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.

[cook_dw]

Photos 818 - 820 - Removal of the forward exhaust hangers. Note the bolts are zinc/cad for the nut inserts and phosphate on the coarse thread bolts.


Photos 821 - 822 - Floor area where the hangers mount before cleaning.


Photos 823 - 824 - Zinc/cad bolts after cleaning/preserving. Another note on the different head markings used in same location.



Photos 825- 827 - Rear tub area still cleaning and noting stamping part number.



Photos 828 - 830 - Huge shout out to Chick and his buddy for coming through on a good replacement gas tank to filler tube hose. Here are the before cleaning.



Photos 831 - 833- Tank to filler hose after cleaning. I have it soaking in something that Chick shared on preserving. I will report back how it faired and what was done. Car's original tower clamps.


Photos 833 - 834 - I think I have shown these before but here are the dates on the clamps.

Photo 835 - Another shout out to another good friend Nuge for selling me additional Day 2 item for the car and an amazing front plate from a local speed shop that was based out of Bowling Green, KY. Used them several times refilling my nitrous bottles back in my 4th gen Camaro and racing days.


To finish up on the gas tank to filler neck hose; as I mentioned previously, Chick had suggested soaking the rubber in baby shampoo. So I sealed it up in a ziplock baggie coated with the shampoo. The outer ends seemed to feel more flexible after soaking for 24hrs. Center section that was exposed to fuel fumes didn't seem to change but still worth trying and I believe it is worth it on rubber components just be advised test the procedure on a scrap piece before hand.


Photos 836 - 841 - Close ups of the hose as finished.


Next I tied up some loose ends and finished the exhaust bracket hardware, T-bolts & nuts, rear brake hose bracket (note only one bolt used from factory)

Photos 842 - 844 - Exhaust brackets and hardware and brake hose bracket & bolt.



Photos 845 - 847 - Details of bracket and head markings of coarse thread exhaust hanger mounting bolt (Driver side)



Photos 848 - 849 - Note the interesting blue/black rubber on the one hanger.

[Too Many Projects]

There are a number of interesting differences from my '67. My left tail pipe hanger was mounted with the same sheet metal screws as the right side... LOS built, factory SS 350 car. Both exhaust pipe hangers as well, 1/4x20 bolts into the threaded plates, no riv-nuts. Kind of makes me wonder if they weren't assembly line mistakes that were corrected on the repair line.
You, also, have some sort of reinforcement plates under the seat belt mounts that my car doesn't have...

[cook_dw]

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

There are a number of interesting differences from my '67. My left tail pipe hanger was mounted with the same sheet metal screws as the right side... LOS built, factory SS 350 car. Both exhaust pipe hangers as well, 1/4x20 bolts into the threaded plates, no riv-nuts. Kind of makes me wonder if they weren't assembly line mistakes that were corrected on the repair line.
You, also, have some sort of reinforcement plates under the seat belt mounts that my car doesn't have...

If your car has had the floor replaced then they most likely were not moved over as the repo pans do not have these on them.

[cook_dw]

Photos 850 - 851 - Removed the bumper stop and shock body mount and bolts. Before cleaning. Note one bolt failed to have its washer installed from the factory on the passenger side. All other bolts retained their washers.



Photos 852 - 854 - After cleaning and coating them with Cosmoline Rust Veto aerosol.



Photos 855 - Lower bulkhead stamping.

Photos 856 - 857 - Tail pan stamped number.


Photos 858 - 863 - Drivers rear wheel well. Still more cleaning to be done but you hopefully can see the progress.



Photos 864 - 866 - Passenger side rear wheel well


Photos 867 - 869- Trunk floor


Photos 870 - 873 - Reinstalling hardware and brackets



It may not look like it but I am more satisfied with the quarter wells. Note the quarters well lips had been rolled at some point.

Photos 874 - 877 - Driver qtr well


Photos 878 - 880 - Pass qtr well

[napa68]

How do you like the Cosmoline Rust Veto aerosol as opposed to Boshield?

[cook_dw]

Honestly, I have not tried Boshield as I had plenty of the Veto from other projects. I still have a gallon can of Veto that I am using currently as all my aerosol's are used up. I will say I have started combining RPM and the Rust Veto together and heating the part up then applying with a brush and then hitting it with heat again. Seems to do pretty good. I just started this process on the leaf springs and so far I'm fine with the results. I will get to that at a later time.

[cook_dw]

As you can see from the previous photos the condition of the original leaf springs & perches. An additional spring was added at some point and since I am trying to get it back how it was I left the 5th spring in place.



Photo 881 - The spings after cleaning and before preserving.



Photos 882 - 883 - GM U stamping on the original springs



Photos 884 - 886 - One of the springs after preserving and one of the perches.



Photos 887 - 888 - Perch bolted and # "20" stamping.



Photos 889 -891 - Drivers spring installed. Ignore the finger prints from the gloves. You will also note off to the side you will see I also installed new (actually used but still flexable vs the originals had dry-rotted) rocker "drain flappers" (technical term)



Photos 892 - 894 - Passenger side


Photo 895 - After and the springs are wiped down and a wrap until I get the diff installed and suspension loaded before I tighten the bushings.

[cook_dw]

These photos are of the initial teardown. As you can see the 40 plus year old gear oil had failed. Current plan is to reuse the carrier which I believe might be the original to the car (can not verify) but since the speedo cable was apparently routed the non muncie way I can route the cable (which I still have CA) and assuming the car had a speedo adapter it would reach and have no issues. You can also see a wear pattern where the cable rubbed the firewall.

Photos 896 - 898 - Initial tear down


Photos 899 - 900 - Brakes, lines and dirt daubers



One thing I failed to mention previously was that I will be swapping gear ratios to a 4.56 as I plan to run a 28" tire and I will need this little small block in the rpms fairly quick or at least that is the intent. Of course new bearings, seals, brakes and an overall clean up will be the following steps to come.

Photos 901 - 903 - Axle, carrier & pinion


Photo 904 - Pumpkin wiped out, caps, shims, pin and bolt are clean. I will be using an aluminum diff cover I snagged from a buddy which I shared in a previous post.



Up next was the removal of the pinion nut & pinion as well as removing the carrier & axle bearings and said seals. Also adding the axle stamping & casting date.

Photos 905 - 907 - Pinion removed & axle stamp & diff casting date (appears to be C 2X 8



Photos 908 - 910 - Old axle bearings removed and new bearings and seals installed. Also added a shot of the inside of the tubes. Very clean once the grease was removed.



The removal of the pinion races (Not pictured) and the "new" gear set. GM dated 10/65 & 11/65 ring & pinion. Hopefully up next will be the "derustification" of the housing and the installation of the carrier bearings and start to setup the pinion depth etc. Once that is finished I will set up the backlash and get a wear pattern.

Photos 911 - 913 - GM 3862527 Ring & GM 3862515 pinion



Drug out the ole evaporust and setup a quickie bath for the diff. Slow going process at this point before I get back into reassembly.

Photos 914 - 915 - Evaporust bath



I also starting the cleaning and preserving process of other diff components.

Here is a photo from above for comparison on the brake parts.



Photos 916 - 917 - Some of the brake springs, levers & diff cover bolts, etc.



Moving forward and down the axle. Also added to the batch of brake parts etc.

Photos 918 - 919 - Exaporust flowing further down the tube and part of the pumpkin and brake parts. Brake parts were still wet from the Rust Veto I use for preserving. Once dry it will not have a shine adder.



This one will be much like the majority of photos (boring). E-brake cables and diff brake lines after derustification & preserving using a mix of RPM & Rust Veto from a gal can. Process is the same as I did the leaf springs. Heat the part up with a heat gun and then apply the mixture with a brush and then using the heat gun again to force it into all the areas and dry.

Photos 920 - 921 - Overall of e-brake cables & brake lines



Photos 922 - 927 - Misc shots of the e-brake cables



Photos 928 - 930 - Misc shots of brake lines



Nothing huge on updates as its the slow process of letting the Evaporust do its thing. But here is some progress down the diff and the other brake components.


Photos 931 - 934 - Overalls of the Evaporust "bath"


Photo 935 - Brake components


Photo 936 - Action shot of Evapo

[JRC99]

Welcome back Darrell!