First Camaro - 1980 2nd Gen

[flak monkey]

Well, bit of a result today at the NSRA swap meet.

Spotted a 700r4 and converter sitting on a truck, bloke didn't seem to know what it was, and the result was a box scored for £60 ($90). After selling some of my own junk, I came out even for the day

The date code on the box makes no sense at all. But the dates on some of the castings all point to it being a late '88 box. Its also got the aux valve body inside, which definately makes it an 87 or later box.

I'll probably give it an overhaul anyway. And take the opportunity to learn a bit more about auto boxes

Pulled the oil pan and its clean enough inside. But whether it all works or not, who knows?!







No immediate plan to fit it yet, need's more work than I've got time to do currently

[ronald66]

good score!

[flak monkey]

Had a look at my shifter, and I can't see the 'blocker' pin in it to convert it to suit a 700r4. Also reckon I'd need to do some exhaust mods to move the crossmember back, as there's no clearance to my x-pipe. Again, nothing major, just something I need to remember when it comes to doing the transmission swap.

Started on the passenger door which has the usual rust problems along the bottom. Didn't get far before it started raining though, so gave up with that for now. I picked this door up for nowt last year, and its straighter than the original one, and a little more solid! Its not that bad really, the frame's solid apart from one small piece, and the skin just needs the lower part replacing. Not sure whether to completely reskin it yet or not.



Decided as it was raining I'd sort the rust around the rear window and patch up the spolier holes in the quarters. Job done, not much left to do now. Main bit is the trunk hinge panel. Need to order that...



Dismantled and cleaned up the rear ARB, will give it a coat of paint tomorrow and it'll be ready to go on

[Cowman]

Hey Flak, missed you at the swap meet, nice to see you found yourself a bargain! I managed a quick mooch about but didn't stay long, had to get back. Did you get chance to meet up with any of the guys from the Camaro Club?

[flak monkey]

Yeah met up with a few of the UK club guys. We were all done by midday.

More rust repairs today. Rocker's now finished, not much left now... need some warmer and dry weather to start prep/paint. What's left is just very minor surface rust. That'll get cleaned up when I do the paint





And painted the ARB.

[Caveman Tiny]

Lots of good progress there. Good job.

[flak monkey]

Thanks for checking in

More work on the passenger side door today. Started stripping the paint ready to repair it, only to find loads of filler all along the bottom edge.

So cut the skin off it, the bottom lip was all but gone. The rest of it was good though.

Cut the whole bottom off and replaced it, took all day...

[flak monkey]

Now the chop's done it's about time I got on with this again I guess.

The last bit of the main body shell that needed sorting was the trunk hinge panel. There was nothing much left of it under a few layers of silicone sealer and paint! I set about cutting it out and making good what lurked beneath. The supporting structure was well rotten on the left hand side and I patched it up enough to make it good. Scraped all the old loose paint off and gave it a coat of Jotun



The new panel came from Auto Metal Direct and was a pretty good fit...other than I had to cut it in half to get it in the hole. It threads in under all the other panels, and due to its shape there was no way it was going in in one piece

Popped it in and spot welded it up. Hope the back window still fits.



Other than re skinning the doors and some minor repairs to the front wings, thats about all the sheet metal work done. Next weekend I might make a start on stripping the dozen or so layers of paint off it and putting the first coat of epoxy primer on.

[ezetorr37]

Thats a lot of progress. Looking good!

[Cowman]

Hooray for primer!