Running Our '69 Camaro Through the Wringer

(Tommy)>> You're watching Powernation!

(Tommy)>> Today on Detroit Muscle we take our '69 SeaFoam Camaro and run it through the ringer.

(Marc)>> We'll see how all the new upgrades translate to the dyno and streets.

(Tommy)>> Then we head out to help with a '49 Ford in a new Driveway Rescue. [ MUSIC ] [ engines revving ] [ MUSIC ]

(Tommy)>> Hey y'all welcome to Detroit Muscle. We've got our '69 SeaFoam strapped to the dyno and we're just about ready to ring this thing out. Now when we started on this thing it didn't look as cool as it does now. When we picked up this '69 Camaro it was definitely old school cool but what wasn't cool was the way it handled, steered, accelerated, and stopped.

(Marc)>> We upgraded the underpinnings with a full sub-frame and suspension kit for the front as well as a four link and nine inch for the rear, and topped all that off with coil overs, big sway bars, and four wheel disc brakes.

(Tommy)>> Then it was time to begin reassembly with things like our fresh punched out small block, a five speed gear box, new fuel system, e-f-i, and fancy belt drive system and big cooling.

(Marc)>> Then we refreshed the interior with new carpet and throwback sport seats, and added a few restoration parts to increase the curb appeal. Now we are super happy with how this thing turned out. I mean you look at the rendering and you look at the car and they look exactly the same. So mission accomplished. We love the stance, the wheels, tires, brakes, suspension, of course that beautiful interior, and today's the day we get to get this thing out and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

(Tommy)>> Now when we first had this things strapped down here it didn't make all that much but with the help of this man this thing's gonna breathe some fire.

(Pat)>> Well let's hope so. This thing made 231 at the tire before. Now we know what the engine made on the engine dyno. It made 442 horse, 442 pound feet of torque. So getting it in the chassis it's going to be interesting to see what it lays down now. So go ahead and light it and we'll get started here. [ engine starting ]

(Marc)>> Here we go! [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> 393, 408, 408 pound feet!

(Marc)>> The thing's gonna pick up a little here. Let's go again!

(Pat)>> Go again, it's like a roller coaster ride. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> That's it.

(Tommy)>> 390.

(Pat)>> 390, 402.

(Marc)>> 390?

(Pat)>> It's right there. It's gonna keep printing that number.

(Marc)>> It's consistent.

(Pat)>> It doesn't get any more consistent than that, that's beautiful! Now remember we're correcting to s-a-e so we can compare apples to apples.

(Marc)>> I'd love to make a 400 but it's not in the cards.

(Pat)>> That's so close to 400. That could be the gas you're using right now. It's got the same gas in it doesn't it? Yeah, you put fresh gas in it it could be 400.

(Marc)>> It's fine.

(Pat)>> It made 408 pound feet of torque though.

(Marc)>> Well let's make another one just for fun.

(Pat)>> Can't get enough. [ engine revving ]

(Pat)>> 391, that's what it likes.

(Marc)>> 391.

(Pat)>> If we could screw with the timing, and put fresh gas in it, and mess around with it but in the dyno world we call that eyeball wash cause all you're trying to look for is a number. That number right there at the wheels, that's stout.

(Marc)>> I'm happy with it!

(Pat)>> This thing made 231 before. So what'd it make for you 231, 238? Dude that's up 162 horse at the tire and that doesn't tell the whole story. I say this all the time on graphs but it doesn't tell the whole story. What tells the story is the big average on the torque. That makes the car feel like it's got twice the engine that it would have had. So nice job!

(Tommy)>> He's just a horsepower snob, that's all it is.

(Pat)>> Hey so am I.

(Marc)>> We need to get it out on the road.

(Pat)>> Dude it's gonna be mean.

(Marc)>> Coming up we take the SeaFoam Camaro on a shakedown run to see how she handles the streets.

(Marc)>> Well dyno numbers are all good but what really matters is how this thing performs out on the street. Let's see how this thing does on the back roads. Clutch feels nice and light. American Powertrain did a great job matching it to our performance and our power level. Whoever wins this car is gonna be a happy camper. There's a nice curve coming up here. I think I'm gonna lean into it a little bit and see what it'll do. Really put the shocks, and sway bars, and the wheels and tires to good use. Let's see here. Wow, super flat! Wow even more, wow, that is great. Oh yeah, it wants more. I love it! I kinda wish now we'd have taken this thing to the track. [ MUSIC ] What's the use in beating on it? This is so awesome, so happy. Oh yeah this thing is just wanting so much more. More than I can give it. I can already feel, just the little curve right here, it's already a lot tighter and flatter, predictable. Brakes feel great, way more braking than I need, especially out driving around doing something like this. You could probably take this thing to the track and the brakes would hold up just fine. Same goes for the suspension. It's like we modified everything under the car. We put a sub-frame with a more heavy duty structure, and s-l-a style front suspension with adjustable coil overs, four link rear, nine inch, coil overs in the rear as well, bigger sway bars on both ends, way bigger footprint in the rear, slightly bigger in the front. I mean we just improved this thing overall underneath the car and it really shows too. This thing can handle a lot more than I can throw at it out here on the street but it's plenty happy. Well those back roads are fine and dandy for seeing how this thing handles but where this thing really had an issue was out on the interstate. So there's only one way to find out how well we improved that. Well the ramp feels good already. Here we go! [ engine revving ]

(Marc)>> Oh yeah, you can already feel the difference in the power. It's amazing what 160 horsepower more will do. Almost 400 horsepower at the tire, over 400 pound feet of torque. I mean that's plenty for this car. Plus get out on the interstate like this, put it in fifth gear, that's amazing. 2,000 r-p-m, 80 miles per hour, it's just ideal. The exhaust isn't droning in my ear. It's got that nice Magnaflow sound. To me this is the kinda build that I want to do for myself. It really checks off all the boxes for me. It's a lot happier and so am I. This car has exceeded my expectations. You know when you take away all the stock components and you replace them sometimes it can be a little underwhelming. You know you're ah well, you kinda ruined it. You can always over modify a car. Trust me I've done it, and I feel like we haven't done that with this car. Like I'm just waiting for it to disappoint me but it doesn't. So something to be said for that. [ engine revving ]

(Marc)>> Well now that our '69 Camaro is finished we want to keep it protected for whoever wins this car. So we went with the custom Weather Shield HP car cover from CoverCraft. This cover comes with CoverCraft's exclusive high performance breathable fabric, which allows heat and moisture under the cover to escape easily. It protects your car's finish from dust, rain, and those color fading u/v rays. It's great for indoor or outdoor use, and it comes in 6 different colors. We even customize ours with the SeaFoam logo. So if you want superior protection for your ride check out CoverCraft, or you win our Camaro it comes with this one.

(Tommy)>> We're out and about looking to get an old Ford back on the road.

(Marc)>> Well it's that time again for Driveway Rescue, and that's where we get to go out to a lucky viewer's home and give them a hand with their ride with the help of Rock Auto dot com.

(Tommy)>> We've got our buddy Tom Taylor here. What do you got wild shaking on your side?

(Tom)>> Nothing much here. I'm interested to hear about your projects there. Thanks for having me virtually even if I can't be there in person this year.

(Marc)>> Well we wish you could be here, but speaking of projects that are going on on our end we just recently used a bunch of stuff that we got from you guys on our '69 Camaro, and until we got on there and started searching around we didn't realize you had so many restoration parts.

(Tom)>> Yeah for a classic like that we'll have the interior parts, body parts, as well as the mechanical, brakes, suspension, you name it. People may not realize that. We not only have parts for your daily driver but your classic car as well, and we even have accessories now. Parts like bed liners for trucks, and nerf bars for trucks, floor mats for almost any car.

(Marc)>> One stop shop!

(Tom)>> Right.

(Tommy)>> Well speaking of classics we've got one of those coming down the pipe. We've got a '49 Ford that needs some love for sure.

(Tom)>> Yeah I heard you were gonna be fixing that up. We have a lot of little fiddly parts that would have been hard to find in 1979 for a car like that, like the king pin, and the seals on the brakes. Those little parts that you need that are not so glamourous but you need them to do the restoration right.

(Tommy)>> Yeah this one here, the guy who has it he said it doesn't really drive very good or stop. So we're gonna have to fix those but I really hate it that you're not here to help us beat those kingpins out because if you want to talk about a party people getting hammered, that one right there is gonna be one of them because woo changing kingpins is no fun.

(Tom)>> The new part's beautiful though, shiny and clean.

(Tommy)>> Comes in a nice box too.

(Marc)>> It looks easy but there's a reason why they call it a king pin you know. It's a pretty important little piece.

(Tom)>> Not queen pin, it's a king pin. Those were used on old military trucks and heavy duty, but not so precise and dainty as modern cars need I guess.

(Marc)>> Yeah everything used to have kingpins at one point in time.

(Tom)>> Old model-T's and you name it.

(Tommy)>> Either way we'll get this thing up and going, and I know it's gonna be quite a struggle more than likely but when we're all said and done and getting that guy in that car behind the wheel driving his old cool car that's gonna be worth it.

(Tom)>> Yeah it's great you're preserving a historical artifact and helping a family, that's great!

(Marc)>> Well I guess we better get this stuff loaded up. Tom thanks a lot man. We really appreciate it.

(Tom)>> Thanks for including me a bit here and I look forward to seeing the project when it's done, hearing all about.

(Tommy)>> Well sure, we're gonna reach back out to you cause we're probably gonna need some moral support. You keep your phone close by big guy.

(Tom)>> Okay I'll do the easy work here from my undisclosed location.

(Tommy)>> Keep the a/c on too alright boss? See you man.

(Marc)>> So we packed up our parts and set out on a journey down the backroads of rural Tennessee. [ MUSIC ]

(Tommy)>> I'm excited about getting my hands dirty on this cool ride. Dean tell me a little bit about this cool thing.

(Dean)>> This is my dad's old '49.

(Tommy)>> Has it got anything wrong with it?

(Dean)>> Yeah it's got front end issues.

(Marc)>> I love this car.

(Tommy)>> Kingpins then I assume?

(Dean)>> I believe so.

(Tommy)>> That ain't no fun to change.

(Dean)>> You can do it.

(Marc)>> Well we've got some tools and hopefully all the parts we need to get the job done. So Tommy and I will go get some tools and we'll get started.

(Dean)>> Alright let's go. I have a 1949 Club Coupe Ford. It's my dad's car, and he pulled it out of a barn in Hickory, North Carolina, and he likes original cars that's unmolested. This one's a low mileage original car, original paint, never been nothing touched on the car that we can tell. So it's time for having a mechanical restoration on the car. Get it drivable. He brought it home and he's a cancer survivor since then. So here recently he's had hip replacement and a knee replacement. He works so much. Life happens and he's getting close to retirement age now and he's wanting to retire, and he hasn't been able to work on it. [ MUSIC ] I'd like for y'all to get it going so he can actually enjoy it. He can drive the grandkids in it and go to town on Sundays or something and enjoy it with the kids.

(Tommy)>> Now with this king pin setup what makes it kind of odd is that it's got a pivot right here, as opposed to most of the cars that we work on, this spindle actually rotates. So this one's got some wear in it. So we're gonna have to get it apart and to do that it's gonna take a little bit of persuasion with a hammer and a chisel. [ MUSIC ] Now I'm using a flat bladed screwdriver for a chisel, which is normally a no-no. Let's see if that dude will come out now. Man this one's coming apart a whole lot easier than I anticipated. [ MUSIC ] Now we can wiggle this off. That has to be the easiest king pin I've ever taken out. She is apart. Now how these things wear is inside of these two little bores is a bushing, and it wears out as this wheel turns left to right, and if they get really worn well it gets into the shaft and creates a lip here on one of these two ends, and that's what really makes them difficult cause you've got to try to drive that thing through with that worn lip on it. This one the bushings are just bad. So we'll have to knock those out, and then we can put some new ones in and we're good to go. [ metal clanging ]

(Tommy)>> Come on baby, got it! [ MUSIC ] That should do it, oh yeah.

(Marc)>> We finish it up and get a father and son up and running.

(Marc)>> Well while Tommy's working on the king pin on the other side I figured I'd go ahead and check this side out. It feels like the king pin's okay on this side but it's really hard to tell because the wheel bearing's bad over here or it's too loose. So I need to take this apart and see what's going on in here and we can go from there. [ MUSIC ] What do they say about having the right tool for the job? If it gets the job done it's the right tool. [ MUSIC ] Seeing it's got this new brake hose on here I'm thinking it'll probably have some new brakes but we'll see. [ MUSIC ] Bearing looks okay but that doesn't mean anything. [ MUSIC ] Grease looks kinda old. Brake shoes look like they've been replaced not that many miles ago but quite a few moons ago. Same goes for the rest of this stuff. The wheel cylinders dry but a little too dry here. All this rubber's all cracked. It looks like somebody did a brake job, replaced a bunch of stuff, and then didn't put any miles on the car. It looks like it's been sitting. So guess the best thing to do is tear this apart, go ahead and put a wheel cylinder in it, and new bearings and get all this back together. [ MUSIC ] Well I feel a lot better with that new wheel cylinder on there. It definitely needed to be replaced. Now we talked about the brake shoes having some life left in them but the problem is we don't know how old they are, and with something like this being it's not worn out you shouldn't have to replace it but on the other hand sometimes these delaminate from the actual metal part of the brake shoes. It's a good idea to go ahead and replace them. Now as for the adjustor we could replace this but this thing still seems to be in good shape. It's not rusted or corroded. It's lubricated. We can even add a little bit of lube there, and that's where this thing's different. These hard parts, as long as they're cleaned and lubed they're good to go. What I'm doing here is I'm lubing these bosses where the brake shoe rides because if you don't put any lube there that shoe rubs on the backing plate and makes a squeaking noise. That's why you hear drum brake cars squeak a lot. Put a little up here too. [ MUSIC ] Good to go. We'll grab some new wheel bearings and some fresh grease, and get them packed and installed in that drum. [ MUSIC ]

(Tommy)>> Getting those bushings in are pretty much the most difficult task of this whole situation. Now the next thing you'd have to do is slide your shaft in here at the top. Don't forget your little thrust bearing here on the top that goes in between this surface and the top of your spindle, and then put in your pin and you're good to go. [ MUSIC ] [ metal clanging ]

(Tommy)>> Now it's time for Marc to do the brakes. [ MUSIC ] Well Marc's pretty much got the brakes all finished up. The last thing we need to do is bleed the brakes, which isn't normally a glamourous job but it's a necessary. Now one thing that's pretty unique to these old cars that most people aren't used to is this thing has a bottom swing pedal, meaning that the master cylinder is below the floorboard. We're gonna have to get this cap off, fill it up, get to bleeding. There you go. Alright she's tight.

(Marc)>> Alright let's get these wheels on and get her on the ground. [ MUSIC ] Well I think that just about does it. That's everything we needed to get this thing back on the road. You fellas ready for a test spin?

(Dean)>> Well dad just got home from work. Let's take it down the road.

(Tommy)>> Let's get out of y'alls way. [ MUSIC ]

(Dean)>> Doing better ain't it.

(Manuel)>> Yeah.

(Dean)>> I'm glad they come by today, help us with this.

(Manuel)>>Well we might can drive it a little bit now. If those boys hadn't come along we might not have got this thing going for another five years.

(Dean)>> Maybe not but at least we got to go down the road in it. Got to enjoy it a little bit. We'll keep working on it so you can drive it.

(Tommy)>> Now that right there Marc is what it's all about. Getting your old man back in his ride, man that's pretty sweet.

(Marc)>> Yeah it makes me want to go for a ride with my dad. As a matter of fact I think I'm gonna get on the phone with him right now.

(Dean)>> They've been a lot of help, and them guys at Rock Auto, they helped us out a lot too. [ horn honking ]