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slimjim

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    Charlotte, NC

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  1. In part I hope they share a lot of similarities so that my skills aren't wasted, yet with a vastly different outcome. I'm still keeping an eye out for a Z, but they're far and few between and right now, particularly through this lockdown, I am crushing the progress on the Camaro. 68 Camaros can range from 2700-3500lbs depending on a LOT of options. Pro-touring styled builds aim to be on the lower side so I'm hoping I'll be somewhere around 3000lbs without driver since ALL body panels have been replaced with aftermarket AMD panels which are considerably lighter than the original GM sheet metal. an Aluminum LS3 drops the weight considerably over the original motor. The speed tech subframe is said to be 125lbs lighter than the original subframe plus a plastic dash from the 5th gen over the heavy steel dash to name a few significant changes.
  2. argh, the body work stage is such a dragged out process, but is the second most satisfying stage next to driving it
  3. Great analysis, and very true, and something I'm hoping to avoid with my next project. My reason for wanting a Datsun (or ford maverick) is because I want something totally different to the Camaro, something smaller, lighter, CHEAPER with simpler bolt on suspension, and preferably a modern 6 cylinder turbo which will never have it's head cracked. something with a simplified interior that remains street legal that I will never take a second glance at a paint chip. But most importantly to further my basic fab skills in a way I couldn't bring myself to do with this Camaro. Fortunately, this COVID downtime is giving me a great chance to wrap up the body work so hopefully my 68 is painted soon and onto final assembly!
  4. Branden thanks for the detailed reply! I'm quickly understanding what you're saying and seeing so many good Z's out west compared to what I'm seeing available here. I don't NEED rust free, but we replaced EVERY panel on my Camaro due to rust and it probably cost 30-40% of my entire build in doing so and I'd like to avoid repeating that as much as possible. In the meantime I have actually found a Z just up the road from my house that has been dying in a back yard for some years. It has some minor visible rust, small hole on both rocker panels as well as the rear quarter around the fuel fill, but it may end up being my best bet if there isn't too much more than this. I've been told the owner is willing to sell but haven't been able to make contact just yet. I'll actually be in Atlanta next weekend meeting friends, If I get any downtime I'll shoot you a message, James
  5. Hey there all, I figured I'd make a minor introduction in an attempt to force myself to commit to the Dastun world again. I'm a 30yr old Australian living in North Carolina, I spend my time doing a number of things but the most time consuming of them all is building my Camaro. When I first moved to the states for my wife 5 years ago I wanted to dive straight back into a car after a couple of year hiatus and after some time I found a 68 Camaro shell, fast forward to now and I have almost completed a full protouring money pit of a machine that will soon resemble my dream car. Having grown up in Australia I was exposed to a number of Japanese cars and have owned a civic, Mitsubishi Legnum(google it), S4 Rx7 to name a few, as well as a rusty Datsun 510 that was too far gone to save. I had always worked on my cars and enjoyed doing so but it wasn't until this Camaro did I truly get my hands dirty. Enough typing, pictures.. I went a little over the top with some big ideas which tagged extra time and extra money into the build but I'm loving where it's going. We could discuss it's modifications all day long but this isn't the forum for that so here's the link to my build thread on pro-touring.com. https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/116825-Streamline-1968-camaro-project?highlight=streamline One hurdle I continued to face with the Camaro was my skill set vs the cars value, which led me to outsource the metal fabrication and soon to be the painting. Although I was willing to learn a lot of skills throughout the build, these two had consequences I couldn't justify and this is where my Z obsession has started. For some time I have wanted another project that I could truly build from start to finish myself and have narrowed it down to a 65 mustang coupe, Ford Maverick, Or Datsun s30. With Datsun surpassing the other options due to it's Japanese heritage and dare I say, better construction. I plan to continue the Hybrid z trend and love a lot of the styling cues associated with them, I also have an engine swap in mind that I am yet to see done, but from measurements taken, I believe to be possible. I will continue to rake facebook marketplace, craigslist, forums, eBay etc until I find the perfect starting point, however should anyone know of a good base I am more than happy to take a look. For now my target is a rust free(relatively speaking) body or roller, preferably with glass and dash that will be suitable for a full tear down, bodyworked, engine swapped, repainted Z with aftermarket suspension and unique singer inspired interior. Located close to North Carolina. I don't have a budget in mind however the deal with the wife is that If I'm stupid enough to get another project before completing the first one, then expenses must be to a minimum until I'm driving the Camaro, so I figure this allows me to do the body work and fit the engine until then. Look forward to learning more, James Stevens
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