These are moogs and I left the finish that was on them. I got them from Heartbeat and I'm pretty certain they use the 6312 springs for Z/28's. I'll see what they are like once everything is in but with big heavy headers and a bunch of other stuff being added to the front end, I am hoping to have heavy enough springs and not have it sag.

Adding vac pump, power steering, heavy weight headers, line loc, bigger radiator, and might still run a tunnel ram if I find the right setup.

Had an easy day around here yesterday and didn't accomplish a lot, but did get out to spend a few hours on the sub frame. Packed the bearings, put the rotors on and installed the front sway bar before putting some wheels back on it. I need to finish up the calipers and still need to get the power steering box rebuilt.

https://i.ibb.co/xjR3FNq/IMG-3427.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/z6ScrXK/IMG-3422.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/v1y0kJb/IMG-3425.jpg

Boy does that ever look incredible! That cars definitely gonna be bitchin.

It's cathartic to continue to see all your beautifully restored parts! Great work as ever :beers:

I was hoping to finish off the sub frame today but looks like I'm also missing a bracket that supports the sway bar to the frame. Found one today but will need to wait for it to arrive.

https://i.ibb.co/WBMW6JH/IMG-E3431.jpg

While the bodywork is progressing, I've also been busy getting all of the interior parts ready to go. After taking the seats apart, I sent them off to be media stripped and powder coated in a bright silver finish. They are now ready to go to the upholsterers where new patterns will be sewn and stitched before the seats are restored to factory like condition. I like how the springs and frames came out.


https://i.ibb.co/J7ZvK4q/Frame1.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/1q3tTpG/Frame2.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/dKfT9Fd/Frame3.jpg

Wow! Those seats look amazing. My upholsterer wanted to blast my frames and paint them. I told him to leave them alone, why would you blast them? There wasn't even any rust on them

For those who'd like to know what's been going on with the bodywork...here's a bit of an update. The floor was completed a week and a half ago before Ron took to the dashtop and the bottom of the windshield area. The car didn't have a lot of rust in it, but the front of the dash did have some decay due to moisture being trapped under the dashtop in between the underlying support panel. GM used to fill this area with a foam sealant that retained moisture and was targeted with planned rust out. I believe GM called this "Planned Obsolescence".

With the underlying area cleaned up and replaced with new metal, a new dashtop was then installed and has now been welded in and ground smooth. Next, we replaced the lower firewall section due to an earlier clutch explosion (1974) that damaged the tunnel, toe boards and the leading edges of the floor. An AMD lower firewall section was then fit into place and welded around the outer seams. We also repaired the drivers side cowl plenum which was damaged from a racing incident back in the 80's. Rather than repair that particular piece of metal, a choice was made to replace the outer cowl panel with new sheet metal. This now finished off the front of the car and Ron has since moved onto the rear quarters and trunk area which are progressing quickly. I'll update more pictures of the bodywork once the GM quarter panels are welded in and the bodywork begins on the doors and fenders.


https://i.ibb.co/Y0mGdWr/IMG-3316.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/s9XqqDK/IMG-3319.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/KFLCbMJ/IMG-3333.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/h2J3Vw0/IMG-3324.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/85Mt9Bd/IMG-3343.jpg

Dang. He's quick...Joe

At 73 years old, he's probably one of the most ambitious and hardest-working body men that I've ever met. He used to go 7 days a week and 12 hours a day on these types of projects. At present, I think he's still working those kinds of hours and typically he works on only one car at a time.

Very nice! I have followed this build from the beginning.

Sounds like he loves his work - and that shows in the end result. Very nice

I've been busy working on my septic tank and mulching leaves the last couple days but Ron has been busy with the car. Truck is welded in nicely and the NOS quarter has been fit on the passenger side. He told me it fit like a glove and he has an excellent door gap as seen. The trunk welds won't be finished at the back edge until he has fit the NOS drivers side quarter. Weather forecast says we're getting a dump of snow here tonight but I'll get out to see the car over the weekend.

https://i.ibb.co/PjRpNTM/IMG-3338.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/6mDJQHK/IMG-3482.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/cDgc6sB/IMG-3478.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/yn0VSDK/IMG-3479.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/2Nzhtys/IMG-3481.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/dmym9th/IMG-3480.jpg

Exciting stuff.

Never a good day for septic work! 😂

Yup...had some high ground water last spring and learned that the stack had some leaks around the seals. Had to wait until fall to dig it up and replace the top of the stack with a new conversion top. Buttoned it up today and backfilled the hole. More landscaping in the spring to dress it all up.

Very nice door gap! That’s something to be proud of. I went with an NOS fender on my 67.... funny it actually fits slightly better than the original one and the shape where the fender is rolled on the door gap is better than the original too. My guess is GM made improvements as time went on. My original fender is probably the 33rd or 34th week of 66. All my original sheet metal is dated around early to mid August 66

Great progress.

Was out to pierce a couple holes on the firewall and add a couple nutserts for the console today. Ron was working away on the left quarter as he's now fitting the gaps at the door and aligning the panel with the wheel opening and rear tailpanel. It's coming along nicely and will soon be going onto the rotisserie. At that point, he'll start with the priming, bodywork and blocking of the panels while also finishing off the floors and firewall sections ahead of paint.

https://i.ibb.co/vZ98cYr/IMG-3508.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/fQ2N1PS/IMG-3510.jpg

This is really coming together nicely Graeme. Great planning, great execution as usual!

Tim

Great progress Graeme! I wish my body guy had that kind of determination!
Buddy

Thanks Buddy & Tim

Ron's been fairly steady on it and keeps track of the hours he spends working on it. Up to yesterday, he's clocked about 100 hours on the sheet metal work and should have that finished up around 110 hours before he turns to some cleanup of the underside (about 120 total on the metal work). Once on the rotisserie he will sand and prime the whole car before prepping and painting the jambs, openings and cowl plenums in yellow. He'll then prep and paint the bottom of the car and will also spray up along the the firewall.

He'll then get the body into high solids and will start working on the doors, hood, fenders and the front sheet metal while it's all out on body carts. When they are all ready to assemble, I will have already installed the sub frame and suspension so it's ready for the front clip to go on with the undersides of all the parts already sprayed with yellow paint where required.

Next, He will block out the entire car and ready it for base clear paint before striping it in black. Once cured he will give it a full 3 stage cut and polish to bring out the depth of the paint. It should wrap up at around 300+/- hours if all goes according to plan and it should be done in mid-November.

Note: I have decided to forego the grey primer/overspray look and will spray out satin black on the entire underside. It's not a numbers car any longer so no need to add the overspray or try to recreate everything right to factory. I'm OK with that...but I'm really still on the fence with styled trim. (ugggh)

Like you said, it's your car. It will be great to see it back on the road & somebody enjoying it. It will get a lot of attention wherever you take it. Enjoy....Joe

Cars looking great Graeme. I got to ask. Is this car a keeper for your son??? i hope i'm not putting any pressure on you. ROB

No pressure at all Rob

This is to be my personal keeper. My son is helping out on this one as he learns a bit more about the builds and how to do all of it. Together we will be doing a car for him right in behind this one and that will likely be a second gen car. As long as I do keep this one, it will eventually pass down to him at some point but that's a ways down the road.

G.

I recently bought another set of Yellow 714 Houndstooth bucket seats to have another spare set of used covers and seat cores, but mostly, bought these to get the headrests that were with them. Not split, not damaged and an easy clean up to become a nice set of original yellow headrests for the seats which are about to be fully restored. Score!

https://i.ibb.co/3Cyrjgw/IMG-3586.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/1Ry5QLb/IMG-3587.jpg

Also got a little care package from Mr. Lightfoot and now have the decals needed for this little Z/28. Thanks once again Don.

https://i.ibb.co/HKQd867/IMG-3582.jpg

Good score on the headrests. I'm going to have to dye mine to be that nice. I'm jealous...Joe

I've been busy working with the interior parts and the seats over the last couple of days while getting things ready for the upholsterer. He received everything earlier today and will start rebuilding the seats early next week. Thinking that should wrap up fairly quickly. Also got things going on the door panels which are soon coming from Al Knoch. I sent them a color sample of the vinyl and they will color match the ABS molded door panels so everything matches the colors on the seats and rear panels.

In other news, Ron has been busy finishing up the metalwork and has really dialed in all the door gaps, trunk gaps, and all of the seams. He's also been cleaning up the window channels and readying everything for an epoxy primer which goes on next week. The plan is to get the car onto the rotisserie this weekend. Here are a couple more pictures of the metalwork as it's nearly done.

https://i.ibb.co/qB66JHc/IMG-3608.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/bX2R5h6/IMG-3609.jpg

Looking great Graeme!

Ron sent me a couple of pictures Friday night after putting 4 coats of 2K primer onto the body. Yesterday he was busy working on the body and the doors as he starts into the bodywork stage. I'll head out to see the car today and help him put it onto the rotisserie if he hasn't already done that. It's coming along nicely and won't be long before it's back on its wheels while being blocked out for color.

https://i.ibb.co/zrbrRLj/IMG-3610.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/nmDL1fN/IMG-3611.jpg

Looking good!

Wow, that's some quick work. Great progress.

looks great!

I thought of your build last night when this rolled across the block. The TV guy said "You'll never see another one" Ha.

That link didn't work for me, but if it's another yellow on yellow Z/28, I've now learned of at least 7-8 of them and I am sure there are plenty more. The option list on this one does make it pretty unique though. That being said, I have yet to find another yellow Z with the liquid tire chain option?

I was out to check out the progress and looked at the doors today. The driver's door had a dent at the front edge that Ron uncovered and pulled before fixing a couple of other spots & applying epoxy to the inner seams. He'll finish the doors and get them into primer along with the inside of the car before it goes onto the rotisserie.

https://i.ibb.co/qMMr04G/IMG-3621.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Q8B1cBv/IMG-3636.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/s3FDTyR/IMG-3633.jpg

OK. I have seen pictures of that car. An X-77 body with the Style Trim Group added to the outside along with the blacked-out rockers. I contemplated doing that but cannot bring myself to add trim to this car. The difference between the 2 cars as far as options go is that this one is a chambered exhaust car, originally had a tilt column with a rosewood wheel, and of course the V75 option. It will be restored that way but will not have its numbers matching driveline. Instead, it has a well built 350 solid roller and an upgraded M23 transmission. in addition, it will be dressed entirely different than stock when it comes to wheels, tires, and suspension. It should also be able to blow the doors off any stock Z/28 which I am totally OK with. (lol)

After pulling a dent out of the driver's door, Ron stripped the other side today to find a deep slash that was buried with filler. He cleaned it out, pulled the dent, and got it straightened before priming both of the doors. The good thing was that there was virtually no rust in either door. Floor and firewall work will come next. Looks like the orange door was set up for a remote mirror. That hole will need to be welded up.

https://i.ibb.co/z6Qn7qF/IMG-3645.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/d5zkKVf/IMG-3644.jpg