Hi all, I have been a TC member for a while now and really enjoy reading the build threads and
helping out where I can. This is going to be the start my own build thread but thought I would
give a little back ground info. first. I am not new to Camaros' at all as my first one was a
67'RS I owned in high school. That was a few years ago as I am 56 now. I also owned a 70-1/2RS
in 1976 and in 78' bought a brand new Firebird. Back then they were just cars and nothing real
special. Little did I know. When I was 16 yrs old I worked for a very highly regarded front end
alignment and brake shop. For the month of May the owner worked through Bear Alignment Services
at the Indy 500 setting up car suspensions and tire balancing. I learned a ton and met alot of
really fine people. After 4 years I gave up that job to persue my second passion, machining.
Anyway, 8 years ago I started on a quest to buy a 1st. gen. Camaro and ended up buying a
67', 327, 3spd., column shift plain Jane. It is a 2 owner unmolested car so it has been a pretty
good start in which to rebuild. I started the rebuild soon after purchasing the car but about 6
months into it I had to put it on hold due to my employeer of 24 yrs.
"closing the doors". I decided I didn't want to work for anyone else and ended up opening my own
machine job shop. That's been an up and down battle for numorous reasons I won't go into here but
the business is doing fine now so I have started back into the Camaro rebuild. After dissasembling
the front sub frame I powder coated all of it. The interior is completely gutted and will be
replaced to pretty much original condition. The engine will be rebuilt and I am installing an
automatic trans. with console. Shifting is not cool on me due to bad knees. I most likely will
also install a vintage air system. Now for the body. So far I have replaced the drivers floor board
and drivers door. Also replaced the left outer wheel housing. What a nightmare that was. See my
thread http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189523
I am currently working on replacing both quarter panels and the tail panel. My original intent was
not to replace the complete quarters or tail panel, but after starting into fitting the new
left side partial quarter I found the car had been hit very lightly in the rear at some point. The
partial quarter included the full door jam and fit like a glove but due to the previous damage in
the rear the tail panel and remaining original quarter were not going to be salvageable so off came
the tail panel and most of the quarter panel. I also have most of the right side quarter off so I
could test fit the left quarter and tail panel. The new left side full quarter (Goodmark) is not
correct. So here I go again, trying to make candy out of sh!t. The lower bend that slips between the
door jam support and rocker was off about 1/4". So I had to flatten out the bend and rebend it in
the proper location. It turned out fine but man do I hate lousy fitting sheet metal. There's just
no good reason for this. The partial quarter I have fit perfect and is much heavier. I believe
the partial quarter is stamped by the same supplier AMD uses. The pair came to me in a box labled
OER. The new drivers door shell was also labled OER and fit absolutely great. The weather strip
channel formed in the full quarter is way off causing about a 1/2" gap where it fits to the tail
panel. Right now it looks like I will have to make a pie cut in the weather strip channel and reform
the area. So far the tail panel (OER) looks to be ok. Well, that's where I'm at in my build and
will be updating this thread but progress is slow at best.
This is what I started with. The gentleman in the pics is the previous owner. I used a tow dolly to get it to
a friends shop. After a quick tune up and some brake work, I actually drove it home !! About 5 miles.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
Sub frame removed
![Image]()
Original drivers door
![Image]()
New door shell installed
![Image]()
Quarter panel cut away and left wheel house replaced
![Image]()
Left side tail panel current. Notice the missalignment in the weather
strip channel. Nice huh. Hooray for repops. I can push the tail panel in to
meet the weather strip channel but then the tail panel is in too far under the quarter panel
and the trunk lid (original for now) does not fit the tail panel correctly.
![Image]()
Left quarter and tail panel current
![Image]()
Al
helping out where I can. This is going to be the start my own build thread but thought I would
give a little back ground info. first. I am not new to Camaros' at all as my first one was a
67'RS I owned in high school. That was a few years ago as I am 56 now. I also owned a 70-1/2RS
in 1976 and in 78' bought a brand new Firebird. Back then they were just cars and nothing real
special. Little did I know. When I was 16 yrs old I worked for a very highly regarded front end
alignment and brake shop. For the month of May the owner worked through Bear Alignment Services
at the Indy 500 setting up car suspensions and tire balancing. I learned a ton and met alot of
really fine people. After 4 years I gave up that job to persue my second passion, machining.
Anyway, 8 years ago I started on a quest to buy a 1st. gen. Camaro and ended up buying a
67', 327, 3spd., column shift plain Jane. It is a 2 owner unmolested car so it has been a pretty
good start in which to rebuild. I started the rebuild soon after purchasing the car but about 6
months into it I had to put it on hold due to my employeer of 24 yrs.
"closing the doors". I decided I didn't want to work for anyone else and ended up opening my own
machine job shop. That's been an up and down battle for numorous reasons I won't go into here but
the business is doing fine now so I have started back into the Camaro rebuild. After dissasembling
the front sub frame I powder coated all of it. The interior is completely gutted and will be
replaced to pretty much original condition. The engine will be rebuilt and I am installing an
automatic trans. with console. Shifting is not cool on me due to bad knees. I most likely will
also install a vintage air system. Now for the body. So far I have replaced the drivers floor board
and drivers door. Also replaced the left outer wheel housing. What a nightmare that was. See my
thread http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189523
I am currently working on replacing both quarter panels and the tail panel. My original intent was
not to replace the complete quarters or tail panel, but after starting into fitting the new
left side partial quarter I found the car had been hit very lightly in the rear at some point. The
partial quarter included the full door jam and fit like a glove but due to the previous damage in
the rear the tail panel and remaining original quarter were not going to be salvageable so off came
the tail panel and most of the quarter panel. I also have most of the right side quarter off so I
could test fit the left quarter and tail panel. The new left side full quarter (Goodmark) is not
correct. So here I go again, trying to make candy out of sh!t. The lower bend that slips between the
door jam support and rocker was off about 1/4". So I had to flatten out the bend and rebend it in
the proper location. It turned out fine but man do I hate lousy fitting sheet metal. There's just
no good reason for this. The partial quarter I have fit perfect and is much heavier. I believe
the partial quarter is stamped by the same supplier AMD uses. The pair came to me in a box labled
OER. The new drivers door shell was also labled OER and fit absolutely great. The weather strip
channel formed in the full quarter is way off causing about a 1/2" gap where it fits to the tail
panel. Right now it looks like I will have to make a pie cut in the weather strip channel and reform
the area. So far the tail panel (OER) looks to be ok. Well, that's where I'm at in my build and
will be updating this thread but progress is slow at best.
This is what I started with. The gentleman in the pics is the previous owner. I used a tow dolly to get it to
a friends shop. After a quick tune up and some brake work, I actually drove it home !! About 5 miles.
Sub frame removed
Original drivers door
New door shell installed
Quarter panel cut away and left wheel house replaced
Left side tail panel current. Notice the missalignment in the weather
strip channel. Nice huh. Hooray for repops. I can push the tail panel in to
meet the weather strip channel but then the tail panel is in too far under the quarter panel
and the trunk lid (original for now) does not fit the tail panel correctly.
Left quarter and tail panel current
Al
