[ztjms]

Hi, i am starting this summer on my very first project car that my father is shareing with me, a 1968 RS Camaro. The floor is rusted out on the drivers side, the passenger side, the rear corner on the drivers side where the back seat goes and the trunk pan on the drivers side. the leaf spring has gone through the frame rail and trunk pan, there is a rust hole in the door jamb on the passenger side right near the rocker panel.

I currently have a whole trunk pan bought, the passenger pan and drivers pan and i would like to restore some structure into the trunk by adding in the trunk pan, due to the car being a unibody it makes it harder for me to get good information gathered to know how to do this without twisting the frame.
any information that may help would be greatly appreciated!

[kettbo]

Zachary,

Welcome to the site! Quite a few guys here with some really serious metal transplanting, Todd and Tim come to mind as well as others. I am sure they will reference their threads in the Builds and Body Shop forums. Generally they build support framework weld them to the cars, then begin the metal surgery

Tell us more about the Camaro, options, history, whatever. You can do no wrong posting numerous pictures.

Got welding skills?

[ztjms]

well im fairly new to welding but i am learning, i only learned mid and arc last year at school, im 18 so thats a given that im a rookie at rebuilds, im planning to restore the car to driveability so i can then focus on the rest im actually planning on getting it in either plumb crazy or candy apple red, as well as get the ss hood and tweak the body a bit to get the 67 doors on it ill send some pics of the cars condition atm

[ztjms]

these are some pics i took last summer

[6781camaro]

Zachary--- welcome aboard! Looks like you're gonna be in neck deep as I have been on my Camaros. (68 and 69 coupes)... Just remember, have patience, label EVERYTHING in tupperwares, bags, etc.. that you pull off the car, get an assembly manual (you can download it for free now)... and keep updated to-do lists to make it all go as smoothly as possible....

Oh! and most importantly, if you are dating anyone currently... say goodbye now or at the least give her a warning... because spare time will be gobbled up with a quickness young padawan! (Star Wars reference) ... figured I'd mention it since you're younger and may not have even seen a SW movie--who knows?

Anyway... glad to see another one being rescued. I'll be watching and here if ya need assistance. I'd start by blasting the entire shell down to clean metal. I like Black beauty, or Black Diamond media--works great and it's cheap! (around $8 per 50 lb sack) Just be sure to strip it down to the shell first-- do not blast your hood, fenders, header panel, lower valance, cowl grille panel, door skins, roof skin, quarter skins, trunk lid skin, or your own skin (it hurts!) No seriously... flat panels will warp from the beating and the heat of the blasting process... keep that in mind. Immediately after blasting it, dust it off, vacuum it well... wipe it with wax/grease remover and then get it in EPOXY PRIMER ASAP! That will make it rock solid for years and give you a nice base to start with.

@18 years old, you are sooooo lucky to be owning such a car. I was only dreaming of them at your age. Now @ 40, I own two.
Have a blast!

[ztjms]

way ahead of you i got the assembly line manual and chassis service manual. also the car is technically half mine it also ran before but got stolen out of the driveway when my dad just finished restoring it, he also said the motor he put into it took it off of its front wheels! haha but uhh the guy never not what was comeing to him cause of a dirty cop he was related to and my father had just taken it off of the insurance due to a bad paint job and this all happend before i was born in 1991. also yes i have watched starwars haha

[6781camaro]

Intriguing story for sure.... I just graduated high school in '91... driving a 1984 Camaro t-top v8 too.... good times....

Anyway--- good deal. Here if ya need. (and glad you've seen Star Wars. Everyone should. )

[ztjms]

well anyhow i beleive i got about 5 to 8 grand in parts needed

[ztjms]

k so about the trunk pan, its a full pan i want to put in with new frame rails but i am not sure how to keep the body strength secure when removing the parts, the rockers are slightly rotted but they seem strong, i mean im all over that car in the summer with my hands in at it trying to remove more stuff from the car but besides that there is not much room in my garage so i will be bringing it to my work. my boss says he will flat bed it over for free whenever i want it over there and i can use the welders as long as i pay for the material used. i can also push it onto a hoist as well... but i need to save space so it does not interrupt other cars and work. any ideas? like welding bars places?

also, how can i replace that cardboard in the roof so i can rip the old stuff out and get at the underside of the roof and check for rust. is there a place i can get new cardboard for the roof?

[6781camaro]

Originally Posted by ztjms

k so about the trunk pan, its a full pan i want to put in with new frame rails but i am not sure how to keep the body strength secure when removing the parts, the rockers are slightly rotted but they seem strong, i mean im all over that car in the summer with my hands in at it trying to remove more stuff from the car but besides that there is not much room in my garage so i will be bringing it to my work. my boss says he will flat bed it over for free whenever i want it over there and i can use the welders as long as i pay for the material used. i can also push it onto a hoist as well... but i need to save space so it does not interrupt other cars and work. any ideas? like welding bars places?

also, how can i replace that cardboard in the roof so i can rip the old stuff out and get at the underside of the roof and check for rust. is there a place i can get new cardboard for the roof?

Easy stuff first... the factory-style roof insulation is not repro'd, and you're better off using an aftermarket sound deadener/insulator anyway... such as Hush Mat, Dynamat Extreme, or Fat Mat, etc... They are self-adhesive and work great for that purpose.

When you decide to remove that factory roof insulation, be sure to wear goggles, gloves and a mask. It will get everywhere-- no matter how neat you are. I used a shop vac held right behind my scraper so it would catch most of the debris, but it still required an intensive clean up. It basically peels right off, but there will be a residue to clean off as well before applying the new sound deadener.

Next--- as far as transporting your Camaro to the shop when you wish to work on it, -- do you mean each time you work on it, or just the first time to get it over there for the entire resto? Moving the car around without proper bracing so often, will definitely get things out of whack and possible cause twisting, etc... not recommended.

If I were you, I'd first blast the entire shell, coat it in epoxy, and then make a more-informed assessment of what needs to be replaced at that time-- since everything will be one color, and clearer to see. It will also keep the car safe from future rusting while you work on it.... and trust me-- it can take a while to complete. --sometimes years... so the epoxy will buy you some time and add protection to the remaining good metal.

***Also-- while you're blasting the shell... if you know you are replacing a certain panel, DON'T bother blasting it. Why waste the time, right? Seems obvious, but I figured I'd mention it...

Personally, I started with the base of the car for strength and worked my way up. Replace or patch the rockers first. Then move onto the frame rails and trunk floor next. After the rockers are completed, they will provide a solid resting point for the jackstands, or body cart you may use to support the car's shell. You can remove the frame rails and trunk pan in one piece to save time too. That will also retain your reference measurements so you have a better idea of what goes where. Of course, using new repro parts in a rebuild always involves change, so nothing will most likely be identical anyway... Supporting the car by the rockers will be perfect for replacing the trunk and rails. that's how I did it on my '69.

Are you also replacing the inner and outer wheel houses?

[ztjms]

Originally Posted by 6781camaro

Easy stuff first... the factory-style roof insulation is not repro'd, and you're better off using an aftermarket sound deadener/insulator anyway... such as Hush Mat, Dynamat Extreme, or Fat Mat, etc... They are self-adhesive and work great for that purpose.

When you decide to remove that factory roof insulation, be sure to wear goggles, gloves and a mask. It will get everywhere-- no matter how neat you are. I used a shop vac held right behind my scraper so it would catch most of the debris, but it still required an intensive clean up. It basically peels right off, but there will be a residue to clean off as well before applying the new sound deadener.

Next--- as far as transporting your Camaro to the shop when you wish to work on it, -- do you mean each time you work on it, or just the first time to get it over there for the entire resto? Moving the car around without proper bracing so often, will definitely get things out of whack and possible cause twisting, etc... not recommended.

If I were you, I'd first blast the entire shell, coat it in epoxy, and then make a more-informed assessment of what needs to be replaced at that time-- since everything will be one color, and clearer to see. It will also keep the car safe from future rusting while you work on it.... and trust me-- it can take a while to complete. --sometimes years... so the epoxy will buy you some time and add protection to the remaining good metal.

***Also-- while you're blasting the shell... if you know you are replacing a certain panel, DON'T bother blasting it. Why waste the time, right? Seems obvious, but I figured I'd mention it...

Personally, I started with the base of the car for strength and worked my way up. Replace or patch the rockers first. Then move onto the frame rails and trunk floor next. After the rockers are completed, they will provide a solid resting point for the jackstands, or body cart you may use to support the car's shell. You can remove the frame rails and trunk pan in one piece to save time too. That will also retain your reference measurements so you have a better idea of what goes where. Of course, using new repro parts in a rebuild always involves change, so nothing will most likely be identical anyway... Supporting the car by the rockers will be perfect for replacing the trunk and rails. that's how I did it on my '69.

Are you also replacing the inner and outer wheel houses?

uh im not sure atm but i will be sure to make sure the rockers are done first, thanks for the tip! we are going to be replacing the inner and outter wheel houses too and im also going to be makeing the car 100% rustless

[ztjms]

Originally Posted by ztjms

uh im not sure atm but i will be sure to make sure the rockers are done first, thanks for the tip! we are going to be replacing the inner and outter wheel houses too and im also going to be makeing the car 100% rustless

also all insulation is removed its just that THICK cardboard stuck up there i need to tear out and find a replacement for it i can litterly scratch at it with my finger nail and it falls apart LOL

[Sauron67MM]

Congratulations on your car. Be careful about acquiring metalworking and paint info on the web. There are many who are butchers, lack professional experience or choose not to seek it. You can get some good advice on these sites but there is also a great deal of knowledge to be obtained elsewhere. Verify info before job execution.

Sandblasting warpage is not caused by heat, that's parroted internet misinformation. It's caused by compression forces altering the metal's molecular structure.

Research from which company you purchase panels. Some NOS or used GM is best.

[ztjms]

yes i got a place that provides the parts for me already at golden leaf automotive their parts are like the same and close by to me :P

[6781camaro]

Originally Posted by ztjms

uh im not sure atm but i will be sure to make sure the rockers are done first, thanks for the tip! we are going to be replacing the inner and outter wheel houses too and im also going to be makeing the car 100% rustless

Sounds like a plan Zach, and you're very welcome. I am more than happy to help out (even though I can only offer "non-professional" experience) .