Ok so i purchased this car while i was deployed in Iraq. Appeared to be a killer deal, 750 Bucks For a Non-running Camaro RS. Upon returning from overseas this beauty was waiting for me in my front yard... A couple weeks of re-intigrating w/ my wife and kid and i was at work. First the car would not start, first thing i check was Fuel Pressure, Low and behold i had zelch. So i dropped the tank and put a new Fuel Pump in. Cranked it over and WAMMMM!!! Started right up, However couldnt hear a darn thing because the exhaust was cut off right after the cat. So anyways i try take it for a drive, I put the transmission in reverse and it just sits there... So i think, well maybe if i cycle through the gears and get the fluid pumped through that it will move. well it did move, but was slipping so darn bad it didnt move far "im sure the sticky callipers didnt help". So about another week goes by and i have myself a new used tranny. I tow the car to the Craft Shop on post and R&R the tranny, Brake Callipers,rotors, Pads and Shoes. Upon completion of that i pull it out of the shop and take it for a quick spin around the block. i return to the shop to see a huge puddle of transmission fluid on the ground...So back on the lift it went, come to find out the dipstick tore the grommit when i put it in...So easy fix it was. then 2 weeks later im driving and i get this horrendous noise...like sand in a dryer. Im immedietly thinking i spun a bearing... So im well kinda upset.. i get home and crawl under the car with it running "keep in mind the exhaust is extremly loud" I listen for the noise and find the flexplate is at fault...I must have cracked it just a smudge when i replaced the tranny.So now iv been home about six months... I just bought a decent cat-back system and im soon to replace the flexplate. I started hanging the exhaust "ill post pics soon" But due to my lack of welding experience it looks like chicken scat on barbwire. I also just started the prep work for a new paint job. Im taking everything slow, and not trying to get in a hurry durring this process. Anyways I just want to post this thread to show everyone with lack of money/experience you can still accomplish what you want. I am a handy wrench But i have little know how when it comes to body work. I will ensure to post pics and keep everyone up to date on my progress. Here are pics of car in original condition when purchased.

So here is the car at its current state. With the new exhaust And body work started. Notice i put the bra on to cover that nasty rust that was in the front...but thats soon to come off. i started with the left rear and will slowy work my way around car. i would have removed trim but it was a chilly day and didnt want to break any.

And some more... Notice i painted the door with some rattlle can just to cover the rust. I know its not what your suppost to do...but that rust was ugly and i was more embarrased to drive with that showing than a backyard rattlecan job. Oh yeah, i also took the window tint off. Looked good in the pictures above...but it was old and honestly looked like crap!!

Looking good! I hear you about the problems-you just work them out one at a time. You have a nice start, and I thank you for your service.

its a start on on a good project. where are you in the states right now? im sure you can get some help from any of us. ill be glad to help.

looks like a great start to a big project.good luck and i also thank you for your service.

Thanks Guys, currently im stationed at Ft.Campbell. Im sure i will be posting questions along the way..Thanks again!!

Ok so this may sound stupid...but what grit of sandpaper should i use once i am down to primer/metal? Also i have rust on the metal but i cant seem to get it off the metal whatsoever. I tryed sanding, tryed rust remover by 3M...it just wont come off. Any suggestions?

I have used a brass wire wheel in a drill for stubborn spots.Most likely will have to use some body filler after that method though.

Ill try that and see what happens...fun fun fun

180 is what you should sand it with before primer.
then I agree, a wirewheel on a drill or something would work, then spray on some rust converter (as a safety to keep it from coming back). let the converter dry then spread some body filler over the area.

thanks for serving man. I think a guy from my car club is stationed in Ft. Campbell too. I think his name on here is blackhawk.

Looks like another Thirdgen is saved for the street! Nice work so far. I know it's like breaking eggs to bake a cake but it's worth it! Thank you for your service to our country, Without people like you we couldn't enjoy all this. If you need inspiration, check out my thread...Finally painting my Iroc on this body board. When you smell the fresh paint and see the shine, well, all the skin you lost grinding on it seems insignificant! Thank you again, glad you made it back.

Can someone explain how to pick out paint. I know there are diffirent stages and what not. I just dont know what is better/worse. If anyone wants to explain to me witch each one does i'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks for all the help so far guys!!

single stage - much cheaper; it doesn't need a clear and it will be glossy. typically tends to wear out much quicker than base/clear, and goes on more orange peely (in my own experience atleast). you can, however, wetsand and buff single stage so the orange peel issue doesn't really matter though.
base coat/clear coat - more expensive, will hold up better than single stage as long as you choose a good brand such as ppg or omni. also this is more forgiving for a first time painter. any runs in the clear are easily fixable and you can always sand out the basecoat runs and re-base the area before applying the clear. also it typically has a deeper shine.

If I was you, Stick to base coat clear coat. It last way longer, you have more room for mistakes, and it hides ALOT of defects in the basecoat. It is altogether a better investment for your hard work you put into your prep.

have you primed and blocked this car yet.

and make sure you get all the major mechanical done before paint.

what color are you sprayin

I hear you about not wanting to drive it because it is an eye sore but take it from a Seabee, you will enjoy it so much more if it is dialed in than if you get it a couple of weeks early

can do

Ok, Base Coat/Clear Coat it shall be.Mechanical work is almost done. Just have Flexplate to put on. No It has not been primered...im still working the sanding issue...I was just planning ahead to what type of paint i should get. Im,thinking maybe like a maroonish red...or a deep purple.

Well today i sanded on the drivers door and the hatch. Its turning out very well. I have yet to find any bondo under the paint...just a couple stubborn rust spots. Here are pics of todays work.. seems like it takes forever to do just a little bit...and its still not perfect!!

Looking good

doing it with that sander it will take forever to do it like you said. i'm assuming you dont have air tools cause a 8"da sander would do this a lot better. but you use what you got ,right? you should see my tiny one bedroom apt when i cover everything with newspaper to be able to spray paint stuff and use spray adhesive on my interior pieces that i'm recovering. to cold to do stuff outdoors here.

Good observation...Your right...I have no air. However im plugging slowly, and tomorrow my wife is gonna be helping. So maybe ill make some good progress by the end of this weekend.

Yeah man,car looks like its comin' along nice.
You must have a cool wife if she's rolling up her sleeves and jumpin' in!

Also,I did notice the little electric sander earlier today and since that is confirmed now that you have no air,what are you using for primer?

freakin killer man. you've found a great deal for sure. i wish i had the money and time to put into my car like you're doin. just cant seem to find either! haha

just like some have said, thanks for your service. i've a got a 21 year old friend over there right now sniping. he hates it, but hey....doin his country good!

Timmy, my plan is to take the car to a guys shop that i met here localy. He said he is willing to help spray/fix any minor imperfections. As it is right now i had purchased several spray cans of primer so that i can cover the bare metal at night...
Champ, Its not that i have money. Its more patience and perseverance. The sanding is taking me forever, But i dont have the money to go and purchase an air setup. So instead i have been making use with what i got. Im not complaining, I just know it can be done cheaply. My budget for this car paint is 500 dollars...Thats including all the sandpaper, paint/primer.
Oh yeah, Thanks for all the thank you for serving comments!!!!

If you ever wanna support our troops over in the big sandbox go here.. www.anysoldier.com

Dude Right on I am doing the same thing right now on my firebird. I am not taking it to metal tho I am just roughing it up my Bro inlaw knows how to do all the body and painting. i am just working check to check spending a bit here and there. Its cool that your wife is willing to help you I try to get my wife out there all the time and she refuses its funny. But good luck and your right patience and perserverence is all it takes.

Dan

Does anyone know if the black trim that goes around the rear windshield hatch is removable? I have a crap load of rust on it and would like to take it off so i can work on it...or possibly buy a new one. Shoot me a message if you have one or maybe even a whole hatch if your close by in Kentucky/Tennesse.

Oh yeah, Primer goes on this weekend and paint next week, Im going with the 92's Hawaiian Orchard color.

Dude,I have no idea what color that is but,def. sounds like a color change to me.

Anyway,on the rear glass trim,if its only surface rust I would just remove the complete hatch during the primer stage and tape off the glass,sand and clean up the rust on the trim and repaint it.
Also easier to paint the rear hatch jams with the hatch off.Just a lil more tape work involved and a much cleaner appearance.

yes it is removable

be carefull because it is glued in here and there

there are a couple of bolts under the metal hatch

Just wanted everyone to know. I purchased a set of window sweeps from 1aauto.com and they are amazing. Not only where they inexpensive (67.00) but appear to be of good quality.

Great build, you got a hell of a deal on that Camaro. I had considered painting mine Hawiian Orchard too (great color), but I am too in love with the Dark Bright Teal lol. You might have to expand your budget on the paint, $500 is really cheap unless you have everything you need to to go ahead and paint your car. The paint alone, I would think would be around or more than $500. Definitly go with the clearcoat/basecoat, if you go single stage, you'll end up with a "Macco quality" paintjob that will be on it's way to peeling in three years.

It's nice to see someone really building a car on their own, I wish I had the knowledge to do everything! Sounds like your car and my car were in nearly the same situation when we bought them. I have a '92 that hardly ran when I got it, and I paid WAY too much for it, $2,100 for the car, and $900 to ship it here. $3,000 for an RS that barely ran... I wasn't off to a good start!

Keep us informed about your progress, I really want to see how this car turns out!

Congradulations!

dang carwitzbalz,sounds like a good deal.Are they the PUI pieces?

and Aarons92maro,you wanna talk about building a whole car?Take a peak at my GTA photobucket in my sig. That car was a PROJECT! lol

Yup...got everything i need. Everything was under $500. And thats using dupont. Gallon of paint was $187. Anyhow gots to go...time to eat and get ready for my big day tomorrow...Primer here i come!!!

How many gallons does it take to paint an RS Camaro? I think Z28 might be slightly different due to the spoiler on the 91-92 models.

Great deal. I bought a one owner '91 RS from a vet several years ago for my boys 16th BD. Since puchased, we've installed an IROC hood w/power blisters, converted to power windows, door and hatch locks, IROC grill w/ driving lights, wonderbar, and a 3:42 posi w/disc brakes and a set of 17" chrome replica wheels. We have several LT1engines and good 350 block. We decided against the LT1 conversion and plan to build the 350 and use the set of Chevy bowtie heads we also have. Here are several pics. the first is how it was when purchased and the second is current.

TIMMYS89GTA- Not certain what PUI is, maybe you could tell me then i could tell you.
Aarons92Maro- 1 gallon of paint should be more than enough..Keep in mind that 1 Gallon gets mixed and then becomes around 2 depending on how its mixed.
2kflhr- Could you repost those pics in this thread? For some reason the pics dont load.

I should have more pics up by the end of this weekend. Ill keep everyone posted on progress.. Oh and on the hatch trim...Im just removing the hatch to remove the rust..then primer and paint. Also I just purchased a pint of white paint, i decided to go w/ white stripes instead of black. I felt like the Black wouldnt stand out againts the purple base.

Well so much for primer. Dummy me forgot about Valentines Day, and then tomorrow my Anniversary. Man, why must i forget these things. Let me tell ya, not a pleasant conversation when your wife calls you and ask you where you been for the last 4 hrs on valentines day .

DOH!!!

Lol, you did a great job! This is my car the first day I had it... I'd have to say it was in "slightly" better condition than yours lol! Your car really was a project, kudos to you, we need more people who can do that stuff, there are way too many thirdgens out there rotting away =( My restoration is minor in comparison to yours!

Hey guys, Just wanted to let everyone know that I have an extra radiator that looks brand new and a set of used Hedman Hedders Part # 68470 that ill be willing to make a deal on. Also for a 2nd gen camaro i have glove compartment door and rear hardware kit for drum brakes. Headers i want 60 bucks for plus shipping. The rest just make reasonable offer.

hey your car is perfect mine was the same way but ive done some work to it know btw my link on the bottom is my car in progress and thenow pic is at top when i bought my car i didnt make it home lol left me and the wife on the side of the road for a bit youll look back and love every minute of it man

oops

Sorry for delays in pics...wasnt able to do to much this weekend... I will have updates soon. thanks forr all the feedback!!!

AHH dam, I was hoping to see some primer!

Thanks, you have a really sweet car too! Mine needs some work but it's a lot of fun! You don't happen to still have those original 16" RS rims, do you?

Well here are some more pics...Still not in Primer as found A bunch of bondo under the paint...Along with rust. Id rather it be done rigth the first time then be upset with the end result. But should be primer By the end of this week!!!

And some more pics.... Hail damage on the hood that i didnt see before hand "Cant tell from the pics".These pics are a few days old now,the whole car has actualy been torn apart with the help of a gentleman I met who does this as a hobby!! Seems like a lot more work than i was prepared for.. But as long as it looks good it is time well spent!!

Oh and the overspary on the windows, That was me. I purchased a can of rattle can primer just to cover the bare metal to protect from rain that was coming in. HEHE, thought id let ya know before i got some crazy comments

the pass. quarter looks fine to me carz!
yes,even GM used a little filler during bodywork. I will agree that you need to give some attention to the rear hatch hinge area.

Good find! A little time and hard work and you will have a great ride you can really be proud of! Looks like she's coming along great!

My unit is moving to FT Knox this summer when we return from Afghanistan - we'll have to hook up for a romp down the highway!

You bet, W/ Opsec in mind...approx when would you be home? Or should i say making the move to Ft. Knox. I came down on orders to Germany, but maybe we could catch eachother before then.

Thanks Timmy!!
Does anyone have any suggestions for dying carpet, I meen has anyone done it that can give me some pointers or suggestions...and if I have dark stains in my gray carpet....would a black dye cover the stains?

Thanks for all the help so far...Keep the comments rolling