Our 1969 Camaro project is coming along, and this is the latest iPhone update. We couldn't believe how well the new Hooker Competition black ceramic Darksides headers fit. Really, they just slipped right in! This car should be running tomorrow..
The response has been great on the iPhone vids, so here's another update. This time, the message is to test fit everything on a new engine install outside the car before you put it in.. makes your life easier!
This is just a quick update shot on our iPhone in the shop bringing you a look at a 1969 Camaro project we're working on. We're currently swapping a lame 350 for a Fast Times built 383 and a bunch of other parts to make this Camaro sing. There will be a more complete, plished video next week, but let us know what you think of the iPhone update.. if they're popular, we can post one up every day!
The crew at Time Machines just finished the latest in the Mr. Norm's Legends series - the 2010 'Cuda! Mr. Norm's Garage has added all the classic styling cues... the 'Cuda tail lights, finder gills, custom wheels, pistol grip shifter, billboard stripes and more to make these new versions worthy of the name. Oh yeah, don't forget the supercharged 6.1 Hemi under the hood!
We spied this super-clean 1969 Dodge Charger 500 at the Car Craft Magazine Summer Nationals in Minneapolis, MN. Upon closer inspection, we learned that this car features a 525 HP EFI Mopar HEMI, full Air Ride suspension, and a trick custom interior from a 2004 Chrysler 300. But perhaps the best part of this build is that it the owner, Pat Fletcher, built the car in his garage with his own two hands! Watch the video for all the details. We'll be posting more videos from this great event over the next week.
Our 1969 Pontiac Firebird project "Routy" was a pretty clean car to start with, but we wanted to improve upon some previous repairs in the floor and trunk floor area. In this installment, we replace the driver's side floor pan with a 1-piece replacement from Classic Industries. There are tips in this video that apply to any musclecar restoration.
In this installment, the 1966 GTO's L92 V8 finally comes to life! Once we had our MagnaFlow exhaust system connected to the polished ceramic Hooker LS1 A-Body swap headers, we topped off the fluids with Royal Purple Synthetic Engine Oil, MAX ATF Transmission fluid, and Purple Ice radiator additive. We didn't want to risk anything, and the protection of Royal Purple against heat, friction, wear, and moisture gave us peace of mind. Plus the reduced friction frees up power. We run Royal Purple in every car we build and drive. But the real challenge was finding the little electrical gremlin that kept the MAST -powered ignition system from firing. It was our fault, and when we fixed it, it came to life in the push of a start button. The GTO runs and sounds fantastic!
Choosing a color for your project can be tricky. Our 1971 Oldsmobile "S71" Project was originally Viking Blue with white stripes, but we wanted to jazz it up a bit with some Warp Speed Blue and Snowstorm White stripes from the DuPont Hot Hues line. In this video, we take an extra fender and spray out a test panel to see how the colors looked. We also wetsand and buff the car using the 3M Trizact Perfect-It system. Click "Read More" for photos!
For the last 23 years, the Central Oregon Classic Chevy Club has put on the Flashback Cruz in Bend, Oregon. Situated along the meandering Deschutes River, in tree-covered Drake Park, this show attracts cars from all over the west, and northwest particularly. This year approximately 500 vehicles of all makes, marques and descriptions were on display, some ratty, some racy and most radiant.
The 2008 event was my second visit to this show, as I planned a family visit to Bend that just happened to occur over the same weekend. Brilliant! The show was great in ’06 and even better in ’08. One of the most attractive aspects, besides the great variety of cars, is the location. The park provides plenty of shade, a spectacular view of the river and is big enough to comfortably accommodate a large number of vehicles. No door dings in this group.
All the body filler on our 1965 Chevelle project has been block-sanded straight, bringing the car one step closer to paint application. The next step is to apply several coats of Standox Sprayable Polyester .. a high-build sprayable body filler intended to fill any pinholes or sanding scratches in the body filler layer below. Tiny pinholes and sanding scratches can be barely detectable in filler, but they become magnified under the shiny paint and clear coat of final paint, so it's crucial to take whatever steps you can to eliminate them from the car's surface before spraying paint. We applied several coats of the Standox product, which leaves a highly textured surface when hardened, which might appear to be a step backwards in the straightening process. However, most of what you see here will all be block-sanded off, leaving a solid white layer of perfectly smooth substrate ready for the final application of primer before paint. When properly sanded, the poly leaves no traces of pinholes or spreader marks, and it sands smoothly with minimal effort. But you'll see the whole block sanding process in the next chapter of our '65 Chevelle.
