Starting from ground zero

She's been lonely too long

Today I ventured out to the garage to work on the Camaro. As I sat there looking at it, first thing I did was place the cowl induction hood back on the car. I realize it was just mental, but with the hood in place the car just looks more complete, as opposed to the basket case that it currently is. I then took the duster and dusted it off then added some tire black to shine them up a bit. There, it almost didn't look like a car that has been sitting for 5 years now.

Fully stocked

Ground zero, that was where I'd be starting as I gazed into the interior. From the years of sitting, welding in of the roll cage, and remaining sound deadening insulation on the floor pans they were looking like they needed some tlc. I got out the angle grinder with wire wheel installed and went to town on the floor pans, stripping off all the insulation still glued in place, the loose paint, as well as the seam sealer. The removal process went quite smoothly, as they really weren't in bad shape.

Heart of the beast, a 454 bored .030 over

Upon completion, I re-seam sealed all the welds along the floor pans, then added a fresh coat of rustoleum to everything. Next on the agenda I think I will cut out some metal atop the transmission tunnel, as it's seen quite a bit of abuse over the years. First, it looks like swiss cheese from all the holes from the factory column and shifter, then later the aftermarket B&M shifter, then the plate I tacked on top of the tunnel to keep it from flexing during shifts. So possibly tomorrow or sometime this weekend I need to pick up some sheet metal to weld back in after I'm done cutting. In addition, there are numerous holes in the firewall from who knows what from factory. I know at least one is for the throttle linkage, which I have replaced with a cable, another for the speedo cable, hole for the fuse block to pass through, and a handful of others which I'm sorta baffled by. I'll weld up the ones I'm unsure of, as it's easy to make new holes if need be.

Shop dogs

I have to admit, my garage is good to go. I have everything arranged the way I want it making the most use of the space I have. I have a few cabinets in the basement I plan on relocating to the garage as soon as I get some insulation up and some sort of paneling or drywall, I haven't decided yet. I got a kickin' stereo system that sounds just right at MAX volume. My fully stocked fridge keeps me from making runs to the house for beverages. My air compressor is good to go, and I have all the tools to get the job done. Never in all my years of wrenching on cars have I had a better, more comfortable set up.

Finished floor pans

Perhaps most importantly though, I finally feel it. That urgency to get out there and work on it. In the past, I thought I had that desire, yet it didn't last. Once out in the garage, or perhaps the day after, I had already lost interest. Honestly, this may sound a bit cheesy, but I have to thank the show on Speed on cable tv known as "Pinks." While I don't have the desire to race my car for pink slips, as I have no desire of taking a chance at losing it, it's just the raw nature of the show. The crudeness of some of the vehicles, the go fast at all costs mentality that I find so appealing. Watching top fuel racing still is fun, yet you can't look at them in the same way you look at your hot rod in the garage. The shows like Overhaulin' never really got my interest either. Watching a show on restoring cars, or even the restomods just didn't click for me, I found them rather boring. Pinks on the other hand, a lot of these cars are running engines on par with what I had. They are doing the smokey burnouts like I used to do. I can damn near smell the burning rubber and all so recognizable fumes coming from who knows what. It's the thump of the engines as they await the host to drop his arms, signaling the start of the race.





I guess in addition to this, a little bit of other influence may have been when I was out cruising in the Formula the other day and witnessed multiple classics out on what was an unusual 60+ degree day in November. At one point I was sitting next to a 1970 Vette, shortly after a 1970 Chevelle with a big block passed us going the other way. It had me longing for my ride, missing it like I haven't missed it in a long time.

So even though I sit unemployed, unable to purchase many of the major components to get my car on the road by summer, there is still plenty to do. Remember, the car is essentially a shell right now. After I finish up this little bit of wiring, I'm going to start installing the electrical and get at least the front and tail sections all wired up. I need to come up with some sort of dash for my main gauges as well, since the roll cage goes right through where the original was and a cross bar behind the dash makes it impossible to reuse. After that, I'm gonna find some plush carpet that matches the color of the car, like I had before, add some sound deadening mat, then install the carpet and seats. I had pondered aftermarket seats, and I may still install a set later down the road, though for now I'm going to install the originals including the rear seat. I may create some sort of carpeted back board in case I later decide to omit the rear seat, but my feeling is that the added weight being over the rear tires is likely more of a benefit for traction than a factor that would slow me down.

After that, I think I still have a full set of pioneer speakers and JVC CD player to install. All interior trim and panels are around here somewhere, as is the headliner...I think. I think the rear glass may be at my parents, the front glass I broke upon removal. If I can at least get the interior in order by spring, at least then I can sit in the car, look out the window, and feel that much closer to completion. I could tough it out with the rearend as long as I didn't install tires that hook, and the transmission only has a few 1,000 miles on it, as does the convertor. So that leaves a beefed up drive shaft and rebuilt engine, the engine which will set me back at least $5,000, which is why next summer will likely come and pass without it seeing the street. So be it though, as long as I stick to it and venture out to the garage on a more regular basis and can see progress, it would be a huge step in the right direction.