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[<SK> | DRILL_SGT_P_02]

Has anyone ever done a frame off restorations before?  I have a 68 Camaro and I plan on doing it to mine.

I am interested in some of the problems you may have had in the process.

If you are on the East coast (that's where the car is at) any good places to go to that can weld sheet metal and do good body work?

Thanks for your help

[CombatChuck]

I've restored multiple vintage trucks ('53 through '62), and the current project is a 1949 White.  All of them have won awards (but that's mostly because nobody can deny the h4wtn3ss, and everybody and thier mother has a hot rod).

Why do you need to find a shop to do body work?  I don't paint my trucks myself (I used to, but I've got a guy who's work is stunning), but I do everything else.  Honestly, if you buy a little less than a thousand bucks worth of welding equipment, you can learn all that you need to know.  And a '68 Camaro has so many replacement panels and parts available that it's be childs play.  Just buy a 135 Amp MiG welder, go to the junkyard and buy a bunch of old body panels, and get to patching.  Any reuptable welding shop should be able to teach you enough to get started in an hour or two.

What else does it need?  Is it just a cosmetic resto, or are you tearing into the engine or tranny?  A '68 Camaro is easy to get parts for, maybe not cheap, but you cna probably find them with less than 15 minutes of searching on the internet or in Hemmings.  I'd kill for that kind of availability (although the rarity is one of the reasons I'm into the old trucks).  I've spent three years looking for a gas pedal.

One bit of advice--get into powder coating.  For $300 you can have a small home powdercoating setup.  You can do anything that fits inside an oven, and shortly after I got my setup running, I swore off painting anything but the body ever again.  The finish is excellent for mechanical/cast parts, it is cheaper than good paint, it is better for the environment, the finish is stronger, and it is significantly faster.  I can go from the 50 year old grease to a shiny powdercoated part in about 30 minutes (and it's ready to use immediately).

[edit--I assume that you want a shop to do the work because you are overseas.  I don't keep up with full on resto shops, hot rod shops or anything else like that.  Can it not wait until you get back?  I've owned vehicles restored by other people, and there is NO comparison to knowing that you did it yourself]

Combat Chuck

[[BDS] Doc]

Not to Hijack your thread Sgt.  But DAMN Chuck, where you been??  Get your ass back in here for some catch up!

[[BDS] Killer]

ive done some resto on a 32 ford three window. chopped top z'ed the frame repaired some body damage. first off make sure when u paint u tape off the bolt holes. having to grind paint out of the holes is a pain in the ass. when welding on body panels (i am a certified pipe welder and i have several wyo tech classes under my belt for body work) make sure u do small welds, im talkin do tack welds never a full bead this cuts down on warping in the panel. other than that the only advice thats going to help is be very thouro leave no stone unturned if it doesnt seem right its probebly wrong. make all ur measurments 2 or 3 times and then right them down, then after paint do all ur measurements again. its amazing what .025 inches of paint can do to fuck u up.

[<SK> | DRILL_SGT_P_02]

CombatChuck- I won't be able to get to the car until I return from Iraq, and then retire from Hawaii.  
The car is presently in storage (battery out, all tires off of the ground with jackstands, full tank of gas with fuel stabilizer in it, and a box of baking soda in the engine compartment and inside of the vehicle).  
I just want to start looking around for advice and shops if anyone knows of any.  
I appreciate what advice you have given me already.
The body panels I know I can buty for it but they would need to be welded back on, The engine and tranny I am not worried about right now.  I just put a 350 bored .30 over in it and I have a 4 speed saginaw tranny right now.
I have priced the panels and I know that alot of body shops don't like to weld the panels on.  (rear 1/4's).
I have looked into powder coating as well, I like the outcome of the part after it has been powdercoated.

Doc - No Problems on the highjack, LOL

BDSkiller - Thanks for your advice as well

[CombatChuck]

Doc:

The lappy fund is waiting.  I'm just waiting for the Macbook Pro to be updated (supposedly VERY soon) with Merom to see if the GPU is going to get an upgrade as well.  This no gaming stuff blows!  especially when you have to kill as much time in hotels as I do!  And the Mac has more to do with the fact that it should be a decent (but not totally stellar) gaming machine, while having the battery power to watch a couple DVDs--which in my line of work is a virtual necessity.

Combat Chuck

[[BDS] Doc]

Sorry to hear man, i know you must be going crazy without it.

Glad to see you back in here, you have been missed.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you