Description
By: Tony E. Huntimer, Briand Henderson .
Description
Covers all major systems and components.
- Select the best parts
- Hands-on restoraton sequences
- Professional techniques
- Upgrade Performance and preserve collector value
Intoruduction by the author
Many so-called restoration guides have been published over the past 30 years, but, in many instances, these "restoration guides" have only provided authenticity information, such as identifying the correct engine color code or badges for a particular model and year. This type of information certainly has value, since factory-correct restored cars are more appealing and obviously more valuable; however, these books often lack the information and instruction for actually restoring an entire car.
My goal with How to Restore Your Camaro 1967-1969 is to provide the proper procedures and actual nutsand-bolts instruction for restoring a first-generation 1967-1969 Camaro to like-new condition. As such, this is a real-world guide for restoring a collector car that will be driven and enjoyed, but just to be clear, this is not a guide for a 100-point concours restoration on a Camaro. A restoration of that scope and expense is well beyond many enthusiasts' budget and ability level, and, therefore, is not relevant for this book. With that stated, this book does contain a sprinkling of concours restoration details and tips to raise the bar of your restoration if you choose to use them. Some of these details have never been written about in a book and have been closely guarded by top restorers to keep a leg up on the competition.
I have conducted extensive research to show you the most useful techniques for identifying a Camaro and verifying its authenticity. Few things are more heartbreaking than buying a collector car that was misrepresented and worth far less than what you paid for it. No one likes to be had. I have invested considerable time discussing the tools, materials, and facilities required for different stages of the restoration. And, as always, planning is a critical stage of any restoration. It allows you to make the best use of your time and attain the best results.
Restoring an entire car is not for the casual mechanic or inattentive enthusiast. If it were easy, everyone would be restoring their own car, and there wouldn't be professional restoration shops. While the intent isn't to scare you, you do need to determine your time, ability level, and budget. Simply put, it's hard to be an expert at everything. While one person may have experience and talent in engine building, he or she may not be an experienced body worker or painter. Therefore, very few people can restore an entire car from bumper to bumper all on their own. Hence, you need to figure out the restoration procedures you can do and make arrangements with a qualified shop to perform the work you will not be doing.
The end goal is to accomplish a professional-caliber restoration that you are proud of. In order to help you reach your target, this is the most informative and authoritative restoration guide possible in the available space. Co-author Brian Henderson and I have provided information that goes into exceptional depth and detail, but we did not have the space to go into exhaustive detail on every aspect of restoration. Therefore, we covered the most important aspects of engine and transmission rebuilding, but there are entire books written on these subjects, so we couldn't provide extremely comprehensive coverage for these components. However, I believe the perspective and real-world information is indispensable when performing a restoration. Each chapter provides major considerations when restoring a particular component group, the typical challenges and possible pitfalls, and the required tools and materials. But, most importantly, it gives you real hands-on information for a particular restoration task. Many of the important restoration procedures are presented in step-by-step format, so you can confidently and professionally perform the specified procedure.
In order to give you the most amount of information, Brian and I have covered restoration procedures on a variety of Camaros. This should give you the guidance and knowledge to complete a restoration. We cover engine and transmission rebuilding, bodywork, painting, drivetrain restoration, electrics, suspension, steering, interior, and much more. While restoring a Camaro yourself may seem like a Herculean task, the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes with completing a faithful and professional restoration simply cannot be equaled.
And while the restorations do not come without challenges, it should be a fascinating and productive journey. A first-time restorer will acquire a vast amount of knowledge and skill that he or she didn't possess before the project began. You have taken on the admirable task of restoring an automotive icon—the Camaro. You are preserving a piece of automotive history, and, for that, I salute you.
