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- 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Restoration - How Bizarre
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It is not everyday someone brings a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro in for restoration without any doors and a pair of vice grip pliers for a steering wheel. Even more bizarre is the custom bodywork this ’69 Camaro had to endure in the late 70’s or early 80’s. A few of the mods to loose included ’79 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 fender louvers, Ford Maverick taillights and housings, rectangle headlights, possibly a Chevrolet Caprice donation, and some huge steel fender flares welded to the rear quarter panels. You might notice from the photos a set of standard shift pedals, an automatic shifter and console and of course a custom sunroof. Our customer had a plan for this ’69 Camaro that included removing any trace of its past and building a stock appearance muscle car. The body would be chemically stripped and panel replacement would begin with an order to Dynacorn International, Inc. the leading producer of first generation Camaro sheet metal. The ’69 Camaro body would then be braced to change the floor with a one piece replacement floor and later installed in a jig to replace other structural components. Extreme detail was applied to the replacement panel alignment and appropriate panel gap. The front subframe was sand blasted painted and rebuilt with Moog stock replacement components by Federal-Mogul. The front drum brakes were upgraded to disc with a kit from the Stainless Steel Brake Corporation. When the rear end was disassembled it told a tale of an explosion that had been repaired but still had a damaged spring plate. After reassembling the differential with replacement parts from Randy’s Ring and Pinion the entire rear end was put together with a new set of disc brakes from SSBC. The engine of choice for this ’69 Camaro is a GM crate ZZ383 which produces 425 horsepower. To help hook up 425 hp we installed a set of Caltrac traction bars from Calvert Racing Suspensions. In addition to the caltracs, we also installed Calvert Racing’s split-mono leaf springs. Our experience with Calvert Racing suspension components has been stellar. Without any modifications to the body we have four link type suspension control that hooks up horsepower and shoots straight. This innovative product is born from super stock racing. You might notice the bottom of the ’69 Camaro was painted before the subframe and rear suspension was installed. Although we can dress the bottom of your car to your liking, show quality paint, over spray, undercoating ect. We typically apply a coat of textured paint similar to bediner which provides a wash & wear finish that is much tougher than other options.
