E-tek Restorations: PROJECT THREAD

[e-tek]

Would love to hear more about the Camaro you got there! Went through your blog and website to try and find more, read everything there, so I ask here

Good eye! The Camaro is the newest project to grace the E-tek Rod Shop! It came in with a WICKED 373 Stroker, with 2.5" dual exhaust, full flo-through mufflers, Demon 4 bbl and even a Rattler balancer, making about 450-475HP. It has a full delete shaved firewall but that'll be remedied with a Vintage Air kit install and aftermarket wiper set up.

It underwent a - somewhat poorly done - restoration quite a while back though, so it's gonna get the full-meal-deal including full quarters, new door shells and hinges and a complete body and paint do-over. Once that's all done it'll also get a full interior redo.

So stay tuned if you're interested in that one - but be patient - each of these restorations taker about 2 years to complete. The 40 Ford has been with me for just over a year!

 

[e-tek]

With a LOT of effort, whilst simultaneously moving the window crank back and forth


Now, you are just getting crazy! LOL !!

I wasn't sure anyone was actually READING!! LOL!!

 

[Aquaticbob]

Good eye! The Camaro is the newest project to grace the E-tek Rod Shop! It came in with a WICKED 373 Stroker, with 2.5" dual exhaust, full flo-through mufflers, Demon 4 bbl and even a Rattler balancer, making about 450-475HP. It has a full delete shaved firewall but that'll be remedied with a Vintage Air kit install and aftermarket wiper set up.

It underwent a - somewhat poorly done - restoration quite a while back though, so it's gonna get the full-meal-deal including full quarters, new door shells and hinges and a complete body and paint do-over. Once that's all done it'll also get a full interior redo.

So stay tuned if you're interested in that one - but be patient - each of these restorations taker about 2 years to complete. The 40 Ford has been with me for just over a year!

I'm very interested in seeing the finished project! My old neighbor at my old shop finished up a Hurst Camaro not too long ago, and man was it beautiful. I think it was a '67? not 100% sure on it. Got to go on a few rips in it, so amazing. Made me really want one

 

[e-tek]

Wired up the supper-cool signal containing "peep" mirrors today:

Hardest part was threading the wire into the slotted arm, then through this retainer:

I'm a details guy and this rubber protector didn't sit right on the arm:

So I cut the one side a bit:

So it would better hug the chrome arm and further protect the paint:

Once installed on the door, it was time for some garage-selfies!

There's a few ways you can mount these mirrors, so the owner can decide which way suits him later down the road:

With the mirrors in place I measured out the wires. I ended up running a peice from the turn signal wire under the dash, through to door post and connecting it inside the door.

Next I ran the speaker wires and tucked everything up for the upholsterers:

Once it's back from the upholsterers, the window garnish moldings will all need to be installed. But way before that they need to be sanded out and painted, so today I sanded them out and put some high build primer on them:

I've had a few things to re-check on my list since initially mocking up the car and the gas pedal was one of them. The way everything lined up, the pedal was pulling the throttle cable down and to the side. Time to fix that:

Drilled a second hole to lower the connection point:

Chamferred the hole:

Then I took a little material off so the clevis wouldn't bind:

Now to remove the grinder marks and make it all smooth-like:

then polish it back to a shine:

Good enough for under the dash!

After getting all that done on the 40, I decided I'd better continue to show the Camaro some love....

Once again, my door caddy came in handy:

When I was pulling up the carpets, I found something else I'd never seen before:

These large diameter bolts, cut off flush with the floor:

Anyone know what they are?? At first I though maybe it was where they attached the body for dipping, but what's with the FRESH cut marks??

here's another item that I'd heard of - but never seen before: assembly line signatures!

With the parcel shelf cover removed, we can see it was an original light green car:

And that whoever hacked them up to install the speakers was either a hack, or McGiver!

If this old girl could talk!!

She'd say - can you fix me?

And I'd say: "Don't worry sweetheart, I'm a doctor...."

 

[Kevin54]

By the looks of that, I'd say this car has had some accidents in it's past life. The bolts that are cut off in the other pic, they wouldn't be original seatbelt bolts or seat track bolds would they? It's possible the car was originally a bench seat Camaro.

 

[jkherd]

That Camaro needs some help but I can't wait to see the progress. It is a great foundation for an awesome build.

 

[e-tek]

By the looks of that, I'd say this car has had some accidents in it's past life.[/quote]

Absolutely Kevin. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens (and what's hiding), when I cut that quarter off.

This is where it's [I]so[/I] important to do things in the correct order (hinges, new doors lined up to rockers, THEN quarters) to make sure things line up properly in the end!

[quote]The bolts that are cut off in the other pic, they wouldn't be original seat belt bolts or seat track bolts would they? It's possible the car was originally a bench seat Camaro.[/QUOTE]

Hmmmm.....:dunno:

 

[e-tek]

Only out for about an hour today, with my youngest (he's 10), so we did something on "his" car:

So we (OK, mostly me ) finally pulled the masking off the wire harness and gas lines and cleaned them up, again using the new style wire wrap before setting them back into the stock pinch-holders:

This stuff sure looks better than that corrugated ****!

 

[welder4956]

I like the wire wrap. Who makes that?

 

[Aquaticbob]

I like the wire wrap. Who makes that?

Looks a lot like the wrap you use for computer wiring.

Very similar to something like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UHQMYW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[e-tek]

I like the wire wrap. Who makes that?

I got it at a local electronics shop but it's making its way into the auto-resto world. I see Painless and others have it now. Aquticbob shows it's available online as well.

BTW - it WAY easier to work with. Cuts with scissors, opens easily with fingers, supposedly doesn't harden like the corrugated automotive stuff. Also, when you add a little piece for some "offshoot" wires, it blends together nicely (see the 40Ford application below):

 

[Aquaticbob]

BTW - it WAY easier to work with. Cuts with scissors, opens easily with fingers, supposedly doesn't harden like the corrugated automotive stuff. Also, when you add a little piece for some "offshoot" wires, it blends together nicely (see the 40Ford application below):

It is easy stuff to work with, and it won't harden, however it will stiffen up a little bit. I've noticed when it stiffens up it's a PITA to work with because it wants to return to how it was originally laying. I never tried applying some heat because a heat gun was never nearby when I worked with it, but with heat I could see it moving around a little easier.

 

[e-tek]

Something I wanted for Xmas, but decided to wait until spring, for the 390FE that I'm building - for my Galaxie.

 

[ADSR]

Something I wanted for Xmas, but decided to wait until spring, for the 390FE that I'm building - for my Galaxie.

Oh ****! Thats going to be sick!!

 

[motofool33]

subscribed

 

[HOTFR8]

Something I wanted for Xmas, but decided to wait until spring, for the 390FE that I'm building - for my Galaxie.

WOW, that will be fun to see.

 

[g13092]

Religious follower of your thread, first time poster... Is that a really really late 67? It has many hallmarks of a 68, side marker lights, astrovent, horseshoe shifter... I've got a '67, so I have a bad habit of tuning into these things.

I wonder if that long bolt cut off in the floor comes up from the subframe? seems about the right location...

 

[e-tek]

Religious follower of your thread, first time poster... Is that a really really late 67? It has many hallmarks of a 68, side marker lights, astrovent, horseshoe shifter... I've got a '67, so I have a bad habit of tuning into these things.

I wonder if that long bolt cut off in the floor comes up from the subframe? seems about the right location...

First off - THANKS for reading! Second - THANKS for (finally ) posting!!

Since you're an owner/expert on this era Camaro, I will defer to your superior knowledge! My apologies for calling it a 67 - as it is a 68 (as you are well aware!) and I'll endeavor to refer to it as such from now on.

I think that bolt does come up from the sub frame. I'll be out there shortly so I'll take a closer look at the underside and report back tonight. I'm still wondering through - if there's any significance to it being cut of 'fresh' like that....

 

[welder4956]

Another "religious follower" here. This is one of the few threads I always check for updates when I visit and helps me tremendously in my own resto work. Keep up the good work and Merry Christmas to you and the family!

 

[e-tek]

Time for a RANT! I'm sure everyone's had a situation like this:

The 40 Ford's wheels where supposed to be here last week (and even before that), but the wheel place we are dealing with is run by a younger guy who just has NO CONCEPT of time! He's Mr. Personable and will tell you "they are ready", or "they will be there", when it's just NOT true! He was supposed to bring them for weeks and then last week the owner asked me to call him - so I did: THREE times! Then one day he finally turns up - with a TAPE MEASURE!!. He wanted to get a final check on the wheel well size....then he told me he'd go back to the shop and put them together and bring them the next day....next day comes and - surprise! - nothing. So today, being the last day before Christmas, I call the shop, hoping against hope that they are ready to go - and maybe I'll even get them myself today - or at the very least, right after Christmas.

I get the machine and the message says: 'Thanks for calling ** Wheels....the shop will be CLOSED until January 2nd!" Oh for Christ's sake....

 

[e-tek]

Another "religious follower" here. This is one of the few threads I always check for updates when I visit and helps me tremendously in my own resto work. Keep up the good work and Merry Christmas to you and the family!

Well thank you very much - to all of you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS - and here's to MORE RESTO in the NEW YEAR!

 

[HOTFR8]

I hear you Ed. How Frustrating for you. Still we have to deal with people like this all the time.

Do not start me on some of these people. I had a similar issue yesterday.

 

[HOTFR8]

PM sent Ed.

 

[DynoDave]

Merry Christmas Ed.

I FINALLY found your thread....AGAIN! Keeping track of this thread is like tracking big game.

 

[HOTFR8]

Merry Christmas Ed.

I FINALLY found your thread....AGAIN! Keeping track of this thread is like tracking big game.

May I suggest you subscribe to it and never miss an update.

 

[ZAPPER68]

Merry Christmas Ed to you and your family up there in the GWN...

I am the lucky owner of an all original 68 RS Z28 and will be watching your Camaro build with interest. You commented previously that the Camaro isn't an original Z28...therefore, can I suggest you obtain the book referenced below authored by Jerry Macneish who is a first generation Camaro 'expert'.

1967-68 Chevrolet the Definitive Camaro Z28 Facts Reference Book ...

There is a wealth of information in the book which will be helpful for you to produce a product as close to 'an original' as possible...

 

[e-tek]

Merry Christmas Ed.

I FINALLY found your thread....AGAIN! Keeping track of this thread is like tracking big game.

I'm not thrilled that it got moved around so much either....But I certainly appreciate you tracking it down and chiming in! Merry Christmas Dave!

May I suggest you subscribe to it and never miss an update.

Although that may work Simon, not everyone wants to subscribe to every thread. I feel bad for all the readers lost along the way.

Merry Christmas Ed to you and your family up there in the GWN...

I am the lucky owner of an all original 68 RS Z28 and will be watching your Camaro build with interest. You commented previously that the Camaro isn't an original Z28...therefore, can I suggest you obtain the book referenced below authored by Jerry Macneish who is a first generation Camaro 'expert'.

1967-68 Chevrolet the Definitive Camaro Z28 Facts Reference Book ...

There is a wealth of information in the book which will be helpful for you to produce a product as close to 'an original' as possible...

Thank you for that! And I hope you either comment or PM me along the way if you see anything I can do to turn out the best Camaro possible!

 

[HOTFR8]

I'm not thrilled that it got moved around so much either....But I certainly appreciate you tracking it down and chiming in! Merry Christmas Dave!

Still not sure how or why topics got jumped round as they did. Still now we have many topics in this same section about the same type of work.
When they kept jumping round I was glad my subscription to this topic stayed in place as it helped me work out what was going on as a Mod.

Although that may work Simon, not everyone wants to subscribe to every thread. I feel bad for all the readers lost along the way.

True, but it is one way to keep up until you are following it again. Dave sent me a PM and I have helped him work out how to not miss a post here Sometimes you may follow a topic and then later cancel a subscription. I would hope Ed many have found this informative topic once again.

 

[e-tek]

Y'know that old saying: "The best laid schemes of mice and men..."

Well, thus far this Xmas, everything is conspiring against me and keeping me out of the shop!!!! AAARRGGG!!! I'd better be in there tomorrow - for many days straight....or I'll freak! %*#%)#*@&!

 

[Aquaticbob]

Well, thus far this Xmas, everything is conspiring against me and keeping me out of the shop!!!! AAARRGGG!!! I'd better be in there tomorrow - for many days straight....or I'll freak! %*#%)#*@&!

I know the feeling. I've been out of my shop for 2 months now... So far this holiday season I haven't even been able to touch a wrench and barely my welder

 

[HOTFR8]

C'mon Ed you do need some family time and it must be cold at your location. Mind you it is to Hot here to do much today.

 

[e-tek]

C'mon Ed you do need some family time and it must be cold at your location. Mind you it is to Hot here to do much today.

I get plenty of family time, but the way it works out at Xmas is that the wife and kids want to spend time at her mothers/their grandparents - and I don't.

As for the whether, if I wasn't in the shop, I'd be house-bound!

 

[e-tek]

Ok, photos are finally uploaded....First up - new tools! I got the Leatherman for an actual Christmas present, but the rest was just my monthly Princess Auto habit.I'll post detials in the new tools thread:

I've wanted a way to use a ratchet on taps forever, so when I saw this set I snapped it up:

Now, onto the 40Ford, where I buttoned up a few more little items, like mounting the MAF sensor:

Tidying up some more wiring (although - as you can see - I have left much of it uncovered until the car goes through everyone's hands and it's running as it should):

A little ways back in the thread I mentioned that I repaired this bezel. The photo I posted was actually a before shot - and between that and this - it was bent, hammered, filed, then sanded with 120, 240, 320, 600 then 1500, before buffing it out again - to get back to this point:

The repaired area was to the right of the mounting screw:

Next, I sanded out the high-build primer i had applied to these inner window suurounds, then re-applied several coats in between doing the driveshaft:

 

[e-tek]

THEN, I tackled the driveshaft, but first, I threw together a couple stands to make the job a little easier - and much more accurate:

Lumpy, but it holds!

The stands make it easy to keep items like drive shafts left and square in various instances:

The key to cutting a drive shaft is to try and keep everything square as you go, so you don't have to do a lot of squaring at the end:

Driveshafts all have an insert on the one end that you want to be sure NOT to damage. What I did was score the weld first by turning the shaft in the chop saw, then cutting it at the actual cut line:

By cutting the remaining tube piece with the hacksaw, I was able to remove it easily:

The tubes end was fine-tuned several times before tacking it on:

A pair of Vice Grips made a good welding ground point:

But I couldn't roate it freely, so I switched to a magnet:

After some final checking (forgot to snaps photo's), it was ready to bolt back in:

Pretty much exactly where I wanted it!

 

[Jokeman]

e-tek, please keep this thread going. Great seeing quality craftsmanship in this thread!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[e-tek]

e-tek, please keep this thread going. Great seeing quality craftsmanship in this thread!

Thanks. 3+ years, 4 restorations, 2 awards - AND A TON OF GOOD GUYS HERE....how can I quite now?

 

[Responder]

Belated Merry Christmas Ed!

I get the machine and the message says: 'Thanks for calling ** Wheels....the shop will be CLOSED until January 2nd!" Oh for Christ's sake....

Ya, the holidays end up being a real pain as to what is open and what is not. I went last year on Boxing Day to Princess Auto and they were closed...wtf!

 

[e-tek]

Belated Merry Christmas Ed!

Ya, the holidays end up being a real pain as to what is open and what is not. I went last year on Boxing Day to Princess Auto and they were closed...wtf!

Thanks man - Merry Christmas to you too!

I was at PA on Boxing Day last year too - I'd bet half the men in Saskatoon said WTF!! This year I called and the girl who answered said: "Yes - due to DEMAND - we'll be open this year for sure" LOL!

 

[gorilla]

Can you describe in more detail how you alined the yokes on that drive shaft? I'm wondering how you did it with the u joints still installed.

 

[e-tek]

Another item on my list of "do it last", was to open up a hole on one of the bumper brackets that was too small to insert a bumper bolt into. The hardened steel stopped me several months back and now I have to get it done. This time I stepped up the drill bits one at a time to slowly open the hole, then used a shaping rock to finish it out:

Took about 30 minutes to oepn it up just enough to put the bolt through:

To get the bolt head straight, I used a 15/16" wrench on the oblong head, wrapped in shop towel:

Finally!

Since the wheels STILL haven't shown up, I was left staring at the rusty brake hats and dingy caliper housings all week:

I cleaned them up really well with a Scotch pad, then Wax & Grease remover before painting on some Rust Bullet Black Shell.

If you've been reading along, you'll recall that the good people at RustBullet sent me some of their product to test and review, which I did, by brushing it on and describing that process, but I yet to have any long-term experience with it - until now.

I'm going to call this the "welding the lid closed" property. The product dries so strong and sticks to bare metal so well, that it virtually welded the lid to the can. To me, this is a good indication that it will stick to whatever it is applied to, so long as it's clean.

I hammered the can back into shape and punctured a hole in the top to allow me to pour out what I needed - a well-known procedure used with these types of products:

After pouring out what I needed, I resealed the can with some duct tape:

Finally, I was able to brush the brakes, rotor hats and some of the suspension parts:

should look better behind the wheels - if they EVER show up!

When I did the door latches, I broke one of the plastic rod clips. The clip was purchased a while back and today I crossed it off the to-do list:

The console had been on the bench while I mocked up a new face for the the stereo, tach and knobs. Today I was able to get it re-installed for the upholsterers:

It's going to look sweet all covered in carpet and leather (or a leather-like substance):

I keep looking at the rod, thinking how lucky I am to build things like this. I just love doing (most of!) it and put a lot of thought and effort into everything I do on them:

Next up - another classic!