1/12 Camaro 69 conv - back in the game

[Nicolas]

Hello everyone,

i'am Nicolas, french, recently moved near Geneva (Switzerland), 26.

i stopped doing model cars some years back but as i recently moved, i decided to sell all my models, almost 90 cars, finished or not, some collectors. I was sure i won't do anymore again... Buuut, it reminds me some good memories, some of the models are not sold such as a 1/12 57 Bel Air i bought almost 10 years ago and an old 69 Camaro i worked on 7 years back and never finished...

The aims of the project is to see if i am still good at doing models and/or if i still enjoying doing that.

i bought this 1969 Camaro second hand 6 years ago, some parts were missing such as the wheels and some engine parts, interior parts, seats, dash was brocken and the roof was crack on 5 good cms from front to back.

i decided to make it a convertible and do a lot of scratch build, i had the opportunity to work on a lathe and on CNC machine so i did the wheels, some brake parts and other little parts...

Anyway, enough talking, some pics here from where it stopped 6 years ago:

By ollycarbs

By ollycarbs

By ollycarbs

By ollycarbs

By ollycarbs

By ollycarbs

By ollycarbs

I am on the board since two days and i take good measure of how much the new technologies have changed the game, it is juste awesome!!! i can't wait to get back at my bench!

reading all the threads, i saw a lot of parts providers with insane parts and skills!

Anyway, the project for the Camaro is doing a sort of street legal race car, two seaters, caged, 3 links rear end, coilovers.

new paint, i was thinking to a dark grey and black wheels, speaking of that, the wheels actually on the car will go.

i am not sure of what i exactly want, some wide 16" Nascar steelies (diamond racing wheels...), some sort of 18" Minilites, or something from my self design, 18" or 19", 10" and 12" wide, 5 spokes, really concave, center locking... i don't know yet but i want them black.

i want the car really, really low but drivable without air ride.

About the Engine, i am still wondering if i use the stock one, boosted with one or two turbos or a compressor.

Currently i am collecting pictures to see if i can make from scratch a LS1 Engine with a 6 speed transmission...

Enough to read, basically i want something more or less classical to look at but efficient enough to race on track with modern cars and import cars...

Any comments are welcome,

it is perhaps not your cup of tea, no big deal!

I love all i could see in this board, some projects are stunning by the details, i land here thanks to the 1/12 57 chevy from Badgass that i saw on another forum then with some hours of researches i found this awesome place and you all make me want to come back in the game!

I promise i won't talk (write?!) as much in my next posts!

Excuse my english.

Nicolas,

Edited March 25, 2012 by Nicolas

[Prostreet]

Welcome to the forum, your english is fine don't worry about it. That camaro looks great and super job on machining those wheels, where did you get the tires?

[Nicolas]

Thank you Joe!

the tires come from some 1/10 RC wheels, i "re-cut" them. It is not that clean, the profile is really too low.

i won't go that way for the new build. Will surely make a master then a mold.

[stump]

Hi Nicolas and welcome. That's a pretty stunning entry too I might add.

Love the modifications you already have done and what you plan to do. The convertible is a nice unique idea. LOVE the rims too.

Check some of your local hobby shops (or online). As sometimes, they have wheels and tyres for the older 1/12 remote control cars.

I know most are 1/10 these days...but if you have a good look around, you may find some old stock 1/12.

[Nicolas]

Thanks Greg!

The convertible was the only way i saw at the time to save the car, i did not figure how i could repair the cracked roof.

Wheels are cool but rears are something like 22" and are really too big, i will perhaps sell them to fund what i need for the build or keep them for a next ProTouring style project if this "back in the game" turn well.

I have to say that what you are doing on your latest project is just incredible to me!

Yesterday, old habits came out and i took a look on towerhobbies.com, HPI had some nice wheels and really nice "realistic" tires in their 1/10 rc range, i will certainly use some parts they have as a base of work.

But, first of all, i get the car out of her box and since the last pics (2 weeks ago) the driver A pillar is broken... i have to find where the hell are all my styrene sheets and rods and get back my tools that my GF uses for her studies. i have collected a bunch of pics to begin all the work on the chassis and the interior since i plan to make it look like totally empty without carpet, door cards or back seats...

I hope to begin sometime soon as i am without employment for some weeks.

Chers guys!

[mikemodeler]

Awesome looking build and some serious scratch building and machining skills! I will be watching this one so let's get it done!

[stump]

All in good time Nicolas..

Loving the idea of the fully "gutted" interior too.....That should really make a huge difference.

[Nicolas]

Mike, thanks, at the time i was able to use a lathe and CNC machine, now i do not, perhaps a lathe only in the near future, we'll see.

Greg, the "gutted" interior will match perfectly my project but it will be a looooot of work, i collected something like 200+ pictures of 69 camaros, underbody, interior, drivetrain, and there a lot of differences between the kit and the reality, nothing that time and styrene can't solve. i found back my styrene. i had some meeting for my new work but i am now free for something like 4 days, i will begin in the next few minutes!

Some pics as soon as i have something to show!

thanks for your interest!

Edited March 29, 2012 by Nicolas

[Nicolas]

hi guys!

After some time to work on the car, i realized, all needs to be done.

i have to keep only the body and the details (bumpers, lights..) i went to a full tube chassis, home made rear end, transmission, seats, cage, dash, front end... it is a bit too big for me if i don't want to definitely give up.

I decided to store it again and get back at it in some months.

in this while i begin again an 1/24 van i had too, full detailed chassis, scratchbuilt rear end, wheels, full cage. to me it seems less hard to finish. if it works, i will come back to the camaro in a few months.

1/12 is a bit big for my small flat, especially for paint in fact. but anyway the project is still in my mind and i hope to get back at it. i sourced the LS1 engine i wanted though.

bye, guys, i will post the van in the right section.

[deja-view]

Really nice, Nicolas. REALLLLLY nice!

Agree that you might need a wee bit more rubber on those wheels, though. That would be a harsh ride.

[Nicolas]

thank you, the wheels, if i don't sell them will certainly go on my 57 Belair to make a Pro Touring... we'll see in some months/years...

Thanks, that's push me to go along with this project!

[cobraman]

That Camaro looks sweet ! I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[baddgass]

Nice work and nice to see you back in the game.

[Danno]

Looking great!

And, your English is better than that of a lot of people who live here ... don't sweat it!

[shizgriff]

How much for the wheels?

[Nicolas]

Hi!

sorry for the long time, i did not work on the car but i have a lot of motivation back.

for now i am working on a 1/24 Toyota Van with a lot of scratchbuilding and i am really enjoying that, it is far from being finished but the Camaro might be the next project, i have a lot of ideas for it, in the same way as what i wanted when i began it again, really race inspired and low, i will certainly go to a full tube frame chassis/rollcage (i am doing a full rollcage on the 1/24 van and i really like that)

i hope to get back at it (or another build) in the early winter, i don't have a lot of time t work on models and it is a lot of work so it takes a looooong time to be built!

Shizgriff, Let's talk about that by PM.

thanks!

Nicolas

[Mr.1/16th]

F I N I S H I T ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[Nicolas]

ahah!!! ok! your wish is my command!

i am collecting infos about brass soldering for the frame and the 1/24 is coming along slowly but surely...

thanks for your interest!

[Mr.1/16th]

glad to see you back on it bro!!! i have alot of pictures of your work for info on a few project i have in the back table.

[Nicolas]

I won't be back at it fastly, i want to finish my 1/24 race van before.

But i will begin to collect the parts i need, i have the engine but the major missing part now is a transmission, i am looking for a Tremec M56 6speed ideally or something close, if anyone have any idea where i can find it before CAD draw it and 3D print it... 2012 Mustang perhaps...