[6781camaro]

I just sat here for about 35 minutes and started to re-read my thread from day one. WOW-- have I grown. I was shocked to see my transformation regarding things such as: neater work, more planning and thinking things out, and a much better understanding of how these cars are built. I want to give give a BIG thank you to all who helped along the way.

It's amazing to see the transformation my Camaro has taken over the past year and sometimes we get jaded with our amounts of progress. I have never taken a car down this far before and am thoroughly please with how it's turning out. THanks again!

PLUS... I just hate sinking down to the second and third page so I wanted to bump up my thread.

[Tim1968]

hey todd! long time no see haha. the car is looking really amazing. i need to get mine into the garage and just work on it atleast a few hours a week like you are. the dust is really building up on the old girl and she is starting to look like the 'before' pics in the begining of your thread lol the 1968 camaro shelf. well i should be back to my normal daily status on here pretty soon once the camaro is back on the front burner, ive been cheating on you guys over @ the rx7 and tacoma forums lately haha. talk to you soon buddy and keep up the great work!

[6781camaro]

Originally Posted by Tim1968

hey todd! long time no see haha. the car is looking really amazing. i need to get mine into the garage and just work on it atleast a few hours a week like you are. the dust is really building up on the old girl and she is starting to look like the 'before' pics in the begining of your thread lol the 1968 camaro shelf. well i should be back to my normal daily status on here pretty soon once the camaro is back on the front burner, ive been cheating on you guys over @ the rx7 and tacoma forums lately haha. talk to you soon buddy and keep up the great work!

Thanks Tim... It's been tough and frustrating to find time to get out there lately, but I am somehow making it happen... slowly but surely. Tomorrow I will spend more time finishing the welding on the frame rails and trunk pan. It seems like it's taking forever and I should've been done already, but I can only do what I can do when I can do it. (make sense?)

Glad to hear you'll be out there again. It'll be cool to read more about your progress and witness the transformation into a finished Camaro. Now let's get out there and work! (play)

[6781camaro]

Quick and brief update of progress from a few nights ago...

I plug welded the trunk pan to the frame rails to get it started. Now that it's one unit, I can position it the way I want. This eliminates some variables for me to make it easier to center and position. The main floor is still just cleco'd into position so it will be fully adjustable from front to rear (within 1/4" or so). I want that gap between the torque boxes to be squashed for good. This will help me achieve that.



Just some pics to show how I started this step... *it's not the prettiest right now since I haven't smoothed off the plugs, but you'll get the picture. Before I plug weld each of these pre-drilled holes into the frame rail, I take a 1/4" drill bit and drill into the frame rail about 1/16" to ensure good penetration.

[herbyjr]

There's a quote from a man named Jacob Riis, who lived in New York City in the late 1800's. He was an author, accomplished photographer, popular lecturer and an advocate for the poor. Below is his "Stonecutter Credo", which I've posted on my fridge in the garage:

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

I don't really know how it relates to working on my car, but I like it and it helps me to feel better when I feel like I'm not making any progress. Besides, I'm sure they use machines to cut stones these days!!

H.

[6781camaro]

Here's some progress I was able to squeeze in this evening.

I plug welded the rear sides of the trunk pan to each frame rail. Came out nice!

Then I had to trim the rear edge of the one-pc floor pan so it was even along that edge. When they stamped it, the driver's side was longer and had more overhang. Now it's nice and square so it meets the trunk pan evenly.

ALSO--- with this one-pc floor pan, the passenger side inclined portion that sits along side the inner wheel well is not bent correctly and is missing 1/4" of width. In other words, the welding flange that meets the inner wheel well is too wide. The bend was not in the right location when they made it. I compared it to the driver's side and it measures 1/4" off. I can simply cut it and rebend it to fit later on. That way it will close the gap there where it meets the trunk pan and inner wheel well. (repro!)

After that, I was able to plug weld the entire front floor pan to firewall seam. I didn't get a chance to smooth out any plugwelds yet, so it's still in the "ugly" stage. ENJOY THE PICS!

[67speedfreak]

Todd,

Nice to see you are getting her welded together.
Looks really good!

Looks like you have nice penetration on your welds.

Brian

[anickel-67cpe]

Looks like a very productive weekend

[6781camaro]

Originally Posted by 67speedfreak

Todd,

Nice to see you are getting her welded together.
Looks really good!

Looks like you have nice penetration on your welds.

Brian

Ya know, everytime I do a series of plugwelds, in my mind, I do a comparison to your work and realize just how incredible it is. A true inspiration. I would love to visit your shop one day.

Thanks for the compliments! I did blow two small holes, while welding the floor to firewall seam, but managed to fix them after I corrected my technique. I had the wire speed up a little too high and I wasn't getting close enough to the metal with the gun. Ahhh, experience makes the difference for sure. My welder is still my new favorite tool!

Also, I will have to close up that gap I have between the torque boxes and the floor. It's still there . I will tackle that during this week.

I test-fit my front leaf spring pockets and they are one the money, so I know the floor and frame rails are in the right spots. I was happy to see that. I also test-fit my 1/4 panel one extra time today before welding in the trunk pan along the frame rails. Thanks again for your help along the way.

[6781camaro]

Originally Posted by anickel-67cpe

Looks like a very productive weekend

Yeah, thanks. It actually all happened from 3 pm to about 7:30 pm tonight. I had a laundry list full of honey-do's and outside house work to do on Saturday and Friday evening. Not happy with that, but a necessary evil. I guess you can say I am bound and determined to get this done by the summer's end. I WANT TO DRIVE MY CAMARO!

It's been waaaaaay too long.

[6781camaro]

Well I got the floor mostly plug welded in place today. I plan on finishing the rocker to floor seam on the rotisserie so it's alot easier for me. I also tackled the rest of the frame rails plug welds too. Then I set the floor height using a jack and some 4x4 blocks to get it even on both sides while making the rocker to floor seam as I wanted it as well.











Talk 'bout good penetration!









Just a quick test fit so I know the height of the floor is even on each side. I set these in and had them clamped down before tacking in the floor height. From the top of the subframe cage nut on the floor bracket to the front windshield lip it measured 38" on the nose on both sides. This was holding the tape perfectly vertical and sitting the end of the tape on top of the cage nut on the floor pan.

[crf311]

Originally Posted by 6781camaro

Late start and so there's minimal but necessary progress achieved.

I finished drilling out the plug welding holes in the one-pc floor to connect to the frame rails. Then, I knocked off the EDP around the holes and smoothed and prepped them with weld thru primer.

Next, I decided, while the trunk floor is out in the wide open, I should weld on the shock tower plates. Much easier to get to now. I drilled out two plug welding holes in each on the inboard sides, and then will tack them in on the outboard side since you won't see that side when they're installed in the trunk. I was just about to weld them in when mama called me in for dinner... and to help out inside...(screaming twins!) *for all the greener body-people, I will be wiping away all the excess weld-thru primer after it's all done before spraying any epoxy. I like to coat the area around any bare metal before sandwiching it together forever. Better corrosion protection. Just a light coat though... Also, the one-pc floor is raised up in the pics to gain easier access for when I drilled out all those plug welding holes. Instead of removing this monster floor myself again, I just did that to save time, energy, and possible slices in my hands...

Here's the pics so far...













I will get those plates welded in tomorrow. Then weld in the main floor and trunk floor to the frame rails. Wish me luck with my hopeful plans.

Todd,
Where do the shock plates get welded to . The inside of the trunk or under the trunk floor pan? do you have any pics of the welded in? Great job on the camaro. Thanks Robert

[insomniac2k1]

Damn you are moving fast! I better get my act together or your going to beat me to the finish line. And your doing more work to boot!

[mb302rs]

Robert,

I'm not Todd , but those shock plates get welded on the inside of the trunk.