1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

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Oldtimer
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1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by Oldtimer » Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:28 pm

Around 1986, my race car partner and I were wanting to upgrade our C3-chassied/'82 Pickett-bodied Corvette for something a little newer.

ImageARPCorvette by Jim Forte, on Flickr

We had been in constant contact with the prior owner of the Corvette (who produced fibreglass race car bodies), and when we mentioned to him that we wanted to upgrade, he informed us that he had acquired a tube frame chassis for a 3rd Generation Camaro in order to test fit bodies to, and that he was done with it.

Jake and I drove to Milwaukee from Dallas, TX with the rolling chassis of our Corvette in our trailer, and drove back with, essentially, a new car in kit form. The tube frame Camaro chassis had the rollcage, and front and rear clips attached, but that was it. The rest of the car parts, suspension, rear end, fuel cell, brakes, etc. were in boxes.

Along with a couple of volunteers, and through some troubling personal and economic times, we persevered and produced our Camaro.

ImageARP Camaro-New by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageARP Chassis-New by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageARPCamaro by Jim Forte, on Flickr

We fabricated almost everything you can see in these pictures, including hanging the body (the seller had merely mocked up his body panels with tack welded brackets and racer's tape), completing the aluminum interior (firewall, cockpit, exhaust tunnel), completing all the plumbing (dry sump oil system, brakes, fuel lines, and engine cooling), completing all the wiring, and detailing and finishing.

I have been wanting to try to create a duplicate, so will be chronicling that effort here.

My donors will be a SunStar 1982 Camaro Z28, and a GMP 1996 Trans Am Camaro.

ImageSunstarZ28 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageGMPCamaro by Jim Forte, on Flickr

I'll skip the boring disassembly process and go right to the staging of the two donor components.

ImageIMG_1727 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Here you can see from above that the componentry will be a nice fit.

ImageIMG_1730 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Here from the side you can see that there are already some conflicts which don't allow the body to seat onto the chassis.

ImageIMG_1731 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Going to be some major Dremel work.

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[KRAFTIG]
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Re: 1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by [KRAFTIG] » Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:21 pm

That's a challenging project, definitely coming along well!

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Re: 1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by Oldtimer » Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:57 am

My goal is to retain the integrity of the GMP chassis. They are nicely detailed and becoming more difficult to acquire at a reasonable price. My donor was actually a previously displayed, no box model, that also had some issues with the paint.

ImageIMG_1735 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

The first issue to deal with on the body will be these "ledges" which stick inward from the skin of the Camaro body, and interfere with the rollcage of the chassis. They don't really serve any purpose.

ImageIMG_1732 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Next, I will probably totally remove the section between the two A-pillars of the body. There is good detail in this area on the GMP chassis, which I want to have exposed. Plus the windshield of the SunStar Camaro should blend nicely and close any gaps.

ImageIMG_1733 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1736 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1738 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Finally, all the detail at the nose of the donor body is not necessary, as with our fibreglass replica bodies, these were simply an aerodynamic skin over the functional parts of the racer. Additionally, the GMP chassis is also well detailed in this area, and any gaps, as we did on the real racer, can be filled with aluminum (styrene) sheet.

ImageIMG_1734 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1737 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Going to fire up the Dremel tool and see what happens (got five batteries for the bigger one, two for the smaller). Hopefully we'll have some progress shots tonight or tomorrow.
Last edited by Oldtimer on Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by Marcel171281 » Sat Sep 26, 2020 4:11 am

Going to keep an eye on this thread :popcorn:

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Re: 1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by Atalante » Sat Sep 26, 2020 1:41 pm

That’s something different. Interesting thread.

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Re: 1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by Oldtimer » Sat Sep 26, 2020 3:38 pm

So, several hours, battery recharges, and cutting blades later, here's where we are, and I was afraid of this.

Sides have been cleared.

ImageIMG_1740 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Areas below the A-pillars have been cleaned up after the piece connecting the A-pillars was removed.

ImageIMG_1741 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Area around the nose has been cleaned up, and lots of detail of the GMP chassis are visible.

ImageIMG_1742 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

But Houston, we have a problem.

ImageIMG_1743 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

I was hoping to not have to make any significant changes to the GMP chassis, however these stalks are keeping the body from dropping into place.

ImageIMG_1744 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Going to sleep on it.

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Re: 1/18 custom 3rd Generation Camaro Trans Am racer

Post by Oldtimer » Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:50 pm

So, with a weekend behind us, and a lot of zinc dust and pieces littering my workbench and workshop floor, considerable progress has emerged.

I bit the bullet, and cut off the plastic stalks on the GMP chassis, which helped, but then that just removes the first obstacle.

Much more clearance had to be created at the base of the A-pillars as the body slips down over the rollcage door bars, and then once we cleared that hurdle, then we had one last challenge.

Notice how the exhaust exits the GMP Camaro body.

ImageGMPCamaro by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Well, the good news is that it has to exit the SunStar body in the same place (meaning that the chassis and donor body at least match up favorably), but this required another hole and some clearance on each side, but I think I have reached a plateau.

ImageIMG_1750 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

Here are a couple more progress shots.

ImageIMG_1751 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1752 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1753 by Jim Forte, on Flickr

The doors don't fit, as the molded in diecast frames for the inner liners interfere with the cage, so another night of grinding and we'll have a look at the entire package.

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