My 1995 Camaro Z28 Build Thread (pics)
#41
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Thanks guys. I got started on cars when I was in third grade. I've been hooked since. By fifth grade I helped build up a 10 second 1969 Chevelle.
I didn't want to force it on him like it was for me (I was replacing and rebuilding transmissions in fifth grade). I'm glad he's pursuing it on his own interest.
I do have a lot of time off though. I work a 12hr shift on a compressed work schedule 4/3 3/4. It pays the bills and gets me half a year off. Sometimes it sucks though. Every test and tune day at the local track is a work night for me. Ugh.
I didn't want to force it on him like it was for me (I was replacing and rebuilding transmissions in fifth grade). I'm glad he's pursuing it on his own interest.
I do have a lot of time off though. I work a 12hr shift on a compressed work schedule 4/3 3/4. It pays the bills and gets me half a year off. Sometimes it sucks though. Every test and tune day at the local track is a work night for me. Ugh.
#44
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Thanks guys. Glad I saved it too. Still have to do the brakes and rear end. Then I can finally do the paint. Hopefully in the next couple months the rear end will be done.
#45
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Ugh, well, my rear tires have about 15K miles on them and are worn to the wear strips. It rained hard on my way to work and I hydroplaned doing 60 in a 75. Dammit!
Not sure if I want to fix it or swap everything to another car. If I do swap then I'm contemplating a Gen 2 Camaro, a C3 vette, or another 4th gen F-Body (Trans Am would be nice).
To make things harder, I'm moving in July so all my funds are being directed to the move. So I can't do anything until August at the soonest. This sucks.
Luckily no other cars were involved and all the damage to mine is cosmetic (with some tire rubbing on the rear quarter on bumps).
Not sure if I want to fix it or swap everything to another car. If I do swap then I'm contemplating a Gen 2 Camaro, a C3 vette, or another 4th gen F-Body (Trans Am would be nice).
To make things harder, I'm moving in July so all my funds are being directed to the move. So I can't do anything until August at the soonest. This sucks.
Luckily no other cars were involved and all the damage to mine is cosmetic (with some tire rubbing on the rear quarter on bumps).
#47
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Thanks Tom. I hit my head when I jumped the on ramp so a little a hazy for a couple days. Mostly my ego was bruised, LOL. Now I need to figure out this car, to fix, or to swap? That is the Question...
#49
If it was just the front bumper I wild fix it but the rear 1/4 looks toast, honestly for what you can get a decent roller for, I think I would swap everything and part the rest and scrap the shell for extra coin.
Sorry to see man.
Sorry to see man.
#51
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Along the swap to another 4th Gen lines, I had about $1K budgeted down the road for finishing the body and paint. Going to a clean 4th Gen would be less than fixing my body up!
#54
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So I got out my hammers and a 2X4, plus my ratchet strap and Suburban (Betsy). Made some progress, but I can't get behind the upper part of the dent FWD of the gas fill. I'd have to remove the quarter panel to pound it out, but if I'm removing it I'd replace it.
Or, I can drill holes and use my slide hammer. Another weekend and I may give it a shot.
The hardest part is getting the bottom crease (where the metal angles in for the bumper to butt up against) straight and back where it should be. GM actually laid TWO pieces of sheet metal in the drivers rear quarter panel. One is the cosmetic layer we can all see. The other is coated in rubber and a block all my hammering efforts to pound out that FWD dent.
The Rear Dent came out with a 2X4 and a 5Lbs sledge. Still needs a little more finessing, but I can work with what I have there.
All in all, I'm not going to waste more time doing any more body work to this car. It's not worth it. I ripped the other tail lens black out cover off so they at least matched and threw down some primer to protect against rust and hide the damage a little better. I'm also gonna grab some gray duck tape to tape up the cracks on the FWD bumper and call it.
It's driveable again once I get some good tires on the rear. I found some 28x12x18 Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R's for $100 for the pair. I'm not sure how those would do with my drop and 3.42's.
In August my search will start for a Roller Donor.
Or, I can drill holes and use my slide hammer. Another weekend and I may give it a shot.
The hardest part is getting the bottom crease (where the metal angles in for the bumper to butt up against) straight and back where it should be. GM actually laid TWO pieces of sheet metal in the drivers rear quarter panel. One is the cosmetic layer we can all see. The other is coated in rubber and a block all my hammering efforts to pound out that FWD dent.
The Rear Dent came out with a 2X4 and a 5Lbs sledge. Still needs a little more finessing, but I can work with what I have there.
All in all, I'm not going to waste more time doing any more body work to this car. It's not worth it. I ripped the other tail lens black out cover off so they at least matched and threw down some primer to protect against rust and hide the damage a little better. I'm also gonna grab some gray duck tape to tape up the cracks on the FWD bumper and call it.
It's driveable again once I get some good tires on the rear. I found some 28x12x18 Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R's for $100 for the pair. I'm not sure how those would do with my drop and 3.42's.
In August my search will start for a Roller Donor.
Last edited by hrcslam; 05-14-2015 at 03:26 AM.
#55
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iTrader: (1)
That sucks....I had a very similar incident with mine like that, hydroplaned due to bald tires on the rear end at 60MPH on a slick highway, and smacked the rear quarter panel/bumper against the concrete median going backwards 30-40MPH at an angle. These cars suck in bad weather and are downright dangerous without good tires. A hard lesson to learn.
Mine was able to be resurrected years later with with just a new rear bumper, hatch, and "tweaking" the dented quarter panel a bit. The body shop guys thought I needed a whole new quarter panel cut from another car, I bought one, turns out they were able to salvage the original by banging out all the dents. Now it's nicer than ever with custom paint job and 383
Mine was able to be resurrected years later with with just a new rear bumper, hatch, and "tweaking" the dented quarter panel a bit. The body shop guys thought I needed a whole new quarter panel cut from another car, I bought one, turns out they were able to salvage the original by banging out all the dents. Now it's nicer than ever with custom paint job and 383
#56
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Thread Starter
That sucks....I had a very similar incident with mine like that, hydroplaned due to bald tires on the rear end at 60MPH on a slick highway, and smacked the rear quarter panel/bumper against the concrete median going backwards 30-40MPH at an angle. These cars suck in bad weather and are downright dangerous without good tires. A hard lesson to learn.
Mine was able to be resurrected years later with with just a new rear bumper, hatch, and "tweaking" the dented quarter panel a bit. The body shop guys thought I needed a whole new quarter panel cut from another car, I bought one, turns out they were able to salvage the original by banging out all the dents. Now it's nicer than ever with custom paint job and 383
Mine was able to be resurrected years later with with just a new rear bumper, hatch, and "tweaking" the dented quarter panel a bit. The body shop guys thought I needed a whole new quarter panel cut from another car, I bought one, turns out they were able to salvage the original by banging out all the dents. Now it's nicer than ever with custom paint job and 383
#58
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Thread Starter
#59
That sucks, I had a dent almost in the same spot but a little more centered over the wheel and put a deflated basketball through the speaker hole and slowly pumped it up and got it a lot of the way out.
#60
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Hmmm. That is a novel idea. I may give it a shot of I can find my ball pump. You're a genius!