Preservation of a 68 Camaro

[cook_dw]

Originally Posted by Mr70

Good to see you back,now who had June 26/2024 in the pool.

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

The cleaning looks great !

The pic of your bump stops and tail pipe hanger holes really stands out to me. The stops are radically different than my '67.
How ?? did someone manage to hog out all 4 holes so badly for the hanger ?? My right side holes had been ripped out from a rear end crash. I was able to use a copper backer plate inside the rail to weld mine shut, while the pan was being replaced.

I am not sure what the hell they were trying to accomplish. Maybe trying to get the 2 riv-nuts out of the frame rail (see photo attached and green circles & arrow). There are only 2 holes for the exhaust hanger. Driver side used riv-nuts the other side was basically a sheetmetal bolt. Similar to the exhaust hangers for the front side of the muffler (which I will go over here shortly). I have new nuts to insert but I'll have to hammer the rail flat again and hopefully they will take.


Now on with the show.

Photos 804 - 805 - Diff removed. More to come.

Photos 806 - 807 - Before cleaning



Photos 808 - 810 - After. I am also gonna try out the Evaporust gel as I picked up a small bottle of it several months ago and this will be a perfect area to give it a try. I don't recall where or who asked the question about original red primer vs red overspray but the last photo shows the majority of the floor has healthy amount of body color and the primer in the diff area for comparison. This was already established that LOS cars got more color on the floors vs NOR cars but this is just another example of that.



Leaf springs are out and note that the original 4 leafs are still there but a 5th leaf was added. This was a common in drag racing applications. I do not plan to remove the 5th leaf as I thing it is a part of the cars story.

Photos 811 - 813 - Leaf springs after removal.



While the diff is out I popped the cover. Diff was replaced at some point. This is a BL0401G coded rear (C 21 8 casting). Gears are 4.10's & dated 7/68 and again not original to the car as it is a 12D build date. What I found interesting and MAYBE the original carrier which is dated E 29 H (May 29th of 1967). Can I prove it? Of course not but it certainly makes you wonder.. I do not believe the gears and carrier are a matched set due to the almost a year difference in dates but I I have seen "Stranger Things".. ;D


Photo 814 - Dates on carrier and ring gear.


Common issue with removing leaf springs are the clip nuts for the leaf spring mounting bracket. Broke one on each side so I will have to source 2 bolts which I'm sure I have in my hoard of bolts and nuts. Hopefully I have the clip nuts also.

Photo 815 - Before cleaning.


Photos 816 - 817 - Some of the items after cleaning with degreaser and soaking in Evapo. Still have the rest soaking. Note the shackles still showing signs of the dipped black as well as black overspray from the gas tank blackout on LOS cars.