69 DSE Camaro Build follow along...

[CM Custom Auto]

Hi Guys,

This is my 69 Camaro that is being built over CM Custom Auto in Irwindale, CA. I wanted to share with you all the build process which I'll be docmenting and posting here

I also post some of the before an after shots so you can see what I've been through... wheeew.

The bad news: I went through 2 Painters, got ripped off for lots o' cash and lost almost 2 years in the process. Also I personally aged about 5 years inside of 2 years.
The good news: I finally found a great Painter that's honest, with outstanding work for affordable prices. I was so impressed that I want to share with you all of the info in these future posts so hopefully it will save some of you some headaches and some cash.

So get ready for the good, the bad and the ugly. Please feel free to email me any questions, I'm happy to help anyone going through this type of adventure.
The last pic is the current state of the car. More to come.


Ron

[Sieg]

Looking forward to the ride!

Sorry about the headaches, there's times I wish primer was cool.

[vinz68]

Welcome to the site. Hope you have better luck with the project now.

[dxgxmx]

Good luck with the build.
Looks like its going to be one killer ride

[tones2SS]

Welcome.
Sorry about your misfortunes in the past. You came to the right place.

[87SS]

So how long have you had the car ? Whats the story behind the car ?

I have a 76 T/A that has been sitting in the garage for 12 years or so........my brother drove it in high school and now I want to do stuff to it....but bodywork / paint etc....need to find the right shops or I may just get ripped off too.....I just love all the projects here.

Good Luck !

[waynieZ]

Welcome.

[GregWeld]

Looks good! Sorry you have (like many on here) had your share of 'issues'.

Subscribed! (that means I'll get emails from anything posted in this thread).

[CM Custom Auto]

Thanks guys for making me feel welcome!

I got the car back in 2007 and it was my first introduction into classics. Crazy I know... all these years I had always been into new cars, corvettes mainly.
So naturally I was bit by the classic car bug and haven't looked back since. Now I really only own classics.

The Camaro I feel was a great first choice. Except it looked ok on the outside but we found loads of rust on the inside. This was expensive learning experience #1, to be followed by hundreds more.

Of course it was real easy for most of the guys that looked at the car to say, " You need to replace this & this & this,,," at 65-85 bucks an hour plus parts. I was even told to go get another car by a supposed "High End Orange County Custom Shop." So,... Plan B, just do it yourself. Ok that worked for a while, then the recession hit hard and screwed that.

So the idea was to find an honest, reliable guy which years later and thousands later I did, Carlos Molina at CM Custom Auto. And basically I figured you like Corvettes right? Well, underneath this classic beauty, guess what, it's pretty darn close to... Corvette. It's getting an LS2 and Tremec 6 speed as well. As much as I appreciate classic restorations, I absolutely love the process of making this car a DSE modern classic.

Needless to say, I can't wait to experience the drive, which all of you will be there with as I document it.

Here's some pics from the shop visit today.

Ron

[Ron in SoCal]

Hey Ron! Awesome car bro, love the underpinnings. Please keep us posted...