Question Hello, my father has a car that has been sitting out in our garage for the past 5 years. It was sitting over 25 years in an old shed before that. It is a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. The body is still in remarkable shape, with little to no rust after all of these years. I guess my question for you is where can I go to read up on the restoration of these vehicles, and if there is a place that shows all the parts in a vehicle so that I know the correct part to buy. I would like to keep it stock. Thanks,
Alex
AnswerThis sounds like quite a find! I hope no one has tried to start the engine - that is the death knell for many an old car project - once you crank that engine with all the crud that has settled into the oil pan, you are in for a complete rebuild of the engine, which could have been avoided if the right procedure was followed. I won't burden you with the details here, unless you ask.
The best thing for you to get is the factory shop manual for the car, plus a parts book, if you can find one. The parts books show an exploded view of each assembly, which is invaluable when you are taking something apart and putting it back together. The shop manuals are easy to find on eBay - in fact I just sold one this week for 1967s. The parts book will be a bit harder to find, but the auto literature dealers will have one. I use Ed Faxon at www.faxonautolit.com, but there are many others. Check on line or in Hemmings Motor News for a list of suppliers.
There are parts specialists for Camaros that can sell you just about anything you will need, but before you start throwing money at it, learn all you can about the car and its condition - you'll save yourself a lot of trouble and money.
If the engine has already been cranked over, it's too late to worry about the damage, just proceed with the other items and when the engine shows signs of problems, deal with that at the time it happens. The rest of the car should be OK.
You can post a follow up question to me here - I'll be happy to help.
Dick
