My 79 Camaro Berlinetta body and paint job going on

You're coming along well with it...

n0i

On Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:36:54 +0200, Lea GRIS puked:

Couldn't open.

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Found an issue with Internet Explorer 8 and my server mime types.

Here are direct links you can display properly until I sort the issue with IE8.

Thank-you for pointing this out.

Regards,

On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:32:07 +0200, Lea GRIS puked:

Nice. Keep us posted with the progress...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Today's photos of work in progress:

Door hinges where refurbished with new bushings and axle, fits very much better now. Ill be able to safely install new still panels without these being scratched by the lowered doors due to loosened hinges.

Lower driver side quarter panel sheet metal wielded. Noted the new sheet metal lower quarters (rear lower fender) have recessed bottom lower than original in 79 Camaro. Too bad but, well these are replacement parts and I have no magic Chip Foose here. ;)

Passenger rocker panel rearranged and being sanded.

Inner front fenders painted and reinstalled in place.

Some shots from under, showing rear transmission, new exhaust lines and muffler, front drive-train. Quite some rust here but plenty enough of solid steel. Cleanup not required said my mech. Well no Foose, no budget for an overall frame-off restoration.

Next weeks will be work on doors it selves and sanitizing lower rear body under the polyurethane bumper, trying to save the rear bumper-body junction moldings. No reference for a new replacement part. There are rust holes punched into these steel moldings and quarter panel ends under these moldings need sanitizing as water trapped there made its job for 31 years.

Stay tuned for more news the upcoming weeks.

Regards,

On Fri, 07 May 2010 22:56:50 +0200, Lea GRIS puked:

What country are you in again?

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

France.

Browse the new albums in the recent subdirectories for new uploaded pictures. Paint job done and reassembly en route.

On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:27:26 +0200, Lea Gris puked:

You're getting there...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Le 12/07/2010 22:06, lab~rat >:-) write:

Really, thanks. It is now a beautiful jewelry 79 Camaro Berlinetta. Enjoy it's last photos there:

Ride on a near-by roads in Lozère (Languedoc-Roussillon) France.

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:19:47 +0200, Lea Gris puked:

Turned out good! I was going to comment that it looked like you had too many Berlinetta badges on there (front and rear), but a quick web search showed I misremembered how they were. Nice project.

Now, do you sell it and start a new one? ;)

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

The four Berlinetta badges and the black pin striping contour placements took me some time on research with photos and Ebay digging. There are no template or reproduction available for these. I found three NOS Berlinetta Script Badges on auction and one another in used but good shape all from US Ebay motors. The black pin strips vinyl ribbons where common enough to get them from a local dealer. It took like 25m (82ft) of 3mm and 6mm (1/8" and 1/4") stripe ribbon to contour both bumpers, wheels openings, lower body (rocker panels), rear window, side lower window (upper door) and a bit for upper hood (under windshield). The black painted hood saved a bit.

I had to replace roted inside door panels due to water time work and loosened hinge bushings (causing the tilted down door to scratch the lower inside panels on still plates and upper rocker panels) with reproduction (sadly missing the chrome molding stripe), new repro shifter plate to replace broken original, an upper dash pad to cover original deteriorated surface, new interior door handle bezels, new rear package tray liner (some moron had ruined it with custom paint and speaker holes).

If I account for the overall funds spending. The used car itself represent 1/3rd, replaced parts and professional paid work hours makes up for the remaining 2/3rd.

When I'll pass, my successor may sell it from my cold dead fingers. Or if things really go bad. Either way, yes smile and hope. I spent too much funds and time for that really pleasant car to even seriously think about selling it. Even if I ever really need to sell it, the price would be over inflated or me be at a net loss. I did my best to get matching good replacement parts, no tuning. The only custom is the orange and black paint. Original matching color according to the body# and RPO codes was bright yellow.

Cheers,