I recently went to the FBody Gathering 9 in Atlanta. There were a few very interesting cars there. Among them, I saw this very different approach to swapping in a LS1. This 1992 Z28 'vert started life as a hardtop that this guy bought new!! He has very detailed pics in his portfolio that show the transformation from hardtop to, get this, a T-top car.

He won Best Camaro for six staight years at the Super Chevy Shows with a transplanted LT1.

Now he had the guys at GMMG graft the whole fornt clip for a 1998 TA under his Z28. Then he wanted a 'vert, so now he has vert!!!!!!!

 

Check out the flat firewall and the lack of "strut towers"!!!!!!

 

The car has a complete fourth gen interior. Also, the pics in his album of the numerous teardowns (complete teardowns to the last bolt) during the T-top conversion and later during the LS1/ convertible conversion make me feel better about the few thousand that I spent on my car!

 

does he have a website with all his teardown pics, ect..?

 

I didnt see a website listed anywhere in photo album..... I do have a few more pics of the car. I searched through Google and didnt comeup with much. I did find the pics of his car at the Super Chevy shows when it was all red, T-top and LT1 powered......

 

yes, and he's a member of this board posting under the name Fatal88. Tim and his wife Teri are from the Houston area and I've seen the car in person numerous times.

 

Cool!! I had no idea that he is a member of this board. His car is very nice if it is a "little" out of my price range....

Maybe he will chime in with a reply on his car.

If anyone hasnt been to a Gathering, I recommend it highly. This year was my third. I wish that I had at least one of my cars running this year. If I could ever get around to painting the front and rear bumpers on my girlfriend's car, we could put it in the show. That is another good point about the Gathering, your car doesnt have to be perfect. There always seem to be cars in various states of buildup. While it is mostly fourthgens, the first, second and thirdgens that are there are usually interesting...

 

He used the front clip of a 4'th gen and modified 3'rd gen fenders to fit to it.

 

Yeah, I saw the pics of the car apart. I overheard him telling a bystander that the only "stock sheetmetal was the floorpan....

 

That 4th gen intertior is growing on me.

 

nice to see he's still hitting the show circuit.

 

looks like he is sitting next to that grossly painted but sickly powered by an lt5 camaro.

 

How long did it take to put the fourth gen door pannels on?

 

ive seen his car in person a couple times too... very nice. 4thgen in 3rdgen clothing.... lol

 

Its the headlights also!!!

I need to know how to do that!!!

 

The headlights are late 80s MonteCarlo...not all of them have that type, but they turn up in the junkyards here occasionally.

 

Yea but i need to know how to do that swap.

 

Can you please post a few more pics of the cowl area in the engine bay?...thanks.

 

simple. 3 easy steps.


1. cut off the front of your car.

2. weld the 4thgen frontend on

3. hang the fenders, wire and plumb it up.








its one of thoes things where if you have to ask, you shouldnt attempt it. lol

 

the funny/sad part about it is, thats basically it. obviously there is a lot of careful measuring going on before hand, and a lot of praying probably as you're cutting, but yeah.



also, I think he was talking about the headlight swap

 

I know what your talking about. Haha Im keeping mine thirdgen

But i was talking about the headlights

 

Monte Carlo LS and Chevy Celebrity cars had those composite headlights. I was going to do it a couple years ago but never got around to it. Think I may finally do it this year though. My car will be starting to change it's appearance next month

 

You must excited though.

Im not sure if you have to get the connectors from the other car and use them in the camaro

 

I saw that car in person at Bowling Green, KY 2 years ago and wow is all I can say! For a good welder/fabricator it really wouldn't be that hard to do. My dad just put a '81 monte carlo front suspensino clip under his '53 Chevy truck and alot of guys do that.... its not really much more than that. Just cut up 2 cars and weld them together That thing turned out REALLY well though

 

must say its impressive but i like the third gen interiors alot more than the 4th gens

 

This winter i'm gonna start transplanting eveything from my totaled 01 Z/28 into my 91 RS and if it turns out half as clean as this one i'll be happy

 

I also dont like the Corvette valve cover covers. Its not a corvette, its a camaro.
Its like when people on ebay put "Corvette motor" for every L-98

 

I agree with that 100%

Lots of people always say how cool they look...they should then be browsing over at www.corvetteforum.com