C3 restoration nightmare

[Old Ben]

Originally Posted by mrvette

I dunno, want a show car seen maybe 3-4X/year?? ok, have fun busting your nutz and wallets......want to have fun with it?? drive it to stores/etc??

take it to Macco Maaco?? like I did and it turned out fine for a street driver even now some 6 years later.....is it PURRfect?? hell NO, watt IS for a car that is actually driven.....I Paid just shy of 600 bux, color change from burgundy to a bright GREEN.....course today they probably want 6000 bux......

Got a quote from Macco to paint the 92 Camaro. It was $1,280 plus $75 for each door jam. Total out the door would be $1,430 with no color change.

[Rodnok1]

Run your hand over the painted surfaces... Isn't hard to feel the difference between fresh paint and buffed out paint. Pictures will not pick it up well unless lighting is just right.

[dwjz06]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

And where the heck does this go?

Attachment 69676

Looks like a heat shield of some kind. Do you have a Service manual for your car? Not owners manual. Like helms etc??? They have pics and diagrams of most of your car. Might be $50 bucks or so to get one, but would help you see more of where stuff fits and goes. Just a thought.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by dwjz06

Looks like a heat shield of some kind. Do you have a Service manual for your car? Not owners manual. Like helms etc??? They have pics and diagrams of most of your car. Might be $50 bucks or so to get one, but would help you see more of where stuff fits and goes. Just a thought.

I do. Have spent hours thumbing through but hard to find where a random part goes.

Also looked through diagrams on paragon/Wilcox/and all the regular sellers.


Coming into this 1/2 way done with stuff pulled off I already had paid to have installed here is a fuggin nightmare. I had everything bagged and tagged that we removed. Well of course none of that is here anymore.


Like all my front shocks are gone. He replaced my BRAND NEW shocks with ride tech (which I’ve been told are great) but I was fine with the brand new suspension I had. Now I have only the back installed and nothing is tightened up. I don’t even know what is missing.

Like this picture of the passenger front shock area. Like WTH all is missing here?

[dwjz06]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

I do. Have spent hours thumbing through but hard to find where a random part goes.

Also looked through diagrams on paragon/Wilcox/and all the regular sellers.


Coming into this 1/2 way done with stuff pulled off I already had paid to have installed here is a fuggin nightmare. I had everything bagged and tagged that we removed. Well of course none of that is here anymore.


Like all my front shocks are gone. He replaced my BRAND NEW shocks with ride tech (which I’ve been told are great) but I was fine with the brand new suspension I had. Now I have only the back installed and nothing is tightened up. I don’t even know what is missing.

Like this picture of the passenger front shock area. Like WTH all is missing here?
Attachment 69678

Missing the shock for starters. Then on top of the shock tower/A arm or control arm. you will have the shock bushings between two metal washers (larger than the rubber bushings) Then a nut to compress that stuff down to hold the top of the shock in. On the bottom you will have two bolts and nuts to attach to the black piece your picture has in it. You feed the shock up through the bottom of that whole.

[RMVette]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

I do. Have spent hours thumbing through but hard to find where a random part goes.

Also looked through diagrams on paragon/Wilcox/and all the regular sellers.


Coming into this 1/2 way done with stuff pulled off I already had paid to have installed here is a fuggin nightmare. I had everything bagged and tagged that we removed. Well of course none of that is here anymore.


Like all my front shocks are gone. He replaced my BRAND NEW shocks with ride tech (which I’ve been told are great) but I was fine with the brand new suspension I had. Now I have only the back installed and nothing is tightened up. I don’t even know what is missing.

Like this picture of the passenger front shock area. Like WTH all is missing here?
Attachment 69678

[C3C7NIC]

I get it, but AIM pics don’t help keep all that much.

It would be like me handing you a Netters anatomy book and a few surgical tools and telling you to do an appendectomy.

You all are good at this stuff but I’m a moron with very little knowledge.

Here are some videos, the best I could get with the car not on stands…

From the front:

https://youtu.be/F0L72VbCe84

From the middle looking forward to front suspension.

https://youtu.be/EXkRhKExkIk

While I was under there, took a video of the rear suspension area. I see shocks but not sure what all might be missing. Nothing is tightened down, why crap came apart on our way home.

https://youtu.be/lQkCK2wgtkQ

[Steve_R]

The only thing missing on the bottom of the front shock mount you posted the pic of is a shock.

[Rodnok1]

I see alot of upgraded good parts with new fasteners on alot.
Tubular lower A arm a big upgrade on these. I saw new brake lines (flexible at least).
Besides missing frt shocks bottom end looks pretty complete to me.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

I see alot of upgraded good parts with new fasteners on alot.
Tubular lower A arm a big upgrade on these. I saw new brake lines (flexible at least).
Besides missing frt shocks bottom end looks pretty complete to me.

Cool. I have one of the ridetech shocks here, the other is still in Charlotte.

They keep finding parts so hopefully they will mail them soon.

There are gonna be a shit ton of parts to mail.

[RMVette]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

I see alot of upgraded good parts with new fasteners on alot.
Tubular lower A arm a big upgrade on these. I saw new brake lines (flexible at least).
Besides missing frt shocks bottom end looks pretty complete to me.

[Grey Ghost]

I couldn't see brake calipers on the front?

The exhaust appears to be hanging in the air? Do you have the braces or straps, etc...to attach to frame?

Any painted panel that is flat white in appearance has been sanded. Next step is to buff with compound and buffing pad.

The process for color sanding. First you sand to eliminate orange peel and trash if possible. Look at the door jambs. See how the paint looks like the peel of an orange or moon surface? All bumpy looking. Sanding takes it down flat. Just like making a mirror. You take it down perfectly flat. Then you polish that for a mirror finish with compounds and pads on a buffing machine.

There is no harm in buffing the paint on the car if the guy wants to do it that way. It's just his preference. Maybe he will put it on a lift to get good access to the lower parts. Maybe it's his workflow, etc..just examine SEVERAL cars that he has done and whoever you hire to do the job. Look at some of their work.

The glossy line on the rear qtr. may have come from someone or something scratching it. I think it will be fine. But, it was probably sanded and then something scratched it. Buffing should fix it.

You should do something with anything that is bare metal. I noticed steel washers, etc...with surface rust already on them. Clean it with a brush and hit it with a little clear coat from a can or wax or something. You can't leave bare metal exposed.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

I see alot of upgraded good parts with new fasteners on alot.
Tubular lower A arm a big upgrade on these. I saw new brake lines (flexible at least).
Besides missing frt shocks bottom end looks pretty complete to me.

Ok. So everything I need to install this shock is there?

So I have one shock, based on schematic, is hardware on the car? I guess I’m
Not seeing how it attaches on the lower end.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

I couldn't see brake calipers on the front?

The exhaust appears to be hanging in the air? Do you have the braces or straps, etc...to attach to frame?

Any painted panel that is flat white in appearance has been sanded. Next step is to buff with compound and buffing pad.

The process for color sanding. First you sand to eliminate orange peel and trash if possible. Look at the door jambs. See how the paint looks like the peel of an orange or moon surface? All bumpy looking. Sanding takes it down flat. Just like making a mirror. You take it down perfectly flat. Then you polish that for a mirror finish with compounds and pads on a buffing machine.

There is no harm in buffing the paint on the car if the guy wants to do it that way. It's just his preference. Maybe he will put it on a lift to get good access to the lower parts. Maybe it's his workflow, etc..just examine SEVERAL cars that he has done and whoever you hire to do the job. Look at some of their work.

The glossy line on the rear qtr. may have come from someone or something scratching it. I think it will be fine. But, it was probably sanded and then something scratched it. Buffing should fix it.

You should do something with anything that is bare metal. I noticed steel washers, etc...with surface rust already on them. Clean it with a brush and hit it with a little clear coat from a can or wax or something. You can't leave bare metal exposed.

Thank you. Yes, John is a superb paint and body guy, but we haven’t been able to get the car to him to look at yet. His Shelby’s and Cobras are the best in the country.


I assume you are referencing the rusted parts on the suspension. Yes, I noticed that. What kind of wax should I use? I’m a little nervous to use any spray as I’m not sure I’ll be able to control overspray.

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

Ok. So everything I need to install this shock is there?

So I have one shock, based on schematic, is hardware on the car? I guess I’m
Not seeing how it attaches on the lower end.

See on your diagram where it says "Bolt set" by the bottom of the shock? There are two bolts that hold the bottom in place. The shock gets fed up through the large hole in the bottom and then bolted in place with two bolts in the threaded holes. The only hardware required is those two bolts.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

See on your diagram where it says "Bolt set" by the bottom of the shock? There are two bolts that hold the bottom in place. The shock gets fed up through the large hole in the bottom and then bolted in place with two bolts in the threaded holes. The only hardware required is those two bolts.

Thanks for dumbing it down, now you’re talking my language! 😂😵*💫🫣

[Grey Ghost]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

Thank you. Yes, John is a superb paint and body guy, but we haven’t been able to get the car to him to look at yet. His Shelby’s and Cobras are the best in the country.


I assume you are referencing the rusted parts on the suspension. Yes, I noticed that. What kind of wax should I use? I’m a little nervous to use any spray as I’m not sure I’ll be able to control overspray.

anything you have on-hand. But, you are going to have to find a permanent solution to it like some clear painted on with a brush. Bare metal will rust and just looks bad.

[Grey Ghost]

I would also say anything with a cotter pin has been torqued to spec. Any suspension/chassis fastners without a cotter pin should be torqued with car sitting on
it's wheels on the ground.

[C3C7NIC]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

I would also say anything with a cotter pin has been torqued to spec. Any suspension/chassis fastners without a cotter pin should be torqued with car sitting on
it's wheels on the ground.

A lot of the suspension was only finger tight. I assume he still had to put on the good tires and wheels and was probably going to tighten everything up and do the alignment then. A ton of parts came loose and undone during transit. You may have missed that post, but when I first looked in there and the wheels were splayed out I thought the axle had snapped. I almost had a stroke.

So you were absolutely right. We will have everything looked over to make sure everything is tight when we get to that point.

[Grey Ghost]

Originally Posted by C3C7NIC

He recommends putting all parts on before sanding buffing and the other guys say leave it off.

Maybe he doesn't want to fool with aligning and shimming the panels to make them fit. You need to ask him if he is going to do the panel alignment/shimming or someone else?