Sheet Metal Fabrication:
'69 Chevy Camaro - I had to fabricate lots of panels throughout this project, but these I'm the most proud of. I was able to eliminate a factory seam and a nasty seam from the last time the quarter panels were replaced. Very limited space to get behind these panels and knock out any mistakes, so it had to be right the first time. I think I nailed it!
'69 Chevy Camaro - I had to fabricate lots of panels throughout this project, but these I'm the most proud of. I was able to eliminate a factory seam and a nasty seam from the last time the quarter panels were replaced. Very limited space to get behind these panels and knock out any mistakes, so it had to be right the first time. I think I nailed it!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Rear seat divider installed, rear bumper brackets installed into the trunk, convertible B pillar brackets installed. This thing is looking finished! I welded a few factory gaps closed that would normally have been seam sealed to avoid using filler.
'69 Chevy Camaro - Rear seat divider installed, rear bumper brackets installed into the trunk, convertible B pillar brackets installed. This thing is looking finished! I welded a few factory gaps closed that would normally have been seam sealed to avoid using filler.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Taking time to do all the little patches that I might have missed during the project. Soon there wont be much left to do but deliver it to paint!
'69 Chevy Camaro - Taking time to do all the little patches that I might have missed during the project. Soon there wont be much left to do but deliver it to paint!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - The floor is in! A major milestone. I was able to raise the jig up off the ground to give myself more room to access the plug welds along the bottom of the floor pan. There was a lot of overhead welding involved, but I'm happy to say the floor is solid as ever and looks good!
'69 Chevy Camaro - The floor is in! A major milestone. I was able to raise the jig up off the ground to give myself more room to access the plug welds along the bottom of the floor pan. There was a lot of overhead welding involved, but I'm happy to say the floor is solid as ever and looks good!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - After a long break from doing things that are cool, I'm happy to be back on the Camaro project! Both toe kick panels have been welded in, and now I am all ready for the floor pan to go in. Early next week I will have the last major component installed. Looking forward to completion!
'69 Chevy Camaro - After a long break from doing things that are cool, I'm happy to be back on the Camaro project! Both toe kick panels have been welded in, and now I am all ready for the floor pan to go in. Early next week I will have the last major component installed. Looking forward to completion!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Getting the floor fit into place. I welded the under floor braces to the bottom of the pan while it was removed from the car, similar to what I did with the trunk floor. Save the overhead welding for when there is no other option! Need to do some work to the bottom of the firewall before the floor is ready to get welded in, but it is looking good.
'69 Chevy Camaro - Getting the floor fit into place. I welded the under floor braces to the bottom of the pan while it was removed from the car, similar to what I did with the trunk floor. Save the overhead welding for when there is no other option! Need to do some work to the bottom of the firewall before the floor is ready to get welded in, but it is looking good.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Inner wheel well patches fabricated and welded in. Looking like a lot of new metal!
'69 Chevy Camaro - Inner wheel well patches fabricated and welded in. Looking like a lot of new metal!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - The center floor section had a lot of rust hidden between the layers. I eliminated most of the rot to be able to plug weld the floor section onto the frame rails, but there was still more. It took a lot of little patches, but it is finally solid again. Ready for inner wheel well patches to go in.
'69 Chevy Camaro - The center floor section had a lot of rust hidden between the layers. I eliminated most of the rot to be able to plug weld the floor section onto the frame rails, but there was still more. It took a lot of little patches, but it is finally solid again. Ready for inner wheel well patches to go in.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Trunk floor is in! After the center floor section was plug welded to the frame rails, I could then line up the trunk pan where it needed to be. Once the trunk pan was located in the car, I marked the location of the braces under the floor and welded them up on the workbench. Much easier than having to do it overhead! It all worked out well, because the braces fit tight to the inner tail pan pieces that I had fabricated a few projects ago.
'69 Chevy Camaro - Trunk floor is in! After the center floor section was plug welded to the frame rails, I could then line up the trunk pan where it needed to be. Once the trunk pan was located in the car, I marked the location of the braces under the floor and welded them up on the workbench. Much easier than having to do it overhead! It all worked out well, because the braces fit tight to the inner tail pan pieces that I had fabricated a few projects ago.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - The center section of the floor between the trunk and the back seats has to be rebuilt. Most of this fabrication will be hidden when the car is complete, but it still needs to be done correctly! The strength of a uni-body car comes from combined layers of sheet metal.
'69 Chevy Camaro - The center section of the floor between the trunk and the back seats has to be rebuilt. Most of this fabrication will be hidden when the car is complete, but it still needs to be done correctly! The strength of a uni-body car comes from combined layers of sheet metal.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Giving some attention to the lower bumper mount holes. Rust hides in the smallest spaces! Welding the outside panels first so that I can have access to get behind them if I need to. Since the interior panels will remain hidden, they get welded in last to cap it off.
'69 Chevy Camaro - Giving some attention to the lower bumper mount holes. Rust hides in the smallest spaces! Welding the outside panels first so that I can have access to get behind them if I need to. Since the interior panels will remain hidden, they get welded in last to cap it off.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Rear frame rails are welded in! Lower trunk panels were put in first to allow easy access. The driver's side tail pan had a few rust holes that showed up, so a patch had to be fabricated. I cut access holes into the tail pan to be able to plug weld the inner tail pan to the rear of the frame rails. This Camaro is starting to come together!
'69 Chevy Camaro - Rear frame rails are welded in! Lower trunk panels were put in first to allow easy access. The driver's side tail pan had a few rust holes that showed up, so a patch had to be fabricated. I cut access holes into the tail pan to be able to plug weld the inner tail pan to the rear of the frame rails. This Camaro is starting to come together!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Slowly uncovering and replacing all the rust in the trunk, wheel well, and quarter panel areas that need it. Much easier to access these spots now with the trunk floor and frame rails removed.
'69 Chevy Camaro - Slowly uncovering and replacing all the rust in the trunk, wheel well, and quarter panel areas that need it. Much easier to access these spots now with the trunk floor and frame rails removed.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Making lots of empty space in this Camaro! Removed the trunk floor and rear frame rails to have access to the inner trunk pieces, and any other rot I find along the way. Now is the time to get it out of there!
'69 Chevy Camaro - Making lots of empty space in this Camaro! Removed the trunk floor and rear frame rails to have access to the inner trunk pieces, and any other rot I find along the way. Now is the time to get it out of there!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Rocker panels are plug welded in, and tacked under the dash. Lots of little patch panels went into making solid metal for the rockers to attach. Next I will move into the trunk area and replace the rear frame rails before the new floor pan gets installed.
'69 Chevy Camaro - Rocker panels are plug welded in, and tacked under the dash. Lots of little patch panels went into making solid metal for the rockers to attach. Next I will move into the trunk area and replace the rear frame rails before the new floor pan gets installed.
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - On the jig and underway! Temporary bracing installed to keep the car from folding in half, since there is no roof to hold it together. No turning back on the project now!
'69 Chevy Camaro - On the jig and underway! Temporary bracing installed to keep the car from folding in half, since there is no roof to hold it together. No turning back on the project now!
Chassis Fabrication:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Technically this isn't a chassis, but this framework is a jig that attaches to factory points on the Camaro uni-body to make sure everything stays solid while I cut so much metal out of it. I will also be able to use this jig to weld the new metal into the exact spot it needs to be. So even though it is temporary, it serves the same purpose as a vehicle chassis - not to mention having the same amount of metal as one!
'69 Chevy Camaro - Technically this isn't a chassis, but this framework is a jig that attaches to factory points on the Camaro uni-body to make sure everything stays solid while I cut so much metal out of it. I will also be able to use this jig to weld the new metal into the exact spot it needs to be. So even though it is temporary, it serves the same purpose as a vehicle chassis - not to mention having the same amount of metal as one!
Sheet Metal Replacement:
'69 Chevy Camaro - Full floor and trunk pan and frame rails coming soon! This project is just getting started since we finally had a thick enough ice road to bring it to the shop!
'69 Chevy Camaro - Full floor and trunk pan and frame rails coming soon! This project is just getting started since we finally had a thick enough ice road to bring it to the shop!
