69 1/2 (?) Camaro concept - Pro-Touring experiment

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi!

The 69 Camaro is a timeless design, a "one year car" as they say. It's replacement was marketed as the 70 1/2... What if that new grille had debuted on the 69? And some experiments took place?

Mix a Revell 69 Z28, ZR-1 Corvette powertrain, radiator and tailights panel, IFS, rolling stock, fuel cell and battery case from the Phantom Vicky, all modified. Nose & hood from AMT's Baldwin Motion 70 Camaro, with hidden headlights (ah... the 60's!) headers from revell's 41 Willys motor, and now let's start cutting...

The monocoque frame is totally scratch-built. The front section rises on electric actuators, the new cowl is there, as are the door sills and seat-belt retractors. The inner door panels are part of the front section, the rear window becomes a hatch, the rear seat is junked to give way to a powerfull speakers enclosure & amp, and the trunk welcomes a pedestal on which resides a twin-cantelivered mono-shock air suspension, fed (as are the front air struts) by a Ride Tech air compressor & reservoir. The 9" Ford rear is anchored by a triangulated 4Bar system. The floor pan is totally flat, using a taller "tunnel" to encase the tranny & driving shaft, leading to huge tubs. Scratchbuilt console, arm rest, cup holders, fire extinguisher and hand brake lever. Bucket seats are from my parts box. Fully hosed and wired, including the AC hard lines running to the radiator. Scratchbuilt: pedals, shifter, column, steering shaft, 4W disc brakes and calipers, carpets, valve stems. Blacked-out window surrounds.  

Paint is Tamya's Titanium silver + Testor's Wet look clear. Custom Tamya's acrylic mix for the interior and carpets. Alclad chrome on numerous parts. 

The joy of scale modeling is you can let your imagination run, and have fun!

CT

 

[Snake45]

This clever, attractive, imaginative, and well-executed custom answers the question, "What would be the most convenient way for me to let a bunch of water into my engine compartment every time I drive my car in the rain?" 

[Claude Thibodeau]

11 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

This clever, attractive, imaginative, and well-executed custom answers the question, "What would be the most convenient way for me to let a bunch of water into my engine compartment every time I drive my car in the rain?" 

Hi Snake!

Indeed, you are right... except those "trailer queens" rarely see anything but dry faiground pavement, under sunny skies. Lawn chair collisions are more likely than a downpour, in my experience....

CT

[cobraman]

I love it ! Very creative and I know it was a ton of work.

[NitroMarty]

Another beauty, Claude!!! 

So much clever ingenuity going on, that I could spend hours studying these pics... I love it!!!!! 

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by NitroMarty

[Steve H]

Claude, that is a super cool build. I am inspired. I might do a much less modified version, '69 body with the 70 1/2 grill as a pro touring car. Thanks for the inspiration. 

[michelle]

nice custom work and a  very cool  "what if"  idea 

[PappyD340]

Creatively awesome, a lot of outstanding work, well done Claude!

[TooOld]

Interesting concept and some great custom work and paint !  Well done !

[Claude Thibodeau]

10 hours ago, Steve H said:

Claude, that is a super cool build. I am inspired. I might do a much less modified version, '69 body with the 70 1/2 grill as a pro touring car. Thanks for the inspiration. 

Hi Steve! Thanks for the comments. 

The most challenging part of the grille swap is that the hood profile of the 70 doesn't match the top of the fenders on the 69. If I had to do it again, I would glue the 70's hood to its nose piece, and then, remove all the hood surface but the central bulge-scoop. And glue it on top of the 69 hood. All you would be left to deal with, then, would be the headlight flat opening  doors tracing. 

Have fun with your project!

CT 

[Claude Thibodeau]

11 hours ago, cobraman said:

I love it ! Very creative and I know it was a ton of work.

Hi Ray!

A ton and  half... Thanks for the comments. 

CT

[Claude Thibodeau]

11 hours ago, NitroMarty said:

Another beauty, Claude!!! 

So much clever ingenuity going on, that I could spend hours studying these pics... I love it!!!!! 

 

Hi Marty!

Thanks. Hope you eyes are better than mine, then. 

CT

[Claude Thibodeau]

10 hours ago, michelle said:

nice custom work and a  very cool  "what if"  idea 

Hi Michelle!

Thank you. I know you are quite a prolific builder yourself, keep on!

CT

[Claude Thibodeau]

1 hour ago, PappyD340 said:

Creatively awesome, a lot of outstanding work, well done Claude!

Thanks Larry!

CT

[Claude Thibodeau]

48 minutes ago, TooOld said:

Interesting concept and some great custom work and paint !  Well done !

Hi Bob!

Thanks for the comments.

CT 

[Slotto]

Wow, what an imagination! Killer build

[doorsovdoon]

I like that! The front looks very much like a car I used to own, a Vauxhall VX4/90.

[Snake45]

Your front end looks MUCH cleaner than the '70 Rally Sport front, which has always looked to me like a cheap copy of a Jaguar sedan. 

I think your front end would have also worked with exposed headlights (maybe too Monte Carlo, though?), or with the '69 RS "windows" in the headlight doors (too '69 Camaro?). But your solution was imaginative, attractive. and different. 

[espo]

The tilt front end including the doors has to be unique, I don't think I have ever seen that done before. The way you blended the grill area into the '69 body it looks just like something that GM could have done. The overall engineering and design that you put into this is exceptional on so many levels. The interior is just so nicely done it's a model all by it's self. 

[Claude Thibodeau]

1 hour ago, doorsovdoon said:

I like that! The front looks very much like a car I used to own, a Vauxhall VX4/90.

Hi Gareth!

You may traumatize a few Camaro owners here... Just kidding!

CT

[Claude Thibodeau]

36 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Your front end looks MUCH cleaner than the '70 Rally Sport front, which has always looked to me like a cheap copy of a Jaguar sedan. 

I think your front end would have also worked with exposed headlights (maybe too Monte Carlo, though?), or with the '69 RS "windows" in the headlight doors (too '69 Camaro?). But your solution was imaginative, attractive. and different. 

Hi Snake!

The remaining cavities in the 69 grille, on both sides of the transplanted 70 central section, were very narrow. Any light looked squeezed... I even tried Starliner glass panels, but same problem. That's why I cheated with the simulated panels. Best outcome I found...

CT

[Claude Thibodeau]

36 minutes ago, espo said:

The tilt front end including the doors has to be unique, I don't think I have ever seen that done before. The way you blended the grill area into the '69 body it looks just like something that GM could have done. The overall engineering and design that you put into this is exceptional on so many levels. The interior is just so nicely done it's a model all by it's self. 

Thank you David!

When i build a ProTouring type of car, I always try to build a totally enclosed floor platform, who also serves as the under-belly pan. It raises the powertrain OVER the floor, and requires a taller central tunnel, but it facilitate the creation of the front and rear frame clips with frame rails running higher in relation to the ground. Therefore, you IFS and rear axle are easier to locate, and give you room to adjust the car VERY LOW. Plus, the underside is clutter-free. In this Camaro, the transmission "cover" is made from part of a Dollar store pencil sharpener cup, and the rear tubs with sliced Super Glue transparent pill-bottle style containers. 

I will soon post a 49 Ford ProTouring which is heavily scratchbuilt, and where I applied the same approach.

CT 

 

[Claude Thibodeau]

2 hours ago, Slotto said:

Wow, what an imagination! Killer build

Thank you Steeve!

CT

[espo]

2 minutes ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Thank you David!

When i build a ProTouring type of car, I always try to build a totally enclosed floor platform, who also serves as the under-belly pan. It raises the powertrain OVER the floor, and requires a taller central tunnel, but it facilitate the creation of the front and rear frame clips with frame rails running higher in relation to the ground. Therefore, you IFS and rear axle are easier to locate, and give you room to adjust the car VERY LOW. Plus, the underside is clutter-free. In this Camaro, the transmission "cover" is made from part of a Dollar store pencil sharpener cup, and the rear tubs with sliced Super Glue transparent pill-bottle style containers. 

I will soon post a 49 Ford ProTouring which is heavily scratchbuilt, and where I applied the same approach.

CT 

 

I look forward to the '49. The basic kit has always been one of my favorites and my family had a '49 four door when I was a child. I have owned a couple of 1:1 '51 Fords years ago and I can't count how many models of these I have built thru the years so I think you can see why I'm so interested. None have been of this level of course.  

[Claude Thibodeau]

5 minutes ago, espo said:

I look forward to the '49. The basic kit has always been one of my favorites and my family had a '49 four door when I was a child. I have owned a couple of 1:1 '51 Fords years ago and I can't count how many models of these I have built thru the years so I think you can see why I'm so interested. None have been of this level of course.  

Stay tuned, then... Maybe tonight, if my wife is looking the other way...

CT