I finished patching up the pieces under the front fenders. Then I used seam sealer and then coated everything with flex seal Josh
I mounted the cross bar for the transmission cooler so I could start making a cold air intake. I figured it out in cardboard and transferred it to sheet metal Josh
I made radiator brackets to secure the top. Used riv-nuts to make everything serviceable. Found some large washers in a drawer in the garage that happen to fit rubber glad hand seals for tractor trailer air line connectors. I painted everything black and assembled everything Josh
I ordered power window regulators from nu-relics.com. They're special order for 4 doors and wagons. It's nice that the window switches on the g8 are in the center console. I'm thinking of mounting the rear window switches in the old ashtrays. Josh
I tackled the mounting of the front bumper. Took 1.5"x3" rectangular steel and welded 1/4 inch filler plates on the back to go between the crumple zone ribs. Held them in place with a small bolt on the front and mocked up the grille and bumper to figure out the mounting hole positions Josh
I traced where the mount slots were, drilled out the corner and cut the middle out with a cut off wheel. I found a length of bed frame rail that fits perfectly inside the rectangular steel. I welded some nuts to the back side, painted everything with epoxy paint and assembled the front bumper. Josh View attachment 618040
Be curious to see if the wagon ends up lighter than it was before stock compared with the g8 chassis. What's plans for body? Keep patina or paint a new color?
The plan is to use the magnetic grey Metallic that came on the g8gt. This isn't the exact color, but I like the medium grey on the 67 bodystyle. Josh
While I'm waiting on parts to come in for the front air dam, I decided to tackle installing the fuel door. The thumb smudge on the paint is where I think center is on the fuel cap. Used a 3.5 inch hole saw and adjusted as I could see what lined up where Josh
Once I made sure the hole was big enough, I drilled some holes to weld through to secure the mounting ring. Ran around it a few times with the flap disc to make sure the door opens and closes seamlessly without rubbing or catching Josh
Figuring out the lower air dam. It's a 1970-1981 camaro bumper impact bar. I wanted a little dramatic drop in the center, so I cut the 2 inch bar down to 1 inch. I'm using a 2"x2"x1/4" section of angle iron to mount between the bumper bar and the lower radiator mounts to protect the radiator from parking bumps and any road hazards. Josh
To suspend the air dam from the brackets behind the bumper, I split a 1.5"x3" tube to get the correct width and angle to secure the bumper to the angle iron support beam. I installed riv-nuts on the camaro bar to attach to the angle iron. The cardboard in the middle is how I'm thinking the scoop might look, but I'm still playing around with ideas Josh
I sectioned the bumper bar to move the sides further back to follow the shape of the front bumper. I welded the ends to the angle iron and welded the capture nuts on the backs of the brackets so I don't have to struggle putting my fingers and wrenches back there to secure everything. Then I took a side shot to see what the grind clearance will look like Josh
Making progress on the air dam. I started with the leftover wedges from when I cut up the bumper bar and moved it back. I made 6 more and made mounts for the fender behind the bumper. The driver's side picture is closest to being done. It's been an entire day's worth of work to figure it out, but I'm liking the way it's looking I also welded the center plate for strength Josh
I buttoned up the passenger side. It's looking a little more mad max than I like, but maybe that's because it's still raw and in bare metal. Once I finish the driver's side, I'll take it off the car and welds everything up from the back side. Hopefully I'll be able to clean everything up with a flap disc and smooth out the corners. Josh
So I went and bought paint for the wagon. The more I looked at the magnetic grey metallic that came on the pontiac, the more I felt like it was too dark for my taste. And, if I'm being honest, lighter colors hide bad bodywork better. So I looked through the color swatches at the paint store and I went with the old reliable gm gunmetal grey. It's a timeless color and I think it'll look great. Josh
I ordered more parts (headlights, fog lights, suspension pieces) and dad and I were walking around the car. I was jokingly holding the 67-68 camaro air dam, sticking it under the rear bumper and goofing around when my dad noticed the angle of the end of the air dam matches the rear of the fender perfectly. So it looks like I found my filler piece for the back of the car. Josh
