My Project

[Plant Engineer]

I only cut the floor out from back of the front seats to the back of the car. Then I welded in the frame rails from the front subframe back to the rear of the car. Keep in mind this is actually a '79 so the back end is completely different inside. Then I cut out the drivers quarter and welded the new one in. Then the passenger quarter . On both I spec'd 70 inner panels too. Then I cut out the rear panel and welded a internal 2x2 cross bar in that the rear sheet metal and bumper brackets attach to. The back panel is plug welded on 16 spots to the cross bar. It really wasnt that difficult to keep everything aligned during welding. I didnt use more that 8 reference marks on the floor, plumb bobs etc. Just lots of measuring and blocking up from the floor.
Plus I'm using Chinese sheetmetal built by people who have no idea what they are manufacturing. Holes are all wrong, dimensions off . Lots of making it fit. The hood is a freakin' disaster. It will takes weeks to get it to fit properly and straight...

Ordered up a gallon of this red today and some good clear. Min wont be this straight for months.

 

[Plant Engineer]

Good times

 

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Really nice progress and really a fun read, who's red is that PPG? and what is the color called looks really nice !! And I also have several Taiwan body parts, for the most part they are fine, just need patience, and to also remember the original stuff didn't fit great either , its just that now , we want everything to line up perfect, and thats a problem with cars that do not have a full solid platform to work from, again, great work, can't believe that was a 79 !!

 

[Plant Engineer]

So my dad, who's 76 now was working on this back when it self identified as a 79 Camaro. He told me he didnt want me to sell it or get it all done and trade it off for something else. He knows me. I told him I would take it and build it for my youngest son but there way no way I would build it as a 79 and I was going to turn it into a 70-ish . Then he gets mad and tells me I'm ruining the value. Make up your mind Dad.

In any case I'll drive it for a few years, pull the 496 and put a 350 in it and let my son get used to 300 HP before he gets the 496 when he turns 25.

 

[hoppin5478]

Nice job, your fabrication skills are amazing. That will be one nice ride when you are all done with it.

 

[Plant Engineer]

Really nice progress and really a fun read, who's red is that PPG? and what is the color called looks really nice !! And I also have several Taiwan body parts, for the most part they are fine, just need patience, and to also remember the original stuff didn't fit great either , its just that now , we want everything to line up perfect, and thats a problem with cars that do not have a full solid platform to work from, again, great work, can't believe that was a 79 !!

Thats a House of Kolor base coat. I forget the exact name but its one of their non candy red metallic base coat paints and it will need a quick shot of red sealer before base coating. . I am thinking about laying down the base coat and then laying down the stripes in the same color but with heavy metal flake damn near bass boat style. Then clearing over the top before cutting and buffing..

 

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That would be really nice , or maybe heavy pearl for the stripes , or mix, either way it should look really nice!!!

 

[Plant Engineer]

Yeah, Ive never been a big fan of pearls. Just looks murky to me.

 

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Hope that turns onnot to be the case, because I am going with PPG Blue Heaven which has tons of blue pearl in it, a $1,000 dollars worth, and will do a little custom add, on the spry out it looks good, but it may be diffrent in red, as I have never seen a red pearl, the color you have picked looks fantastic, and the bass boat idea, addition of metal for the stripes should really be stunning , this is blue heaven,

 

[Plant Engineer]

I was toying with Viper blue but I saw a 77 the other day in a similar color and didnt like it at all.

I'm about 80% done on the hood. Still some weird damage to one of the rear corners that I need to massage out. Got the waves out of the sides and welded in a 3/16" welding rod to the front of the hood as the gap in the center was huge. Gave it a good coat of epoxy primer and its sitting out in the sun until tomorrow to harden . Block sanding and massaging tomorrow.