The qtr glass roller arrived yesterday so I took a few minutes and installed it onto the glass and then into the car.

Photos 689 - 691 - Now all qtr glass is installed, adjusted and finished.

Took a few minutes last night and made some water shields for the rear side panel. Found some HD paper here at work they use as protectant to steel blanks that are shipped in. Took the shiny side and painted it black (ignore the shiny black as it was still wet when photo was taken. Krylon Matte Black was used.


Photos 692-694 - Water shields before install. "Homemade redneck water shields"


Photos 695 - 696 - Installed


Photo 697 - What was left of one of the original shields

Great idea, those turned out nice!

I'll second that!

Nothing much new over the weekend. Ended up getting the rear section of carpet cut and laid. Also pass rear panel on along with windlace. And yes I plan to address the rear panel and its waviness.


Photos 698 - 699 - Rear carpet installed & cut. Rear panel installed with windlace.

Hey everyone I know how helpful this preservation thread has been for folks like myself. With Darrell's permission I will be keeping this thread updated.







Been a little of a dry spell in the garage but I took advantage over the long weekend to finish up the rear body harness. Previously I THOUGHT I had a good replacement harness for the car but while I was busy repairing it I failed to pay attention to the fact it was a RS harness.. :rolleyes2: So my search continued for a replacement. With no original replacements out there (at least in my searches) I went to my other parts stash location and rounded up 2 other junk harnesses and managed to secure the sockets and terminals I needed to make the repairs to the original harness which had been butchered up many years ago. Now the mini project begins with repairing the old harness. You can see its pretty tired but the wiring is still good and has no bad insulation throughout the wiring and it ohm'd fine so I will use it.


Photos 700 - 703 - Of the harness before repairs.

Photos 704 - 705 - After cleaning, repairing and retaping.

Photos 706 - 707 - Continued harness repaired - Ignore the one terminal that's missing its backup light socket. Our own Bentley helped me out (which he always does. Thank you) and is sending me the one socket I need to fully complete the rear body harness.

Photos 708 - 710 - Harness installed into the clip under the dash and installed into the tail light housings.

Photos 711 - 712 - side markers

Finally once all was installed I wired up the car to a battery and tested all the connections including the headlight harness.


Photos 713 - 716 - Headlights, side marker & license plate light.

Photo 717 - Tail light

Photo 718 - Brake light

Photos 719 - Reverse light


Got the package tray installed and glued into place as well as the rear belts. Ignore the bunched up carpet. It was from my big ass rooting around wrestling with belts.

Photo 720 - Package tray

Photos 721 - Rear belts


While on belts I had previously cleaned up the retractor side of the fronts but still needed to clean the clip sides.


Photos 722 - 724 - Lap belts before cleaning.


I went with my ole tried and true method of cleaning. Citrus degreaser and a blue scotchbrite pad. If you decide to do this make sure not to bare down on it while cleaning. Let the degreaser do the work and just massage it into the material. Rinse and towel dry and hang up to air dry.


Photos 725 - 728 - Belts after cleaning.

Finished up the trimming the carpet, installed the firewall trim cover, kick panels and seal plates. I'm pretty happy with the results of the carpet. Ordered ACC from Speedway Motors for right at $200 with free shipping. Lays nice and very little needed to be trimmed. I actually like the fact the dimmer switch grommet wasn't installed as it allowed for a cleaner fit.


Photos 729 - 730 - As mentioned carpet, trim cover, kick panels and seal plates installed.

Photos 731 - 732 - Cont.

Photos 733 - 735 - Cont.

Photo 736 - 737 - E brake assembly installed.

Photo 738 - Confirming dome light works as it should


Bentley came through with the backup light socket. Got it cleaned up and installed. Now both backups work. Ignore the led light as I didn't have a standard on hand when testing.

Photos 739 -740 - Socket

Photos 741 - 742 - Installed and working


Pulled the cluster and replaced the bulbs.

Photo 743 - Lights off

Photo 744 - Lights on


Photo 745 - Ignition in the run position. Brake light being on is due to testing the circuit along with the lights. One thing I just realized I failed to do was ground out the oil warning light which I will do at another date.

Photo 746 - Ignition in start position

Photo 747 - Ignition in acc position

Tackled the fuel gauge issues I was having with the sending unit. These are very basic in how they work. I failed to snag a photo of the internals but I'd say if you do not have sending unit that is working pop the cover off and take a look. Make sure you have resistance from the through the mounting post, then through the strap and finally inside the cap where the resistance bar (I'm sure there is a technical term but it escapes me that the moment) is located. If you have resistance to that point confirm the copper tang is still attached to the float arm and is clean. I just cleaned the tang and the bar it rides on and presto I had a working sender. Resistance is 0-90 ohm and will should see 90+ when it is full (by the float arm) and around 40ohms when half and basically 0ohms at empty. (roughly).

Photo 748 - sending unit grounded and powered through factory harness.

Photo 749 - 751 - Gauge showing different positions of the float arm.


Previously I had the oil light which wasn't working so while the cluster was out one finally time (hopefully) I installed the dash pad and confirmed all lights working in cluster. Nothing prettier than a stock 68 cluster. But I'm biased. :)


Photo 752 - Dash pad

Photos 753 - 754 - Cluster lights

As Darrell is banned he is continuing the preservation thread here I will not be posting any further updates:

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=19637.360

I didn't realize that Darrell was banned. I guess I missed whatever it was that got him kicked off.

Very informative . Thanks for sharing.

Man, I really learned a bunch from this thread.
Thank you Darrell.
I’d love to see the finished product.

Preservation of a 68 Camaro Part 2
 

Since the old thread was closed during my departure I figured I would start a new thread. If Shauger or anyone else wants to combine them later then please feel free.

Preservation of a 68 Camaro


I'll start by back dating what I had accomplished and shared on other forums but hopefully those that do not frequent those sites will find some kind of value on the continuation of this preservation.




Since I was having no luck locating a good replacement rear panel due to the previous racoon that took up residence in the car while in storage at my parents home. I pulled the vinyl off the board and removed it. I had an old junk 69 panel so I used it for its board. Once I applied new foam I patched (very crudely) the tear that was in the material. Again thanks coon...

UPDATE: - I had a good friend reach out with a set of door and qtr panel covers and I will update that at a later date.


Photo 755 - Original board chewed by coon.

Photo 756 - '69 donor (I knew 69 parts were good for something. ;) )

Photo 757 - foam glued

Photo 758 - Crude vinyl repair


After it had setup I installed it along with the back seat.


Photos 759 - 760 - Back seat and panel now installed. The panel will have to do until I can find a suitable replacement. I'd rather push forward than delay the project. I can always go back and replace it.

I looked at another tach option from my stash. At some point the car had a column mounted tach as the cup on the column had an indention.


Photos 761 - 762 - Don Garlits Stars and Stripes tach. Oddly enough my father acquired this tach from a fellow member many years ago when he purchased a C10 from him. I've cleaned it up a little and it looks ok.


Found the bulb for the glove box so I installed it and confirmed it was working along with powering up the tach light to make sure it did not need replacing. Also installled glove box and door.

Photo 763 - 764 - Glove box and door with auxiliary light. Also like to add that's an original "born-with" scratch. I'm kidding. Idk when it happened but it was long before me.


Photos 765 - 766 - DG S/S tach lit up with the dash cluster.


Back on the horse over the weekend. Cleaned up the subframe tails so I can reinstall it. I'll continue the cleaning on the sub once I am ready to work on the front suspension.


Photos 767 - 769 - Thanks to a good friend Jose (jbtech) I was able to obtain a set of original sub cushions that were taken off an early 68 LOS car.


Photos 770 - 771 - Subframe tails before cleaning up the old spray bomb black.

Photos 772 - 774 - Tails cleaned, then using my da polisher I hit everything with M105 & M205 Mequiars.


Next I slide the sub back under the body and using my old brass punches as my alignment pins got it all bolted back up.


Photos 775 - 777 - sub bolted up using the pins.


Next I rolled the ole girl out into the sun for the first time in a few years.


Photos 778 - 781 - overalls before knocking the dust off.


I'll try to keep updating when time allows.. Thanks for the interest.

Great processes and results as always Darrel!

Good to see you back..:wink:

Love all of it!......but the thing that caught my eye was the keystones, sure wish they made these versions today. Super neat pieces!!

Thanks. I have a set of 15x10 Kustomags for the rear I got a few years ago. Just haven't mounted them yet.

Next I jacked up the rear and got to work with the pressure washer knocking off all the old dirt and grime to see how bad the rear tub was.


Photos 782 - 790 - Rear tub before

Good to see you return Darrell! I love a '68 Camaro Deluxe interior!

Cool Beans Big "D".

Hey a BIG public Thank you to Darrell for Taking His car APART a few days ago to Measure some (LOS) Z28 striping details for me and sending Hi-Res photos for my Z28 since our Cars are "assembly line brothers" built the same time (Week)

I appreciate that. Keep at this Red Gem!

Jim

Thanks Bill.


Any time Jim, glad they were useful. I will eventually add them to the threads but it'll be a little while.


Photos 791 - 797 - After pressure washing


Photos 798 - 802 - After pressure washing and knocking the dust off the body and getting her ready to go back into the garage.


Forgot to add the date on the original hood which is 48 or 49 (most likely 49) and it aligns with the rest of the sheetmetal dates.


Photo 803 - Hood stamp date

Welcome back D!!!

Keystones
 

Those Keystone skinnies are just too cool 😎! 👍.

Welcome back, Darrell. Thank you Steve Shauger!

You do excellent work Darrell! I enjoy seeing your progress on this car.

Welcome Back!!
 

Welcome back, Darrell. This is a great thread to follow.

Good to see you back,now who had June 26/2024 in the pool. :laugh:

‘

Glad to see you’re back too Dar’ also thanks for continuing on w/ this great thread!
:beers:
~ Pete

.

The cleaning looks great !

The pic of your bump stops and tail pipe hanger holes really stands out to me. The stops are radically different than my '67.
How ?? did someone manage to hog out all 4 holes so badly for the hanger ?? My right side holes had been ripped out from a rear end crash. I was able to use a copper backer plate inside the rail to weld mine shut, while the pan was being replaced.

https://www.yenko.net/forum/attachme...1&d=1719414648

https://media4.giphy.com/media/d7BlI...giphy.gif&ct=g




I am not sure what the hell they were trying to accomplish. Maybe trying to get the 2 riv-nuts out of the frame rail (see photo attached and green circles & arrow). There are only 2 holes for the exhaust hanger. Driver side used riv-nuts the other side was basically a sheetmetal bolt. Similar to the exhaust hangers for the front side of the muffler (which I will go over here shortly). I have new nuts to insert but I'll have to hammer the rail flat again and hopefully they will take.


Now on with the show.

Photos 804 - 805 - Diff removed. More to come.

Photos 806 - 807 - Before cleaning



Photos 808 - 810 - After. I am also gonna try out the Evaporust gel as I picked up a small bottle of it several months ago and this will be a perfect area to give it a try. I don't recall where or who asked the question about original red primer vs red overspray but the last photo shows the majority of the floor has healthy amount of body color and the primer in the diff area for comparison. This was already established that LOS cars got more color on the floors vs NOR cars but this is just another example of that.



Leaf springs are out and note that the original 4 leafs are still there but a 5th leaf was added. This was a common in drag racing applications. I do not plan to remove the 5th leaf as I thing it is a part of the cars story.

Photos 811 - 813 - Leaf springs after removal.



While the diff is out I popped the cover. Diff was replaced at some point. This is a BL0401G coded rear (C 21 8 casting). Gears are 4.10's & dated 7/68 and again not original to the car as it is a 12D build date. What I found interesting and MAYBE the original carrier which is dated E 29 H (May 29th of 1967). Can I prove it? Of course not but it certainly makes you wonder.. I do not believe the gears and carrier are a matched set due to the almost a year difference in dates but I I have seen "Stranger Things".. ;D


Photo 814 - Dates on carrier and ring gear.


Common issue with removing leaf springs are the clip nuts for the leaf spring mounting bracket. Broke one on each side so I will have to source 2 bolts which I'm sure I have in my hoard of bolts and nuts. Hopefully I have the clip nuts also.

Photo 815 - Before cleaning.


Photos 816 - 817 - Some of the items after cleaning with degreaser and soaking in Evapo. Still have the rest soaking. Note the shackles still showing signs of the dipped black as well as black overspray from the gas tank blackout on LOS cars.

Photos 818 - 820 - Removal of the forward exhaust hangers. Note the bolts are zinc/cad for the nut inserts and phosphate on the coarse thread bolts.


Photos 821 - 822 - Floor area where the hangers mount before cleaning.


Photos 823 - 824 - Zinc/cad bolts after cleaning/preserving. Another note on the different head markings used in same location.



Photos 825- 827 - Rear tub area still cleaning and noting stamping part number.



Photos 828 - 830 - Huge shout out to Chick and his buddy for coming through on a good replacement gas tank to filler tube hose. Here are the before cleaning.



Photos 831 - 833- Tank to filler hose after cleaning. I have it soaking in something that Chick shared on preserving. I will report back how it faired and what was done. Car's original tower clamps.


Photos 833 - 834 - I think I have shown these before but here are the dates on the clamps.

Photo 835 - Another shout out to another good friend Nuge for selling me additional Day 2 item for the car and an amazing front plate from a local speed shop that was based out of Bowling Green, KY. Used them several times refilling my nitrous bottles back in my 4th gen Camaro and racing days.


To finish up on the gas tank to filler neck hose; as I mentioned previously, Chick had suggested soaking the rubber in baby shampoo. So I sealed it up in a ziplock baggie coated with the shampoo. The outer ends seemed to feel more flexible after soaking for 24hrs. Center section that was exposed to fuel fumes didn't seem to change but still worth trying and I believe it is worth it on rubber components just be advised test the procedure on a scrap piece before hand.


Photos 836 - 841 - Close ups of the hose as finished.


Next I tied up some loose ends and finished the exhaust bracket hardware, T-bolts & nuts, rear brake hose bracket (note only one bolt used from factory)

Photos 842 - 844 - Exhaust brackets and hardware and brake hose bracket & bolt.



Photos 845 - 847 - Details of bracket and head markings of coarse thread exhaust hanger mounting bolt (Driver side)



Photos 848 - 849 - Note the interesting blue/black rubber on the one hanger.

There are a number of interesting differences from my '67. My left tail pipe hanger was mounted with the same sheet metal screws as the right side... LOS built, factory SS 350 car. Both exhaust pipe hangers as well, 1/4x20 bolts into the threaded plates, no riv-nuts. Kind of makes me wonder if they weren't assembly line mistakes that were corrected on the repair line.
You, also, have some sort of reinforcement plates under the seat belt mounts that my car doesn't have...:hmmm:

If your car has had the floor replaced then they most likely were not moved over as the repo pans do not have these on them.

Photos 850 - 851 - Removed the bumper stop and shock body mount and bolts. Before cleaning. Note one bolt failed to have its washer installed from the factory on the passenger side. All other bolts retained their washers.



Photos 852 - 854 - After cleaning and coating them with Cosmoline Rust Veto aerosol.



Photos 855 - Lower bulkhead stamping.

Photos 856 - 857 - Tail pan stamped number.


Photos 858 - 863 - Drivers rear wheel well. Still more cleaning to be done but you hopefully can see the progress.



Photos 864 - 866 - Passenger side rear wheel well


Photos 867 - 869- Trunk floor


Photos 870 - 873 - Reinstalling hardware and brackets



It may not look like it but I am more satisfied with the quarter wells. Note the quarters well lips had been rolled at some point.

Photos 874 - 877 - Driver qtr well


Photos 878 - 880 - Pass qtr well

How do you like the Cosmoline Rust Veto aerosol as opposed to Boshield?

Honestly, I have not tried Boshield as I had plenty of the Veto from other projects. I still have a gallon can of Veto that I am using currently as all my aerosol's are used up. I will say I have started combining RPM and the Rust Veto together and heating the part up then applying with a brush and then hitting it with heat again. Seems to do pretty good. I just started this process on the leaf springs and so far I'm fine with the results. I will get to that at a later time.

As you can see from the previous photos the condition of the original leaf springs & perches. An additional spring was added at some point and since I am trying to get it back how it was I left the 5th spring in place.



Photo 881 - The spings after cleaning and before preserving.



Photos 882 - 883 - GM U stamping on the original springs



Photos 884 - 886 - One of the springs after preserving and one of the perches.



Photos 887 - 888 - Perch bolted and # "20" stamping.



Photos 889 -891 - Drivers spring installed. Ignore the finger prints from the gloves. You will also note off to the side you will see I also installed new (actually used but still flexable vs the originals had dry-rotted) rocker "drain flappers" (technical term)



Photos 892 - 894 - Passenger side


Photo 895 - After and the springs are wiped down and a wrap until I get the diff installed and suspension loaded before I tighten the bushings.

These photos are of the initial teardown. As you can see the 40 plus year old gear oil had failed. Current plan is to reuse the carrier which I believe might be the original to the car (can not verify) but since the speedo cable was apparently routed the non muncie way I can route the cable (which I still have CA) and assuming the car had a speedo adapter it would reach and have no issues. You can also see a wear pattern where the cable rubbed the firewall.

Photos 896 - 898 - Initial tear down


Photos 899 - 900 - Brakes, lines and dirt daubers



One thing I failed to mention previously was that I will be swapping gear ratios to a 4.56 as I plan to run a 28" tire and I will need this little small block in the rpms fairly quick or at least that is the intent. Of course new bearings, seals, brakes and an overall clean up will be the following steps to come.

Photos 901 - 903 - Axle, carrier & pinion


Photo 904 - Pumpkin wiped out, caps, shims, pin and bolt are clean. I will be using an aluminum diff cover I snagged from a buddy which I shared in a previous post.



Up next was the removal of the pinion nut & pinion as well as removing the carrier & axle bearings and said seals. Also adding the axle stamping & casting date.

Photos 905 - 907 - Pinion removed & axle stamp & diff casting date (appears to be C 2X 8



Photos 908 - 910 - Old axle bearings removed and new bearings and seals installed. Also added a shot of the inside of the tubes. Very clean once the grease was removed.



The removal of the pinion races (Not pictured) and the "new" gear set. GM dated 10/65 & 11/65 ring & pinion. Hopefully up next will be the "derustification" of the housing and the installation of the carrier bearings and start to setup the pinion depth etc. Once that is finished I will set up the backlash and get a wear pattern.

Photos 911 - 913 - GM 3862527 Ring & GM 3862515 pinion



Drug out the ole evaporust and setup a quickie bath for the diff. Slow going process at this point before I get back into reassembly.

Photos 914 - 915 - Evaporust bath



I also starting the cleaning and preserving process of other diff components.

Here is a photo from above for comparison on the brake parts.



Photos 916 - 917 - Some of the brake springs, levers & diff cover bolts, etc.



Moving forward and down the axle. Also added to the batch of brake parts etc.

Photos 918 - 919 - Exaporust flowing further down the tube and part of the pumpkin and brake parts. Brake parts were still wet from the Rust Veto I use for preserving. Once dry it will not have a shine adder.



This one will be much like the majority of photos (boring). E-brake cables and diff brake lines after derustification & preserving using a mix of RPM & Rust Veto from a gal can. Process is the same as I did the leaf springs. Heat the part up with a heat gun and then apply the mixture with a brush and then using the heat gun again to force it into all the areas and dry.

Photos 920 - 921 - Overall of e-brake cables & brake lines



Photos 922 - 927 - Misc shots of the e-brake cables



Photos 928 - 930 - Misc shots of brake lines



Nothing huge on updates as its the slow process of letting the Evaporust do its thing. But here is some progress down the diff and the other brake components.


Photos 931 - 934 - Overalls of the Evaporust "bath"


Photo 935 - Brake components


Photo 936 - Action shot of Evapo

Welcome back Darrell!