Topics

1

Restoration / The wrong way to replace fenders!

« on: April 09, 2006, 02:32:22 AM »

Hey guys. im getting farther and farther down on my camaro and there was a TON of bondo on this thing.  I took a pic to show you how both rear 1/4's were replaced.  the pic is from the front  but the seam in the back is equally as bad.  The fenders were just laid over the old ones and spot welded then bondo'd.



there was so much bondo covering this up that it was unreal.  I got it almost all the way down on the pass side and part way on the drives.  Im going to replace them with full 1/4s and take care of some of the C pillar(sail panel whatever its called) at the same time.

matt

2

Restoration / Dash

« on: January 14, 2006, 02:05:55 AM »

I was just wondering how far down you can take the dash.  At a first glance it looks like the the only removable pieces are the glove box door, switches and gauges and the vents.  Ive pulled the dash pad off but the rest looks spot welded.  Do you guys leave that along when you are doing a full resto?
thanks
matt

3

Originality / 68 Windshield Trim

« on: January 14, 2006, 01:55:53 AM »

Were all cars except the z28 equiped with chrome window trim around the front and rear windows?  Im not 100% sure I want to replace the chrome trim on my car and I was just interested as to what was available from the factory.
thanks
matt

4

Restoration / Sears Sand Blaster Question

« on: January 14, 2006, 01:52:16 AM »

Hey guys. Im looking to purchase a decent sand blaster so I can strip my car down with walnut shell media.  I stumbled across this one on the sears website.


right now its $45 and it has a 10ft hose and the container will hold 50lbs of media.  The only thing that worries me(besides the 10ft hose) is the nozzel size.  It said 1/4" tip. 

I was just wondering if anyone here has one.  Or if you guys have any reccomendations for an inexpensive sandblaster.

thanks

Matt

5

General Discussion / Rear Seat Removal

« on: January 09, 2006, 12:05:50 AM »

Hey guys.  Im in the process of stripping down my 68 and i was just wondering how you guys get the rear seat out.  I can see under the front of it how it "latches" but is it bolted in the rear?  Also I was wondering about the dash.  How much can you take apart.  Sorry if these are stupid questions.
Thanks
ps here is a blurry pic of my weekends progress.


here is a pic of the A pillar. I found the stock island teal in more then a few places.  mostly the window trim and also the doors.  Whoever painted the car painted the bottom 1/4 of the windows:(.



I finally got into the trunk and I found the schrader valves for the air shocks and pumped them up.  Gives the car a little more attitude.






also has anyone run their cars without front or rear bumpers.  I think it really cleans it up without the bumpers on.

I did find a few things during the tear down.  In both rear 1/4s I found for sale signs.  Must have been on the rear windows and fallen through the window trim.  Also found a sticker on the cardboard glovebox.  Its a replacement and it was purchased in 95 or so.  That makes me think the car was restored then, but i also found a plaque in the trunk that was from a rod run back in 83.  If the car was redone in the 90s i can see how that little plaque made it back into the trunk.  I also found inspection reciepts from 96 and 98.  96 pink slip said 11k on it. 98s say 38k on it so someone did some real driving those 2 years.
thanks
matt

6

General Discussion / Barrel Key In Drivers Door Jamb

« on: November 26, 2005, 12:24:06 AM »

I know im assaulting you guys with a ton of probably silly questions so I appologize, but Im trying to learn as much as possible.  I took this picture to hopefully clarify my question.




im just wondering what this lock might go to without removing the 1/4 panel. 

thanks for the help

matt

7

General Discussion / Seat Belt?

« on: November 25, 2005, 11:40:41 PM »

This might be a stupid question but I was wondering about seat belt configurations for the 68.  I found, on this site, information about diifferent seat belts but mostly about the 67 convertable model.  The reason for asking, my car has shoulder belts on the headliner and rear belts but there is nothing else for the front seats.  From what i can see the seat belts mounted behind the console on the tranny tunnel. I suspect the carpet has been replaced because I cant find any holes to indicate where a seat belt might have been.  The only thing I saw was on the mounting brackets for the front seats.  the mount closest to the tranny tunnel has an additional hole and the bolts were slightly longer which I can only assume accomodated a seat belt bracket and a locator tab.  Does anyone have information and possibly some pictures from a 68 coupe interior.  My interior is standard buckets.

thanks

matt

8

General Discussion / Vinyl Top

« on: November 23, 2005, 08:50:37 PM »

I was just wondering why you dont see many vinyl topped cars?  Were there few from the factory or after repaint do most guys leave them off?

thanks

matt

9

Decoding/Numbers / 68 camaro 350 SS authenticity

« on: November 21, 2005, 10:09:09 PM »

Hey guys, this is my first post, and my first camaro.  It belonged to my brother for the past 5 years who planned to restore it.  He just passed away from cancer and I have the car now with the same plans in mind in his honor.  The car is painted up like an SS and im trying to find out how original it all is but im having some trouble.  Apparently its very hard to identify a 68ss.  The car has 40k on it right now.  I have the title and 96 it had 11k actual miles on it.  Since my brother has had it for 5 years and it wasnt titled since 96 I dont see any way it could have 140k on it.  I know the orig color was not the orange it is today.  It was Island Teal. 
Here is the firewall tag info:

       07C
ST   68-12437 NOR172135  Body
TR     712                  F2    Paint

So ive got the build date as the 3rd week of july, assembled in Norwood, black standard buckets, black vinyl top(which is has) V8 car and Island Teal paint, which i can see on the tranny and apparently in the trunk(dont know yet), i havent gotten in the trunk yet.  Ive pulled numbers off of everything I can find and what I have been finding is discouraging because it really isnt leading me anywhere.  Ill start with the motor and work back and hopefully you guys can give me some insight.
The block casting number is 3970010.  From the info I have found that tells me its either a 302, 327 or a 350.  The numbers I pulled off the block pad behind the alt are what worry me.  I have 161121168  K10  06  CMJ.  The CMJ from what I could find is a Police motor?  That worried me.  Especially since the partial vin didnt match the cars vin, 124378N470312.  The motor has long tube headers, and a qjet with an edelbrock manifold.  The air cleaner says 295hp 350 on it(not that its hard to get).  The Numbers I pulled off the heads were even worse.  333882!!!! smog heads.  And earliest production date was 1970.  So obviously someone has done some monkeying around with the motor.  The tranny in the car best I can tell is a 3 speed thm350.  I pulled the number off the pan, B6C02D which told me the model year was 66?  The number on the drivers side of the tranny was 8640300 but the 3 was backwards.  The numbers say its a turbo 350 but they werent used until 69 right?  The car does have power disc up front which doesnt tell me one thing or the other for sure.  The interior didnt have to be anything special on an SS and this one isnt.  No ac, no tach, it does have a clock on the center console.  Moving back, the car has a 10bolt rear.  I pulled the standard test marks off of it, casting date was F278, june 27, 1968 so atleast it appears to be the orig rear end.  I couldnt find the Axle Stamp but i got the casting number 3894859NF telling me the obvious that its a 10bolt.  The shocks have a small line coming from each one that looks like it goes into the trunk.  Not sure what that is because i havent gotten in the trunk yet but I havent found any info on it.  The car has rallys on it, the rear looking like they came from a vette cause they have 275s on them, too wide for the car. 

hopefully you guys will have some insight for me and point me in a right direction if you made it through all that.
thanks in advance for the help
matt

edit, i forgot to mention i pulled both front seats out looking for a build sheet with no luck.  I read somewhere there might have been one in the rear seat padding, the backrest of the front seats or the bucket of the drivers seat.  once i get in the trunk i can pull the rear seat out and take a look.