68 Camaro - Almost Done!

[jeff68]

Here's another Camaro Restoration project nearing completion.

Most of you are familiar with DavidS's white 69 Camaro project. Hopefully the next car to roll out of Labrecque Autocraft will be my 68 Camaro convertible L30/M20. They were tasked with the complete body restoration, installation of most trim, and installation of the convertible top. I'll take care of the interior and final assembly. The original matching-numbers drivetrain has already been restored.

Here's some info on the car:
Purchased new by my Dad at Walt Johnson Chevrolet in Windsor Locks, CT.
Ordered April 17, 1968 (custom build, not an in-stock car)
Delivered July 6, 1968

RPO List:
L30 275 HP 327 cid engine
M20 4-speed transmission
Z87 Custom (Deluxe) Interior
N34 Sport (Wood) steering wheel
D55 center console
U17 console gauges and Tic-Toc-Tac
F41 "special performance" suspension
G80 12 bolt positraction rear end
N10 dual exhaust
Z21 Style Trim Group
ZJ9 Auxiliary Lighting
P01 Wheel Covers
Ash Gold exterior
Ivy Gold interior
White convertible top

No power steering, no A/C, no power brakes.
Sticker Price: $3776.25

Full documentation: original order sheet, original title,
POP, window sticker, and it remains all matching numbers.

Here is the day it was delivered:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro/L30M207-6-68.jpg

The car was taken to LaBrecque Autocraft in September 2010.
Another shop had it for 10+ years before that, and did a bunch of work on it. Supposedly, it was "ready for paint", but I couldn't get the guy to actually paint it. I think he knew it wasn't right and kept procrastinating.
Anyhow, Mike & his crew made it right, which included stripping it back to bare metal & starting over.

Getting the heck out of the other shop:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro/100_3072.jpg

Arrival at LaBrecque Autocraft:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/100_3074_zps4e5a2605.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/IMG_3331_zps32ca9b31.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro/68CamaroatShop.jpg

Work in progress:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/000_2219_zps0d425770.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro12-28-10a_zpsbb565a0c.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-8-12d_zps55d0ff43.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/IMG_4050_zps3a18f00e.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro6-16-2011002a_zps7b92e5e5.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro09-14-11d_zps00ea7f90.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro7-1-11c.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-9-12f_zps44d69e38.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/CamaroPainted2-10-12005_zpsd954cb4d.jpg

Pictures taken last Friday:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro9-14-12001a_zps2ed27673.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro9-14-12008_zps74977942.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro9-14-12006_zpsbdcb74dc.jpg

My Mom & Dad standing next to the car. Dad is 85 now and Mom is holding at 34 (same age as in the "day it was delivered" picture):
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro9-14-12003a_zpscbe7b98e.jpg

[ZFreie]

Gonna look awesome when its done!

[DavidS]

Great pics Jeff and the car looks fantastic.

I bet your Dad gets a big kick out of seeing the exterior paint & body in such pristine condition!

[jeff68]

I bet your Dad gets a big kick out of seeing the exterior paint & body in such pristine condition!

Yeah, the first thing he said when he saw it was "The car never looked this good, even when it was brand new."

[Formula413]

Looking great, I bet your dad can't wait to go for a ride in that thing!

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

Awesome stuff when you can bring back the family car! And dad gets to see it all happen! congrats!

[jeff68]

.. I bet your dad can't wait to go for a ride in that thing!

He says he wants to drive it!!!!
(I don't think he's driven a stick in 20 years, so we may need to discuss that a little.)

[ZFreie]

He says he wants to drive it!!!!
(I don't think he's driven a stick in 20 years, so we may need to discuss that a little.)Sounds like a good way to break in a clutch lol

[jeff68]

Sounds like a good way to break in a clutch lol

Funny you should mention that. I put a new clutch & GM flywheel in it ages ago, but have only yard driven it since then. I thought I felt a tiny bit of vibration on engagement, and mentioned it to my Dad. My Dad said, "Back in the day, we'd put the front bumper against a tree and bed that new clutch right in. We can do that with the Camaro." He wasn't joking. I always appreciate the 'old school' advice, but sometimes I have to pass on it.

[frankzlt1]

:Car looks awesome jeff. did you leave the convertible ballasts in the 4 corners of the car? I heard a lot of people take them out because they weigh so much.

[jeff68]

^Thanks. Yes, I left the ballasts. Since I didn't add subframe connectors, I felt it was best to leave them to help dampen things a little.

[DAWG]

looking good!

[DavidS]

Jeff,

How much is left before you can take it out? Mike mentioned waiting for the convertible roof material.

It looks like you are very close to taking it home.

David

[jeff68]

Well, there isn't all that much left. I didn't talk to Mike last week at all, but I'm assuming he got the quarter glass installed and the convertible top frame on (hopefully). Mike has a sample of the top material and is supposed to be getting a sample to confirm the new convertible top material.

The only thing holding us back is the windshield header moldings. I bought NOS moldings years ago, but the chrome was really bad and was actually peeling in places. Good thing, because the ends that wrap around and meet the wide vertical pillar moldings needed a little trimming. Anyhow, they are at the chrome shop but may not be done for another 4-6 weeks (ouch!).

Once the header moldings are back & installed, the convertible top frame can be latched & locked-down into position. This will allow final fit of the glass. Once this is done, the convertible top goes on. The bumpers and rocker trim also need to be installed.

I would say only a few weeks of work after getting the windshield header moldings back from Advanced Plating. I'm ready!!!

[DavidS]

I would say only a few weeks of work after getting the windshield header moldings back from Advanced Plating. I'm ready!!!

Did you get them back yet? How do they look? I sent my door handles to Advanced Plating two weeks ago.

When is the 68 going to be back in your garage?

[jeff68]

First of all, my apologies for not keeping this thread up-to-date.

The car is finally home!!!! It came home this past Friday. Mike's trailer wouldn't make it up my driveway - the tail end was just too low. So, we went to plan B. Using a Y-shaped tow strap arrangement (that Mike just happened to have with him), I hooked the Camaro to the back of my pickup and towed it up the driveway.

As a side note, the 94 Dodge Ram 1500 2WD is another one of my Dad's vehicles that has made it into my possession. It only has 45k on it and it's never been driven through a New England winter. Not a spec of body rust!

I've already logged in quite a few garage hours. I have a list of stuff a mile long to do!!!

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-22-13002_zps7afa9fba.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-22-13005_zpsee43723f.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-22-13006_zpse7876030.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-22-13010_zpse41fb7c0.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro2-22-13012_zps51c95ebf.jpg

[DavidS]

Congrats!!!!!!

:sFun_crazydance::yaaaay::sCh_elmodance::ummdance: :D:sFun_bananacolors::jackson:

[My84Z]

Nice!!

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

SWEEETTT!!!!! so why wasnt it driven into the garage? still not 100% complete?

[jeff68]

SWEEETTT!!!!! so why wasnt it driven into the garage? still not 100% complete?

Yeah, no exhaust, fuel tank, battery, dash switches, interior, etc. I also have to install the original rebuilt Q-Jet. No sense paying $70/hr to have the shop do it. I'm broke from the body & paint!!!!!

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

yeah good call. id have done the same. have them make the chassis mint and then finish the mechanical. with your dads help????

[jeff68]

with your dads help????

My Dad is 85, so he's in Fort Myers for the winter along with all the other old people. I talk to him all the time, so he is my Project Consultant. Usually I call him, but now that the car is home, I'm the one getting the phone calls.

I'm going to try to get the car completed by the end of April. That's when my Mom & Dad stop to visit me on their way back to York Harbor, Maine. I can't wait to take my parents out for a ride in it!

[DavidS]

My Dad is 85, so he's in Fort Myers for the winter along with all the other old people. I talk to him all the time, so he is my Project Consultant. Usually I call him, but now that the car is home, I'm the one getting the phone calls.

I'm going to try to get the car completed by the end of April. That's when my Mom & Dad stop to visit me on their way back to York Harbor, Maine. I can't wait to take my parents out for a ride in it!

That's great!!! You dad is going to love it on his first ride since the restoration.

[jeff68]

Making progress - slow but sure. Really sucks to have to go to a day job to pay the bills - it really gets in the way of Camaro stuff.

I'm going for just a little bit of a day 2 vibe with the car. Hence the repro of the old GM open element air cleaner and the spreaders on the valve covers. Other than that, she's pretty much stock appearing.

Under the air cleaner is the original Q-Jet that's been massaged by Cliff Ruggles. Engine was rebuilt roughly 5k miles ago (but almost 30, yes 30, years ago by Precision Automotive in Simsbury). Original rebuilt alternator, master cylinder (including orig bail & cover), voltage regulator, radiator. Original distributor & coil. It's kind of neat to think about all the parts still on this car that were on it when it rolled off the line back in 68.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro3-1-13001_zps9335ea78.jpg

[DavidS]

Engine was rebuilt roughly 5k miles ago (but almost 30, yes 30, years ago by Precision Automotive in Simsbury).

Holy Moly!!!! 30 years? I didn't know they had been around that long.

Funny that I stopped in there about an hour ago to tell them the 427 engine they rebuilt was at the Maratta show.

[jeff68]

Holy Moly!!!! 30 years? I didn't know they had been around that long.

Yeah, I think it was 1985 when they rebuilt it. I hope it stands the test of time.

That little 327 surprised a lot of people back in the day. The car looks fairly 'plain jane', and most people assumed it was a base powerglide car. I remember Norman telling me that it was a scrappy little engine. I can't wait to see how it runs with the Q-Jet optimized and the ignition advance map corrected. Just picked up my advance kit and new vacuum advance canister today. Now, I just need to get it running so I can set everything up. So much left to do before getting to that point.

Good luck at the auto show. Wish I could make it. I'd love to see some pictures though, so don't forget your camera!!

[frankzlt1]

Car looks amazing, thats awesome on having a lot of original parts still on the car.

[jeff68]

Just finished installing the grille, headlight buckets and moldings. NOS grille, center emblem, parking light assemblies & headlight bezels. Upper & lower grille moldings are CHQ and only required a little trimming on the ends to mate up nicely with the NOS stuff. I have NOS T-3 headlights, but decided to remove them & install reproduction halogen T-3 lights instead.

Crappy pic taken thru the divider curtain:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro3-7-13002_zps446c751c.jpg

Looks pretty good I think:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro3-7-13005_zps6b236aea.jpg

[DavidS]

Very Nice! You're making a lot of progress.

[jeff68]

Thanks. I'm trying!!!!

[frankzlt1]

Lookin good.

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

car looks awesome!!!! dad excited??

[jeff68]

dad excited??

He certainly is! My Mom is really excited too. She's funny. Sometimes I get caught up on little things that nobody else will see or notice. She says "The car is absolutely beautiful. Would you quit worrying that poor car to death and just drive it". I've learned a lot over the past 44 years, and one of them is to always listen to your mother.

[BigMac76]

Lol, yup mom always knows best. Car is looking great!

[jeff68]

My original radiator cap just came back from being restored by Joe Perri. He did a very nice job.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/CamaroRC15restored001_zps8386e8b2.jpg

[DavidS]

Terrific job. It looks perfect.

[jeff68]

Terrific job. It looks perfect.
Yeah, Joe seemed pretty excited when he got it. He said it was a great core and he was very happy with how it turned out.

[frankzlt1]

Wow if you didnt say it was refinished you wouldnt even know. What great job.

[jeff68]

Lots of time spent on stuff the average person will never see, but it helps me sleep at night:

1) Cleaned the entire front suspension and freshened up the paint on a few things.
2) Installed sway bar end links (originals, re-plated) and lower A-arm bumpers.
3) Installed new brakes: NOS Delco shoes along with all new springs & adjusters. Drums are factory original and in beautiful shape.
4) Repacked wheel bearings, installed new seals, installed hubs & set end play (hey, if you have a dial indicator & mag base for it you have play with it some time).

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro3-17-13002_zps53931db3.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro3-17-13003_zpsdc20b1ab.jpg

[DavidS]

Looking very nice Jeff.

Did you get the springs from Heartbeat City?

[frankzlt1]

Looking really good, I haven't seen finned drums like that in a long time.

[jeff68]

Did you get the springs from Heartbeat City?

No, the front springs are factory original to the car.

[jeff68]

OK, so instead of giving the rear end of the car a quick cleanup and fresh coat of paint, I decided to take everything apart. Hey, why not, right?

I had installed the wrong replacement style U-bolts and the e-brake cables weren't correct anyway. Luckily, all rubber bushings & spring pads were replaced with GM parts 20 years back when they were still available, and everything was still like new.

Here is an original T-bolt (right) next to an AMK repro. I'm going to stick with the originals on these to retain the correct "M" head marking. I'll use new correct U-bolts & nuts all around at final assembly.
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/TBoltsb_zpsc0f150e3.jpg

Springs were cleaned up and given a fresh coat of satin black:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/CamaroSprings001_zps98060b24.jpg

3M Body Shutz was used at the body shop to duplicate the undercoating in the rear wheel wells. Mike test-sprayed some samples to get the right texture, but the final texture came out too much like sandpaper - imagine like a 20 grit paper, very rough. So, I used a very stiff bristled scrub brush (plastic bristles) to knock down the peaks, which really smoothed it out. However, it still wasn't the exact texture I was looking for. So, I topcoated it with 3M 08883 undercoating and it came out perfect. A nice heavy texture, but not 'scratchy'. I wanted to be able to clean the undercoating with a damp towel, and this finish is perfect. I'll also give the rear subframe rails a fresh coat of satin black - just haven't gotten there yet.
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/CamaroUndercoatinga_zps9fbff4db.jpg

Next up is cleaning & painting the rear end.

[DavidS]

Nice!!! It's looking great Jeff.

For the undercoating, did you look at original cars to determine the texture?

A friend of mine in North Granby has an original 67 396 SS and I took a few pictures of his wheel wells about 6 months ago but I have to find the pics. In front there was nothing for undercoating, but quite a bit in the back.

[frankzlt1]

Looks great. The car is going to be to nice to drive lol.

[jeff68]

For the undercoating, did you look at original cars to determine the texture?
Yes, my car actually had the original undercoating in the rear wheel wells. Very thick, with heavy texture, drips, and 'striping' where passes overlapped. Only some of the u-coat was stripped in the rear when the quarter work was done. So, the plan was to keep the original stuff and build up new u-coat in the stripped areas, then blend with the original. However, after Mike sprayed & blended the new u-coat, things went bad quickly. The new u-coat started to lift the existing stuff around the edges. When Mike started scraping with a plastic scraper, the original u-coat came off in big sheets. You could see the original Ash Gold paint underneath! So, everything got stripped, epoxy primed, then undercoated.

I'm actually glad it went down this way. I feel a lot better knowing that there is nothing hiding in the rear wheel wells.

For the front, I still have the original inner fenders off the car. They have heavy u-coat, mainly in the area behind the tire - just like the AIM shows. I tried all sorts of things to duplicate it, but I eventually just ended up spraying the entire inside of the new inner fenders with many coats of 3M 08883 undercoating.

[jeff68]

The car is going to be to nice to drive lol.

Drive it? Are you kidding? It might get dirty. Hehehe.

[frankzlt1]

How's the car comming?

[jeff68]

Slow ... and frustrating...

The rear end is finally back together. New brake shoes & hardware along with new e-brake cables.

Now, I wanted to make sure that the pinion flange nut was properly torqued - good idea I figured. So I removed the driveshaft and cleaned & repainted it. Then I pulled the pinion nut, inspected & cleaned the threads. For re-assembly, I figured I would simply apply the brake by jamming a 2x4 between the brake pedal and one of the floor reinforcements, allowing me to torque the nut. But the brake pedal went almost to the floor - and I could still turn the rear drums by hand. WTF? No fluid in the master cylinder for the rear circuit! Argh! I had the shop install my original (rebuilt) brake master cylinder and all new stainless brake lines, so I was a little upset about finding this. I found a slow leak at one of the fittings, so I tightened it, added fluid, and bled the brakes. I kept hard pressure on the pedal for about 12 hours, and all looks good. Still not sure what really happened there. Anyhow, I finally got the pinion flange back on & the nut properly torqued.

I also took a little detour on the shifter. Figured I should remove the shifter and clean off all the body shop dust & grime. It is the original Muncie shifter that came on the original M20 Saginaw transmission. The thing is super sloppy, and it would leave the trans stuck in gear at times. So I talked to my dad, and he cursed the shifter as well, saying it left him stuck in 2nd gear more than once. So, I located an older (read as "made in USA") Hurst Competition Plus shifter. My dad said that's what he wanted to install 'back in the day', so that's what I did. Just finished installing it last night and I can't believe I put up with the original shifter for so long. Night & day difference. I have the chrome ball for it, so with the exception of the HURST logo on the stick, it looks fairly stock. Sorry I didn't take any pictures, but it sure looks pretty!

Then I went to hook up the backup light switch, only to find that the switch doesn't work. Oh well...

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-7-13b_zpscf69c261.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-7-13b_zpscf69c261.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-7-13002_zps359ffbd3.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-7-13002_zps359ffbd3.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-7-13a_zps64cd288a.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-7-13a_zps64cd288a.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-14-13b_zps078e6b44.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-14-13b_zps078e6b44.jpg.html)

[frankzlt1]

Wow looking good. The shifter problem I think they were build that way I had a same problems with 79 z28 with the Saginaw I had lol.

[Northeast Rod Run]

nothing like a clean undercarriage!

[ILuvPizzaTimes10]

is it done yet!?!?!?!

[jeff68]

After installing the new backup light switch, the shifter installation is finally complete! I was concerned about fit-up with the console, but the shift lever is right where it is supposed to be. Imagine that. I also decided to ditch the nylon shift rod bushings and install the hardened steel ones.

Got the driveshaft installed as well.

Slow but sure progress.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-20-13004Medium_zps98d1f36b.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-20-13004Medium_zps98d1f36b.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-20-13003Medium_zps6871ac34.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-20-13003Medium_zps6871ac34.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-20-13002Medium_zpsa42098f4.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-20-13002Medium_zpsa42098f4.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro4-20-13001Medium_zps75f93284.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro4-20-13001Medium_zps75f93284.jpg.html)

[frankzlt1]

so clean looks awesome!!!

[jeff68]

Following installed:
Gardner exhaust
Fuel tank
Delco air shocks
Wheel opening moldings
Rally wheels w/ polyglas tires

It's getting there...

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro5-3-13008_zpsa204d9bf.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro5-3-13008_zpsa204d9bf.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro5-3-13007_zps318bb683.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/jac04/media/Camaro5-3-13007_zps318bb683.jpg.html)

[DavidS]

Very nice Jeff!!!

I bet it's so close you can count the hours until completion.

[frankzlt1]

Wow really nice

[frankzlt1]

Are you driving the camaro yet?

[jeff68]

Are you driving the camaro yet?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is yes, but I only got around the neighborhood. I got the carb tuned and the timing map set, then I noticed that only one front brake was working. Leaky front wheel cylinder. Fixed that, but the clutch chatters like crazy. Really bad. So bad that I won't drive it.

I replaced the clutch, flywheel, & TO bearing back in the day, about 20 years ago. I have a feeling that I didn't get the TO bearing on the clutch fork correctly. So, now I have to pull the transmission. This time, I'm not messing around. I'm going to:
1) Have the new GM flywheel resurfaced (just to be sure)
2) Put in a new Luk clutch disc & pressure plate
3) Install new bronze pilot bushing
4) Install new GM clutch fork
5) Install a new US-made TO bearing.
6) Install new GM pivot ball stud
7) Install a NOS GM transmission input bearing retainer (the 'tube' that the TO bearing slides on).

Hopefully that will do it. I have all the parts. I just need to do the job, which I'm not looking forward to.

I'm in the middle of some house projects, so the clutch job is being delayed a little.

[frankzlt1]

Good to here its mobile but sux that you have to tare into the clutch. Those dam house projects always get in the way of the real work lol.

[jeff68]

OK, it's (basically) done. Clutch works great - nice & smooth. The bad news is I found that the front brakes didn't work well after fixing the leaky wheel cylinder and installing a new set of NAPA organic shoes. I had bought NOS front & rear Delco shoes (boxes dated 1971), but one side of the front got ruined from the leaky cylinder. Luckily, the guy I bought them from had another front set. I installed them, adjusted the brakes and everything is back to normal.

All I can say about the car is WOW! It seems way faster than I remember - and it makes all those sweet small block sounds. I'm having a hard time keeping my foot out of it. The Polyglas tires actually ride quite nicely and hook up well in a straight line. But if I get on it pulling out of the neighborhood, the back end comes out fairly easy. It's a little weird - no tire noise, no smoke, just spinning tires.

The car still needs to go back to LaBrecque Autocraft for the final paint buff-out, but it looks pretty good after a clean-up with the Griot's Speed-Shine kit that the family got me for Father's day.

Anyhow, I'm a happy camper. My dad will be visiting at the end of October and he can't wait to go for a ride. At 86, he doesn't want to drive it, but I'll make sure we put the 'ol girl through her paces.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro9-29-13007_zpsfe89f3be.jpg

[DavidS]

Sweet!!!! The car looks fantastic!

[ls6monte]

Awesome! Enjoy it now!

[frankzlt1]

Came out really great. Its so different seeing a car that color,it came awesome.

[jeff68]

Thanks everyone!

It's been a long road with this car, and I'm ready to enjoy it. I really like working on cars when I want to, but when I have to, it's not much fun. The clutch job wasn't fun at all, and I didn't enjoy working on the front brakes one bit.

But, that's all behind me now, and cruising down the road with the top down is just plain awesome. I have tomorrow off, and I'm planning on putting some open-air miles on the car - the weather is perfect.

Hey David - maybe I'll swing by and we can go cruising tomorrow - but you need to take the Z out !!!

[DavidS]

Thanks everyone!

It's been a long road with this car, and I'm ready to enjoy it. I really like working on cars when I want to, but when I have to, it's not much fun. The clutch job wasn't fun at all, and I didn't enjoy working on the front brakes one bit.

But, that's all behind me now, and cruising down the road with the top down is just plain awesome. I have tomorrow off, and I'm planning on putting some open-air miles on the car - the weather is perfect.

Hey David - maybe I'll swing by and we can go cruising tomorrow - but you need to take the Z out !!!

The Z is still in Mike's shop. He still had to tune the carb and a few other small jobs. I told him I was in no rush since I was between houses. I'll probably get it back in a few weeks.

If you want to stop by, I'll only be here in until 9 am since I have to go finish pressure washing the old house.

This weekend, I might go to the tiny car show at Celebrate Granby on Saturday. On Sunday there is Cartoberfest in New Hartford. If you want to go to one of the shows, let me know and I'll find the center caps, for the 2nd time since I am very disorganized lately. LOL. There are no trophies at either show which is A-OK with me.

[jeff68]

If you want to go to one of the shows, let me know and I'll find the center caps...

Oh yeah, almost forgot about the caps. I probably won't go to the shows, but I'll try to get together with you some time to get the caps. Thanks.

Also, a big THANKS for the Echoes of Norwood book. I'm about 1/2 way through it. Very interesting read. I hope to finish it by the end of the month so I can pass it along to my Dad on his way to Florida for the winter.

[DavidS]

Oh yeah, almost forgot about the caps. I probably won't go to the shows, but I'll try to get together with you some time to get the caps. Thanks.

Also, a big THANKS for the Echoes of Norwood book. I'm about 1/2 way through it. Very interesting read. I hope to finish it by the end of the month so I can pass it along to my Dad on his way to Florida for the winter.

You're welcome! I haven't even started reading mine yet. It would probably take 2 weeks to find it right now anyway. It's amazing how much "stuff" you can accumulate after living in the same place for 14 years. I didn't sort anything out and just "displaced the junk" from the old place to the new place. I figure sorting everything out can be my winter project. HA! HA!

[DAWG]

car looks great!

[jeff68]

car looks great!

Thanks Dawg!

[jeff68]

Next order of business is the wheels. I love the Polyglas tires, but I'm still not sure about the rally wheels. It just seems that everyone has them, and I want to be a bit different.

My choices are:
1) Original P01 wheel covers that came on the car (I have a NOS set)
2) N96 "simulated mag" wheel covers (have access to a NOS set, but big $$$)
3) Dog dish caps (I have a NOS set) with trim rings on original wheels

Not sure what to do, but I'm leaning toward the dog dish & trim rings. That way I could still run the 'born with' wheels on the car.

P01 wheel covers:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro/L30M207-6-68.jpg

Dog dish & trim rings (trial fit):
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camarodogdishamptrimrings003_zpse31bc24b.jpg

N96 wheel covers:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/N96covers_zpsf9a1370c.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/N96covers68camaro_zpsa321465e.jpg

[DavidS]

I'm voting for #3, dog dish & trim rings.

[Formula413]

Out of those three, dog dishes all the way.

[DavidS]

But if you want to get a pic of your car with my deep dog dishes, let me know. You can have the ones I've got (I'm pretty sure I can still find them) as long as they're going on your car. I think you should consider those as option #4.

Here is a pic of my 68 with deep dog dishes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/pratt1/Camaro/1.jpg

You might want to have something different.....but I think they look great.

[LSX-Nation]

It does look good congrats.

[jeff68]

I think I'll pop the NOS P01 wheel covers over the existing rally wheels and run it like that for a little bit. Then I can blast & paint the original wheels so I can run the dog dish & trim rings if I want.

My Dad always ran the original P01 wheel covers, and with Goodyear Polyglas F70-14 white letter tires for most of its life. It's kind of a sleeper look, and certainly different. I don't think I've ever seen those wheel covers on a restored car in person.

My Dad said that back in the day people would look at the car and wonder what those 'high performance' tires were doing on that "plain jane" car. Then he'd hit the go pedal and let the L30 327 and F41 suspension show them.

[DavidS]

My Dad always ran the original P01 wheel covers, and with Goodyear Polyglas F70-14 white letter tires for most of its life. It's kind of a sleeper look, and certainly different. I don't think I've ever seen those wheel covers on a restored car in person.


It's definitely different. I've looked at a lot of wheels and haven't seen them at any shows.

Make the car how you want it. You have really been through the wringer (times 10) with your car and you should go with what seems right!

[jeff68]

Yeah, but I really don't know what I want to do. I know I want to be different. I actually really like the N96 wheel covers. My Dad isn't too keen on them, and I want to make him happy too.

Now, my Dad & I discussed getting a set of old school 14"x6" 5-spoke Hurst wheels. I know repros are available, but we'll keep our eyes out for a set of real ones to restore

I'm really bummed out right now, though. I went to put on the P01 wheel covers (onto the rally wheels). I guess the rally wheels are just a little different, because I can't get the wheel covers to go on. They fit fine (although a little tight) on the original wheels.

So, it looks like the original wheels will need to be refinished no matter what. I can go all black and use the P01 wheel covers or N96 covers, or paint the faces silver and install the dog dish caps & trim rings.

I'll head down to The Wheel Shop in Windsor Locks to see what they get for refinishing a set of steelies. I just can't pay for 3 hours each in labor (at $70/hr) plus materials.

[jeff68]

I dropped the original steel wheels off at The Wheel Shop in Windsor Locks today. $80 each to blast them to bare metal and refinish in semi-gloss single stage urethane paint. A very fair price I think. I'll report back on how they turn out.

[jeff68]

I got the steel wheels back from The Wheel Shop. I'm not very impressed. They didn't sandblast (or even clean up) the inside of the lips or the bead seating areas - almost like they blasted the wheels with the tires still on them. The paint coverage is decent on the outside, but they failed to get any paint down in the corners. Paint coverage on the inside is very thin.

So, I've been cleaning up the lip & bead areas by hand, and I'll re-shoot them with satin black myself.

I wouldn't be too happy if I had paid more than $80 each. However, I think I got what I paid for.

[DavidS]

I got the steel wheels back from The Wheel Shop. I'm not very impressed. They didn't sandblast (or even clean up) the inside of the lips or the bead seating areas - almost like they blasted the wheels with the tires still on them. The paint coverage is decent on the outside, but they failed to get any paint down in the corners. Paint coverage on the inside is very thin.

So, I've been cleaning up the lip & bead areas by hand, and I'll re-shoot them with satin black myself.

I wouldn't be too happy if I had paid more than $80 each. However, I think I got what I paid for.
Sounds like they did a horrible job and you're having to redo the whole thing.

I'll have to remember to never use the Wheel Shop in Windsor Locks.

[DAWG]

that sucks!
I took my bent alloy wheel to CT wheel repair a few years ago and they did an outstanding job?
Is this the same place?
http://www.ctwheelrepair.com/index.html

[Grovlet]

Wheel Shop (http://wheelshopllc.com/index.html) is in Windsor Locks

CT Wheel Repair (http://www.ctwheelrepair.com/index.html) appears to be a different shop in South Windsor

Interesting - Didn't know we had two wheel repair shops that close together....:drivingwheel:

[DavidS]

Thanks Eric! I didn't realize that either.

[jeff68]

Sounds like they did a horrible job and you're having to redo the whole thing.
Kind of. I've spent a few hours cleaning the lip & bead areas and spot-shooting them with some spray-bomb etching primer. For the wheel faces, I'm using their not-so-good paint job as a base. Now I just need to scuff the faces & shoot them with satin black. A big PITA, and something I wasn't planning on doing!

[DavidS]

Kind of. I've spent a few hours cleaning the lip & bead areas and spot-shooting them with some spray-bomb etching primer. For the wheel faces, I'm using their not-so-good paint job as a base. Now I just need to scuff the faces & shoot them with satin black. A big PITA, and something I wasn't planning on doing!
Sounds like you're on your way to getting it straightened out.

Was your Dad able to take a ride?

[jeff68]

Was your Dad able to take a ride?

Oh yeah. On Nov 2nd my Mom & Dad came to visit. I started the car before they arrived and the fuel line from the pump to the carb leaked - at BOTH ends! Actually, the carb inlet fitting was leaking, but either way, it wasn't something I was expecting. I tightened the fittings as a temporary fix. I now have a new line and inlet fitting gasket(s) to install. The existing line has a nick on the sealing surface at the fuel pump, and the inlet fitting fiber gasket wasn't in very good shape - I'm replacing it with a thicker nylon one which should seal better.


OK, back to the story...
It was a beautiful day. My Mom got in and commented on how small the back seat was, which was followed by a few obligatory 'back seat' jokes. We got my Dad buckled in, and off we went. They both commented on how nice the car rides - and it really does ride nice. Since I had the car running previously, it was up to temperature, so the first order of business was opening up those big Q-Jet secondaries and rowing through the gears. I'm so glad I installed a Hurst shifter - the car has never shifted this nicely. My Dad even commented on the shifter, and grabbed a few gears from the passenger seat. The new Gardner exhaust sounds beautiful - maybe a little louder than stock - my Dad thought it sounded great, but Mom thought it was a little on the loud side. Cruising around, my Mom complained about the wind from the back seat - Dad & I pretended we couldn't hear her. All 3 of us were grinning from ear to ear the whole time.

My Dad didn't want to drive, but he did get behind the wheel for a photo op. A great day!

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/CamaroNov22013A_zps2a2c1b17.jpg

[ls6monte]

Sweet! Glad everybody enjoyed the ride!

[jeff68]

OK, it's been a while since I've posted here, and I apologize for that...

The Camaro is now officially done!!! NOS wheels covers are now on and just the way it came from the factory, and it really gives the car a no-nonsense look.

I got into the Lime Rock Concours (with a little inspiration from David S.), and got 3rd place in the Domestic Dynamite class. I'm very proud of that, since there were some REALLY nice cars there. Not too bad for a car with hubcaps and no spoilers or stripes!!

So, here are a few updated pictures:

Before (July 6, 1968) and after:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/68%20Camaro%20Before%20amp%20After_zpswdene9hv.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%208-1-15%20SITP_zpswxnp0mtc.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%208-1-15%20SITP%20a_zpslq0yol1b.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%20Sept%202015%20Under%20a_zps48up3nwi.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%20Sept%202015%20Under%201a_zpskgtcmbiu.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Lime%20Rock%20Concours%202015%202_zpsovopdl75.jpg

[frankzlt1]

Looks awesome.

[DavidS]

OK, it's been a while since I've posted here, and I apologize for that...

The Camaro is now officially done!!! NOS wheels covers are now on and just the way it came from the factory, and it really gives the car a no-nonsense look.

I got into the Lime Rock Concours (with a little inspiration from David S.), and got 3rd place in the Domestic Dynamite class. I'm very proud of that, since there were some REALLY nice cars there. Not too bad for a car with hubcaps and no spoilers or stripes!!

So, here are a few updated pictures:

Before (July 6, 1968) and after:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/68%20Camaro%20Before%20amp%20After_zpswdene9hv.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%208-1-15%20SITP_zpswxnp0mtc.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%208-1-15%20SITP%20a_zpslq0yol1b.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%20Sept%202015%20Under%20a_zps48up3nwi.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Camaro%20Sept%202015%20Under%201a_zpskgtcmbiu.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/Lime%20Rock%20Concours%202015%202_zpsovopdl75.jpg


Looks great Jeff! I like the way it changes color depending on the amount of light hitting it.

The first two pictures with the before and after are pretty wild too.

[Formula413]

Crazy seeing a brand new '68 Camaro

[jeff68]

Looks great Jeff! I like the way it changes color depending on the amount of light hitting it.

The first two pictures with the before and after are pretty wild too.

Yeah, it's a funky 60's color for sure. Sometimes it's more gold, sometimes it's more green, and other times it looks silver w/ a hint of green.

The kids have named the Camaro "Ash" after the official color name, which is Ash Gold.

The kids have also named my other cars:
"Dodger" is my rust-free 94 Dodge Ram 1500 2WD (also belonged to my Dad, just hit 50k, and has never seen salt). My next restoration project????? Hellcat engine swap candidate???
"The Silver Bullet" is my 06 Subaru Legacy wagon (it's a 2.5NA and S L O W).
"Ruby" is the Jeep Rubicon
My wife's car is just "Mom's Car" for some strange reason. I guess the kids weren't feeling too creative on that one.

Here's a cool pic that Kevin @ LaBrecque Autocraft took, showing the variations in the color:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j126/jac04/11928731_736237546522860_8511687522986130777_o_zps jygr72kw.jpg