thus far picture album

Thought I'd post about the progress of my C-1 car. More like therapy so I can bitch about how hard it gets sometimes...

Was making good progress and at this point I'm near a stand still. It all stems from being dependant on others to help and-or have a shop to use. The bodyshop behind my work that is owned by a friend of mine is so busy right now that it makes going over to do "fun time" stuff impossible. My other friend who has a shop 20 miles away and was going to help with repairing my fender flaired 1/4's and shoot the rear 2/3rds of the car just cannot get it together enough to start ( started being a 3 week in & out project.......celebrating 19 weeks right now )

Point being: I thought I'd take this time to show the good parts

The bottom bunch of photos show me pretty much doing dusty bodywork in my garage at night.. It su cks but its gotta get done somehow. I'm actually pretty good at it except for the part where you have to rough the lines or dents in. My friend is a master of that but I've been unable to get his assistance as of late. I do real well with the fine tuning and finish sanding. I'm a HUGE fan of piling on tons of 2 part filler primer and blocking it back down with a long block..Its very time consuming and not the way a production body shop could afford to do it but the panels come out flat flat flat this way...and these products don't shrink.. I know because its how I did my red car 9 years ago and the cars still fresh and mint looking

Pic of me struggling with initial Bondo application.. Its a much longer process when your not a " natural " at that part.. the good news is that it comes right off if your all messed up

This is the good side. Months ago I chemically stripped this door. and applied this bare metal primer. I always sandblast the seams to get the metal white clean. then the primer makes it a non issue in the future.. Now its time for body work. After a few pulls across the plane with 220 its easy to see the door dings.. Strangely the door shows signs that the RS hole punch was distorting the metal slightly.. see how the high spots align perfectly with the low trim holes......weird

This is a nice door

This is the decklid test fit to the car ( and a good thing I did..this lid was damaged in UPS and it tweaked the whole thing not just the lip that I repaired).. luckily I was able to man handled the lid back into position.

I spent an evening last week test fitting the bumper, guards and trailer hitch.. I had to drill holes in the bumper and the body for the hitch and wanted that done before paint was applied.. I used a repro bumper as I wasn't going to drill holes in an NOS one..The center bracket that is customarily riveted in by Chevy fit like crap.. I has to drill new holes for the bolts that attach it from behind the fuel filler neck and then I had to use an air saw and remove some of it at the bottom so that the license plate would fit correctly once the car was done.. This is the best bumper they offer.. Give me a break

The best was when I installed the rechromed Chevy sabre teeth bumper guards ( I had these rechromes for like $250.00 long ago but then found NOS for my O-1 car ) the chrome was perfect but too brittle...as soon as I cinched them down onto the bumper the chrome made a cracking sound and chipped right off at the top.. again I say..give me a break

I think this car is going to look crazy unique with flag poles and trailer hitches...just having some fun with this one

The decklid is minty but I estimate I'm into it for over 10 hours....

To end the bitch&moan session for the weekend I have marked the area that I sawed off for the bumper to fit snug with black squiggly lines

She is coming along Tom!!!

I thought you told me you were going to try to do a more time friendly "SAND AND SHOOT"..... This little girl is going to be sweet!

Very nice work Tom. Wish I could do some of that with my car, just not talented enough in that area. 19 weeks is a long time to wait, I waited 18 months before I pulled my car out. Know how you feel.

Tom,

I am very jealous! Wish I could dedicate some time to finish a 67 conv thats apart, and get to work on the pacer. Your work all looks excellent! Love that raw, dull steel look on a car.

That photo of the RS molding holes distorting the upper panel of the door is just unbelieveable. Do you think there is a chance this was a replacement door, and the piercing was done in someones shop, and not at the factory? The doors were done and installed on the Fisher side of the plant?

I guess any car guy would "in the back of his mind" like to be able to do body work. Seems like it would be good theapy. Wel Tom, give us a report on #78? Don't seem to hear much about it.

Ed. I do really like it.. spent a good 6 hours Fri-Sat getting the doors even closer and am going to bury the front skins in a thick layer of polyester high build ( like spay bondo ) tonight.. once I block them out with 180 I'll know how much a suck at this

78 will be my opus. This car here (C-1) is going to be driven so once I resharpen my skills putting this car together I'll then reassess where I'm at with 78.. One things for certain.. The sheetmetal I have for 78 is the best crap in the world so body work will be a comparative pleasure

Steve.. both doors are originals for sure.. as a matter of fact the same high spots showed up on the other side door... maybe the punch was dull that day??? I've done at leat 6 Camaro doors in my day and have never seen this? They are NOT reskins either

Tony.. I've fallen victim to my own inability to leave well enough alone.. I'm rebuilding the motor now.. painting the subframe and putting on a new convertible top and painting the frame.. I am however staying strong with leaving the belly and the firewall alone

quote:

I am however staying strong with leaving the belly and the firewall alone

I feel a "weakness" in this area may develop also..

NO!!!!!!!!

But it is seperate and easily accessable as maybe a small winter project

Tom,

the car is looking good! my father and i have a camaro that had the same look of the r/s door holes, 68 though, but i believe the holes are the same if not close, but i may be wrong. we thought that it may have been that it was because of the car being re-painted, when the moulding was being taken off/put back on. i love as well as hate the bodywork and painting process, we done the above mentioned car- and we had to be extremely picky because it was originally a black car, and we also done my friends 69 pacer. its very fun, but can be stressful at times too. keep up the great work and keep updating your progress!