Okay here we go...

Basically, I don't really care for the front end of our wonderful third gen camaro's. The car has beautiful lines and styling but the front end just doesn't do it for me. I've searched far and wide for good front end modifications but have come up empty handed...

I saw a drawing online (I don't know who the artist is) and discovered that the drawing is of a modified 1st gen camaro. I saw the drawing and thought to myself "hmm... that looks a lot like the body lines of a 3rd gen camaro." So after a few hours of photoshop modifications the drawn '68 Camaro became this...

Camaro Comparison

I know a bit about fiberglassing, I used to do it in high school in my engineering class where we were building a full-scale airplane. We used to use foam block(s) that we'd mold by sanding, cutting with razor knives, etc and then covering with fiberglass and then using some sort of acetone (if I remember correctly) to burn out the foam, leaving just the fiberglass shell behind. Would this be the best method to use to make this front clip OR is there some other method that would best suit this purpose?

If you have some input or know someone with experience doing this, please reply and let me know! Obviously this would be a huge project but I am willing and able to attempt this but feel free to give any input you folks may have about this project

Thanks!
-Kyle-

 

It looks like a cross between an AMC and a mopar… but I like it. It needs something more significant on the back end, maybe some sort of spoiler that comes off the deck or something.

 

Like a high-rise spoiler from a '92 or a nascar style lip?

 

The front end looks a lot like a 71-74 AMC Javelin.

If you wanted to do something like this out of fiberglass it might be easier to start with an fiberglass front end for a 3rd gen. Or maybe a 71-74 Javelin front end (if you can find one).

 

not sure, somethign to give it some weight back there, I was originally thinking something liek a bigger, firebird wing, which is sorta like the high rise but not as angluar, but maybe a nascar style lip...

really, in my case half the problem would be fixed with some rake to the body and bigger back tires

 

I like the idea, but both concepts look a lot like the Javelin and a 1st gen Camaro. If I was going to go through the hard work of fiberglassing, I would take this retro idea and give it a more modern twist...The way it is now, it would look like you stuck a 1st gen front on a 3rd gen...take it a little further and I think you'll really have something awesome!

 

maybe something based on this artist's ideas? I love how he keeps the round headlights but modernizes them by using it as a case for 2 HID style bulbs and the turn signals.

 

Quick and dirty attempt at what I mean:

 

Now if someone can easily do that with photoshop, why can't GM do that to a real car and make a Camaro/Firebird look like the 67-69 versions like Ford did to the Mustang. If they stopped overpricing the cars with all the luxuries and make them more affordable, they could sell more cars.

I remember seeing the concept version of the new GTO. You could look at it and say it was a GTO. The final production version looks nothing like a GTO.

Personally I like the look of the 69 but the 68 is close enough. If a kit was available like in the above pics, I would probably buy one. I'm pretty sure I've seen that already done to a car in a magazine. Put a notchback on the third gen with that front end and it would look even closer to a first gen.

In the second gens I like the 70/71 front end with the large grill opening and split bumpers.

How soon before a kit is available? The nose is already off my car because it's easier to work on the engine.

 

LOL, I dunno about making a kit... I haven't even tried to make my own front end yet! I do appreciate all the interest though! I'm going to take some time on Thursday/Friday to come up with an original design for the front end based off that picture that I photoshopped to make it more modernized like ChevyMetal305 said... I want something totally original and I think a 3rd gen has huge potential for a project of such a large scale. As soon as I come up with a design I'll photoshop it and post it on here for you guys to take a look at it. By the way it only took me a few hours to photoshop that picture so you'd think that GM would have taken the time to spend a few months developing something to keep the camaro alive like Stephen 87 IROC said.

-Kyle-

 

This concept was designed by Kris Horton, and was originally brought to the worlds attention by popularhotrodding.com. You may be able to find additional images by going to images.google.com, and searching for "Kris Horton" or "concept, camaro" or "2007 camaro". Below are links to the original articles and images. Just click on the image thumbnails to view larger.

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/fea...aro/index.html

http://popularhotrodding.com/feature...ifth_Reloaded/

This link shows some other concepts by various artists:
http://www.uberchad.net/gallery2/mai...f5936a2aaa224a

 

Just goto his website

http://www.carsbykris.com/

He also hangs out and posts on this site.

http://www.pro-touring.com/forum_main.htm

 

Yuke! The 5th gen version looks ugly. It looks more tuner car than it does Camaro. The grill doesn't suit the car. The tall rims with narrow sidewall tires may be good as an aftermarket add on but don't look good as production rims.

The styling on the orange car looks much better.

Somehow I think if they every did produce that, GM would make it front wheel drive.

 

where can i but it

 

You can't. So far it's just a photoshop rendering but it at least shows what's possible to anyone who can do customizing.

 

What kind of foam blocks or glass was that? The problem I would have with the bondo brand glassing is that it might eat up the foam. It seems to eat holes through stuff. Other then that, thats a damn good idea and makes me want to start glassing up some stuff.

 

With the front nose off my car right now and looking at the above pictures, one thing I would do would be to shorten the nose. I'm sure there would be problems with bumpers etc behind the shortened nose but I think it would look a lot better. Not really sure how well it would work an a street legal car but the only thing forward of my rad is the fuel cell so I have lots of room. I'd still go with the front end of a 69 though.

That longer nose has the car starting to look like an E-type Jag.

 

Not sure what type of foam it was... all I know is that you could cut it clean with a razor knife, sand it smooth with sandpaper and you could glue blocks of it together to add more surface to shape... very versatile stuff and cheap I'm sure cuz it was a high school project. The glass was in strips and cloth, the stuff had to be put on with a resin and hardener and paintbrushes and didnt eat the foam until you used acetone or whatever to eat the foam out from the inside.

 

Anyone else have any comments/suggestions/ideas? I'd really like to get an opinion from more people to see what you all think! I am currently doing some drawing to design a completely custom front end too, I'll try to get that done by tomorrow and post it on here

 

I had an idea similar to this for a long time now. Mine is a little more boxy, but similar.

 

Pic didn't show up, I'd like to see if you can fix the link.

 

Go directly to his site to see hmmurdock_00's concept:

www26.brinkster.com/howlingmadinc/concept.jpg

(Something about Brinkster.com doesn't allow remote linking)

 

I just don't like the way the lights look on the front of our cars... the grill is fine and the shape of the front end is nice but the lights just look...... boring.

 

I was playing with this idea for a while and made a quick photochop GIF to see if it would work. It may take a min to load.


Mark

 

This last one looks like you rounded off the body lines too much. Although i do like how you shortened the front end a little.

hmmurdock_00

Ehh... not really a fan of that one either, although the drawings not bad for a sketch and the hood and nascar lip look good

What i dont really like about the front end is: (keep in mind i dont Hate it but i think these areas could use a little work)
1. the length
2. the small grille openings
3. the depressed headlights

Some one on here has clear headlight covers that look really good. (i dont like the smoked ones b/c it makes the headlights useless)

 

I really like that, it reminds me of the 05' mustang

 

Just for fun I modified my earlier attempt and used the lights from an SSR...

 

The hawks nascar lip would be a nice touch on the back...

Its a move in the right direction, but the front still doesnt look right.

 

maybe rectangular flush mount headlights... and a bigger grille?

 

You could always just get rid of the wasted 11" in the front and 6" in the rear, and change the character of the car. With just a little urethane rework, the car doesn't look like such an oversized slob. The nose borrows a look from some of the current Mopars, which stole the look from the '67 Aston and Rolls. I always thought they had too much overhang at the front anyway.



Thanks for donating the subject vehicles (whoever they belong to).

 

hmm looks like a monte carlo front kinda

 

That side profile kind of resembles the new mustangs

 

It's the rarely-seen "Pug" option for the Camaro :P

Seriously, the side profile looks good, but the front view... eeek! I'd be horrified to drive a car that looked like that from the front. The styling of the '69 nose fits that profile much better.

 

That's the factory sheet metal. Just clipped off the plastic. It all makes me wonder why no one has offered aftermarket plastic for ThirdGens, like Stillen. Or have I just not seen them?


Put another grille opening between the headlights and you've got a Dodge Charger.

 

Well, playing that game, I could kinda see where you were going with the top one (bottom one is hideous, it really needs the grille opening at the top like the first gens had), I played with the side view and refined it somewhat. This is again, with the factory sheet metal, but would look better with a first gen, peaked center hood:

 

Some nice ideas, and I've seen similar chops for the Firebird, snubbing the nose and taking off the back bumper (looks very Ferrari). You could do the 1st gen grill, kind of like the Dukeboys Charger.

Personally, I like the stock look, and the danger of customizing is that you can end up with something that looks like hell, like some of the imports I've seen with other cars' noses and tails grafted on--like an Acura with Vette tail lights, ugh. IMHO a thirdgen Camaro with nice paint looks great--I like black headlight buckets and SS stripes. If you want to be different you can do the blackout headlight covers, or one piece headlights, but once you start cutting you are on your own...

Anyway, agreed with above comments, you couldn't just change the nose without altering the rest of the car to match. I say put the time and money where it counts, in the motor, unless you are prepared to spend a lot of time and money for it to maybe come out allright. My .02.

 

A 700 hp "new" 69 styled Camaro can now be yours for $427,000 but it's not being made by GM. If you have the money, it will also take a year to hand build your new car.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/09/Auto...ex.htm?cnn=yes

 

http://www.lateral-g.net/baldwin-motion/

 

Man, that black one looks familiar.

Haha, nice. :P