An engine rebuild should be an integral part of any car restoration. Six cylinder, small block, or big block, the Camaro's engine is the life-blood of the machine, so it deserves first-class attention during your full-scale restoration.

Front end components take a terrible beating. Consi­dering highway conditions - pot holes, rough rail­road crossings, speed bumps, driveway dips, high­way imperfections - it's miraculous that so many older cars are still roaming the roads on their original front end parts. Ball joints and bushings in particular absorb tremen­dous punishment because they connect the spindles to the con­trol arms and the control arms to the chassis, respectively, ac­tually supporting much of the Camaro's weight as the wheels and tires bounce over highway hazards. But although Camaro front ends have survived the mileage and the years, the damage of time and use eventually takes its toll, usually surfacing as tell-tale pops and squeaks before advancing to the dangerous level. 

After dismantling the Camaro, the restoration pro­ject can progress in a number of different direc­tions. If you intend to rebuild the engine yourself (more on engine rebuilding in a later chapter), dis­assemble the engine and send the block, crank, heads, etc. to a reputable machine shop for boring, polishing, valve work, bal­ancing, or whatever. That way, when you're ready to proceed with the engine rebuilding at a later stage of the restoration, all of the necessary components will be refinished and ready for reassembly.

Taking apart our 1969 Camaro Z/28's exterior body panels is a tad more challenging than removing her interior. Still, we were up for the challenge, as you can see from the lead photo. Our Z/28 looks like a full-size scale model, with the exterior items all laid out as if they'd just been removed from one of those plastic scale car model trees. Follow along with the step-by-step guide, so you can get your Camaro looking like a full-size scale model like ours!

This is the fun part. Taking a Camaro apart requires no special skills; almost anyone can do it, even a novice mechanic. But a little pre-restoration planning will lessen the problems and headaches that can accompany a disorganized Camaro Project.

Before you embark on a Camaro restoration, you've got to own a Camaro, right? If you've already got a 1967-69 Camaro stashed in your garage, all the bet­ter, but if you're starting from scratch, you need to know the who's, what's, and where's of buying the right Camaro for your particular wants and needs. Camaro restora­tions can be fun and profitable, but if you dive into the project with the wrong car - rusted, faked or both - the restoration could turn into a personal and financial nightmare. Always re­member this golden rule of restoration: Don't buy a Camaro for restoration if the total cost of the car plus the total cost of the restoration will exceed the total current value of the Ca­maro when it is completed. 

You are about to embark on a restoration journey that will transform a well-beaten 1969 Z/28 Camaro into a pristine show car. For this book, the staff of Car Review magazine selected, purchased, disassembled, restored, and reassembled an original LeMans Blue Z/28, one of the premier small-block musclecars of the sixties and a true collector vehicle of the eighties. Starting out with a much-abused example that was previously used as a lawn ser­vice tow vehicle, project engineer Bill Breidenbach brought the car back to life for a series of Car Review restoration articles. 

There’s something timeless about a classic car - the lines, the sound, the feeling. But when it comes to technology, even the most vintage ride deserves a modern upgrade. Enter the RetroSound Radio Control App: a free, powerful companion that transforms how you interact with your vehicle’s audio system.

Designed specifically for RetroSound radios equipped with the latest Motor 4HD and Motor 4DAB platforms, this app bridges the gap between nostalgic style and cutting-edge convenience - putting total control right in the palm of your hand.

When you slide behind the wheel of a 1967-72 Chevy or GMC pickup, the view over the hood is timeless. Your gauges should be just as dialed-in as the rest of your build. Whether you’re restoring a classic or building a modernized street machine, the Dakota Digital VHX Series Gauge Set (Part #DD672W) brings your dash into the present without sacrificing its vintage soul.

Engineered as a direct-fit system for ’67-’72 GM pickups, this setup installs into your stock or reproduction bezel and instantly upgrades your interior with a clean, high-performance look that feels right at home.

SKU: H80457
Category: Fuel System / Carburetors
Brand: Holley Performance

When it comes to building, restoring, or upgrading an American pony or muscle car, few components influence both performance and personality quite like the carburetor. The Holley Street Warrior 600 CFM 4160 Carburetor - available at Classic Industries - delivers the perfect blend of reliability, drivability, and classic performance that enthusiasts have trusted for generations.

Whether you're dialing in a small-block Chevy, tuning a Ford 302, or breathing new life into a Mopar V8, this carburetor is designed to help your engine perform at its best - on the street where it belongs.