I have an '84 Z28 Camaro with T-tops. Got it for $500 and a RS parts car for $300(no engine), moderate rust on the floor where the window was down, before I got it. The only thing wrong with the engine was the distibutor module or something, I dont remember. We're currectly cleaning the underneathe getting it ready to paint the bottom. Then on to the body work.

Things I'm planning, tell me what you think.
1. I'm going to make an aluminum chrome grille like the billet grilles, except spaced out more.
2. Then I'm going to move the license plate down on the bumper cover(like the Firebirds/TAs)
3. Then put 4 '69 Z28 emblems on(front on the grille, back where the license plate was, and on the fenders, infront of marker lights.)
4. Then a '69 "Camaro by Chevrolet" emblem on the right side of the hood.
5. I'm putting a 4"x43"x28" Harwood scoop on it.
6. Then paint it Hugger Orange, with a high gloss Black rally stripes.
7. The engine is a 305 HO, were putting a very rough idling cam, high rise intake, and headers(more to come) Chevy Orange block w/ chrome valve covers, aluminum intake, etc.
8. Exhaust: clean rust free pipes, X-pipe, with chambered exhaust.
9. Dont know what I'm doing with the interior other than black seats, and new steering wheel(chrome three spokes)
10. I'm going to raise the back around 1" to 1 1/2" the front 1". I have 15" aluminum wheels.
Tires are going to be goodyear or something similar with the white letters on the side.
11. It has original ground effects right now but all GFX are coming off. Looks so much better without any GFX. If you know where I can get new cheap front and rear bumper covers it would be appreciated.
12. I might put chrome trim around the fenders, not the huge chrome fender flairs but llike this http://images1.filecloud.com/56846/DSCF0003a.jpg
and then maybe some around the side windows, I'm not sure.

Well I think that's about it, if I think of anything else I'll add on to this.

 

It sounds interesting to say the least, im curious as to how well the old school theme will turn out on a third gen though. Good luck with it all.

 

sounds interesting but I think the 4" cowl hood is going to be a little too big for a 'stocker' looking '69

 

I don't know what else to say. Good luck with the project, post some pics of the buildup.

 

I don't like:

Raising the car (especially 3" in the back and only 1" in the front). That will probably make it look like a Tonka Toy, and you'll probably roll the thing over.

Removing only the middle ground effects

The wheels

And moving the license plate (only because it seems like a waste of time)


But everything else I would like to see. And a 4" cowl may be too high. Howabout 3"?

 

Yeah, I understand where your coming from but I think it will look fine on it. It's a 4"x43"x28" As of now I'm keeping the 4" idea, but maybe later if I decide I don't want a 4" I'll get a 3" or something.

ScottyRS, Yeah I probably won't raise it 3" maybe 1 1/2" to 2", and when I raise the back, the front will go down a little, I'll raise it 1/2" to 1". I'm definately not lowering the car. I like to see a little space between the top of the tire and wheel well. And the wheel aren't exactly like that, but similar. Plus we got all 4 rims, and a scrap Monte Carlo for $100. Maybe moving the license plate is a waste of time, but I think it'll look good when I done with it.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...ts-become.html

 

Well then more power to ya.

 

It seems to me that your overwhelming desire to be unique has overridden your common sense.

That list of modifications is all over the place and doesn't give the car any specific direction.

A giant hood, 1st gen badges, jacking the rear end, using half the ground effects and chrome trim just conjures up images of a typical trailer trash thirdgen with the rear end jacked up, giant Futura tires sticking out, half the parts missing, and the contents of Isle 3 at Pep Boys all thrown onto the car.

Go stock, pro street, pro touring, or some other direction entirely, but at least have a coherent plan that all ties into a well thought out direction that you want the car to take.

A good looking car is one that has a very specific purpose, and all modifications done to that car fit in with that purpose.

 

But it is his car & his choice, even if it SO AFFECTS the image of all thirdgens. Let's hope it looks as nice as the front view on his avatar!

 

Yep, I think it sounds like a 'fun' project. Kinda like a modern 'Rat Ride'! Those were the first cars of my early-early childhood when there were no aftermarket parts; Even Hot-Wheels copied that look and stance. With the right paint job it most certainly won't look like trailer trash.

Good Luck on making it your own! Nitro

 

Over the years, it seems car makers have gotten lazy money hogs. Which means you spend more money for crap. In the old days they used all metal, fancy chrome parts, and quality paintjobs for around $3000-4000. Now most cars are mostly plastic, no chrome, few emblems(others are plastic), and dull single tone paintjobs(usually white or silver, no diversity in color) for around $7000-13000. Pretty much what I'm doing is redoing and camaro with the quality that the older cars had(chrome emblems, bigger tires/regular wheels(15"-16"), and a shiny paintjob. If you consider lowering a car muscle, then your mistaken, your thinking of European sports cars, and ricers, not muscle. If your worried that my car will be put together with twisty ties, duct tape, or poorly hid screws, wrong again.

1st gen emblems, look much better than any '74-'92. Although '74-'79s doesnt look too bad, the '69s looked better.

I've seen many other Camaros around here with 4" cowls, and they dont get this "It's too big stuff"

something like this for the height is pretty much what Im going for.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...g?d=1147302416

And trailer trash would be: Rusty, dull paintjob, no chrome, completely stock. It started out as trailer trash, I won't let it stay trailer trash. Or maybe your image of trailer trash is completely different, I don't know.

I could do alot to make it unique, but that would probably make it ugly, but what I'm going for now, looks fine to me.

Thanks neagan, thats what I was thinking.

And I made my avatar based off of my ideas, I have the rest of the front and back aswell if you'd like to see it.

 

chrome on these cars looks like trailer trash. i like the retro theme, i took it on with my own car, but they also look stupid raised up. the hi-jacker, glass-pack, and white wall tires of the past is the same as the rice burners of the present. real car guys back in the day thought it was stupid, and real car guys of today think ther rice burners are stupid. same deal.

you can take the retro thing and make it look really awesome if you combine it correctly, like my car:

 

Well I'm not going to have the chrome trim on there permanently. Im just going to put it on there and see how it looks close up, and far away. If it looks good, I'll keep it, if bad then they won't be on the car. Hows that sound?

As for hi-jacker, glass-pack, and white wall tires. The back end isn't going to be raised up as high as you think, just enough to see a little bit of clearance between the top of the tire and the wheel well, about 1" to 1 1/2" space between. And glass-pack, no straight rust free pipes and chambered exhaust as on the '69s. White wall tires? No, like goodyear tires with white letters.

 

duh! that's what i meant by whitewalls, which is what they were called back in the '70's. i'm not thinking of something like what you'd put on a '49 merc.

here is another picture of another car of mine, tell me what you think of it, retro-ish, but not as much as my white car. this car is sitting at stock ride height v6 springs with a v8 in it.


i'm not dissing the idea as i really like it, but there is a fine line between retro and white trash. it has to be very well thought out.

i think that the lack of the sidegfx but keeping the front and rear on there will look stupid. the 82-84 z28 front nose cover and gfx look awesome. i would keep the gfx on there and look at other things to do first.

if you want the fender gaps at 1"-1 1/2", then put a set of brand new moog iroc springs in it. the picture you posted earlier was stock ride height.

the chrome is going to look cheap, plane and simple. it looks great on muscle cars of the 60's and 70's, but on the 80's it looks outta place. trust me on this one

 

My bad on the white wall thing but anyway yeah, that car looks pretty nice, the height looks pretty nice, tires look like something I am talking about. I like the way it looks more than the white one.
I'll look into those iroc springs. And I might reconsider the chrome and GFX. I like the look of your car without the GFX, but the only problem it in the rear bumper cover the GFX is part of the cover, and I haven't seen many cars without the GFX on the cover. Was there a certain type without any GFX from factory that I could look for, as I have never seen one in person. Or a site that I could order one cheaply from?

And do they make any bigger spoilers, that I could replace the stock ones? I've seen a 5" but I'm not sure that would look good.

 

take it one step at a time.
first do the engine, then body work including all your mods, decide what stays and what goes, then paint it, and do the interior.
when you think it all up in five minutes, itll look like you thought it up in five minutes.
look at other cars like yours, decide what you like, and what you dont like before you even start the work. and stick to your theme throughout.
i think the retro theme is kinda cool, but think about that, 10 years from now, itll look WAAAY outdated. just like the flashy paint of the 80's drag cars. and the van trend.

 

check ebay and the local bone yards, you'll be looking for front and rear bumper covers from an 82-84 or 85-87 sportcoupe or berlinetta if you want to do away with the gfx. those bumper covers came without the gfx molded into them...and if you take off the front gfx, you'll have to replace that bumper cover as well cause you'll expose the mounting points on the current one, which will look like crap. also hawks thirdgen parts has those bumper covers as well.

here is a picture of my buddies berlinetta, it's a 1984 and we put stock iroc springs on it.

 

Ok today, my dad and I went to look for around for front and rear bumper covers, and found a Berlinetta in nice shape, but he wanted 2800 for it. But I liked the stance it had. So it's official, no more GFX. IMO, it gives it a more muscle look to it. Berlinetta's look so much better in person. But I don't really want to spend $200 for a rubber front or $150 for a rear bumper. If you know any other site with new front/rear bumpers that is cheaper, please post it.

Does anyone know anything about the Aftermarket spoilers like the 82-84 type wrap around? I've heard of a 5" but I think that might look ugly.

We also talked to a PPG paint store owner and he gave us a lot of information about the paint/primer and even something about the hood scoop to get it to go on the hood as good as possible. Tomorrow we are probably going back and he's going to check out our paint gun to see if it's a proper gun for shooting the basecoat of orange, and we are also taking the hood scoop and he's going to help modifiy the bottom flange, to put it on the inside of the scoop to make it hold up better, and not be visible from the outside.

 

You know what I'd like to see? Rattle can flat black paint, Keystone slot mags,60 series 15" tires ( white lettered of course) with a good sized shift lever just barely sticking up above the dash, bring the exhaust out right in front of the back tires..throw some ol' fashioned pinstriping on the rear hatch, maybe around the door handles.... now we're talking.....

 

I might look into that! Thanks for the insightful reply.