72 Driver NorthCarolina UNDER CONSTRUCTION
 

I was to quick to tear down the car and didnt get any photos before the tear down to replace the rotted cowl panel. Not sure if this is the proper forum to post under construction photos. Or is this section for completed cars? Sorry if I f'ed up.
Here is a link to all the photos so far. http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u...72%20Chevelle/

Wow ,you got a lot of work ahead of you.

Post where ever you like, I have 2 72's and Flash is right, you have your work in front of you.

Dang, you guys are sounding like a buddy of mine that stopped bye today and asked "when will it be done, a year or so?" I am thinking a month at best. Waiting for the media blaster to set up a date to blast the interior. Firewall(inside), roof and floors. I got the cowl panel set in place today. Will order the rear floor pan tomorrow. Need to buy a gallon of POR15. Has anyone used POR15? Here is a couple pictures of todays progress.

I did my last 2 big Chevelle projects like you are doing but doing them like that took a lot of time and money, I am happy with the way both turned out. On my current project we were in a stand still but we are getting ready to ramp up on it again.

POR 15 is great stuff but messy. If you can get it done in a month that is awesome.

I've used POR15 on the frame area when the engine was out. The underside was done by a previous owner, probably more than 20 years ago now. It still looks good, sure it could use a little cleaning but no rust or flaking.

Good luck with the project. A month or so? That would take me years, if I could even do it.

A month may be tight. Its one of those things that you often have to ask how far do I want to go? There are a lot of sub assemblys that need to be gone through while I have it apart. Once the dash is back in and the inside is completly media blasted and painted. I can get it at least drivable. Then I can piddle as I drive it.
I bought the car with intentions of driving it daily. Or when I didnt feel like riding my motorcycle to work because it it raining!

I like it when people buy their cars to drive them. It is nice to look at a show car, but even nicer when you see an older car driving down the street.

Looks like lots of work to get it done in a month. But can be done. Keep us posted on your progress.

Ray

Yes it is lots of work. And I still have to make money to sink in to the car as well as support my Harley drag racing habit. I have to keep reminding myself this is going to be a driver and not a museum quality representation of a factory origanal.

Well the month goal is quickly slipping away. Was not able to even spend 1 hour working on the car this weekend. Good news is that I made some money to buy more parts for it!

This weekend I got the cowl panel welded in. Removed the rear deck lid, fuel tank and rear 1/4 glass. Going to remove the doors and get the car over to the media blasters next Saturday. Once its blasted inside and underneath. I will POR15 it all. Then start putting stuff on, instead of keep taking parts off.

More money and more parts are always a good thing. I still have a wheelbarrow full of MOOG front end parts for mine I have to find time to install so the wife said no more for now lol. Keep us posted on it, sounds like you're making good progress so far.

Looks like more delays. As the weekend approachs, so does hurricane Earl. Hopefully it will be gone by Sat.

There is nothing wrong with that. Hey let's see some pics of the Harley drag racing habit.

Its a 2006 Harley VRod Stock 1130cc Direct port Nitrous injected. Belt driven. 9.8's at 135mph

Bellied up for a new American Auto wire classic update harness and a rear under seat pan. Hopefully will be getting the inside of the body media blasted this weekend.
I have some rot over the top center of the windshield and need to put some good metal in there. I cant find a repro window channel sheet metal replacement peice anywere. My options are looking like either finding a donor car that I can cut out the needed peice and weld it in to mine, or make it from scratch. Any other options out there? Anyone have a front roof clip?

Really nice pics buddy - best of luck to you!! Waving

No media blasting this weekend. Cut out the floor pan below the rear seats and have the new pan ready to drop in. At this point I have decided to pull the motor and trans and do a complete inside and out media blast.

Got the interior and underside/chassis media blasted this past weekend. There was alot of hidden rot covered with body filler that would of bubbled the paint. My projections of a month have quickly dissolved. The extent that I am going I would hope at this point to be driving by spring. It really looks good with the POR15, buthave lots of metal work ahead of me. Dont even want to to think of the moneyits going to take.

Sometimes slow and steady wins the race. If it was easy then everyone would do it. It takes a someone with a passion to take the time and effort to do what you are doing.

Sometimes we may not post, but we are reading about your progress.

Was able to get the rear under seat pan preped for install. Welded in a patch that was needed to be in place before the rear pan is installed. The rains came and forced me to wrap up early.
I'm going to make some paper patterns over the week and possibly get them transfered and cut out. That way I have a bit of a jump on next weekends plans. I'll try and post up some pictures soon.

Have been working about 10 hours a week on the car. Mostly weekends. Figured I would post up some pictures of the metal work. Going to do all the interior patchs done, then move on to the outside. Pics of the floor pan placed in before media blast. And media blaster going at it.

After the body was media blasted under the roof, and the entire inside and underneath the body. The entire chassis was done as well. I had to work fast to get it covered. I sprayed it with my Harbor Freight gun using POR15.

Some of the first custom fab on the right bottom door jamb. Where it transitions to the rocker panel. When I say first, its two meaning. First piece that I didnt use any store bought peices and first time I have welded in 15 years. Need to bolt the doors on and confirm fit.

I didnt realize that I did not take any pictures of the rear floor pan section welded in complete. Those will come soon.
Just about got the bottom right corner of the rear window built and finished. Used the chrome trim to keep my lines were I had no metal to go by.

Its been two months and havent put a part back on yet! Cold weathers coming.

Yup, that is the way it goes. We are doing basic suspension part cleanup on ours, we could be moving faster but one day it will be back together.

I just read up on your progress and even though you are pushing 2 months you are making steady progress. At least doing it this way lets you make money to spend on it, and by pushing the expenses further apart you can spend more because you keep less track of your budget :o)

Great point. As I only get paid monthly!

You can never get paid enough, or should I say often enough, when it comes to working on your car. It is great to see the pics of your progress.

About 90 days into it. Still chipping away. I tried a new approach to repairing the bottom of the rear window. I prefabbed a piece then installed it. Seemed to work a lot better than my previous attempt on the other side.
The rear quarters are going to need some patchs. The patchs are ordered and on the way. Then a repair over the top of the windshield and the body will be done with welding.
Still have to repair the doors and front fenders. Going to get the motor tore down and get the block and heads to the machine shop during this week. Decided to just refresh the stock 307 and have piece of mind and reliability, while saving for a big block.

Tore down the motor over the week and brought the block,heads and crank to the machine shop. Going to bore/hone it. Hot tank the block and heads. New brass freeze plugs, cam bearings. And a valve job with new springs.
Started the left lower front quarter and have that finished. Going to move to the rear lower quarter in the morning.
I seen a sweet green early 70's Camaro. After seeing it I have been bouncing around the idea on going green with black stripes. Its got to be the right green. And I have to be able to get in in a single step paint. Still have lots of work before painting. But I do have to decide soon. Going to be jamming out the edges and around the glass before glass and doors go back in.

Just a update. Was checking in to see whats new here lately and realized I havent posted in over a month on my progress. Thankfully I have been able to get some work done on the Chevelle since my last visit to the forum. I have just about all the metal work done on the body. Just need to finish the rotted section over top center of the windshield. Looking to get that done over this coming weekend. Then I'm gonna start the metal work on the doors. Then the fenders will be the last thing.
Im on the fence as far as colors to paint it when its going back together. I want a green. My buddy thats a body man said that most greens Im looking at are two stage and thats more involved to paint. If I stay with a red, he says I can get that in a single stage. Then Im able to do sections or pieces as time allows. That going to be the best bet.
Any suggestions or constructive critisim is greatly appreciated.

Great progress so far .Im not a fan of green ,but its your car so do what makes you happy.

Smokenjoe, boy I wish mine had been in as good of shape as yours. I love your by line at the bottom...I HATE RUST !!! me too.

It is definatly looking better than it did. Hopefully I can get it back to the media blaster this weekend and have the outside of the body blasted. Then I can get it in epoxy primer!

Weather didnt cooperate this past weekend. I did get one of the doors blasted. Then made some patchs and got them welded in. Lots of grinding. I spent every bit of 10 hours on the one door. Still have welds that havent been grinded down.
Thankfully we had a inch of snow and it paralized the city. Im working on my second day off of work. Just gotta go get some uni-mix and get back here and get back on it.
The sheetmetal is really coming along. Its now coming down to the time were I have to start buying some real parts. Thank god the tax refunds are right around the corner.

Laying body filler sure is a aquired art. I have applied and sanded the stuff right back off. I borrowed a board sander that seems to help. But my compressor isnt keeping up with it very well. I have to sand for a bit, then wait.
The bottom inside of the door is probably a hard place to start. Maybe the wide open panels might be a bit easyier. Pictures coming soon.

Progress is looking good. Very nice work. Keep us posted on your progress.

Ray