I've decided to leave V8monza.

[ColinOpseth]

Fenders are available from up22.com for some cars in fiberglass. True, they aren't good ol' metal but they will shave a few pounds and never rust again.

Later,
Colin

[ColinOpseth]

I was watching a show on cable last weekend called Muscle Cars. They were doing a project called "Crate Camaro". It had a crate engine and even the complete body was brand new "delivered in a crate" from Year one I believe. Nothing on the car was authentic camero. It was almost sickening.

First off, it's spelled Camaro. The reason that Goodmark sells a 1969 Camaro body shell is very simple. Now that these cars are being fixed up they aren't being run down like before. They have to preserve themselves, too. When the supply of beat-ups first-gen Camaros dries up (and it will very soon) they will no longer be in business.

Also, put it this way. If that bodyshell is not made they may just sell through their stock and not continue to make reproduction parts. They're just trying to "retain the breed."

Personally, I like the fact that people can drive a new '69 Camaro even though that isn't my favorite year ('68 is). The new shell has fully welded seams and the car is built with all-new parts so you know what you're getting. Many of those older cars have had damage repair and/or rust repair, covered up with junk fixes.

-shrug- That's just my $0.02, though
Colin

[Bacchus]

What do you mean they'll be out of business? When the supply of old ones dries up (are they still available?) then their business will INCREASE as people can't get the real thing, so they go replica. It's kind of like 32 Fords and such.

[ColinOpseth]

ClassicIndustries was built on the premise that they would provide GM authorized restoration parts for the aftermarket community. They did very high volume for years. I know for a fact that volume has to be tapering off.

I known of one "beater" 68 Camaro on the road. I know of one other that's sitting behind someone else's house. I used to see them all the time here in SoCal. I see none now.

I'm not bitching about the aftermarket body in the least. I think it's awesome that I can buy a body from a Catalog and build it from scratch the way "I want." I know it isn't the same and if I was to buy one of those bodies (I will if they make a 67-68 version!) I wouldn't try to pretend I had bought the real McCoy.

I'd also be more willing to modify the car how I wished. Being able to buy an aftermarket body like this may also preserve the real cars as they'll become even more valuable (if that's possible.. my Dad's '68 RS/SS 396 is probably worth over $60k now).

[monzapla]

I guess what I meant, is, it's really frustrating when it comes to finding h-body parts. We mostly have to scavage for what we can find, while alot of the more popular cars can be built off the shelf.