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Oh no - another '69 Z/28 project...

33K views 126 replies 19 participants last post by  camaro_z28_1969 
#1 · (Edited)
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 -

 
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#71 ·
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.



 
#74 ·
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.
 
#75 ·
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:

 
#76 ·
I've been making progress on my subframe, along with a couple of other projects.

Here's what I started with yesterday morning -



which then led to this -



and resulted in this -



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:
 
#77 ·
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.







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.

 
#78 ·
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 -



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
 
#80 ·
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...

 
#81 ·
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 -



Then I tried the manganese on the control arm bolts -



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 -



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
 
#83 ·
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
 
#84 ·
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.

 
#86 ·
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.







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

 
#88 ·
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 -



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



 
#89 · (Edited)
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 -



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 -

 
#90 ·
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 -





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





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

 
#91 ·
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
 
#92 ·
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!
 
#93 ·
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
 
#94 ·
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...



 
#95 ·
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!!!



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.

 
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