I guess I'll have to update this with the 'beginning' or what-I-started-with. Just bear with me while I get my photos set up under photobucket, and get familiar with it. I've been using webshots for years, so I've got to learn the ins-n-outs of photobucket and do it right from the start.

This is just a quick look at where I was in Feb and March of this year, and where I'm at as of today - April 1, 2012. Later I'll post what few pics I have from the beginning (1972) and then when I started this process back in (I'm almost ashamed to admit) 2002.

First is Feb when I started on the underbody cleaning/scraping/stripping. Fortunately it wasn't too bad, mainly dirty with some surface rust and a couple of spots that needed to be patched in the wheelwells. There was a little undercoating, but not like some I've seen -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2254837.jpg

My plan I came up with was to remove the rear axle and leaf springs, strip, prime, seal, and paint the back half. Then put the rear end back in with my new leaf springs, turn the car around in the garage, remove the front subframe, and do the same to the front half.

This is from March 25 when I had most of the back half (front leaf spring mount area to the tail pan area) cleaned and stripped. Using a heat gun and putty knives, a drill with extension, grinding stones, wire wheels of various shapes and sizes, and dremel tools with grinding stones, it's been hours at night and on weekends as I got time.

I think it was well worth the time and effort....

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P3250131.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P3210092.jpg

Which brings me to today's status. If the wife hadn't seen my under the car painting, she'd think it was an April Fool's joke. This is R-M EP569 gray epoxy primer. Next will be Fusor 123EZ seam sealer, followed by Limco Supreme Plus urethane single stage paint. That will also be gray. Then it's install the rear suspension pieces and start on the front half.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4010145.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4010147.jpg

Looks nice!

Looks good. So your going to keep the undercarriage gray?

Nice! What are your plans, back to stock specs, day 2 look, or ??
Looks like you had some fun with it back in the day!

Your effort certainly paid off, keep the progress pics coming.

Thanks everyone for the moral support and kind words.

Looks good. So your going to keep the undercarriage gray?

John, yes I plan to use the gray for the underbody, and all of the suspension pieces will be various shades of black. Just something to be a little different, and gray was used for some of the '69 underbodys so it will still have a stock look.

Nice! What are your plans, back to stock specs, day 2 look, or ??
Looks like you had some fun with it back in the day!

Tim, my plan is to stay with the stock look with a few enhancements. I've started stockpiling various parts - painless wiring kit, new hotchkis springs (2" drop coils and 1.5" drop leafs), SPC tubular upper and lower control arms, and L&H billet spindles. I'm going to stay with my 15" American 200S wheels I bought back in the '70s as I like the old-school look. With the new suspension pieces I'm going for better handling.

It'll be repainted the Fathom green with the Dover white stripes, and I'm going back to the original flat hood instead of the cowl hood I had put on back in the early '70s. I'm looking to upgrade the front seats (not sure which ones I'll use yet) but the interior will stay the dark green. Other than the hood, the engine, the shifter, the radio, the dash pad, the arm rests, the radiator support, and the steering wheel everything else is still the original parts. I'm going to have someone look at the radiator to see if it can be recored, else I'll replace the radiator.

We'll see if my plan comes together. My wife's supporting this project ( I think she's tired of seeing it sit in the garage for all these years...) so that's a great big help. I've had the Camaro for 41 years, and we've been married for only 35 years, so she's the baby of this group...

More pics to come later,
john

No reason you can't have the radiator recored unless the tanks are flattened. I'm sure you are aware not to toss any of the original parts. The originality guys will have a mild stroke when they read about the mods.

Scott,

I don't throw anything away... drives the wife crazy:D

The parts I'll be taking off will go into storage. Since I've had this thing for this long there's no way I'm getting rid of it, but I'm keeping the parts just in case...

The radiator should be reusable after recoring. It's just been sitting so long that it definitely needs a close look.

john

I'm looking to upgrade the front seats (not sure which ones I'll use yet) but the interior will stay the dark green.
John,
Sounds like a good plan there (and I'm with you on keeping all the original parts, even if they do appear to be stuffed.....). Have you looked at the sports seats that TMI manufacture? They have a stock appearance, and retain your original bucket seat frames, but have extra bolstering in the seat foam and provide more lateral support. They are available in standard, comfortweave and houndstooth in most of the original colors, and you don't have to put up with a non-matching rear seat. Link here if you're interested: http://www.tmiproducts.com/chevy/1969-camaro-sport-seats.html
http://www.tmiproducts.com/chevy/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/265x265/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/9/69-black-std_1.jpg http://www.tmiproducts.com/chevy/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/265x265/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/9/69-blue_1.jpg

Tim,

Thanks for the link and idea. I'll have to keep this option in mind.

john

Hi John,
Keep those pictures coming, going to be a sweet ride I love Fathom Green and am happy I stuck with it on my Z.
Dean

Thanks Dean.

I like the look of yours.:thumbsup:

Mine used to look like that (prior to '72) minus the cowl hood and the RS package...

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it in its original state. Sure could have used a digital camera back then!!! Or for that matter, any kind of camera...

john

As Paul Harvey used to say - "And now for the rest of the story..."

Here's a couple of photos I have from around '73 parked in the barracks parking lot and on one of my trips back home to Arkansas while on leave.

I bought the cowl hood at the Chevy dealer and had them repaint the car minus the stripes. The Marines at the sentry gate could see me coming down the road too easy with the stripes on, so they had to go...

The rear spoiler was waiting to get painted after one of the delivery trucks on base backed into it with their lift gate:mad:

At the time I had Appliance (I think) wire wheels on it, but they were a pain to keep clean and were replaced by American 200S when I got out of the Navy and moved to Houston in '76.

I also had the old Lakewood traction bars on it, which are going away as part of this resto...

Back then I didn't have a camera to take pictures with and it never crossed my mind to have someone else take any for me (who knew I'd keep this thing forever and ever and ever...).

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/zin1973.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/zin1973a.jpg

The next pictures I have are from 2002 and later - thank God for digital cameras... This is after having sat in the garage in Houston since '85, and surviving the move to Phoenix. I had already pulled the front sheetmetal off before we purchased our camera so I don't have any photos of it all together.:sad:

The DZ302 had been replaced while I was still in Virgina, thus the Mickey Thompson valve covers, Moroso air cleaner, etc..

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6070011.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6070012.jpg

And then the real fun began - this was all being done with a DA sander and my little 33 gallon air compressor. It would have been easier if I had a larger compressor so I wouldn't have to wait for it to continually catch up.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1050005.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2090004.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2090005.jpg

And the other side was next -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PC260003.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1050008.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4120005.jpg

I then started on the firewall and cowl area - I quickly learned that masking tape does not always protect things from the DA. Fortunately I don't think I totally screwed the trim tag up.:( I quit working on the firewall and left it for when I will eventually pull the front subframe.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PA090002.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4120003.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5310017-1.jpg

I then started on the front sheetmetal. I decided I wanted to go back to a flat hood, so I picked up a used one locally and stripped it and the trunk lid. They were the first things to get primered with the R-M DE15.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5240019.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5250030.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB040023.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB040029.jpg


http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB040028.jpg

The fenders and the rest of the front sheetmetal were next on the list to be stripped. This started another adventure when I uncovered a previous repair of damage caused by the original owner. I knew there was damage based on the holes in the back side of the fenders, just wasn't sure what to expect until I got them down to bare metal. Plus I had to address the rusted corners at the bottom back edge of both. The passenger side was in the better condition of the two.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9070014.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9160003.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9160004.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9250001.jpg

The driver side must have gotten smacked pretty good...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9010025.jpg

At about this time one of the local community colleges started an evening autobody class which I signed up for. I figured this would be a good way for me to learn how to repair these problems and the couple of issues with rusted spots on the body.

When I removed the rusted metal on the quarter panel, out came what looked like the remains of a foam rubber ball. It was what I'm guessing was foam insulation or something put in at the factory, causing the metal to rust from the inside out.

Bottom right corner of rear window -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5140005.jpg

Bottom corner of right rear quarter panel behind the wheelwell -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PC150025.jpg


Bottom corner of the quarter panel -
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PC150020.jpg

Nice job on the undercarriage. I plan on do a simular thing with my project. How high did you have the car off the ground, that you were able to spray it. It turned out great. Hopefully mine will turn out that nice. How many hours did it take you to strip the back section to bare metal. Also where did you split the car in half. I am planning to drop my diff, gas tank and leaf springs. Any tip would be much appreciated. I stripped my subframe using the same method, but still have the entire under carriage to strip. My car being a Canadian car was sprayed with a lot of undercoating. Here are a few pics. Let em know what you think. Looking forward to advice and opinions.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/Body%20Work/IMG00194-20101102-1703.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/69Resto179.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/69%20Camaro%20Phase%202/IMG_0005.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/69%20Camaro%20Phase%202/IMG_0012.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/69%20Camaro%20Phase%202/IMG_0007.jpg

When classes started up, I bought a car hauler, loaded up the Camaro, and off to class we went where I was introduced to patch panels and mig welding. Having never welded before, the instructor gave me a few quick lessons and turned me loose... By no means will I become an expert welder, but I was learning the basics.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB190016.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB190026.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB190027.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB290118.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB290117.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PB290115.jpg

Nice job on the undercarriage. I plan on do a simular thing with my project. How high did you have the car off the ground, that you were able to spray it. It turned out very nice. Hopefully mine will turn out that nice. How many hours did it take you to strip the back sectio to bare metal. Also where did you split the car in half. I am planning to drop my diff and gas tank as well as leaf springs.


Thanks Mike.
I bought 2 pair of 6 ton jack stands and used one pair right in front of the rear wheelwells. So the bottom of the rear tailpan is probably close to 24 inches or so off the ground. The front wheels are still on the ground, with wheel chocks in front and behind both of the tires. So it gets a little tight in the area under the rear seat.

I started this around Feb 26, and worked on it a couple of hours in the evenings and during the day on the weekends when I could. I finished up last week, but I didn't work on it every night. Plus I would work on stripping the rear end, cleaning the rear wheelwells and the various suspension pieces just for a change of pace.

For me, the hardest part was trying to figure out how to get the nooks and crannies where the trunk pan, the trunk extensions, and the tailpan came together. And the valley between the frame rails and where the gas tank would be. I was doing this in my garage so sandblasting was NOT an option (wife would have killed me...). I was using my electric drill with an extension, various sizes of wire wheels and cup brushes, and a 3M stripping wheel. What I wound up using for the hard to reach areas was 1/4 inch shaft grinding stones from my die grinder on the extension. And for the real tiny areas, I used my dremel tool with a grinding stone on a flex shaft.

As for where I split it at, I figured I would do the back half, put the rear suspension back in and all 4 tires back on the ground, turn the car around in the garage, pull the front subframe, and do the front half. I would cover the rear section while I was doing the front. So I picked an area about 5 - 6 inches in front of the leaf spring mount. It was a tight fit getting to that area, but this way I hopefully won't get anything on what I've already done to the back.

I bought one of the Harbor Freight cheapie gravity feed guns ($12 at the time) as my siphon gun would not allow me to get to the tight spots. It was still a battle getting to a couple of spots, but I managed it. I thought about using my airbrush, but that would have taken forever... A spray gun with a pot would have been the ideal solution, but I don't have one.

Good luck with yours!!!
john

The tricky part was the holes they had drilled in the front fenders for the slide hammer. I kept making them bigger due to the thin areas, so I learned how to fill those in.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9250046.jpg

Eventually I got the holes all filled in and the patches in, so I could get them in primer. They're by no means perfect yet, but they're a lot further along than they would have been if I hadn't had the class. Unfortunately, they didn't offer the class again, so I was now back to doing this in my garage. There went my access to welders (when they were working and had tanks of gas) and a paint booth (when it was available).:(

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PA220012.jpg

Thanks Mike.
I bought 2 pair of 6 ton jack stands and used one pair right in front of the rear wheelwells. So the bottom of the rear tailpan is probably close to 24 inches or so off the ground. The front wheels are still on the ground, with wheel chocks in front and behind both of the tires. So it gets a little tight in the area under the rear seat.

I started this around Feb 26, and worked on it a couple of hours in the evenings and during the day on the weekends when I could. I finished up last week, but I didn't work on it every night. Plus I would work on stripping the rear end, cleaning the rear wheelwells and the various suspension pieces just for a change of pace.

For me, the hardest part was trying to figure out how to get the nooks and crannies where the trunk pan, the trunk extensions, and the tailpan came together. And the valley between the frame rails and where the gas tank would be. I was doing this in my garage so sandblasting was NOT an option (wife would have killed me...). I was using my electric drill with an extension, various sizes of wire wheels and cup brushes, and a 3M stripping wheel. What I wound up using for the hard to reach areas was 1/4 inch shaft grinding stones from my die grinder on the extension. And for the real tiny areas, I used my dremel tool with a grinding stone on a flex shaft.

As for where I split it at, I figured I would do the back half, put the rear suspension back in and all 4 tires back on the ground, turn the car around in the garage, pull the front subframe, and do the front half. I would cover the rear section while I was doing the front. So I picked an area about 5 - 6 inches in front of the leaf spring mount. It was a tight fit getting to that area, but this way I hopefully won't get anything on what I've already done to the back.

I bought one of the Harbor Freight cheapie gravity feed guns ($12 at the time) as my siphon gun would not allow me to get to the tight spots. It was still a battle getting to a couple of spots, but I managed it. I thought about using my airbrush, but that would have taken forever... A spray gun with a pot would have been the ideal solution, but I don't have one.

Good luck with yours!!!
john

Hey John your car has rust in the exact same spots as mine. Very simular restorations, as I am doing mine a little bot at a time, Except I did mine backwords and painted the car first. At the time when I painted it, I was not sure how far I would go. I just wanted to fix the rust. Now it is hard to stop and I want to keep restoring it. My car is not a real Z 28, but I hope it turns out nice either way. Looks like you have a very solid car to start with. Glad to see you kept your car for so long and that you are restoring correctly. I love Fathom Green by the way. I had a real '70 Z28 same color almost. Looking forward to your progress.

I was able to get the remainder of the front sheetmetal stripped and in primer, having to depend on my trusty little compressor to hold up...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PA120012.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PA120009-2.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PA250019.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PA250020.jpg

Mike,

Maybe the same guys put mine together that did yours!!! Did you also find the foam between the panels?

My wife has been after me for the past several years wanting to know why I was dragging my feet and didn't already have it in primer, or paint. I didn't want to rush into things, but instead take my time and do it once.

So now that I'm motivated again, my 'bucket list' plan is to have this back on the road again in time for my 60th birthday next year. Only time will tell...

Mike,

I just saw your updated post with the pics. I guess I was very lucky in that mine was so bare of undercoating. It was mainly just dirt under there, with some surface rust. I went thru several wire wheels, so you may want to buy stock in the wire wheel company!!!;)

I do like your subframe. Once I get my rear end assembly back from having the seals replaced and preventative maintenance done on it, the subframe will be part of my next project. What did you use to paint yours with?

I used a heat gun to soften up the undercoating and a putty knife to remove it. I bought a new heat gun at Home Depot in case I wore it out, I could get a new one. But it lasted for what I needed.

I also used lacquer thinner to help remove the undercoating residue once I got the chunks off.

If you have an electric drill, I would definitely get an extension for it and some 1/4 inch shaft grinding stone bits to use in the tight areas. And my dremel with a flex shaft and 1/8 inch shaft grinding bits also came in handy.

And you'll want a face shield and a box of disposable face masks if you don't already have them.

Here is how I put mine on jack stands -

The jack is extended to 19 inches, with a 2x4 between it and the rocker panel. With this, the bottom of the tailpan is 30 inches off the ground.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4040151.jpg

Good luck:thumbsup:

Mike,

Maybe the same guys put mine together that did yours!!! Did you also find the foam between the panels?

My wife has been after me for the past several years wanting to know why I was dragging my feet and didn't already have it in primer, or paint. I didn't want to rush into things, but instead take my time and do it once.

So now that I'm motivated again, my 'bucket list' plan is to have this back on the road again in time for my 60th birthday next year. Only time will tell...

Hey John yes I did find the foam in the same place. It was also inside my dash panel where I had rust as well. What is your build date. My car is an 11C Norwood car.

Mike,

Here is how I've got mine set up -

The jack is extended to 19 inches, with a 2x4 between it and the rocker panel. With this, the bottom of the tailpan is 30 inches off the ground.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4040151.jpg

Looks good. I have to be extra careful as my car is already painted. I was thinking of painting the car without spraying it, but I am concerned with what the finish would be like. Obviously the under car finish is not as important as the top. I wonder if it is possible to get good results with another method other than spraying. Or as suggested already perhaps I will strip the paint off the bottom of the car and then move it to be painted and tape up the diff and leaf springs. Not sure what would be the better option at this point. Or perhaps even remove the diff and leafs for the paint.

What is your build date. My car is an 11C Norwood car.


Mine is a Norwood 06A car.

What did you paint your subframe with?

john

Mine is a Norwood 06A car.

What did you paint your subframe with?

john

I used SEM Trim Black, which is color correct. However it is a single stage. If I was to do it again I might do it differently. What were you thinking of using? I think the trim black is about a 30% gloss which can also be used on the interior and on other components with the same gloss percentage. It only really makes a difference if you are doing a factory style restoration IMO.

If I was to dissasemble a car and have the subframe off, I may be tempted to get it powder coated. I painted my subframe fully assembled with the motor in place. I did that due to time constraints, but it is a lot of work taping everything, so in the end I am not sure that it is any quicker. Obviously a better job would result painting it seperatly, but it can be done fully assembled as well if disassembly is not an option.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/69Resto209.jpg

When I pull the motor for the drivetrain swap I may touch up the subframe, after inspection as there were places I could not paint with the motor in place.

Are you removing your subframe to paint it?

The plan is to remove it when I finish with the back section of the underbody. The engine is already out, and I've got all new front suspension pieces to go in, so I'm probably going to have the same company that sandblasted my front inner fenders also sandblast the subframe. Unless I get really brave and attempt to do it myself.

I've got the SEM trim black so hopefully pretty soon I'll be ready to spray it on some of my front pieces (firewall, inner fenders, and radiator support). As for the subframe, the place where I'm looking to have it sandblasted also does powdercoating. So we'll see what the finance situation is like when the time comes.

Powder coat is a great option, I did all of my sub frame and rear-end housing tuff as nails.
I’m happy with the results.


http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj114/Pro-Mac/P1000780.jpg?t=1333653347http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj114/Pro-Mac/100_0735-1.jpg?t=1333653881http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj114/Pro-Mac/100_0731.jpg?t=1333654038

Dean,

I do like the look of your subframe. What % gloss did you use?

The last week has been busy busy busy... But I've been making forward progress at least.

I took the rear end to be checked out and cleaned up. That turned out to be just normal maintenance, and he rebuilt the wheel cylinders while he was at it. It also got a new paint job and looks like a new unit now. I had thought about eventually changing the rear drums to disc, but I think I'm going to stick with the drums. Means more money I can spend in other areas...

before -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P3210095.jpg

now -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4080171.jpg

When I went to pick up the rear end, I got to talking to the person doing the work and found out he had a set of bucket seats for sale. My originals are still in great shape, but I've been thinking about getting something a little more comfortable. So this is what I brought home with my new-looking rear end. Don't know what they're out of, or what brand, but they fit me, they recline, and the price was right. I'll have them recovered in dark green material to match the rest of the interior.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4080174.jpg

Another of my projects was what to do about my radiator support. I've got a repro one I picked up a couple of years ago, but I got to thinking about my original one I had in my storage shed. I dug it out to refresh my memory on its condition, and it's not as bad as I thought it was. A little patch in the upper corner, a little sandblasting, some paint, and I think it might still be usable...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4060166.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4060165.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4060162.jpg

And then my biggest project this week so far was getting the back section of the underbody seam sealed, and in paint, since I've now got a nice, clean, freshly painted read end to go with my new leaf springs.

If you thought the original GM factory seam seals looked bad, you haven't seen my attempt at this... I knew it would set up fast (using Fusor 123EZ), but it seems like the dry heat causes it to set up even faster!!!

I ran out of time the first day, which meant I had to go back and scuff it. So I learned my lesson, and set aside a full morning to finish seam sealing and painting. I just seam sealed the same areas as what was originally sealed. And since my idea of bad weather is when it's less than 60 degrees and sunshine, it's not going to see any wet weather.

The paint I used is Limco Supreme Plus, and is a slightly different shade than the primer. I know it's not a high dollar paint, but hey, it's the bottom of the car... And since it's close to the same shade as the primer, you have to look close to see if I screwed up and missed a spot;)

Here's the results -

In primer and seam sealed -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4100198.jpg

Painted -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4100202.jpg

and the back corner -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4100208.jpg

That's it for now. I'm letting the paint cure for a couple of days before I put the rear suspension back in. That will give me time to do some other piddly things I need to get done. Plus it's turning cold here, dropping from 90 degrees today down to 73 by Friday - sweater weather for me...

Everyone stay safe and keep on those projects. There's hope for all of us yet!!!:hurray:

Making good progress John - and those seats look comfortable - maybe Corvette? They remind me of the leather Coulson seats that used to be fitted to our Aussie HSVs....
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/481747_134574283336851_100003528392132_130809_1161 730145_n.jpg

sweet! you know you really love a car , when you put that many hrs on the underside of it!!!!

Today's accomplishment - everything for the rear suspension was finally ready to put back together, so that's what I did for the last couple of days.

The rear end was all ready to go when I picked it up last weekend, so these are the parts that would be put on it -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4134953.jpg

It was a bear getting those poly bushings in the frame rail, but I finally got them in. Then came the fun part of getting the rear end back in place, doing it all by myself. In the end, I won!!! But it was nip-and-tuck there for a while... I think it came out pretty good for a first-timer. I like the black contrasting with the gray.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4144964.jpg

Next project will be getting the car turned around in the garage so I can pull the subframe and do the same to the front section of the underbody. These are some of the new pieces that will be going in -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P3014853.jpg

John, were the new rear leafs the 1.5" drop Hotchkis springs?

Tim,

Yes, those are the Hotchkis 1.5" drop leafs. I've got their 2" drop coils for the front that will go in with the rest of the new front suspension pieces.

They did make a difference - even my wife noticed it's sitting lower in the back now. And that's with nothing in the interior.

thanks for looking,
john

Tim, Yes, those are the Hotchkis 1.5" drop leafs. I've got their 2" drop coils for the front that will go in with the rest of the new front suspension pieces.
Nice. I've got the same setup (Hotchkis 1.5" drop rear, 2" drop front coils) ready to install on my car once ready, so was interested in how they fit and how the car sits. Should improve the handling! I'm sure you're the same, but I'm keeping all my original suspension parts that I'm replacing, just can't bring myself to ditch 'em.....

I'm back at it again. Got it turned around in the garage and pulled the subframe. That was fun - the two bolts at the base of the firewall did not want to come out. I was afraid I was going to wind up with them spinning in their cages, but with enough wd-40 and penetrating oil, and my breaker bar, they're now out.

So now it's back under the car and getting dirty again, but this time I don't have all of the nooks and crannies like at the back end. I'm thinking I can get this part done with only 2 - 3 nylon stripping wheels, and then I can attack the firewall.

I've got to strip everything off the subframe so I can get it media blasted. Hopefully by then my billet spindles will arrive so I can put all the new parts on it.

All in all, the front section looks pretty clean. It's almost like it was gray with black overspray...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4210236.jpg

Very clean - and that's a great shot of an original shifter cutout!

The last week has been busy busy busy... But I've been making forward progress at least.

I took the rear end to be checked out and cleaned up. That turned out to be just normal maintenance, and he rebuilt the wheel cylinders while he was at it. It also got a new paint job and looks like a new unit now. I had thought about eventually changing the rear drums to disc, but I think I'm going to stick with the drums. Means more money I can spend in other areas...

before -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P3210095.jpg

now -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4080171.jpg

What paint did you use and what did you use to strip it and prep for paint?

Another of my projects was what to do about my radiator support. I've got a repro one I picked up a couple of years ago, but I got to thinking about my original one I had in my storage shed. I dug it out to refresh my memory on its condition, and it's not as bad as I thought it was. A little patch in the upper corner, a little sandblasting, some paint, and I think it might still be usable...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4060166.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4060165.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4060162.jpg

Br carefull when sandblasting. I blew a hole right through my rad support and had to patch it. I am happy with the original as its got everything in the right place and I know it fits.

And then my biggest project this week so far was getting the back section of the underbody seam sealed, and in paint, since I've now got a nice, clean, freshly painted read end to go with my new leaf springs.

If you thought the original GM factory seam seals looked bad, you haven't seen my attempt at this... I knew it would set up fast (using Fusor 123EZ), but it seems like the dry heat causes it to set up even faster!!!

I ran out of time the first day, which meant I had to go back and scuff it. So I learned my lesson, and set aside a full morning to finish seam sealing and painting. I just seam sealed the same areas as what was originally sealed. And since my idea of bad weather is when it's less than 60 degrees and sunshine, it's not going to see any wet weather.

The paint I used is Limco Supreme Plus, and is a slightly different shade than the primer. I know it's not a high dollar paint, but hey, it's the bottom of the car... And since it's close to the same shade as the primer, you have to look close to see if I screwed up and missed a spot;)

Here's the results -

In primer and seam sealed -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4100198.jpg

Painted -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4100202.jpg

and the back corner -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4100208.jpg

Looks awesome, I hope mine turns out as nice!

What paint did you use and what did you use to strip it and prep for paint?

Mike,

I started with my DA sander on the tubes, then went to wire wheels on my drill. That's the stage it was at when I took the 'before' pic.

I then took it to the president of our local Camaro club who rebuilds the 10 & 12 bolt rearends. While he had it (he also rebuilt the drums' wheel cylinders), he had it sandblasted and then painted it. I believe he used Nason chassis black.

john

Br carefull when sandblasting. I blew a hole right through my rad support and had to patch it. I am happy with the original as its got everything in the right place and I know it fits.


I am a little leery of having it media blasted. I've got the rusted area in the top corner cut out and ready to patch it, but I need to find someone who can blast it without damaging it. I'm almost tempted to just take my drill and wire wheels to it and do the best I can, then prep and paint it.

Thanks for the heads up, :)
john

Looks awesome, I hope mine turns out as nice!

Thanks Mike. I was sweating bullets trying to figure out how to get the very back end's nooks and crannies stripped and prepped, and I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Thank heavens for drill extensions, grinding stones, and dremel tools!!! :hurray:

The sad part is, very few people will even see this view of it... But I'll know what went into it.

I've been following your build - I've got it easy compared to the effort you're putting into yours. It's looking really good!! And I'm impressed with your first class attention to detail :cool:

john

Thanks Mike. I was sweating bullets trying to figure out how to get the very back end's nooks and crannies stripped and prepped, and I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Thank heavens for drill extensions, grinding stones, and dremel tools!!! :hurray:

The sad part is, very few people will even see this view of it... But I'll know what went into it.

I've been following your build - I've got it easy compared to the effort you're putting into yours. It's looking really good!! And I'm impressed with your first class attention to detail :cool:

john

Thanks John. Your attention to detail is great. You cleaned your parts very well. One of my main concerns about cleaning and stripping metal parts is that so many techniques are very invassive. Most forms of blasting, sanding, wire wheels and discs etc, actually take off the top layer of metal finish, that has to be filled back in. Otherwise the parts end up with a rough finish instead of a nice smooth factory finish. Sometimes the part you treat or clean can end up looking worse after from stripping damage. Sometimes they get pitted, or have score marks or scratches. Now that I have learned this, I am going to be very selective in how I strip parts in the future.

I have experimented with some very effective non invassive techniques, such as reverse electrolysis, evaporust, hot tanking and most recently discovered molasses. These techniques are very good for rust removal and leave the parts in there natural state without removing the natural metal finish. I also like phosphating certain parts. It gives a great factory look on parts that require it. It is very easy to do.

I found that the wire wheel with soft brushes worked quite well and also seemed to polish the metal opossed to stripping off the top surface, which sand blasting will do. I have heard that soda blasting is less aggressive. We used glass beading at the shop for small parts that fit in the blaster and it is quite effective, but can be aggresive as well if you over blast the parts.

There is a lot to be said for hand stripping parts as oppossed to acid dipping and major blasting.

Keep up the good work.

Mike,

I started with my DA sander on the tubes, then went to wire wheels on my drill. That's the stage it was at when I took the 'before' pic.

I then took it to the president of our local Camaro club who rebuilds the 10 & 12 bolt rearends. While he had it (he also rebuilt the drums' wheel cylinders), he had it sandblasted and then painted it. I believe he used Nason chassis black.

john

I am going to go for a 60% gloss on my diff. I will post some before and after pics. It has been hot tanked, but needs to be blasted. I am not sure what I will use at this point, but for cast metal I think sand is fine. Once it is blasted, I will see if it needs any wheel works to give it a smooth finish.

I am a little leery of having it media blasted. I've got the rusted area in the top corner cut out and ready to patch it, but I need to find someone who can blast it without damaging it. I'm almost tempted to just take my drill and wire wheels to it and do the best I can, then prep and paint it.

Thanks for the heads up, :)
john

Remember that when you blast the rad support that a pin hole for example can become the size of a quarter, depending on the pressure and the grit you are using. Best to be gentle and repair after IMO. Same applies to dipping.

Do you ever go to Pavillions?

Proper sheetmetal techniques are provided by Eric in the following link. Might help you straighten out that fender mess and other areas. Try Refinish Network too. http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=333455

John-- looking great!:thumbsup: What color did you choose for the body? Nice work on the underbelly.

Thanks for the links and input everyone. There is no such thing as too much information when it comes to these cars!!! :beers:


John-- looking great!:thumbsup: What color did you choose for the body? Nice work on the underbelly.

I'm going to keep it Fathom Green, and the Dover White stripes will be going back on. The interior will be kept dark green. Thanks!!

john

Nice color combo!

This week's project was finishing up the underbody. It went a lot quicker than the back half, that's for sure!!! But then I didn't have all of the nooks and crannies, and having to figure out how to get them cleaned out.

Now on to my next project...

Here's what I started with -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4210235.jpg

This is after stripping -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4270266.jpg

And finally in paint -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4290271.jpg

john

Another update - this week's project was stripping the firewall, getting it in epoxy primer followed by SEM trim black topcoat. When topcoating it, I pretended I was a GM line worker on a Friday afternoon anxious for the weekend. So it got a little more overspray than I intended, but then they weren't always too precise either...

Next will be letting this cure then seam sealing it. Until then, it's on to stripping down the subframe. Things seem to go quicker when you're not having to crawl around underneath the car...



http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5090292.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5110294.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5110298.jpg

Looks good John. Are you planning to repaint the trim tag, or leave it as-is?

When I apply the seam sealer and do the final topcoat, I'm going to also spray the trim tag. I didn't want too thick of a coat of paint on it.

I'm still plugging away on this in between other projects around the house. I've got the subframe components all off, and have most of the subframe stripped down to bare metal (should have bought stock in the nylon abrasive and wire wheel companies...). The plan is to finish stripping the last of it, then get it in epoxy primer and paint. Hopefully within the next week this will be done.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5180302.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5190305.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5300327.jpg

I also tried the Evaporust product and I'm impressed with it. I was going to use the nylon wheels to strip the brake calipers but decided to try the Evaporust product and I'm glad I did. I assumed they were originally bare metal, but I found out they weren't. I took the calipers off and put them in a bucket of the Evaporust. Nothing was done to them prior to soaking them and now I know what they looked like from the factory. The product took off the grime and rust, but left the original finish along with the paint dabs.

Now I have to match the paint, and figure out which product line to use. I'm thinking I'll need a hi-temp paint for it to last. Don't know if I'll put the paint dabs back on, but at least I know where they went and what colors they were.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5290317.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5300320.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5300324.jpg

Awesome work John. I like your style. Nice to see someone taking a different approach. I also should have bought stock in wire wheels and abrasive discs!

I am thinking of trying some Evaporust on my shifter. How do you think it will turn out? As you can see it has a lot of surface rust.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/69z28freak/69%20Camaro%20Phase%202/IMG_5263.jpg

Since the Evaporust did such a good job on the calipers, I thought I'd try it on the subframe ends so I could get the inside of the rails. I did just a little test on them since I didn't have a deep enough bucket to put the ends in very far. I stood the subframe on the front end of the rails and just soaked the tips of them overnight. This is what I got. Next I want to try the various bolts and nuts to see what I will be able to re-use.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5290316.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P5290314.jpg

Awesome work John. I like your style. Nice to see someone taking a different approach. I also should have bought stock in wire wheels and abrasive discs!

I am thinking of trying some Evaporust on my shifter. How do you think it will turn out? As you can see it has a lot of surface rust.




Thanks Mike. I like how yours is coming along. And I'm interested in how your trans rebuild will progress. I'm trying to get up enough courage to attempt that sometime in the future.

After seeing what the Evaporust did for the calipers and the subframe rail tips, I'm thinking it would work on your shifter parts. This was after they've been sitting untouched for the last 20+ years. I didn't have to do anything to them other than soak, rinse, and dry.

Good luck with it.

Looks good John, thank you for taking the pics and dealing with photobucket, and thank you for your service to our country.

Thanks for the kind words Kevan. I like your detailed report on your T-56 install. I've thought about something like that for mine, but since my Muncie is still in good shape I'm going to stick with it for now at least.

I'm still working on getting the subframe stripped - it's getting closer to being done :hurray: I could have just had it sandblasted, but that's more money I can spend on actual parts.

I did order a pint each of the Palmetto zinc and manganese phosphate solutions, and also picked up a can of the Boeshield product at Sears the other day. So the money I saved by not sandblasting the subframe paid for this stuff, with some left over. Now I just need to get with my neighbor that has a blasting cabinet to get some brackets prepped so I can try out the phosphates.

I've been soaking more parts in the Evaporust. You really can re-use this stuff. I'm still using the same gallon I bought originally. I've done miscellaneous nuts and bolts, and then I soaked my hood hinge springs overnight in it. I think they came out pretty good. Don't know if I'm going to do anything else to them other than maybe coating them with the Boeshield.

Everyone keep going on those projects!!! Doing this build thread has helped me get motivated on my Z, so I hope others are also finding out it's doing the same for them. :thumbsup:

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6020332.jpg

I've been making progress on my subframe, along with a couple of other projects.

Here's what I started with yesterday morning -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6150389.jpg

which then led to this -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6150400.jpg

and resulted in this -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6150406.jpg

It's a semi gloss black and it's a little bit shiny in the last pic because that was shortly after I finished spraying it and it was still curing.

I found it was a lot easier to have it standing on its end so I didn't have to spray one side, wait for it to dry, flip it and spray the other side.

Now I can start bolting pieces to it and when my new spindles show up in a couple of weeks this part of the project will be done. :hurray:

During the time I was stripping and prepping the subframe, I was also working on the e-brake line, the main brake line and the fuel line. I've still got a little ways to go on them, but I think they're coming along pretty good.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6070338.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6100374.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6070336.jpg

I started off using my hand drill with a nylon wheel on it, but then came up with an idea for a motor out of our old swamp cooler. It was a lot cheaper to buy the mounting bracket and arbor adapter than buying a bench grinder, and accomplishes the same thing. It's got two speeds, and it justified keeping the motor all of these years.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6100372.jpg

And then last weekend I picked up the later version of the Z/28 valve covers. I figure if I don't do a real DZ302, I can make it look like one -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6090351.jpg

They need a little cleaning, and I'll keep them the dull finish.

Time to get out there and get started on this thing.

Everybody keep working on your projects, and stay safe while you're doing it!!!

:beers:

john

Great progress John - that subframe turned out great :thumbsup:

Update time again. After spending a week in Norfolk with our youngest son and his family after his return from deployment in Bahrain, followed by three weeks of having our 4 year old grandson and 18 month old granddaughter staying with us, and then a five day trip to northern California, things started returning to normal.

During the time the grandkids were staying with us, I picked this up off of craigslist for $60. One of the factory legs had collapsed, so a trip to the steel yard to pick up 2" x 1/8" angle steel and all four legs are now stronger (and taller). I also pulled all of the caulking inside of it and replaced it with RTV sealer. Picked up a 50lb box of glass bead, and I'm ready to go...

The guy had only used it a couple of times in 2 years, so other than being faded from sitting outside, it was pretty much brand new. I was more than happy to take it off of his hands...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8035451.jpg

With my new toy, I then started bead blasting some of the nuts and bolts for the front suspension so I can get it ready for re-assembly. I ordered a pint each of zinc and manganese phosphate from Palmetto, picked up some cheapie foil pans, and tried my hand at phosphate coating.

With the zinc, I bead blasted the body of the hood catch which came out pretty good. One of the motor mounts I stripped is sitting beside it -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8055456.jpg

Then I tried the manganese on the control arm bolts -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8115467.jpg

I also tried the zinc on the hood hinges, but didn't do too well with them. I need to get a bigger pot to 'cook' them in at a later time.

Then my latest new experience was gun bluing the center drag link. I think it came out decent for my first attempt -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8175468.jpg

Amazing what new worlds have opened up by having my own blasting cabinet. I just finished stripping the steering box so it looks new again. No pictures of it yet.

I've got a tub of Rust Prevention Magic on its way, so that will be my next project for some of the bare metal parts.

john

Awesome work John. We have been doing the same process with phosphating, and are going to try some zinc plating next. Your parts turned out great.

Thanks Mike. Following Chick's build and your build (and other builds...) has given me ideas and pointers on different processes and products to try. What you guys learn and do helps me in my build!!! :thumbsup:

john

Today's project was to do some more work on the steering box. I need to pull the cover's bolts to strip and phosphate coat them, and track down a new seal for the pitman arm. I also need to get a new rag joint for it. But other than that, it's close to being done.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8185472-Edit.jpg

It makes such a difference having your own blasting cabinet; your steering box, pitman arm and the other parts turned out great!

After much research on rust prevention coatings, I ordered a container of Rust Prevention Magic which showed up this week. If the reports I saw hold true, this allows me to keep some of the parts in bare metal, but with a coating on them that will prevent rust in the future. And it also allows me to coat other parts that I've phosphate coated and keep them looking new. I didn't want all of the parts looking the same color, so I'm hoping this will solve that problem.

Here's the steering pieces after cleaning and RPM coating. They're pretty much ready to be installed on the subframe. Other than the center drag link that I blued and the tie rod sleeves that came already coated, the rest of the parts are bare metal.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8235473.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8235475.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8235476.jpg

and here's the upper and lower control arm nuts and bolts after they were coated -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P8255479.jpg

Hey John how is your build going? Any updates?

Hello Mike (and everyone else...).

I'm still here, and working on the Camaro. Just haven't been posting for a while due to the holidays, work, running errands - all that fun stuff.

Mike, I see where you having fun with the underside of your car. Isn't that lots of fun??? Glad I'm done with that... But the end result is definitely worth it.

I've added photos to my photobucket account, but I've got to update my signature since webshots went away. That's on my list of many things to do...

A brief recap of what I've done in the last couple of months. I was in the process of cleaning up my original fuel line and brake lines, but then decided it would be best to replace all of them, so I now have the InlineTube's stainless steel sets for both the fuel and brake systems. I did media blast the original clips for both systems and they now look like this after painting and coating. Picture doesn't do them justice -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9020299-Edit.jpg

I also media blasted the inside of the heater box and painted it -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P9015485.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1025629_zps0ed4b840.jpg

I also media blasted all of the original spindles, backing plates, disc calipers, and rotors, then started painting them. Closer inspection of the calipers showed some pitting in the bores, so that process was scrapped and a visit to Baer's (which is conveniently located a couple of miles from my house) resulted in an order for their SS4+ front disc setup.

During this time I also shipped my pair of Z/28 valve covers and disc brake booster to Jerry MacNeish for restoration.

While I was waiting on my L&H Kustoms spindles to be machined and shipped, I decided to start assembly on the subframe so I could get it back under the car. It would also allow me to move the car in and out of the garage. Since I didn't have my new spindles yet, the original rotor and spindles went on temporarily -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/PC015600-2_zps08c66b10.jpg

I was then able to install the subframe and move the car as needed. This allowed me to climb in the interior to test fit the set of bucket seats I bought to replace the originals. I don't know what these came out of, or the manufacturer, but they fit me great, and they recline. These will be recovered in dark green to match the rest of the interior -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4080174.jpg

Since I can now roll the car out of the garage, I then started stripping the trunk floor so I can prime and paint it. That's still a work-in-progress. It's not as bad as being under the car, stripping paint, but it is a little rough on the back...

Then this past weekend, my spindles that have been on order for almost a year finally showed up!!! Now I could pull the original pieces off the front and get the new stuff on. You can see the difference between the old and the new -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1025610_zps088b583d.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1025605_zpsd2eab066.jpg

So now the trunk floor is on the back burner, and my current project is getting the new front suspension and brake pieces installed -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1025614_zps58e8cb24.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1025619_zps7d9e00c6.jpg

And I had to try on my 200S rims to see how they'll look -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1025623_zps77a00cea.jpg

I've also finished stripping my original radiator core, epoxy primed it, and painted with SEM Trim Black.

I installed the fuel line while I was installing the subframe, and I'll install the new brake lines once I finish with the new spindles and brakes.

I was going to have the original master cylinder restored until I found out the cost on that, so I'll probably pick up a repro unit when I get my valve covers and brake booster back from Jerry. I'll probably also pick up a new brake distribution block and a prop valve. All of my original pieces are getting boxed up and put in storage, so I can always have them restored at a later time as money allows.

So that's pretty much where I'm at right now. I'm making progress without too many setbacks. I've done some things such as trying to reuse the original rotors and brakes that was a wasted effort as I wound up going aftermarket, but it's a learning experience.

I'll post more pics once I make more progress.

john

John,
That's an impressive amount of work in your latest updates, and everything is looking really good :thumbsup:
Does the Baer SS4 kit use 11" rotors?
Good luck with the trunk restoration!

Thanks for the kind words Tim.

Yes, the SS4+ front rotors are 11 inches, which allows me to use my 15 inch American 200S wheels. And I can go larger at some point in the future if so desired.

And the new spindles also allow use of the 15 inch rims. They allow use of the factory brakes, which I was originally going to go with, instead of being forced to go larger rotor and 17 inch or larger wheels like most other aftermarket spindles I looked at.

I like the look of the 15 inch wheels for the factory look. Especially since the newer and larger American 200S rims are a smooth finish and don't have the 'texture' of the older rims like mine from the 1970s.

john

Today's accomplishment - finished installing spindles/steering arms/brake setup. Still have to install the sway bar endlinks and run the new brake lines, but that's easy compared to having to mess with that coil spring compressor...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1035636_zps303194ba.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P1035637_zps1ba8ed9c.jpg

It's been a while since I posted any updates, so here goes...

I've got the front end all put back together, and all four wheels are back on the ground. The wife was glad to see that!!!

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2035648_zps266ff845.jpg

The next project was stripping the inside of the trunk. That is now completed, and I'm waiting on a stretch of warm weather so I can epoxy prime and spatter paint it. I ordered a quart of spatter paint from Camaros Plus so that's on hand and waiting to be sprayed.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2185671_zps93cc2738.jpg

I sent off my valve covers and brake booster to Jerry MacNeish for restoration and replating. I got those back and I'm pleased with the results. He does nice work, that's for sure...

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2075655_zps6c0f098b.jpg

Before -
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P6090351.jpg

After -
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2075650_zpsf70af5a4.jpg

Now I am currently stripping the interior floor pan. I've got almost all of the old seam sealer out and the area cleaned. There must have been a couple of pounds of seam sealer they used back them!!!

So when the weather cooperates, I'll be able to epoxy prime both the trunk and the floor pan, and seam seal them both. Then I'll be ready to tackle cleaning up the dash and getting it ready for new paint.

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2195688_zpse87770c4.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2195690_zpsa3a67678.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2195691_zpsfa7c0d66.jpg

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P2185683_zpsefc7e946.jpg

Great work so far, keep it up. Be careful inside the car on the rear bulkhead there is a crayon mark denoting Z-28. Under the glue on the passenger side is an X7 from the factory.
Buddy

Thanks Buddy.

Mine's 'DG3' - it's an X33 code Z with dark green interior. I'm not touching the bulkhead, just the floor pans. You can barely make out the crayon mark in this picture -

http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u449/camaro_z28_1969/1969%20Camaro%20Z28%20restoration%20project/P4130002.jpg