Preservation of a 68 Camaro

[169indy]

Cool Beans Big "D".

Hey a BIG public Thank you to Darrell for Taking His car APART a few days ago to Measure some (LOS) Z28 striping details for me and sending Hi-Res photos for my Z28 since our Cars are "assembly line brothers" built the same time (Week)

I appreciate that. Keep at this Red Gem!

Jim

[cook_dw]

Thanks Bill.


Any time Jim, glad they were useful. I will eventually add them to the threads but it'll be a little while.


Photos 791 - 797 - After pressure washing


Photos 798 - 802 - After pressure washing and knocking the dust off the body and getting her ready to go back into the garage.


Forgot to add the date on the original hood which is 48 or 49 (most likely 49) and it aligns with the rest of the sheetmetal dates.


Photo 803 - Hood stamp date

[jbtech]

Welcome back D!!!

[1967 4K]

Those Keystone skinnies are just too cool 😎! 👍.

[1967Z28]

Welcome back, Darrell. Thank you Steve Shauger!

[Andy]

You do excellent work Darrell! I enjoy seeing your progress on this car.

[Hawkeye]

Welcome back, Darrell. This is a great thread to follow.

[Mr70]

Good to see you back,now who had June 26/2024 in the pool.

[cook_dw]

Originally Posted by Mr70

Good to see you back,now who had June 26/2024 in the pool.

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

The cleaning looks great !

The pic of your bump stops and tail pipe hanger holes really stands out to me. The stops are radically different than my '67.
How ?? did someone manage to hog out all 4 holes so badly for the hanger ?? My right side holes had been ripped out from a rear end crash. I was able to use a copper backer plate inside the rail to weld mine shut, while the pan was being replaced.

I am not sure what the hell they were trying to accomplish. Maybe trying to get the 2 riv-nuts out of the frame rail (see photo attached and green circles & arrow). There are only 2 holes for the exhaust hanger. Driver side used riv-nuts the other side was basically a sheetmetal bolt. Similar to the exhaust hangers for the front side of the muffler (which I will go over here shortly). I have new nuts to insert but I'll have to hammer the rail flat again and hopefully they will take.


Now on with the show.

Photos 804 - 805 - Diff removed. More to come.

Photos 806 - 807 - Before cleaning



Photos 808 - 810 - After. I am also gonna try out the Evaporust gel as I picked up a small bottle of it several months ago and this will be a perfect area to give it a try. I don't recall where or who asked the question about original red primer vs red overspray but the last photo shows the majority of the floor has healthy amount of body color and the primer in the diff area for comparison. This was already established that LOS cars got more color on the floors vs NOR cars but this is just another example of that.



Leaf springs are out and note that the original 4 leafs are still there but a 5th leaf was added. This was a common in drag racing applications. I do not plan to remove the 5th leaf as I thing it is a part of the cars story.

Photos 811 - 813 - Leaf springs after removal.



While the diff is out I popped the cover. Diff was replaced at some point. This is a BL0401G coded rear (C 21 8 casting). Gears are 4.10's & dated 7/68 and again not original to the car as it is a 12D build date. What I found interesting and MAYBE the original carrier which is dated E 29 H (May 29th of 1967). Can I prove it? Of course not but it certainly makes you wonder.. I do not believe the gears and carrier are a matched set due to the almost a year difference in dates but I I have seen "Stranger Things".. ;D


Photo 814 - Dates on carrier and ring gear.


Common issue with removing leaf springs are the clip nuts for the leaf spring mounting bracket. Broke one on each side so I will have to source 2 bolts which I'm sure I have in my hoard of bolts and nuts. Hopefully I have the clip nuts also.

Photo 815 - Before cleaning.


Photos 816 - 817 - Some of the items after cleaning with degreaser and soaking in Evapo. Still have the rest soaking. Note the shackles still showing signs of the dipped black as well as black overspray from the gas tank blackout on LOS cars.

[Too Many Projects]

There are a number of interesting differences from my '67. My left tail pipe hanger was mounted with the same sheet metal screws as the right side... LOS built, factory SS 350 car. Both exhaust pipe hangers as well, 1/4x20 bolts into the threaded plates, no riv-nuts. Kind of makes me wonder if they weren't assembly line mistakes that were corrected on the repair line.
You, also, have some sort of reinforcement plates under the seat belt mounts that my car doesn't have...