73 Camaro

[MrMonte]

20+ years ago I was looking for my Son's 1st car. Found this clean 73 Camaro but it didn't have AC so a friend bought it. He took it apart to make a race car then quickly gave up so the Camaro sat in a field for 20 years before he gave the remains to me a few months ago.

I striped it down to bare metal & found no rust or any prior damage. Sprayed some epoxy primer then some 2K hi build primer. Yesterday painted the inner bits. Looking for a 2010-2012 Camaro SS with 6 speed manual as a donor. Upgraded to C5 Corvette 13" front disc & Blazer 12.7" rear disc, 1 3/8" front swaybar & 1" rear swaybar.

Plan is to have it ready for the Hotrod Power Tour 2025.

 

[MrMonte]

More picks. I'm also building a 1:18 scale version of my project.

 

[MrMonte]

The inside was a mouse house for 20 years but is all clean now.

 

[89Suburban]

This is awesome.

 

[07Burb]

Woah. Cool project!

 

[Tonyrodz]

If it was mine I'd make it a split bumper clone. I love that look.
Did you get a drivetrain with it?

 

[MrMonte]

If it was mine I'd make it a split bumper clone. I love that look.
Did you get a drivetrain with it?

No engine, fenders, radiator support or any bolts. Sold the trans & fuel injection that came with it for $500.

I'm going with non RS front with split bumper, burnt orange with painted black rally strips like this pic.

 

[07Burb]

No engine, fenders, radiator support or any bolts. Sold the trans & fuel injection that came with it for $500.

I'm going with non RS front with split bumper, burnt orange with painted lack rally strips like this pic.View attachment 404686

You should make her all sexy like that and then throw in a 2.5L iron duke out of an S10 from the 80s

 

[Tonyrodz]

You should make her all sexy like that and then throw in a 2.5L iron duke out of an S10 from the 80s

Quad 4 motor.

 

[Grady_Wilson]

Any updates on your build?
You had made some great progress in just a few weeks when you first posted.

 

[EddieC]

Great project and good idea on the drive train. As I recall emissions regulations were killing the engines around that time.
In the late 60's my friend said that we were expert at taking perfectly good cars and making them unstreetable; Every thing got the 60's Z28 engine treatment. You had to be young to appreciate that in a daily driver.

 

[MrMonte]

Still no donor car yet. Copart prices are insane. I may end up spending the money for a clean driver since I need so many parts off it.

I'm close to paint & was working on panel gaps & paint prep then a large object hit my wife's fender while on the hwy then I had an AFM lifter failure on my Yukon so priorities changed.

I fixed my wife's fender & did an AFM delete on my Yukon just in time for the holiday season. Looks like the 73 Camaro will get painted next year.
Made progress on Mini-Me. Engine won't go in until the real engine is in.

 

[MrMonte]

Here I was test fitting the front pieces. I picked up these $125 17x9 rollers to make room for the 13" Corvette front disc brakes & 11.7" Blazer rear disc brakes.
I got the Blazer rear disc backing plates for $12 each at a Pick n Pull 1/2 price sale. Also picked up 3.73 gears from a low mileage Escalade. Have Power Stop powder coated calipers.

 

[89Suburban]

Still no donor car yet. Copart prices are insane. I may end up spending the money for a clean driver since I need so many parts off it.

I'm close to paint & was working on panel gaps & paint prep then a large object hit my wife's fender while on the hwy then I had an AFM lifter failure on my Yukon so priorities changed.

I fixed my wife's fender & did an AFM delete on my Yukon just in time for the holiday season. Looks like the 73 Camaro will get painted next year.
Made progress on Mini-Me. Engine won't go in until the real engine is in.
View attachment 414103View attachment 414104View attachment 414105View attachment 414106View attachment 414107

Love the detailed modeling work.

 

[MrMonte]

Gathering parts for the 73 Camaro.
High carbon rotors
30 spline posi unit
Corvette C7 front hubs
Subframe connectors
Gas tank
Leafspring poly bushings & pads

 

[Grady_Wilson]

Does your Camaro have a 10 or 12 bolt rear end that your new posi unit is going into?
Axle upgrades, too?

 

[MrMonte]

Does your Camaro have a 10 or 12 bolt rear end that your new posi unit is going into?
Axle upgrades, too?

It's a 10 bolt rear using a posi made for a 90s GM truck with a 30 spline 10 bolt then I'm upgrading the axles. Installing 12 bolt 30 spline axles made for a 1970 SS big block that came with a 12 bolt rear.

I did this same setup when we built my Son's 74 Camaro with a 600hp 454. Makes a very strong but not too heavy rear.

 

[Big Mama]

You are a talented individual. Great work! This is one of those cars we all had where we said “I wish I’d have kept it”. I’ve had 3 2nd gen Camaros in a 10 year span. None like the one you’re building.

 

[pwtr02ss]

Very cool project and nice work on the resto so far.

 

[MrMonte]

Very cool project and nice work on the resto so far.

Thanks, I call it my therapy project.