67 Camaro Build

[7dee2]

The front mounts can go straight on but the rear has the rear valance area to deal with. Here are some early pics of the process used to build our rear mounts.

[7dee2]

Making them adjustable for several reasons, ease of setup, more room for body/paint work, possibly build other extensions for other projects.

[Clyde65]

Love that c30!

[7dee2]

Thanks Clyde, me too! Broke it out of storage yesterday with only 1200 miles showing, I'm thinking it needs to be driven.

[7dee2]

Time for an update, seemed like forever but the day finally arrived (9/5/18, one-year anniversary today) that our Real Deal Steel 67 Camaro body shell was shipping. At that point we were just a little over the projected completion date but not bad. One delay for RDS was trying to find a carrier from Florida to Utah, apparently, it was proving pretty difficult but one was found and here are some pics of them loading the body.

Oh yes, we were over the moon excited!

[rgunlock]

I can feel the excitement building all the way down here!

[mongocanfly]

Quit teasing us..!!!

[7dee2]

You know as my wife says it’s not all Butterflies & Puppies!

After a week or so and no progress reports from the driver I lit a fire under Joe (RDS) for some updates. What came back was disturbing for both of us. Before the transporter even got out of the area the trailer experienced an axle fire which destroyed the trailer and several other vehicles! Our Camaro was way up in the nose (front) of the trailer and suffered very minor if any real damage. I won’t go into all the details but RDS did everything they could to fix this. Here are some pics 3 weeks later that Joe & Randy sent us from an impound yard once they’d arrived onsite to retrieve our car. The shell was taken back to their shop and thoroughly inspected for any damage.

[rgunlock]

Geez, what were the chances? Sorry to hear about the setback, but sounds like RDS is doing what they can to make it right for you.

[mongocanfly]

dang it boy..!!!!!!..sounds like something that would happen to me....

[7dee2]

Just lucky I guess!


A couple of days later RDS had it looking good as new, these pics were sent for our approval. Still had a transporter problem though, how to get it from Florida to Utah? At this point, I was resolved to rent a truck and go after it myself, not a cheap solution but I’m usually always up for a road trip!

What happened next was a complete surprise.

[7dee2]

As luck would have it a good friend of mine Cody Carrico (Enswell Speed & Fab) who has been kind enough to let us use his business address for the “Khaleesi, Mother of the Dragons” Camaro project. Not only do they have a forklift, w/fork extensions at their disposal to help take delivery of the huge palletized shell but plenty of help to assist in mounting it to our rotisserie if need be.

After telling him about our troubles and my solution he said that they just happened to have a transporter in the area and that just maybe, we could squeeze the shell on their trailer somehow? Couldn’t believe my luck, they were picking up this very cool, very long, slammed 2-ton GMC, and a replica 67 Corvette! Cody had the brilliant idea that our car could possibly piggyback on the frame rails of the GMC. One thing led to another and with some skilled loading by Randy (RDS) our car was on its way! Yippy Skippy!

[mongocanfly]

That's kinda like a transporter transporter...

[7dee2]

Once the car arrived here in Utah we found out what new games our ”Bad Mojo” Camaro project shell was playing. Started off when the transport driver got into a tight spot at a hotel, resulting in a shattered back window from over jackknifing the trailer. The replica Corvette did not escape damage either, the trailer ramps did find their way into the back of that car. Last but not least the poor GMC did manage to kiss the front of the trailer where the winch mount did a number on it’s very rare and expensive to replace grill. Side note if anyone is interested the GMC it is available for purchase here. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...6187925376273/

Finally, new shell on our rotisserie ready to make the short trip home, what a path of destruction!

Many, many thanks to Cody Carrico, Enswell Speed & Fab, and their crew for the help you guys are the best!

[rgunlock]

Glad you got it home in 1 piece!

[mongocanfly]

Good grief..!!

[7dee2]

I know, crazy luck. Here it is in our garage letting some bad mojo run out the side!


Unfortunately we’ve still got a lot of distractions keeping me from really getting back on this project. Mrs. 7dee2 & I decided to build a new garage (ugh, home? ) which brought progress to a halt. Our decision was made about two months prior to taking delivery of the RDS Camaro body.

[7dee2]

Found this pic on FB and had to tease the wife, “Gee hun wouldn’t this be great! ” all I got was stink eye and an “ah no”!

Here's a pic from this January, we are building a new garage with an attached house!

[mongocanfly]

Haha....that's a man's house for sure...

[7dee2]

We are seeing some light after several months of moving stuff into storage, selling the old house (btw sold 24 hours after listing, YES!), then 9 weeks in a hotel because it did sell so fast , months of moving it all again, glad to report that we’re in our new place and all our junk is here. My advice, don’t move your junk pile if you don’t really have to!

Left the Khaleesi Camaro on her side for months in storage, Ha all the bad mojo has got to be drained out by now, right? No moving damage or mishaps to report, so maybe those other transporters were just, you know, doofuses?

[Dieselwrencher]

Brett, the new place looks awesome! Are you still in it and kicking?

[7dee2]

Hey Ryan, yep still kicking thanks for asking.

Overall it really took some time to get all moved, settled, and situated. A real quick rundown of lost Camaro build time includes getting our new yard in including a fancy she shed.

[7dee2]

Also added a large craft room, bath, and hallway downstairs for Miss’s 7dee2 which was only fair after making the new garage space a first priority. In addition, and after putting it off as long as I could finally have had both my knees replaced as well.

Now that’s all done it’s time to get back to this build. The good thing is we have been picking up parts here and there all along, I do have progress to report with lots of pics.

[Dieselwrencher]

Brett, great to see you active again. I hope my wife doesn't see that she shed. I built my kids a covid hut last year and she wants to take it over. I told her to get in line.

The craft room and bathroom look great also. I'm looking forward to your progress pics on the Camaro. I picked up an empty shell 68 that I will save for a street/drag car. I have a soft spot for a 1st gen camaro but their prices are too high. So as usual I will start with nothing. Haha

[7dee2]

Ha, Covid Hut, that’s a good one! Lol, me too 1st gens rule!



Last winter I decided to mock up a big block/manual trans in the subframe with correct motor stands, mounts, trans cross member and such. The only thing that I noticed was the old 6-cylinder clutch linkage mounted differently, no problem we’ll just punch and tap a new hole to secure it correctly. This original 67 subframe was born with a 6-cylinder manual, then upgraded to a small block automatic before me.

Hooker headers fit quite well at this point also. Just touching the steering box and the right upper control arm.