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Old 04-17-2018, 06:06 PM   #1
SEEGEER2010SS
 
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My 1970 Camaro Build

Hello Everyone,
I am sharing the start of my 1970 Camaro build. Like many of you, there is "that" car from our childhood, which, for one reason or another, resonates, and has a special place in our hearts.

For me, that car is the 1970-1973 Camaro. When I was about 8 years old (sum 33 years ago) my father and I attended a local car show. While everyone was admiring the older cars from the 50's, I fell in love with the lone 1970 Camaro. It would be equivalent to a 4th Gen today so while we all can admit that 4th Gens are nice, they might not necessarily be a huge draw at a local car show. Regardless, to my father's surprise, I spent an awful a lot of time checking that car over. I am not sure if it was the 4 round taillights or the mean split bumper front end with that menacing grille, whatever the case, I would spend the next 20+ years of my adult life attempting to put one together.

At 40+ years of age, I have attempted to own 3 of these. First, was a 1970 RSSS all numbers matching car. I paid 2500 for it and towed it home. Even the rust holes had rust holes and there wasn't a panel which didn't need repair, but, I had my 70! Like many people, the priorities of a young family and life took precedents and I ended up selling the car after 3 years of sitting in my garage. I sold the car for 7500 and didn't do a damn thing to it beside sit in it and dream.

A few years would go by and I decided to try again. This time, I got creative and took an 1980 TTop Z28 tub and did the front are rear panel conversion on it. I spent about 4 years on the car and actually had the roller in complete black base/clear. Unfortunately, life got in the way again. My wife and I were paying for two houses, money got tight, and around Christmas time in 2014, I sold the car for 4500. Not bad considering I only had about 1200 in it.

However, this is where our new story begins. In January of 2018, I traded an old pickup for an old 1970 Camaro from a guy in Maryland. I paid my uncle 500 bucks to drive 600 miles round trip to take my truck down and bring the car back. For the most part, the car is super solid. The usual suspects, rockers, a few spots in the floor, and a frame rail all needs repaired. However, the car is a factor Air, Auto, and quite possibly a Z. It was built in Norwood Ohio in May, 1970 and there are no markings on the body by fisher tag beside the paint code. After doing some research, I found out that custom ordered cars came out of Norwood and BBF did not stamp those tags until 73. Now, cars built anywhere else "off the showroom floor per say" did have the proper stamping. Unfortunately, Norwood did not.

Therefore, without the build sheet, a person can not honestly tell. The car does have the makings of a Z28. It has the gas pedal pod in the floor, the 5 leaf spring suspension, correct gauges, rear sway bar, larger front sway bar, and other odds and ends. However, it does have a few options which were not in the traditional Z28s, like factory AC. nor does it have the 12 bolt rear (although I am guessing the 10 bolt rear is a replacement since it is dated 76).

So, I will leave it up to the experts to decide which car it is (at this point I don't care) and I am going to fix it up to be a Sunday driver.

Even though I have a great little shop to work in, my wife, to my surprise, said I should farm some of this project out since I am so busy with work and the kids; so, that is exactly what I did for the first time in all my years of restoring cars.

I found a decent shop which is going to have the car back to it's original Classic Copper color (picture added). I found a number matching engine in Wheatfield Indiana (which that I will overhaul myself). I have a buddy redoing the wheels for me and all that should be left is the interior when I get it back.

I hope you all enjoy the build and feel free to share "that" car which holds a special place in your heart.

Spence
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Old 04-17-2018, 07:57 PM   #2
joshnmn
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oh man, I'm right there with you (with an eerily similar story - mine were a '72 and a '73 RS/Z28)

I love my 5th Gen, and probably like a 6th gen more, but the epitome of muscle car for me is a well-built 2nd Gen.

Best of luck on this one!
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Old 04-17-2018, 08:37 PM   #3
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Yeah, I hear ya. I'll have 3200 in full body restoration to include underneath, inside, and base/clear; to include all the replacement tin and paint.

The biggest challenge so far is determining the engine to use. Should I go with the LS platform, or find an old 396, maybe a crate 350, or hopefully finding an numbers correct engine. Well, I found a complete correct engine matching engine.
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Old 04-18-2018, 10:43 AM   #4
wildpew
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Sweet!! I am a 2nd gen guy myself although I now have a 4th but I sure would love to have one like yours. Great find.
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Old 04-18-2018, 03:17 PM   #5
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cool story! I had 2 70's first was a SS 350 no console column shift car bout it from original owner, stock except for a 650 spread bore Holley double pumper(which he disconnected the secondary's-bad mileage) had 12 bolt pegleg 3.07 in it and it got about 20 mpg with the Holley second was an RS car that a buddy in NY has owned since I sold it I actually worked on it last September when I went up to go see the Bills play the Bronco's I did a pedal swap its getting a Tremec 5 speed behind GM crate HT383
don't know what proof besides gas pedal (I thought they had Z28 on cowl tag?) I know more about 69's had another RS/Z a pace car and a 6cyl convert too. looks like a good place to start anyway, what are you planning for it?

OK Pet Peve's no cowl hood and no short frt bumper on std grill
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Old 04-18-2018, 11:04 PM   #6
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I had a '72 over 20 years ago. The 70-73 are by in large my favorite years. I will be following your build with anticipation and jealousy!
I see you found an engine but before I saw that I was going to suggest a nice crate 383.
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Old 04-19-2018, 02:48 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zman1969 View Post

OK Pet Peve's...and no short frt bumper on std grill
YES!!! omg

however, a cowl hood is a must!!
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Old 04-19-2018, 08:37 AM   #8
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Hey guys, thanks for jumping in here. Yeah the gas pedal is the only "true" indication that it might be an actual Z, however the AC throws me a little but at the end of the day, I am gonna run the hell out of it and really enjoy the car. As far as engines go, I actually have a 1963 Corvette Special High Performance Engine (SHPE) FI 360hp/327 I could put in it but I am kind of saving that for a 1976 C10 step side truck I am willing and dealing on.
I have owned a variety of Camaros (no first gens yet).
2nd Gen
1970 "Z28" that I am restoring now.
1972 Base (essentially was a parts car, it was complete roller but frame rails, trunk pan and floor boards all shot)
1970 RSSS (needed full restoration but was "drivable" only problem was I got it during the wrong time in my life)

2nd Gen part 2
1980 Z28 TTop V8 4 Speed, (nice driver and I probably should have kept that one!)
1979 Z28 TTop V8 auto (I used this car and combined it with the 1972 that I sold in my initial post)

3rd Gen
1986 IROC, TTop auto v8. Decent car but eventually rotted out. Came out one morning and both of my rear wheels were bowed in)

4th Gen
2002 30th Anniversary, TTop auto v6 RS. Great car, I put 60k on it.
1994 SS, TTop 6 speed v8 (it was converted to a 454, bad idea, made it too heavy for the newer style suspension)
1999 Vert, auto v6, (had it for a summer and sold it to buy a C5 Corvette.)

5th Gen
2010 SS auto which I currently run
2010 SS shell for custom mark up work I want to do.
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Old 04-19-2018, 11:53 AM   #9
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Amazing story SEEGEER. I fell in love with the Camaro in general and what I'd later in life learn was a 2nd Gen when I saw my first Camaro, a 1970, driving down a street in our small town in Ontario, Canada where we then lived. I'd have been around your same age of 8 or 9, but that was in the early summer of 1970...
I own 2 5th Gens, and have recently started my search for a 70 - 73, preferably a Z28, preferably a survivor. Still looking, but I'm patient.
I can only imagine the feeling that you now have after finding yours.
I'll be following your build thread with much interest, and some optimistic jealousy!

Quick thoughts from my older memory - the bumper fangs on the front of your car are a sign pointing to a Z28. The A/C however was not offered on a factory Z until 1973. That said, it could have been added after purchase, even with a factory appearance, or my memory might be wrong...
Finding a period correct engine would be cool. If not, have a look at the new ZZ6 crate engine offered by Chevy. Very impressive numbers, and very strong internals.
It's got my attention as an option.
All the best with your build. It will be very impressive. Also, you have a great wife to offer such support.
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Old 04-19-2018, 12:16 PM   #10
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The old frankenmaro!

This was the two cars put together before I had to sell it :(
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Old 04-19-2018, 12:20 PM   #11
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Thanks Zed, you are right about the bumper fangs. My source "the guy who built Camaros in Norwood" said that the Z package was a suspension package and did not necessarily correlate to a particular V8 engine so I could be quite possible that the car had the 300hp/350 in it, especially with a special order car with factor AC.
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Old 04-19-2018, 08:14 PM   #12
joshnmn
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just in case you haven't joined here... all of your questions answered

http://www.nastyz28.com/camaro/camaro70.html#70-z28
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Old 04-20-2018, 07:47 AM   #13
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Yes Sir, I have been a faithful member there for years. I even have that site bookmarked on my phone lol!
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Old 04-23-2018, 10:47 AM   #14
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Gotta Love the 2nd Gens!

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