LocostUSA.com

Blake's Seven
A `96 Camaro 3.8l V6 build.

My build began in 2008, so for your sake's I hope nobody else that was working on their build with me then is still working on the same build now. A lot has happened since I first purchased the good book and loaded up my moms minivan with RHS tube. I joined the Army, spent a few years in Germany, a very long year in Afghanistan, and came home motivated with a car to finish. I've got a new home, and I've converted my basement into a garage I can work in year round.

After peeling the cobwebs off the frame I went and found a donor car. A 1996 Camaro that had traded it's metal frame for a rusty skeleton and strategically placed wasp's nest throughout. But it did a few laps around the previous owners neighborhood, and a few doughnuts around mine. The 3800 V6 is going to be a blast in the Seven's body.

So far I have ten thousand miscellaneous parts that I'm still sorting and labeling, but here's the good stuff:

• Engine 3.8l V6 - Out of the Camaro and on an engine stand to be cleaned. Any tips on this step? It's a real mess.
• Transmission T5 - Soaking in degreaser but not in bad shape.
• Rear Axel - Still in the car, but next on the chopping block.
• Pedals - Gas/Brake/Clutch pledals and cylinders. Somewhere in the garage?
• Frame - Ready to accept the rest of the parts.

Doing my research on spindles for the front, still a little unsure of where to go with it. Loads of other things to figure out as well, but it's getting there! I'll try to remember to snap some pictures soon.

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My V6 Camaro build log

My Free Android Games! (you're kids will probably enjoy them more...)

Great to see you getting back to it. A house with a basement garage to work in sounds great. Do you have winter where you are? You can put where you live or your general area in your profile and it can be helpful finding others near you etc.

Motors aren't too bad to clean. You can get the Gunk concentrate and mix it with mineral spirits. Brushes and a putty knife or screwdriver will help get the stuff off. Outdoors is good though for the initial round of cleaning or two.

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

- Sure do, I'm not to far from you it seems. Getting cold now but luckily the basement stays comfortable. I have some Gunk on the way with a bunch of other things I ordered. Got a few wire brushes, hopefully it's not too big of a pain. Thanks for the welcome back!

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My V6 Camaro build log

My Free Android Games! (you're kids will probably enjoy them more...)

Use S10 spindles up front... There are kits available that will adapt your Camaro brakes to the S10 bits.

Yo, Blake!
Welcome back! On a serious note, thank you for your time in the military. I (We!) appreciate your serving our country.

Meanwhile, back at the garage... Should be an interesting build. There's a couple of V6 builds in here that have turned out really nice. Plenty of power, smaller package than a V8. Kristian (Turbobird) has a nice V6 car, for example.

For cleaning up junkyard parts (and Saturday night baths when Bubba was really funky) I used "Purple Stuff" to cut the grease, and "Simple Green" for general cleaning. A good stiff brush helps too. And water and lots of elbow grease. One of these is a great addition, too:

Yes, please post pics. Perry likes pictures, he's old and don't see good enough for readin'...
(Heehee, I'm beatin' him to the punch on that one!)

Good luck with it, keep us updated, and try to stay warm!

JD Kemp

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll do some more research but that does look like the smart option.

Gonzo, thanks for the step by step. I have some Gunk on the way and picked up some cleaning tools today. Got to love those Christmas Home Depot gift cards.

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My V6 Camaro build log

My Free Android Games! (you're kids will probably enjoy them more...)

Pinto spindles have full aftermarket support in the oval track industry and are quite compact and strong.

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The biggest thing in motocross.

So what's the most common method of matching spindles and hubs? And getting them to match the bolt pattern of the rear axle?

Here's some pictures of the progress:


Engine waiting for breakdown and cleaning.


Transmission in need of a scrub.


The workshop.

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My V6 Camaro build log

My Free Android Games! (you're kids will probably enjoy them more...)

Well, welcome back, welcome home (as in USA) and it's great to see another V6 guy at work here. It's our secret mission to ed-U-cate these V8 and I4 guys by setting a better example in Locost builds.

Cheers,

Lonnie

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Hey Blake,

Firstly: Yes, some of use take our sweet time getting cars built (grumble grumble grumble)

Second: I've basically the same engine/trans so if I can be of help just let me know.

Re: de-greasing the best thing is patience. Spray some degreaser on (regular solvent is really the best) then wait a while and blast of with a pressure washer or hose. Should come up clean with no real effort at all.

Matching bolt patterns can be tricky. In my case I drilled the rear axle to the same bolt pattern as the front. Not ideal as anytime the brake rotors need replacing you have to drill them as well (they aren't nearly as precise as the studs though, can just do with a hand-held drill). In your case, S10 knuckles may be the easiest way to get what you need.

Cheers.

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Build log: viewtopic.php?t=9291

I do serious degreasing with WD40 in a spray bottle and a various array of brushes.

Using purple on aluminum leaves a surface that will turn white with corrosion.

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Honey anyone?

Welcome and thank you for your service!!

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30 years old, not sure what I want to be when I grow up…

And a very big THANK YOU !from me too. Glad you made it back.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Finally got the arteries out. Getting that last bit through the firewall was such a high, and then looking at how much wiring I'd be sorting through brought me down like concrete shoes


Wiring harness all laid out. Hopefully I didn't cut too many ends off.


The shell of a once mighty, er, well, of a mediocre car anyway!

I still haven't decided how to get rid of the carcass. I can't likely carry out of the basement, without wheels it's not rolling out. Piece by piece? (Slayer fans?) And I was thinking about putting an add on craigslist to see if anyone would come haul away the metal, not sure what it's worth, at this point getting rid of it is all I'm concerned about. Can't wait to get to the construction phase!

Before I part with the whole lot, is there anything I should keep for registering the car later? The vin plate, etc.?

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My V6 Camaro build log

My Free Android Games! (you're kids will probably enjoy them more...)

if it was me, I would defeintely keep the VIN plate, though you might have to let it go with the shell if it goes to a boneyard...they need to make sure you aren't giving them stolen parts, y'know? do you have the title for it?

if it was me, and I had the title and VIN plate...well then, the shell would, over time, disappear in small enough pieces to not make the sidewalk recycling collection guys look twice. but that's just me.

the stock pedals might be a bit huge for the average locost footbox, but those can be modified. I'd hang onto the handbrake lever.

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The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.