'79 Camaro Restomod

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CSFJ

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fractured was exactly the term that was eluding me before.
 

crazy4offroad

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I've seen them called "seamless" rods, pretty neat ****. Summit has a bored/notched 355/383 block, brass freeze plugs, cam bearings, align honed on the crank journals, 1-piece rear main seal, already tapped for roller lifter spider for $700. For $800 you can get an Eagle 383 rotating assembly with a cast crank which you probably wouldn't want to push past 6k rpm too much. Their forged assembly is $1200 and better suited for the higher r's. Then you can get Summit brand Vortec heads for $350 a piece, already set up for 0.520" max lift. A Comp Cams Magnum square pattern cam with 0.501" lift will carry to 7,200 rpm before the hp curve rolls over. Then they have a 3200 rpm stall converter for about $250. These are the things I would like to drop in the big truck. I know it would put it in Super Street class but what a kick-ass setup it would be. Even if it wouldn't be snatching purses and stealing trophies it would be a ball to run. I imagine it would make the Camaro a 10 second car, or very close to it.

I also felt the guys in the video lost some creds, when they put the turbo on and didn't increase the ring end gap. Regardless it is a blast watching them throw **** at **** and have a lot of fun with it.
 

Honky Kong jr

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I've seen them called "seamless" rods, pretty neat ****. Summit has a bored/notched 355/383 block, brass freeze plugs, cam bearings, align honed on the crank journals, 1-piece rear main seal, already tapped for roller lifter spider for $700. For $800 you can get an Eagle 383 rotating assembly with a cast crank which you probably wouldn't want to push past 6k rpm too much. Their forged assembly is $1200 and better suited for the higher r's. Then you can get Summit brand Vortec heads for $350 a piece, already set up for 0.520" max lift. A Comp Cams Magnum square pattern cam with 0.501" lift will carry to 7,200 rpm before the hp curve rolls over. Then they have a 3200 rpm stall converter for about $250. These are the things I would like to drop in the big truck. I know it would put it in Super Street class but what a kick-ass setup it would be. Even if it wouldn't be snatching purses and stealing trophies it would be a ball to run. I imagine it would make the Camaro a 10 second car, or very close to it.

I also felt the guys in the video lost some creds, when they put the turbo on and didn't increase the ring end gap. Regardless it is a blast watching them throw **** at **** and have a lot of fun with it.
I think I'm gonna get upped in class with my set up I want to run street. It is what it is I guess.
 

Honky Kong jr

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An aluminum LS would be sweet too. Trailblazer SS or Saab SUV.
 

bucket

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I've seen them called "seamless" rods, pretty neat ****. Summit has a bored/notched 355/383 block, brass freeze plugs, cam bearings, align honed on the crank journals, 1-piece rear main seal, already tapped for roller lifter spider for $700. For $800 you can get an Eagle 383 rotating assembly with a cast crank which you probably wouldn't want to push past 6k rpm too much. Their forged assembly is $1200 and better suited for the higher r's. Then you can get Summit brand Vortec heads for $350 a piece, already set up for 0.520" max lift. A Comp Cams Magnum square pattern cam with 0.501" lift will carry to 7,200 rpm before the hp curve rolls over. Then they have a 3200 rpm stall converter for about $250. These are the things I would like to drop in the big truck. I know it would put it in Super Street class but what a kick-ass setup it would be. Even if it wouldn't be snatching purses and stealing trophies it would be a ball to run. I imagine it would make the Camaro a 10 second car, or very close to it.

I also felt the guys in the video lost some creds, when they put the turbo on and didn't increase the ring end gap. Regardless it is a blast watching them throw **** at **** and have a lot of fun with it.

I've got a Vortec 350 shortblock sitting here in the garage I'll probably use. I know the one you are talking about is a really good deal, but I've already got this one, lol. I figure I will have about the same $ into it, but I can get one or two things here and there... kinda like a finance plan. One things for certain though, I'm done with flat tappets (just too unreliable with modern oils) and it will have a roller cam.
 

bucket

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An aluminum LS would be sweet too. Trailblazer SS or Saab SUV.

I'm not knocking them, but I honestly have no desire for an LS swap anymore. They are a great engine platform and all, it's just not my cup of tea.
 

Honky Kong jr

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I'm not knocking them, but I honestly have no desire for an LS swap anymore. They are a great engine platform and all, it's just not my cup of tea.
Mine niether I like my big blocks. Lol
 

bucket

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Most of the mudwork I've uncovered so far has been pretty decent work, a large portion of it can actually be left alone. But then today I came across this:

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For some reason, someone thought it would be ok to grind the crap out of this fairly deep dent, making it very thin in spots, then put a healthy coat of mud over it. Which made it rust out.

Instead of just removing the sunvisor and using the access hole to push it out from the backside, like this:

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I also found out the deck lid, spoiler and tail light took a good hit at some point before the car was painted. I was expecting the wrecked side of the deck lid to be heavily rusted, but it turns out it's not too bad... but the other side, lol:

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This lid is repairable, but I think I'm going to look for a nicer one. I see no need to spend a bunch of fab time on it if it's only 4 bolts to replace it.

Overall, I'm very happy that I'm actually getting something done for once. And this is one of the best starting points I've ever had for a resto project. No complaints here!

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Honky Kong jr

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For some reason those cars disappeared, you just don't see them any more hope you can find good usable parts.
 

Georgeb

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For some reason those cars disappeared, you just don't see them any more hope you can find good usable parts.

There are a few around here but most are worse than that.
 

Swims350

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wow this makes me sad. makes me miss it but seeing they had hidden demons on top of what I already knew, dunno makes me a lil glad I didn't find it on top of th eother rot.

I had no clue on the bondo work seemed like it was all solid metal to me no fill, and then that decklid and t-top roof section wow.

I would have found it, as I was going to strip to bare metal and then go from there.

front end looks great with the billet grille and trim, that part made me sad, I figured it'd look good but it looks great.


I've almost lost interest in all these projects anymore, always finding something else and not having the cash to buy parts or materials. I'm sick of the s10, wanting to trade for something nice that needs no work, or at least me not dig into it and find something it needs LOL. Same goes for the 83, I've been tearing stuff apart lil by lil on it, but not being able to park it in the garage and full tear into it is killing me. I've also been debating just throwing in a motor and the trans I have repair brake lines and get it moving on it's own.
 

bucket

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I'm kind of undecided on the billet grill. I actually bought a stock grill at the Springfield swap meet today and stuck it in the Camaro when I got home, I think I like it better.

I'm not taking it down to bare metal, just taking it down far enough to get to a good reliable base. The factory paint that's still there has a good bite on the metal still. I've also come to the conclusion that the car wore it's original 2-tone paint and had zero bodywork done until the car got it's teal green paint job (probably in '91-'92, the paint matches the color chips for GM bright teal perfectly). When they painted it, they fixed all the dents and sanded off a lot of the factory paint. Most of the filler work is decent, and the primer they used is good stuff. But the paint was some absolutely terrible crap. So when the paint cracked and flaked, the sun wore on the primer too, causing the random bare spots.
 

Swims350

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I knew to be on the lookout when he said his uncle who owned it worked for a bodyshop or owned one LOL. they let stuff sit and waste and get rid of it after it's turned to junk or just get rid of it period.

The guy I got it from his uncle gave it to him, title was in his uncle's name, had been since I can't remember, and had sat since 93 according to the wv inspection sticker that was on it. He then traded it to me, then his uncle who he said would be mad over him getting rid of it gave him an el camino early 80's model. He had a 1st gen camaro sitting there, in black primer, had a good motor, he rebuilt or said, then decided to yank it apart because he was gonna put on a blower, he got rid of it shortly after I got this one from him. Then he got a v8 s10, looked good, painted it flat black, it was nice blue, then yanked it's 350 to put in the elcamino and got rid of the s10. The el camino now sits unfinished and last I saw he was looking to trade for the "right" squarebody trade lol. he said he was buying everything chrome for the elco, master booster etc, he bought the ss body kit for it the nose side spoilers/ground effects and roll pan setup, now it sits unfinished not driving I guess or not legal.

on a side note he tried to tell me the original engine in the 79 was a ls1, and was something special lol, then it turns out it's an lm1 and like you said a 170 hp stock and 2 bolt, nothing at all rare or anything like that.
 

bucket

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I would believe it has sat since '93, since it has acquired only a couple minor dents since it was painted teal. All the other body damage was previous to that. It's like they gussied the thing up, and then never did much with it after that.
 

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I'm kind of undecided on the billet grill. I actually bought a stock grill at the Springfield swap meet today and stuck it in the Camaro when I got home, I think I like it better.

I'm not taking it down to bare metal, just taking it down far enough to get to a good reliable base. The factory paint that's still there has a good bite on the metal still. I've also come to the conclusion that the car wore it's original 2-tone paint and had zero bodywork done until the car got it's teal green paint job (probably in '91-'92, the paint matches the color chips for GM bright teal perfectly). When they painted it, they fixed all the dents and sanded off a lot of the factory paint. Most of the filler work is decent, and the primer they used is good stuff. But the paint was some absolutely terrible crap. So when the paint cracked and flaked, the sun wore on the primer too, causing the random bare spots.

I like the stock grill better too.
 

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