Muscle car for a girl: phase 1

In May 2013, my husband Ken (another 7 Valley Street Rod member), gifted me with a Wedding Anniversary present of a life time:            A 1967Chevrolet Camaro.

  Marina Blue with Blue Bucket seat standard interior.

 It was born in the 4^th week of December 1966 with a 250ci straight six engine rated  at 171hp, a 2 speed power glide with a steering column shift, standard bucket seats in medium blue, and a rear antennae.  This car is a very low optioned vehicle. J

This car has a good history and is in remarkable shape for its 48 years spent in Central New York weather. It is still 98% complete and runs and drives.  It has only been owned by women: The original owner, my friend, who bought it from the original owner in 2012, and I. The car still has it’s Protect-o-plate from the dealership and the original drivetrain.

Ken was able to drive it home with no issue.  It now resides in our garage next to his 1966 Chevelle SS that he has been doing a complete rotisserie restoration.

Doing an analysis on the car has yielded some sad facts.

The 2 speed power glide will not shift into second gear and the right rear shock mount is bad. The engine will start and run but is tired. All the weather proofing seals are bad, the windshield leaks and the driver’s door window felt is a mess. Rust is starting to rear its ugly head on the floor pan and front fenders.  Some chrome is missing on the drip rails and the rocker molding is gone altogether.  The engine compartment needs a thorough degreasing and overhaul.  The dash is cracked, some of the seams are coming apart on the seats and the door panels are peeling.  Most of the bright work is in good condition.

  A so-so paint job, most likely happen 15 to 20 years ago in a different shade of blue that I do not care for, as well as new rear ¾ rear quarters with detectable seams in the trunk and a new gas tank install that damaged the trunk pan ( bolts through the pan).  The rear bumper needs to be replaced and the interior is not the best, but usable.

 After a review of the overall condition of the car, the decision was made to turn this car into a Resto-mod:  A new engine, a manual transmission, performance and safety driven suspension upgrades, a new paint scheme, and a new interior.  The goal of this car will have the feel of a 1967 Camaro with 1969 upgrades that will be fun to drive when you put the hammer down but still civilized enough to actually drive to shows.   The original drive train will be stored.

 A 2” cowl induction hood was purchased and installed. A used black console and black steering column for a floor shift was obtained thru friends and swap meets.  Used bumpers for plating cores were bought for $20.

 In the summer of 2014, we were able to buy the manual transmission: Muncie M21 4 speed with linkages.

A 1962 small journal 327 factory rated 300hp engine will be the new heart for this car.

The owner of the engine, a close friend,  had been making plans to rebuild it into a powerhouse for his 1967 Malibu that was leaving his horsepower demon feeling deprived.  He made several nice purchases for the new engine:  An Edelbrock Rolling Thunder hydraulic roller cam #2201, and Edelbrock Performer RPM intake #7101, a new Forged 4340 crank and new bearings. The engine was torn down, greased and boxed with all the brackets and accessories.  The owner sold the car before rebuilding engine. So he no longer needed it.    We were able to buy the motor and parts for great price of $600. 

  I then spent hours on the internet researching parts and I became a member of the Hotrodders.com.  This website and forum has become an invaluable source of information for me.  I cannot stress how much they helped me in selecting the parts for my rebuild.  They walked me through every component selection of my engine.   Many of these members and moderators are professional hot rod builders with decades of experience.   They are mighty wise!

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/1962-327-350-hp-build-67-camaro-306866.html#post2420762

The block will be planed to 9.0 deck height and bored .030 over.  This engine is expected to produce 430+ HP, with the power band 1500-6500 rpms with a 700 cfm carburetor and 1-5/8 full length tubes headers by Hedman Headers Elite.  

 I bought a matched set of Sealed Power Hypereutetic aluminum flat tops with two relief valves pistons .030 over; H660CP30 from the internet for a thrifty price of $165. They are rated at 9.51 compression ratio with 64cc chambered heads.

 A pair of Pro-filer aluminum heads as cast was purchased directly from Pro-filer for $1090, as ordered:

 SBC 23 Degree Cylinder Head, 11/32 Guides & Steel Seats, Intake Port Size: 180cc, Intake Ports, Chamber Size: 64cc As Cast Chamber, Spark Plug Orientation: Straight Plug, Intake Valves: 2.02/1.600 Valve Job, Spring Package: Standard .650 Lift 1.525 Dual Springs, Steel Retainers, Keepers Assembled, Casting Style: Standard Cooling.  These heads flow approximately 300cfm and are taking the racing world by storm for their performance vs price.

 A set of Scat connecting rods, Forged 4340 I-beam rods from Northern Auto parts, # 2570020P:  Chevy SB 5.700" Pressed, 2.000" PIN, ARP 8740 Bolts.

Retrofit Howard hydraulic lifters 91164N, with link bar for older engines. $334.

I also bought a very nice set of aluminum tall valve covers from Billet specialties.  The script is machined in, not raised.  I am still looking for breathers that I like.

While I have already accumulated a lot of parts, I still have a long way to go before I have a running engine for this car.  Money and time….  J

I will post more later.  I hope you enjoyed my post .

Lori-Anne