Thread: 69 F(ed) body hack

Odd thread name? Maybe. Didn't want it to say 1969 Camaro and attract search results. This is a project from work that I'm sharing as conversational fodder for all us GPF-ers. If you learn something, well thats a happy accident!

So as I was working on a 68 Camaro job a few weeks ago... another first gen arrived for the same kind of work. Mostly fixing work previously done improperly by others. In this case, the owner had done some decent work already, and some not so decent. In either case, "make it right" is the goal.

So let the mayhem begin.

Our story begins humbly. At first sight, my reflex comment was: "Awright, Camaro on a stick!", and heres why-







As you can see, it is jammed full of parts. But thats a sho-nuf '69 Chevy pony car. The owner has already replaced the roof, patched quarters, replaced tail panel, rear window filler and shelf panels, all floors / cowl / firewall, and added mini-tubs. I don't know if the body has ever been fitted to a subframe or front end sheetmetal since metal work began.

Once tasked with the job... first I unloaded the parts inside it and inspected them. Show you those later. I just wanted them out so I could make a quantifiable assessment of the major issue I found upon initial visual inspection. Now I needed to measure it thoroughly.

Before touching anything, I had taken pics and made a laundry list of issues that I could see, and made a few triage-type "X" measurements underneath. I determined then that the floor and tail panel, and suspension and frame mounting areas' dimensions were all in order. Like the 68, this car is also square and level on it's foundation. Whew!

But having spent a decade in collision repair previously, there was something screaming at me from across the room. A glaring problem that would raise the eyebrows of most body guys I know. So I improvised...



Yes, thats a ladder, 2" square thick walled tubing, a ladder, transmission jack, a magnetic level, and a tape measure. An IDJ upper body measuring fixture, if you will. To insure accuracy, the dolly and car were assured to be level as the first step. Then several key points on the body were established as being sufficiently consistent side-to-side, and level.

But what I was seeing was a problem with the rear window filler panel area. My trouble was I needed a way to measure the upper body and find out if the roof was skewed or what. So I concocted the jig seen above. This particular spot on the slab is amazingly flat, but before you bodymen start screaming... thats not my datum plane, its the dolly.

We have done a bunch of these cars and this dolly is the perfect width (4') to just set the rockers' pinch-welded seams right on the beams. It sits level just like that, no shims or fuss, at least in this spot on the floor. The accuracy is satisfactory for the task at hand. But yes, if you lean on the tail panel, you'll lift the front so when work begins, the tail section needs support.

Heres the drama shot, see what I mean?



Get a load of that height difference of the trunk hinges! Oh boy...

Updates to follow, as time allows and as the job progresses. Comments are encouraged, and if you have a question, shoot.

damn who laid them parts in, ray charles?

I think he supervised Mr T, damn. They were packed in it like fenders and hoods in one of those overseas sheetmetal containers on a ship.

Backtrack just a little here, to when parts were still piled in it-



Thats two full quarters plus, piled in there-









I scratched my noggin for awhile and measured twice twice. The upper edge of the rear window opening is correct dimensionally, as is the windshield opening. In relation to the left side, the bottom edge of the rear window opening is 3/4" lower on the right. At the trunk gap, the rear window filler panel's face sits 1/2" low.

So its not just down, its twisted. The package tray, that is. And the structure.

My first thought was to cut this loose and jack it up with a bottle jack just to see. But I didn't really see anything.



See the difference in the angles of the trunk hinges?



It didn't respond to force the way it should, so I went in-





HEY. Whats this, a lawn mower part? Dadgummit.



So I cut out that unidentified scrap that had been welded in to patch a rust hole somewhere in history. I was then able to position the window opening correctly to within about 1/8". But the package tray (thats what I call it) was obviously installed in a hurry and mistakes were made so it will be replaced as well. Once I cut off the filler panel, another welded-in misfit at the right end became obvious.



So mystery solved, right? Oh but theres more. Whats going on here at the sail panel seam? Oh, my. They didn't...



... yeah, they did. Cut the middle out of the old one and tacked this to it. Nifty move!



I raised the red flag for a roof waiter. Fortunately, thats OK! So I continued...

---

Uh-oh. Those roof supports tell a smashy story. Looks like dirt daubers might have kept people from ever fixing this thing.











Yep the side flanges had been neatly trimmed from the roof skin on top. This is scraps in the drip rail, of the old roof edge.

---

Oh joy, double flanges to grind away!





When I had a buddy close by to spot me, I stood with hands on knees in the car and carefully but firmly pushed up with my back on the center of the roof braces at certain spots. It appears to have worked and without injury.



Still whittling away the windshield flange. That brings this thread to the current state of the project. Updates as progress continues. As always, comments, questions and suggestions are welcome. I really don't know a thing about the drivetrain plans for it, or colors or anything.

Guy must have deep pockets for all this body work.

I ain't reaching in to find out.

so this is two camros in a row where someone tried to save money by letting the un skilled install body panels, and now has to pay twice to make it right.....kinda sad. but good for your shop. if not for the last two f ed up cars it would be a super slow month lol

Holy ****. Glad the Firebird is straight (original quarters as far as I can tell), I'd hate to have to deal with this someday lol. Glad to see it's being made right again

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

so this is two camros in a row where someone tried to save money by letting the un skilled install body panels, and now has to pay twice to make it right.....kinda sad. but good for your shop. if not for the last two f ed up cars it would be a super slow month lol

Aw we'd have been alright, theres more waiting to get in. But since we got a whole other building to just park waiters (and pause-ers that get worked on in smaller chunks) in now, we can handle more work through by having them drop stuff off whenever they are ready. Actually the new building is full and as far as I know my next victim is waiting at home so... theres plenty o work right now.

Remember the owner himself did a lot of this car's work. Looks like in two sessions twenty years apart, but still. You guys reading this thread have a big advantage over someone tackling bodywork blind and pre-internet. Lessons I learn today can help you too if you ever try this stuff.

So... On a Monday, this is how it went-

Got the windshield flange exposed and cleaned out the left drip rail-





Hammer n dolly-ed then cleaned that flange up with a grinder and strip disc after that.

Hacked the left quarter off-



Ran the crud thug over the roof inner structure then hit it with rust converter on a brush and clocked out without even sweeping up all the dirt dauber nests.







Tomorrow I plan to try quarters on.

Originally Posted by PaintChips97

Holy ****. Glad the Firebird is straight (original quarters as far as I can tell), I'd hate to have to deal with this someday lol. Glad to see it's being made right again

Original quarters are best. But just look at all the rust thats behind them. Yes, your car's inner structure will look just like this if its a 1st gen or even a 2nd. Unless a car this old has had every two panels separated, it has rusty unprotected metal all around you. Even high-dollar, low miles, garage-kept, shiny original paint ones. But nobody could ever afford to do all that, its just not practical.

Originally Posted by idrivejunk

Original quarters are best. But just look at all the rust thats behind them. Yes, your car's inner structure will look just like this if its a 1st gen or even a 2nd. Unless a car this old has had every two panels separated, it has rusty unprotected metal all around you. Even high-dollar, low miles, garage-kept, shiny original paint ones. But nobody could ever afford to do all that, its just not practical.

Oh, I'm sure it does. Visually, it looks fine though, and isn't a worry for years to come is all I meant. Plus I don't have to deal with anything being hacked up later on.

Damn those things are wicked looking. Sometimes I do wish the cars could talk about their past. The muscle-era stuff would probably never shut up. Nice Firebird, man.

Originally Posted by idrivejunk

Damn those things are wicked looking. Sometimes I do wish the cars could talk about their past. The muscle-era stuff would probably never shut up. Nice Firebird, man.

It'd be nice to know what this thing went through lol. Thanks, I stole it lol. $6800, haven't touched it since. Haven't needed to

Happiness is a warm 60s Pontiac

I did make it as far as I thought... barely. But the right outer wheelhouse is too far down and maybe back a little. Clocked wrong maybe. I will need to get that cut loose and reposition it so the quarter will go over it toward the front. Makes sense to me, since it was installed when the car's dimensions were incorrect. Anyway, right now these are just up there with a clamp or two. The prognosis is good!

Today the doors, roof, fender, and package tray came in. All DC and unhurt. The roof and package tray are just laying there and the trunk gutters you see were in the car already. I spent the day screwing the quarters on and fitting them around the edges. Should be decent except where the tail panel got welded to the quarter at the bottom left corner previously. Sliced the right outer wheelhouse to allow the quarter to go on but no pic of that yet.

Today I hung doors, got the roof into place, fitted the right gutter to the quarter, chopped out the old package tray and clamped the new one roughly in place. I gotta tell you I am well pleased by the new metal. Particularly the spectacular fit of the roof at the right sail panel. This roof is different than the one on the '68. No indent, no patch required. I so very like that. Doors are not too shabby either. Some channel locks and a couple calculated whacks against the table got the gutter to match up. A good day.

I'm feeling like the trunk lid won't look the same as the 68 when you strap it on and lower it.

matt all i can say is your workmanship is perfect man. When i get a car that needs work like this i know who to turn to

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

I'm feeling like the trunk lid won't look the same as the 68 when you strap it on and lower it.

I very well hope it don't! I'd just take it over to the lid stretcher if it did. I can put those hinges any which way I want now. Hopefully the lid is the right shape. Hoping to find out tomorrow. It feels sturdier than that rice paper 68 lid.

Originally Posted by ericspecullaas

matt all i can say is your workmanship is perfect man. When i get a car that needs work like this i know who to turn to

Bring it on. Hey... check the junk work thread in a few.