots of the filter-dryer with the inner wheel tub held up with a couple bolts in the bracket. It looks like it could go lower. I am not much of an expert between 67-69, so I don’t know if your inner is shaped much differently?

https://i.imgur.com/r55nmGsl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Uz0Rn3Fl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/apmo22Rl.jpg

I also dropped the first two mock-up A/C tubes at a real shop to be fabricated. I started on mocking up the heater core tubes, but ran out of fittings before I could get the second one done. I probably shouldn’t get too far down the road on this until I get the first two tubes back, to avoid some sort of interference! The last tube is probably going to be the hardest.

https://i.imgur.com/o61vxHfl.jpg

The scrap pile is still growing!

https://i.imgur.com/kp0HpOrl.jpg

[waynieZ]

Thanks for the pictures. It looks like there's room for it to go there.
Thanks again.

[SlowProgress]

The last two evap. mock up tubes are over at the tube shop.

https://i.imgur.com/pBzYdQgl.jpg

I checked the fit and except for a couple of small interferences, it all looks pretty good. With it tightened on the bench, I can remove the bulkhead and put it all in the car pretty easily.

https://i.imgur.com/EZuX1Yil.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dQV5thFl.jpg

I keep using my bicycle holder for various tasks. At first I thought it wasn’t a good idea, but for odd shaped things it really helps so I am going to keep using it.

https://i.imgur.com/sO6agpFl.jpg

I put the Vintage air conversion kit on the control panel. This was an easy job you can do at the kitchen counter while watching TV.

https://i.imgur.com/kCa1Sdvl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SdjMNdcl.jpg

I started plugging in wires to figure out where I will route all this stuff. The answer is I don’t know yet.

https://i.imgur.com/SjOKfgMl.jpg

Moving on to the fuel system, all the little bits and pieces came in. I figured I could find a 37 degree flaring tool locally but I was wrong. I should have ordered it online. I pieced all the fittings together and again started thinking about where all the wires are going to route. I also put the first piece of Tech AFX fuel hose together and I really like the quality of their product. There will be a short section of hose between the tank and ½ stainless fuel line.

https://i.imgur.com/vyXMX6hl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/04mx1I0l.jpg

For all the wires, I am thinking about putting a small auxiliary fuse box in the trunk, in addition to the GM EFI harness in the RF engine compartment. I have several areas I need to pass harnesses through the body. I haven’t decided if I want to use just a simple grommet, or spring for nice MS style circular connectors. I have a lot to think about.

[SlowProgress]

The UPS guys came by every day this week. It was a little like Christmas in July.

https://i.imgur.com/kRKxfj6l.jpg

These are all things needed to work on all the vents, fuel lines and wiring planning. You forget on these projects how many new things are being added. The original car was so simple by comparison!

[waynieZ]

EVERY DAY ! you must have been a really good boy! I'm jealous......
Some sweet parts there..

[SlowProgress]

Well it's not a beautifully restored MCC body shell with a sweet LSA but it's a start. :D Those little pieces do add up fast, or maybe I should say FAST.

[waynieZ]

They sure do add up FAST!, and these will be sweet to watch going together.

[SlowProgress]

I pulled the A/C condenser unit back out after final fitting all the hard tubes. All I need to do on installation is just insulate them and they are ready to go. I bought a couple of crowfoot wrenches to make the removal/install easier. It is a piece of cake with the right tool!!

https://i.imgur.com/WlWtZL7l.jpg

I always liked the original vents that came in the 67/68 Camaros with optional A/C. Spent quite a bit of time laying out the holes and getting the bezels to fit this weekend. I couldn’t find a decent paper template online. Even the Vintage Air template was pretty unusable. So, I made one out of thin galvanized and just reversed it on the opposite side. This took surprisingly more time than I thought it would because I didn’t want to screw up the cut. Because of the odd angles it takes a while to “sneak” up on the right size. If I had a small air saw it would have gone much faster.
Here are a few photos of the process.

https://i.imgur.com/RydKO3Pl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ed5MUY2l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cJZR2Njl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uLg5mRZl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/v3N8BUBl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/g5WqUtJl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OFwqTEFl.jpg


I also cut out the opening for the center vent. I like the looks of the optional 67 center vent. It goes well with the stock dash. Everything is just loose so it looks a little off in the photo.

https://i.imgur.com/vt8KED2l.jpg

There is nothing holding the little round vent in place without the factory ducting. I am going to decide whether to buy and try the factory duct, or fabricate one of my own.

I also spent a little time mocking up the radiator but didn’t get too far.

https://i.imgur.com/SnSLFnfl.jpg

[KPC67]

Looking great :thumbsup:

[Sonar Chief]

Been following your VA install and like your fab skills. Question ... you fab'd up the hard line to your vertical bulkhead instead of having the connections coming out of the heater hole, right?

Could you use VA's EZ-Clips and hose instead of hard lines under the dash? Do they make the -6 and -10 hoses to match their connections?

Just thinking that would save a lot of time with fab work ... just measure and cut em, right?

Great job with the car .... keep the updates coming!

Michael

[instro84]

nice work on th VA bulkhead fittings. need to fab some up for my buick.

[randy]

Is that a fuel pressure gauge connected to the fuel pump? why do you have it there? Didn't want to install a gauge in the engine bay?

The last two evap. mock up tubes are over at the tube shop.


http://i.imgur.com/04mx1I0l.jpg

For all the wires, I am thinking about putting a small auxiliary fuse box in the trunk, in addition to the GM EFI harness in the RF engine compartment. I have several areas I need to pass harnesses through the body. I haven’t decided if I want to use just a simple grommet, or spring for nice MS style circular connectors. I have a lot to think about.

[SlowProgress]

Been following your VA install and like your fab skills. Question ... you fab'd up the hard line to your vertical bulkhead instead of having the connections coming out of the heater hole, right?

Could you use VA's EZ-Clips and hose instead of hard lines under the dash? Do they make the -6 and -10 hoses to match their connections?

Just thinking that would save a lot of time with fab work ... just measure and cut em, right?

Great job with the car .... keep the updates coming!

Michael

Hey Michael,

There are so many ways to do this. The VA kit comes with tubes that will go out the heater hole. They are in a diamond pattern and would not work on the vertical bulkhead which I wanted. I think a lot of guys use hose assemblies. Some go through the old blower hole to keep away from tight bends. If you use the VA Gen IV, the heater lines are really close to the firewall and since I set the bulkhead in a little, I just thought it would be too hard to make the tight bends with hoses that are a little fatter. I also shoved the evap. unit as far forward to save as much of my glove box as possible. Everything is really crammed in there!! So look into that. Whether you use EZ-Clip or some other hose system, I think you will need a low profile 90deg fitting to use the bulkhead with hose. The EZ-Clip hose ends have two O-rings and the fittings seem pretty long. For tight spaces there may be better options. Hope that helps!

Scott

[SlowProgress]

I didn't work on the car last weekend because I was camping and MTB riding in Northern AZ. I have been playing in OnShape to design a duct that will work with the stock 67 Center AC vent.

https://i.imgur.com/bux25Wql.jpg

It may not work out but the plan is to make something that can be 3-D printed and replace the bulky and expensive factory part below.

https://i.imgur.com/F8OxtGfl.jpg

This will hold the round air diffuser in place like the factory duct did when it is finished and snug up the round part to prevent rattling around. Here is what the factory vent looks like. You can see I just copied the mating shape.

https://i.imgur.com/6jJMwO7l.jpg


I need to finish this because it is taking too much time and I want to get back to other things. Anyway I will post up photos if it works out well and probably even if it doesn't!

[Sonar Chief]

Hey Michael,

There are so many ways to do this. The VA kit comes with tubes that will go out the heater hole. They are in a diamond pattern and would not work on the vertical bulkhead which I wanted. I think a lot of guys use hose assemblies. Some go through the old blower hole to keep away from tight bends. If you use the VA Gen IV, the heater lines are really close to the firewall and since I set the bulkhead in a little, I just thought it would be too hard to make the tight bends with hoses that are a little fatter. I also shoved the evap. unit as far forward to save as much of my glove box as possible. Everything is really crammed in there!! So look into that. Whether you use EZ-Clip or some other hose system, I think you will need a low profile 90deg fitting to use the bulkhead with hose. The EZ-Clip hose ends have two O-rings and the fittings seem pretty long. For tight spaces there may be better options. Hope that helps!

Scott

That helps alot .... thanks for forging the way, sort of, I'll be right behind you!

Michael

[SlowProgress]

Is that a fuel pressure gauge connected to the fuel pump? why do you have it there? Didn't want to install a gauge in the engine bay?

Randy so sorry I missed your question. I guess better late than never. That is the fuel pressure sensor for the Vaporworx controller. They want it as close to the pump as possible to avoid pressure fluctuations.

Scott

[hiwayman]

sweet thread went through 18pages in one session keep it coming

[rapture670]

Your car is coming along nicely. My son lives in Phoenix and I am there often, I would love to see your car in person.

[SlowProgress]

sweet thread went through 18pages in one session keep it coming

Thanks appreciate it !


Your car is coming along nicely. My son lives in Phoenix and I am there often, I would love to see your car in person.

That would be good. I recommend when the weather cools off this Fall. I haven't been good at getting out there the last few weeks. Dog days got me down!

[SlowProgress]

I haven’t gotten out in the garage much so I have been playing with 3-D CAD. I always wanted to know how to do that but never sat down long enough to learn the basics. Here is the model I made of the 67 Camaro center A/C duct duct assembly.

https://i.imgur.com/tfWmE1rl.jpg

This thing morphed over several weeks and I honestly don’t know how many learning hours I have in it. I just measured and drew up the vent parts and then figured how to make a duct that will match. The duct has little fingers that hold the vent wheel in place so it doesn’t rattle around.
I printed a version to check the idea out and it works pretty well.

https://i.imgur.com/qk9u1Bfl.jpg

Based on the fit I will make a few changes like the diameter of the hose connection and length of the fingers. The final version will be printed in ABS because the melting temperature and strength are higher.
Yes I have too much time in this but it gave me a good opportunity to learn something new and find the relative cost to have small pieces like this printed (about $30-40 in PLA material). Also, now I have a model if I ever want to make any changes to it. I will admit that 3-D printing in various materials sort of appeals to me!

I will try to get out in the garage and do some real work next week!!

[SlowProgress]

I got out in the garage for a few hours to clean up and check out how all the A/C hoses will route.
The home designed center duct seems to work fine.

https://i.imgur.com/MtJhwWjl.jpg

I was able to get the hoses routed to the OEM style vents fine

https://i.imgur.com/pF5wjUNl.jpg

As hard as I tried I could not get the hoses on the defrost ducts because it was too hard to get fingers around. I realized that the hoses can go on before installation and then bend the hose back to reach the fasteners.

https://i.imgur.com/gGLCl6Fl.jpg

Pretty much looks like spaghetti under the dash now.

https://i.imgur.com/6f4pkavl.jpg

I think it all works out. I will buy the Instrument cluster from Dakota soon to make sure I have a home for the controller and those wires.

I have the cut down OE glovebox in and I will post up how to trim that to work with the Vintage Air setup soon. I am taking some mountain bike riding time off this weekend. Hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Nice work!!

It amazes me how much tech is out there to make stuff like this possible. 10 years ago you would have to spend a lot of money just to do stuff like this.

[SlowProgress]

Yes I agree. It is amazing what you can do now.

[SlowProgress]

Wow! Time flies I haven’t worked on the car much in several weeks. I have mostly been picking up a few things and waiting for the weather to cool down. I purchased all the Dakota Digital parts and my GM cooling fan.

https://i.imgur.com/wDM0fFpl.jpg

I have a radiator being designed by C&R to match the fan and my Vintage Air condenser. I really like this fan, 18 inches in diameter and 850 Watts. Looking forward to having this PWM controlled but I still have a long ways to get there.

https://i.imgur.com/GqZ7lPnl.jpg

The Dakota gauge set looks really clean. It is going to be nice to have an accurate, smooth digital setup.

https://i.imgur.com/irPIkUhl.jpg

I spent my time figuring where is the best place to mount all the electrical boxes. It was just sort of a lazy planning weekend. As much as I appreciate all the digital gauges, I am still going to miss the original gauges.

https://i.imgur.com/jLliIVol.jpg

The styling was so good and I can remember the night it rolled over 999999, that was 30years ago and I only put 7K miles on since then. I really need to get this thing running so I can drive the wheels off of it and start piling on the miles and enjoying it again!!

[SlowProgress]

I spent a few hours mounting the Dakota boxes for the gauges and the residual power box that slow dims the interior lights and turns on headlights at dusk. Small jobs but they take a while planning and making the small brackets. I had to pull everything else out to avoid spark damage from the welder.
I added a ground stud to both planning ahead for all the wiring.
Here is the residual power/headlight control box mounted behind the driver’s kick panel.

https://i.imgur.com/3KFhsTgl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EZp0GDfl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RiRcWNdl.jpg

I just mounted the main box up under the cowl where it will be close to the cluster and all the other wires.

https://i.imgur.com/kmNzFV6l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vMDLOKUl.jpg

[KPC67]

Great planning ahead and execution to boot!

[Hotrod1]

I see you are using rivnuts or nutserts. Do you like them and have you had any failures? What brand nut and tool are you using?

[SlowProgress]

Great planning ahead and execution to boot!

Thanks!

I see you are using rivnuts or nutserts. Do you like them and have you had any failures? What brand nut and tool are you using?

I like them, especially for light jobs. I have had them spin in the past when the hole was drilled poorly. I think these are Rivnut brand from Hanson Rivet. I am using a fairly inexpensive squeeze plier tool. It comes with a bunch of different size tips.

https://i.imgur.com/Q2cd33fl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/J8xvg51l.jpg

I think for limited access and larger sizes this style would be easier to squeeze.

https://i.imgur.com/W33V90Nl.jpg

[rickpaw]

I have a radiator being designed by C&R to match the fan and my Vintage Air condenser. I really like this fan, 18 inches in diameter and 850 Watts. Looking forward to having this PWM controlled but I still have a long ways to get there.

http://i.imgur.com/GqZ7lPnl.jpg



What's the make/model of the fan? Is it a GM fan from a Cadillac SRX?

[waynieZ]

Nice job mounting all the boxes. The ground studs are a great idea.

[WSSix]

Those gauges look great!

[SlowProgress]

What's the make/model of the fan? Is it a GM fan from a Cadillac SRX?

I am pretty sure the fan is from the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. The GM part number is 23455465. It is a monster about 22 x 24.

Hope that helps!

Scott

[rickpaw]

I am pretty sure the fan is from the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V. The GM part number is 23455465. It is a monster about 22 x 24.

Hope that helps!

Scott

Thanks. That helps a lot. Great build.

[SlowProgress]

Nothing too glamorous this weekend, I am trying to figure out all under-dash stuff so I can weld up all the stray holes. I like the factory style dash pad in these old cars. I spent some time trimming it for all the extra brackets and the Vintage Air bulkhead. I had the pedals, column and emergency brake in and out about 5 times.

https://i.imgur.com/Q6iMnYvl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vMSp0bJl.jpg

I spot-welded some studs to the firewall so I won’t have anything coming through the other side. I thought to just use some plastic air cleaner style nuts. These are the wrong color but the idea worked great. I will see if I can find them in black with a hex head, or some sort of speed nut that will look good.

https://i.imgur.com/p1zBMzfl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iQwbepql.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TjqMcf2l.jpg


I still plan to put sound mat underneath, but planning to keep the pad. If it doesn't work out I can just take it a shop and have some carpet cut to match.
I will hopefully start mounting the electric throttle pedal next. I need to find a way to make it look nice by hopefully welding on the early style pedal parts.

[SlowProgress]

My radiator showed up this week from C&R. It really looks like a nice piece. .

https://i.imgur.com/n3BMGw6l.jpg

I mounted the Vintage Air condenser and everything lined up perfectly.

https://i.imgur.com/T9b9a07l.jpg

I knew I would need to trim some of the stock fan mounting tabs but it didn’t take too long. If I ever needed a fan on the road these mods could be done easily with a cheap hack saw. I will trim and clean-up a little more to make it look nicer.

https://i.imgur.com/BFQMxeXl.jpg

I like it, slightly modified OEM up against purely fabricated aftermarket.

I was going to work on mounting the throttle pedal but ended up thinking about how the transmission cross-member will tie into the floor. Here is a first draft of what the doubler will look like on the inside.

https://i.imgur.com/GZ5FtGbl.jpg

Unlike some of the DSE cars and Mark’s cars at Sled Alley, I don’t have the seat pans out already. I will try to make it just as stiff, but it will be a little bigger and heavier to keep the seat pan installed.
The idea is the tie into the seat pan for stiffness, and stiffen the floor and trans tunnel at the same time. I haven’t quite got it all worked out but this is close.

[SlowProgress]

Finished the firewall pad installation so I needed to get the throttle pedal in the right spot in case I needed to trim the pad some more.
I Started by installing the stock pedal to take a few reference measurements. I don’t know if it is exactly right but the car drove well so I figured just copy it.

https://i.imgur.com/FGBYQarl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3qm7l5sl.jpg

I ended up lengthening the pedal bracket tabs to fit the firewall contour the best.

https://i.imgur.com/axDU3eFl.jpg

I couldn’t work it out without making this little bracket. Maybe there is a better way but this worked. I will fill the stock pedal holes from the other side at a later date.

https://i.imgur.com/XdLracml.jpg

Here is how it fits.

https://i.imgur.com/LySm3lel.jpg

I just chopped and slotted the pedal bracket to make a home for the stock pedal rod which was also chopped and hacked away from the stock mechanical pedal assy. I ended up lengthening the rod after this. I hate it when I cut stuff twice and it is still too short!!

https://i.imgur.com/mD4OrH9l.jpg

The complete assembly in the middle and parts left-over on the left and right. I just like the look of the stock pedal better than the plastic one that comes with the electric assembly.

https://i.imgur.com/Bi3CcgVl.jpg

Here it is all together with the stock pedals.

https://i.imgur.com/FAVtPctl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kP0Kteyl.jpg

Next move onto either the trans cross-member or radiator install, both pretty big jobs!

[KPC67]

The pedal looks right at home in there. :thumbsup:

[waynieZ]

What a slick setup for the pedal mount and I love the original pedal in there. Please excuse me if I steal your idea.

[SlowProgress]

Thanks for the comments guys. Wayne if you steal the pedal idea it will be perfect. That way if it doesn't work in your car I will still have time to change it before mine is running!!

[waynieZ]

lol I'm not sure about that!

[SlowProgress]

I finished welding the pedal this weekend. I took it nice and slow to avoid overheating anything. I also wrapped the pedal lever with cooper wire dunked in ice water to keep the temperatures down and cooled it with the air hose frequently.

https://i.imgur.com/OLfbaacl.jpg

I put together a simple pedal stop with a shoulder bolt and an old metal self-locking nut. The pedal seems pretty strong but I thought it best to not constantly hit the lever on the side of the housing.

https://i.imgur.com/Ymy6hmvl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/evWaEHIl.jpg

I moved on the transmission cross-member. I started by cutting out and rough bending the top doubler plates. I am using 10 gauge material and I probably used everything in the shop at one point to bend these around. I don’t have the proper rolling equipment so it was more like blacksmithing with a couple of big hammers. I still have a ways to go before they fit well enough to be useful.

https://i.imgur.com/yKtCsdOl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HQlBEhHl.jpg

[Sonar Chief]

That looks really nice for a blacksmith!!! lol Keep up the good work!

[SlowProgress]

I didn't work on the car over the Christmas break because I was out of town for two weeks. Good to get back in the garage!
I got tired of trying to bend the doubler plates over all the wrong things and welded a pipe to my table it really helped.

https://i.imgur.com/MTqE1Ysl.jpg

I cut some slots in the plates to joggled them up over the seat pan. I also drilled a few holes to pull them tight into the corner with some small bolts.

https://i.imgur.com/XvGW7Ybl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JBQI7kDl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5MH9B4tl.jpg

Then some tabs were cut out and tacked up the cross-member brackets.

https://i.imgur.com/AyoQfSal.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YQdKCu1l.jpg

I tacked up a quick transmission support and removed the long cross-member that goes out to the sub-frame - goodbye forever I hope!

https://i.imgur.com/SVKZClol.jpg

I made a simple support to help line up the brackets, marked the sides and cut out the holes in the tunnel. It took quite a while because I didn't know exactly how I was going to do this at first.

https://i.imgur.com/fGUXtobl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/effHcsKl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/r58ZqMjl.jpg

The tabs were trimmed up and tack welded to the doubler plates. This took time taking them in and out of the car many times until it all fit.

https://i.imgur.com/tB8ULnXl.jpg

I started playing with what the cross member pattern will look like. Here is roughly what it will be (half anyway). I need to check all my angles before I cut out the plates for the cross-member. The trans is a bit low in this photo, slightly over 3 degrees down.

https://i.imgur.com/smPpG6Jl.jpg

This week I will weld up the mounts and plates and drill a bunch of holes to prepare to plug weld them into the floor. I will also fab up the short cross-member and get it all welded together and bolted in hopefully.

[KPC67]

http://i.imgur.com/MTqE1Ysl.jpg

You and I have the same brand of bender! I respect that.
Great work on the trans mount, your work is always inspiring.

[CamaroAJ]

http://i.imgur.com/smPpG6Jl.jpg


Instead of putting a mount on the transmission in the middle you could weld poly bushings to each end of the cross member instead.

[SlowProgress]

You and I have the same brand of bender! I respect that.
Great work on the trans mount, your work is always inspiring.

Thanks I appreciate that. I wish I wasn't so slow!

Instead of putting a mount on the transmission in the middle you could weld poly bushings to each end of the cross member instead.

That's a good idea but probably too late for me. I am committed to this setup. I was talking to someone today and what I really would like is a nice soft, factory style clamshell mount on the trans. I will probably try the poly first and see how it works though.

[SlowProgress]

This week I finished the transmission cross-member (almost). I started by finish welding all the brackets and doing a final fit check in the car.

https://i.imgur.com/wlNlMfpl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5pH1d7zl.jpg

Once the fit was good I welded up the front side and drilled all the holes for plug welding.

https://i.imgur.com/nGkArtcl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RvENlXsl.jpg

It took several hours to get all the welds completed and the holes drilled, longer than I expected. It took about an hour per side to get each bracket welded in. Overall, it was pretty easy just time consuming.

https://i.imgur.com/sy5LMmZl.jpg

I cleaned it up a little but it will be under sound mat so I didn’t really need to.

https://i.imgur.com/t9oufpol.jpg

Great to have the tabs and doubler plates welded in.

I cut out the webs for the cross-member with the Makita grinder and a .040 disk one at a time and smoothed them up with a flap wheel. It would be nice to have a band saw but I don’t have the room in my garage.

https://i.imgur.com/feh5g0Fl.jpg

I ended up with one cross-member mount just a little crooked so I had to fit the pieces one at a time.

https://i.imgur.com/PNnRnECl.jpg

Once everything was more-or-less fitted I just tacked it with the MIG. I forgot to turn the gas on so the tacks are pretty sooty!

https://i.imgur.com/NWxqDyRl.jpg

Only thing left to do is finish the welds on the cross-member and it will be done. That should be an easy after work project, 1 or 2 evenings.

https://i.imgur.com/wpQFqVMl.jpg

I am glad to have this behind me. This week I will move on to figuring out the radiator mount and core support mods. This should be a big job because there will need to be a bunch of core support mods to make it fit correctly. It will probably take at least 3-4 weeks (or more). I haven't even thought about how I am going to do it yet!

[rickpaw]

Trans crossmember looks great. Mind if I copy the idea for my 6 speed swap? I'm at parts collecting phase for a TR6060 swap later this year.

Tu

[paulk68]

Unreal craftmanship I am so jelous of you guys that build stuff from scratch, I struggle with brake braket bolts hahaha. looking great can not wait to see what comes next

[SlowProgress]

Trans crossmember looks great. Mind if I copy the idea for my 6 speed swap? I'm at parts collecting phase for a TR6060 swap later this year.

Tu

Sure and make it better so we all gain something. I copied it from Steilow, Dutchboys and Detroit Speed!


Unreal craftsmanship I am so jealous of you guys that build stuff from scratch, I struggle with brake bracket bolts hahaha. looking great can not wait to see what comes next

Thanks for the comment.

[SlowProgress]

I finished the cross-member Friday and Saturday. Not much changed, just trimmed it down and added a couple of details. It seems really stiff with the bolts tightened. I will drill the center holes when I know I am happy with the transmission centering.

https://i.imgur.com/W3X9nnzl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JQj7KBml.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nTNsNr9l.jpg

I moved on the radiator support. Just set it on top at first to start planning out what to do. I know the lower part needs to move down several inches so I started by drilling out the spot welds. It was pretty easy because this thing is flat and I could use the drill press.

https://i.imgur.com/6R7eKaLl.jpg

I am going to move the lower part down so it won’t block the core and also so the radiator is protected from road rash. Probably do something like the Dutch Boys did here to let some air through.


https://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o132/novablue71/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps0417722e.jpg (https://s119.photobucket.com/user/novablue71/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps0417722e.jpg.html)

I will also post in the PWM thread but does anyone know the mating connector to the Cadillac CTSV fan?

https://i.imgur.com/yM7wHTIl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/G9tFVxTl.jpg

Next week just keep plugging away at the core support.

[SlowProgress]

I made some progress on the radiator support mods for the new radiator. I cut the lower stiffener off the donor core support and cleaned up the rusty bits. Then drilled the spot welds and removed the stiffener on the good core support.

https://i.imgur.com/NvYFOKKl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/a3rZqdql.jpg

Then I just started cutting and hacking until it looked about right and tack welded all the pieces together.

https://i.imgur.com/uTmhG6ol.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SCAvkUFl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/k2LEnyLl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/gP1brMhl.jpg

I started trimming the opening, again using parts from the donor core support. This is as far as I got this weekend. You can see the general size of the opening and how the parts are going to fit together. I am going to trim the lower part off that has all the drilled spot holes and replace with clean metal. Right now it is holding everything together.

https://i.imgur.com/tZrSlS4l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Ovw5anml.jpg

This week I will finish the engine side welding and hopefully start on the actual radiator mounts and maybe punch all the holes in the lower stiffener to let more air through. Once the holes are punched I will finish all the welding.

[waynieZ]

Nice job, On all of it, how much did you open it up?

[SlowProgress]

Hey Wayne. It is a little over 2 inches wider and little over 2.5 inches taller. It doesn't seem like much but that is about another 100 square inches of area. That doesn't include some area that will be picked up by the holes in the lower stiffener if I can figure out how to do that.

Scott

[waynieZ]

Nice, it all adds up and helps!

[SlowProgress]

Well the end of the week wasn’t too kind to Camaro work. My son’s car broke down and I spent almost all my free time trouble-shooting electrical gremlins. I had just a little time on Sunday and this evening so I will post up what it have.
The lip is pieced back together and tacked. Then I cut out a filler piece to replace all the holes.

https://i.imgur.com/si4DcIAl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/16DggdXl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/amAlBdol.jpg

I got it all pretty well roughed in tonight and had to stop and clean up my mess.
Front side
https://i.imgur.com/Tw5ZkXul.jpg

Engine side
https://i.imgur.com/pgvbizsl.jpg

I will get it tacked in and drill the dimple holes where the radiator is covered. I could dimple the holes now on the flat part but thought it might make all the edges wavey and slow down the welding. So I guess I will be patient if I have to!!

[SlowProgress]

I had Friday and Monday off and put quite a few hours into the radiator support. It is a tedious job and I didn’t quite finish but all the hard parts are now complete. I finally got the filler pieces all tacked in and dimpled the engine side.

https://i.imgur.com/U5wFyZ9l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/L4nghqjl.jpg

A lot more time than expected was spent welding and grinding the stiffener channel. It is just so many little pieces and lots of holes that needed to be filled. But I got it all pieced back together and found a way to make the dimples.

https://i.imgur.com/se704R8l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yTlJFZgl.jpg
The female die is way bigger than the channel so I just used a piece of aluminum tube with the edges beveled. I didn’t get perfect dimples but they look fine.
https://i.imgur.com/VsfGWdRl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oQCvfUKl.jpg

I played around with paper templates to figure out the mounting brackets. They ended up really simple and I still need to trim them back a little and clean-up the profile.

https://i.imgur.com/GY03vyGl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/95sXcwzl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zZjOgajl.jpg

I mounted the radiator with the top brackets only and put all the sheet metal on the car, as well as the headlights to make sure nothing is in the way. It looks like I can move the radiator at least an inch higher. I will probably move it up to have a little more room for the Vintage Air condenser. I also rolled the car outside to blow all the grinding dust off and clean up the garage a little. It was mid 80s today so it was a perfect day to take some “motivational” photos.

https://i.imgur.com/SP54Ctsl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XRDK4K7l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pwwqglsl.jpg

This week I plan to finish up the radiator support and if that gets done move on to the PCM and fusebox install. There are still a bunch of little welds and grinding to get the core support finished.

[Sonar Chief]

Very Nice .... I love the attention to detail, reminds me of someone else I know, lol!

80's uh? .... that sure is nice weather to work on the Camaro, I'm jealous!

Michael

[SlowProgress]

Don't be jealous. In a few weeks when you are entering Spring I will be hiding inside to avoid 100 degree Temps.

[paulk68]

Looking really good, love all of these pictures.

[SlowProgress]

I finally finished up the core support project. I underestimated it a little. There were so many little welds to execute and clean up. I really learned a lot on this thing.
Due to the location of the lower mount I had to build some hidden doublers with captive nuts. I also built a couple doublers for the lower channel and plug welded them in place. The lower mount bolts go in from the engine side and the upper bolts go in from the front side. I also built an angle stiffener for the vertical sides of the opening to make sure it would be strong and stay flat.

https://i.imgur.com/ktvv462l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5j1O80ul.jpg

Then just lots of plug welds, spot welds and a few more butt welds. I spend several hours grinding all the welds down and also filled a few stray holes. It will require some bodywork before paint and I may fill a few more holes before it get painted.

https://i.imgur.com/NKjOff6l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/l1CioQrl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VU760yjl.jpg

It doesn’t look much different from last week but it is finished this time and I did end up raising it about 7/8" which helped the condenser fit a little better.

https://i.imgur.com/CeI5R0pl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eZ1hYo9l.jpg

Last thing was to install the condenser. I will need to make some spacers to get that pushed forward to allow more room for the hoses on the right side.

https://i.imgur.com/bFk9mQel.jpg

Bonus photo, this is what is left of the bent and rusty donor core support. Thanks Tony for letting me have that!

https://i.imgur.com/kfsgqQll.jpg

Next week start working on mounting the GMPP fuse box and the engine PCM.

[WSSix]

Very nice work! Glad you took pictures since it will all be hidden once the car is back together.

[SlowProgress]

I started out playing around with a flat pattern to mount the ECM. My MSD was already in this location so I just sort of changed it around to fit the GMPP ECM. Made a few paper patterns and then one in metal. I reused the vibration isolators off the old MSD.

https://i.imgur.com/o5GRTV1l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/C3jetz2l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sMonkENl.jpg

The fusebox mount is pretty much flat, except for a little pickup point for the round hole in the fuse box. I used the old battery tray mounting holes.

https://i.imgur.com/aqjK8vsl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/67TCah0l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zK43bU7l.jpg

I probably wasted too much time making the little hold-down clips. I know they can be purchased already made and of course they are thicker and better quality. But it was sort of a challenge to see if I could make them.

https://i.imgur.com/RQFRrA3l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VxiDRNtl.jpg

Overall I think it came out about like I expected.

https://i.imgur.com/udtqyTkl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vKR366yl.jpg

Before long I will be ripping the harness apart and planning all the wire routes. So it will be nice to have the box and ECM mounted to support that.

I just started receiving my stainless exhaust pieces and mufflers. All the oval tube and transitions are on order. Next week I will get started on the exhaust which will take probably 5-6 weeks at my pace (or more). I need to order a driveshaft this week, or I won't be able to route the tubes properly. I also need to figure out the back-purge for my TIG welder.

https://i.imgur.com/iPV6UxCl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ENBrGS0l.jpg

[califconstruct]

Nice fab skills! Good progress!

[frankv11]

Some great work there.

[SlowProgress]

This is a short mid-week update. I received all the exhaust parts from Burns, up to the mufflers. I am looking forward to getting started on this but I will take it slow to avoid too many mistakes. I plan to get the easy part done before I go up and over the axle and figure out how to cut the trunk area. I have lots of extra straight tube so I will probably practice a little before I get going. The plan is to figure out and tack up the transition from the headers and get started on the cross-over this weekend.

https://i.imgur.com/oSlY9Ril.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0xwmTZrl.jpg

I decided to shamelessly copy the cross-over idea from the J-Rod 68 Camaro. I think this one looks really nice.

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq336/fiveone00/68%20Camaro/53CC14F9-4710-4AD5-B0FF-5823F745C6C6.jpg

[KPC67]

no shame in wanting your exhaust to look like that.
I absolutely love all the parts going on your car, you have a good way of executing all the details to boot.
keep at it , you give inspiration.

[SlowProgress]

Thanks for all the kind comments. I didn't get any car work done this weekend but I cleaned the snake pit of a garage and put the car back on the rotisserie (finished adjusting tonight). Dang I am getting too old to do that by myself !!
I will plug away at routing the exhaust and also the fuel line while it is easy to work on. Looks like my pickup will spend another hot Summer outside. There is just no room for a second car now.

Scott

https://i.imgur.com/44DPtRtl.jpg

[paulk68]

Thanks for all the kind comments. I didn't get any car work done this weekend but I cleaned the snake pit of a garage and put the car back on the rotisserie (finished adjusting tonight). Dang I am getting too old to do that by myself !!
I will plug away at routing the exhaust and also the fuel line while it is easy to work on. Looks like my pickup will spend another hot Summer outside. There is just no room for a second car now.

Scott

http://i.imgur.com/44DPtRtl.jpg


This is such a cool shot, car looks awesome

[SlowProgress]

I got a pretty good start on the exhaust this weekend. I had Friday and Monday off which helped. I ran a few errands and got the back-purge setup working pretty well on Friday. I spent a few hours practicing. The purge gas works great with good clean welds on the inside of the tubing. My outside skills are weak. I need to practice a little (lot) more before I do the final welds.

I picked up this (Fupa 12) for my torch. I like the added visibility. It seems pretty sensitive to a light breeze with all that open area. Jury still out whether it will help me or not.

https://i.imgur.com/3UD1Hmml.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Csh5ZH3l.jpg

Once I got the headers back on the car the transitions were pretty easy. They were a good confidence builder.

https://i.imgur.com/KAzzxFwl.jpg

I really got schooled on the cross-over. The basic pipes were not that bad. I got one finished and then just made a mirror image. Getting this far was also pretty easy. First one took a while second half as long.

https://i.imgur.com/d0KzFYPl.jpg

I don’t have a band saw, or good chop saw and it took a long time to get the cross-over worked out. I finally just had to free hand all the cuts, after a failed attempt on my cheap chop saw. That was ok but crooked cuts cost me a lot of sanding time and I wore out two flap wheels. I still have some fine tuning to do.

https://i.imgur.com/ZrWG1DNl.jpg


I put the mufflers up and it looks like I will be able to connect them pretty well. I still haven’t figured out the hangers. I was hoping to have that completed but didn't quite get there.

This week I will try to get the mufflers roughed in and get the tail pipe pieces on order.

[69lsvert]

Nice work!

[SlowProgress]

Still plugging away. Not much progress. I will upload some photos when the rear exhaust routing is almost complete.

https://i.imgur.com/nxcEjjjl.jpg

[SlowProgress]

Well I did make a little progress although nothing like I expected. Stainless just cuts really slow and is hard to work with. I always forget that until I mess with it. This was my life the last few days.

https://i.imgur.com/B0uyP1bl.jpg

I got the hole roughed in on the right side. I went really slow because I kept working on making it fit a little better. The cover needs some modification but here is how it will look.

https://i.imgur.com/gGQaSWxl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TGc5PMml.jpg

This is my high tech way of aligning the segments. This fits pretty well so the left side I will just copy and it should be faster.

https://i.imgur.com/ofakoKMl.jpg

I think my hanger idea is going to work out ok. I thought I could just use a simple off-shelf part but I had to cut them all apart and weld the bits back togher at the right angles. I wasted too much time messing with it trying to use it as-is. Once I cut it apart it only took an hour to get it all aligned and tacked back up. The mufflers will get V-band couplings when the angles are all worked out.

https://i.imgur.com/JS7gzyCl.jpg

Also, this wasted too much of my time this weekend. Seems like I was just stuck doing one sort of plumbing or another !

https://i.imgur.com/kbt3ShUl.jpg

Next week finish the hangers, cut the left side hole and hopefully tack the whole exhaust together and have some feeling of getting this done!

[F'in mine]

Great job on your car, attention to detail top notch........like the hanger bracket- really nice.
Would you mind sharing the source of that flattened exhaust tubing or did you fab that yourself, Thanks!

[SlowProgress]

Great job on your car, attention to detail top notch........like the hanger bracket- really nice.
Would you mind sharing the source of that flattened exhaust tubing or did you fab that yourself, Thanks!

I bought it from Burns Stainless. There are other companies that sell it as well. I think Vibrant also sells an oval tube. The burns quality was pretty good. I bought a few odds and ends from Vibrant but haven't seen their oval tube. It should be pretty easy to find. Stainless is really expensive for sure!

[ragz]

Great fab skills, that exhaust is beautiful...your car off the chart.... 24 pages of wow :trophy-1302:

[SlowProgress]

I didn’t get nearly where I wanted to this weekend but progress is progress.
I finished the trunk cutouts after routing the RH exhaust pipe. It seems like it took forever, definitely something that was slow and challenging to me
Once the RH was done, I just made a paper template and rolled the mirror image for the LH side.

https://i.imgur.com/oN7aX53l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/gGQaSWxl.jpg

Cutting and tacking the LH side took about a quarter of the time it took to do the right. It is nice to have the trunk roughed-in. I probably won’t finish the welding until I have all the other parts removed for bodywork. It will be much easier that way.

https://i.imgur.com/6hJ0cPBl.jpg

I moved on to start working on the LH tail pipe. It is pretty much just a copy the RH side, except where it is mirror image. There are quite a few compound angles and I got the pieces rough cut but not trimmed to the final shape.

https://i.imgur.com/iIZE8S5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mvsOqSXl.jpg

I lost my cleco pliers, shop was dirty and I am tired so I quit for this weekend.

Next week I will just keep plugging away on the exhaust, hopefully I won't make a career out of it!

[waynieZ]

Exhaust looks nice, great progress.

[JKnight]

Looks awesome Scott. I like the style of the the trunk reliefs, they turned out nice too!

[SlowProgress]

Thanks guys. I was sort of burned out this weekend. That is a general sign I need to wrap up and move on to something else!

[SlowProgress]

Well the last few weeks have been busy with everything around the home except the Camaro. I figured I better post a short update so I could still find my thread. I had to wade through cobwebs just to find it!
Ole Yeller broke down a couple weeks ago and cost me a whole weekend repairing the cooling fan. I have toyed with the idea of buying a new TIG machine but I am so close to being done with metal work on this project I thought best to save the money for paint.

https://i.imgur.com/PWruKuKl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2F8nySfl.jpg

My dryer, pool pump, mountain bike and son’s car also decided to check out. Hot weather is upon us in Phoenix and everything needs to be done outside in preparation for a long hot Summer. I always forget how busy the end of Spring is here!
I haven’t really spent much time on the exhaust, ordered a few parts and fine tuning the fit a little.
I did pick up a new workbench which should be fun in the coming weeks!

https://i.imgur.com/Pu6wtLAl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PBxhehFl.jpg

Scott

[SlowProgress]

I took a little break from the Camaro because I was getting a little burned out (literally and figuratively). Hot weather sort of slows down things when I can’t open the garage door anymore. We have a pretty good summer going. So far the hottest day is 119F.
I had a week furlough so I got out and figured out where I left off on the exhaust system 4 weeks ago. I decided to keep this in smaller sections so that it is easy to remove, repair, and even modify in the future. Some V-bands were added directly behind the flex-couplings. I already like how easy it is putting this thing on the car.

https://i.imgur.com/Wczx8aYl.jpg

I had a little difficulty figuring out what I am going to do with the mufflers. I finally decided that everything fits best when the mufflers are angled outward. I modified the X-pipe to kick out and up a little just in front of the mufflers. I also finished tacking the front flanges on the cross-over so it now bolts into place.

https://i.imgur.com/eqRb9zFl.jpg

With the mufflers kicked outward, I had to modify the shape of the finished RH tail pipe. It is pretty much complete but still some minor tweaks.

https://i.imgur.com/OlIycYyl.jpg

Here is a photo of what I have completed all laid out. It will be 7 pieces in all.

https://i.imgur.com/EoKJjMVl.jpg

Next I will perfect the fit of the RH tail pipe, copy for the LH tailpipe, weld the LH muffler inlet flange and figure out what the tail pipe exits are going to look like. It sags a little due to the expansion bellows so I will probably also add another couple of X-pipe hangers up front. After that I can final weld this whole mash-up!
I also started dreaming about getting the car down off the rotisserie so I can start playing with this thing!

https://i.imgur.com/g4PAhsOl.jpg

[WSSix]

Nice work on the exhaust! Your desire to make the system easily removable will definitely pay off in the long run. I took the same approach with my system and am very happy I did. I was able to pull my transmission without removing the headers or even loosening them. All I had to do was pull the mid section of the system out of the car which was two band clamps and two vbands. Easy peesy.

[MeanMike]

I love this build. Your fab work looks great in the raw. It's got me looking for more projects on my "finished" car.

[SlowProgress]

Thanks for the kind comments guys. Just shows you can do anything if you are slow enough :-)

[PTAddict]

Wow, this project is insane - in a good way :-) Pro-level fab skills in a home grown project. Wish I had half that much skill and motivation.

I asked a question about your cooling fan over in the cooling section - trying to order the same thing myself and work with C&R on a custom radiator. You're right that you can never have too much cooling, even if you don't live in AZ.

Scott

[SlowProgress]

Yes the part number in the cooling thread is the same one I show in the photos (23455465).
I think it looks like Mikels also confirmed over in the cooling thread. I bought the fan first and then had C&R draw up the radiator to make sure everything would match. This is probably a good idea because GM may make improvements to the fan at any time!

The radiator I ended up with was similar to one for Stielow but I deleted trans/diff cooler in the RH tank and also the intercooler bracket in front of the radiator, leaving just the Vintage air condenser. C&R are good to work with so don't hesitate to contact them.

I would make a couple of small changes if I had to do it over.

1. The condenser bracket is just a little more flexible on mine than I would like. You may want them to beef that up a little to make sure the condenser screws never flex into the core.
2. Also the VA outlet fittings are pretty close to the core support. If the bracket was moved up and forward slightly I would have had more room for A/C fittings.

These are minor points you can see in my photos, but could save you some fab time if you fix them ahead of time. Don't hesitate to ask more questions. I know I asked a bunch !

Scott

[PTAddict]

Yes the part number in the cooling thread is the same one I show in the photos (23455465).
I think it looks like Mikels also confirmed over in the cooling thread. I bought the fan first and then had C&R draw up the radiator to make sure everything would match. This is probably a good idea because GM may make improvements to the fan at any time!

The radiator I ended up with was similar to one for Stielow but I deleted trans/diff cooler in the RH tank and also the intercooler bracket in front of the radiator, leaving just the Vintage air condenser. C&R are good to work with so don't hesitate to contact them.

I would make a couple of small changes if I had to do it over.

1. The condenser bracket is just a little more flexible on mine than I would like. You may want them to beef that up a little to make sure the condenser screws never flex into the core.
2. Also the VA outlet fittings are pretty close to the core support. If the bracket was moved up and forward slightly I would have had more room for A/C fittings.

These are minor points you can see in my photos, but could save you some fab time if you fix them ahead of time. Don't hesitate to ask more questions. I know I asked a bunch !

Scott

Thanks much Scott for the info and advice. I've already ordered the fan, and I'm in contact with the C&R folks and have drawings to start with. Great people, the kind of folks that make your day just to deal with.

I'm upgrading to an LT4 engine, so I'll have an intercooler in the stack as well. That will change the VA condensor location for me, as well as the core support. I'll end up modding the core support around the cooling stack a la Stielow in JA 2.0. Mine won't look as cool as yours, guaranteed :-)

Keep the posts coming on the rest of your build, awesome car.

Scott

[SlowProgress]

I took off some time last year because I was getting burned out. The last two weekends allowed me get started on the exhaust again, clean the garage and finally get the Mast engine out of the crate and on the engine stand. Not much progress to show but that mast 427 sure looks great, really nice piece of hardware. I threw the manifold on just for fun. It is easier to move around without that big engine crate in the way and the big block rests nicely on the small cradle. I am pretty motivated again!
This week I will try to finish tacking up the LH tailpipe and maybe start some of the final exhaust welding. Here is a quick photo dump.

https://i.imgur.com/6IzqRfK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UY64zD1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YOJkyeT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SEDNBTW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WqNgsoDl.jpg

[waynieZ]

That motor sure is pretty!!

[Sonar Chief]

That motor sure is pretty!!

X2 :gitrdun: