MarkJ Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Here is the kit. I will need to change the front and rear to have it pass as a 74. I will also need to make new bumpers. I know I could have gotten a 74 kit, maybe if I could have found one, and pay big bucks for it, and I know a 74 Camaro resin is available, but its more fun to do it this way. I stole the engine out of this kit for a 65 Chevelle I built because it came with a big block and I needed a small block for the Chevelle. I bought a 70 Corvette kit to get a small block for this build. I will use the big block from the Chevelle kit for the 70 Corvette whenever I build it. Edited June 8, 2021 by MarkJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Got started on the changes to the front header panel, to make it a 74, or at least a reasonable facsimile of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Got some more done this afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) I’ve never seen anyone try this before. Going to be interesting. Edited June 8, 2021 by Bainford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott8950 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 This will be interesting, Nice job so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catpack68 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Looking forward to seeing this conversion.It took years for me to find a 74 Camaro kit/built up at a decent price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransAmMike Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 8 hours ago, MarkJ said: Here is the kit. I will need to change the front and rear to have it pass as a 74. I will also need to make new bumpers. I know I could have gotten a 74 kit, maybe if I could have found one, and pay big bucks for it, and I know a 74 Camaro resin is available, but its more fun to do it this way. I stole the engine out of this kit for a 65 Chevelle I built because it came with a big block and I needed a small block for the Chevelle. I bought a 70 Corvette kit to get a small block for this build. I will use the big block from the Chevelle kit for the 70 Corvette whenever I build it. At it again huh Mark!!😉 I owned a 1:1 '75 that had the '74 Z-28 Hood Decals when I bought it. This will be cool, good luck with it my Friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Your not too far wrong with your procedure. My first car was a 74 Camaro and when I took it all apart to rebuild it, I found out that the hood and fenders are the same ones as 70-73, with die-cast caps for the headlight areas and a fiberglass nose for the turn signal/grille area. All used to blend into the battering ram aluminum bumper. Just remember that the headlight openings aren't perfectly round, but slightly squared. Check Google for shapes. Rear panel is more involved as the quarter panels were redesigned and restamped for the wrap around taillights. But for your model, sheet plastic should shape it just fine. Can't wait to see how you do this conversion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 8 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said: Your not too far wrong with your procedure. My first car was a 74 Camaro and when I took it all apart to rebuild it, I found out that the hood and fenders are the same ones as 70-73, with die-cast caps for the headlight areas and a fiberglass nose for the turn signal/grille area. All used to blend into the battering ram aluminum bumper. Just remember that the headlight openings aren't perfectly round, but slightly squared. Check Google for shapes. Rear panel is more involved as the quarter panels were redesigned and restamped for the wrap around taillights. But for your model, sheet plastic should shape it just fine. Can't wait to see how you do this conversion. Patrick, I have already been shaping the headlight and park light pods to be more square but still have a lot more to do in that area. I'm going to try to do everything with styrene and no putty but i might have to use a tiny bit of putty. Like I said , its not going to be perfect, just a reasonable facsimile. I have some tiny files that I will be using for the headlights and park light extensions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 10 hours ago, TransAmMike said: At it again huh Mark!!😉 I owned a 1:1 '75 that had the '74 Z-28 Hood Decals when I bought it. This will be cool, good luck with it my Friend. Thanks , Mike. I decided to put this build, in this forum, so I can more easily keep track of your 55. And I figure your next build will be here too. I'll probably be on this one for a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransAmMike Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 3 hours ago, MarkJ said: Thanks , Mike. I decided to put this build, in this forum, so I can more easily keep track of your 55. And I figure your next build will be here too. I'll probably be on this one for a few months. Well I kinda hit a snag on the '55 that hopefully I can correct. I'm in the process of building the '57 ChevySnap-tite (no thread here on the forum) Good luck with the Camaro!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Really nice start on your project. I had a buddy who had a.74 we did lots of cruising in that car in the early 80’s. I liked that car. I will enjoy following your build sir.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 3 hours ago, slusher said: Really nice start on your project. I had a buddy who had a.74 we did lots of cruising in that car in the early 80’s. I liked that car. I will enjoy following your build sir.. Thanks, Carl. My wife's college roomate bought one from the dealership I went to work in back in 1972. It was her first new car, and was able to buy it because she got hired by the school district we all went to school at. We all graduated in 1969 . She was hired as a first grade teacher and my wife was hired as a kindergarten teacher, but my wife had to find her job at another district. She eventually ended up at the same district with her roomate. I worked at that dealership till 2008 when the recession shut it down. Luckily I found another job at a Bruton Smith owned dealership about 15 miles further down the road and over a huge bridge. Bruton's Sonic dealerships survived the recession but alot of others did not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatMan Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Nice start! I needed to do a 75 last year. I may revisit that now. Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 35 minutes ago, MeatMan said: Nice start! I needed to do a 75 last year. I may revisit that now. Thanks for posting. Thanks, Dennis. Yes, there really is not that much difference between the kit i'm using and a 74 or a 75. i think the back glass on the 75 and up might have been wider, kinda wrapped around. You could still do it, just have to make your own back glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 (edited) Mark, have you decided what you're going to use for the upper and lower grilles? How do you plan to fill out the areas between the lights without using putty? Inquiring minds want to know. I like this project and I may want to try my own conversion after seeing how you do yours. Edited June 10, 2021 by Oldcarfan27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 11, 2021 Author Share Posted June 11, 2021 14 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said: Mark, have you decided what you're going to use for the upper and lower grilles? How do you plan to fill out the areas between the lights without using putty? Inquiring minds want to know. I like this project and I may want to try my own conversion after seeing how you do yours. Patrick , I had to give up my idea of not using putty. I will have to make an upper grille but this car has a front spoiler that completely hides the lower opening, but I will put something down there i dont really think it has an actual lower grille on this car. The upper grille is going to be pretty labor intensive with all those thin strips connected together, and I will have to build it as a left and right half and put them together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 Did some putty work and shaped up the headlight and park light pods some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nazz Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 The Camaro is starting to shape up! I will be watching this one. You dont see many 74s. built. Mark, you know what a Camaro is, its a small vicious animal that eats mustangs. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransAmMike Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Wow Mark, that's a whole heck of a lotta work. Coming along nicelt tho.👌 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT68 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Excellent work smoothing the front fascia. Are you going to include the rather bold hood decal as seen on the 1:1 car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 The lower front valance panel that comes in the kit will work for the 74 transformation. You just have to remove some plastic to leave room for the big battering ram front bumper . I sure was glad I didn't have to scratch build one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott8950 Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 (edited) You have got it looking good. It looks like the bottom of your headlight trim needs to go out just a little more. Nice scratch building Edited June 13, 2021 by Scott8950 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJ Posted June 13, 2021 Author Share Posted June 13, 2021 (edited) 12 hours ago, Scott8950 said: You have got it looking good. It looks like the bottom of your headlight trim needs to go out just a little more. Nice scratch building You're absolutely right, Scott. The sides of the grille opening need to be extended as well as the bottom does. Have to get it more correct before I start scratch building the grille. I wanted to make sure the lower valance was going to work and I will probably make a front bumper first too, before I fine tune the upper header panel. Edited June 13, 2021 by MarkJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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