Retrospective 1978 Camaro Targa Top Project

[POS68GMC]

Originally Posted by MR FBDY

I am a long time Camaro guy and this is one of the best custom jobs I seen done to a second gen Camaro. Kudos to you.

You followin' me over here Mike? (I am aka POS71RS )

Originally Posted by dammitmitchell

dude.. i was linked this from www.nastyz28.com.. those guys have a thread going about your thread here.
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228205

nice work man. can you tell us what you charged for this?

That's cause it's amazing work! That Camaro board is my main stomping grounds... but I came here a couple weeks ago after buying my 68 GMC.

[dammitmitchell]

i just sold my 83 4x4 i built here and ventured over to nasty recently also,

small world!

[fakerwade]

Real nice work man.

[Yukon Jack]

Very impressive!

[aggie91]

I just read in your other post that you're only 24. Your work is killer. How long have you been doing this kind of work? Is it a family business?

Looks really good.

[OARNGESI]

Very impressive nice work

[theastronaut]

Thanks alot dudes!

Originally Posted by aggie91

I just read in your other post that you're only 24. Your work is killer. How long have you been doing this kind of work? Is it a family business?

Looks really good.

Thanks! I started tech in '05 right after I graduated highschool. Didn't know how to weld or anything about bodywork. I took two years, one for Autobody Repair, and one for Street Rod Fab.

Dad started the business about 34 years ago doing upholstery and autoglass/weatherstripping, which eventually turned into what many people around here say was the best classic auto/street rod upholstery shops they've seen. He also did some resto work, but would send out the paint work, engine work, etc, then reassemble the car. I was just a kid back when dad was big into that though, and didn't really know much about it other than I liked to hang out there and "help" dad work on the cool cars he had in the shop. He quit doing upholstery about 15 years ago and switched over to doing mostly new autoglass replacements. He would still take in an upholstery job occasionally though. On one occasion, dad got a call from a guy on the west coast wanting dad to do an upholstery job on a car he was building. The guy had a '55 Chevy that dad built, and also owned a '55 that Boyd Coddington had built. He had compared the two cars, and contacted dad based on the quality of work he saw compared to the Boyd built car; that's the kind of work I grew up around. This is what I've always wanted to do and I'm thankful my dad has helped me get where I am today. We eventually want to get out of the newer car glass replacement business and go back to doing only restorations, building street rods, and upholstery. There's people paying mega bucks for the quality of work that dad is capable of doing, and together with my fab/bodywork/paint skills I think we could have a pretty competitive upholstery shop. Look out Paul Atkins The autoglass replacement industry is quickly changing, so we may get out of it quicker than planned.

It is a family business, my sister is the secretary in the office and handles insurance claims, appointments, and the associated paperwork. Mom does all of the financial bookwork, and my older brother works with the classic/street rod glass jobs. He's working on a chop top, four door '50 Chevy now, converting it to one peice windows (front and rear doors). We have two other guys that install glass for the newer replacement work.

[aggie91]

That's really cool. You have some serious skills and talent. I hope you and your family can get back into the industry and really make a BIG name for youself! Good luck to you! I wish I was closer to get to see your work in person.

[68GMCCustom]

you do awesome work. I'd say with all the uncertainty in the world...your set for life.....those skills are something no one can take from you.

[truckzilla]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

Thanks alot dudes!





Thanks! I started tech in '05 right after I graduated highschool. Didn't know how to weld or anything about bodywork. I took two years, one for Autobody Repair, and one for Street Rod Fab.

Dad started the business about 34 years ago doing upholstery and autoglass/weatherstripping, which eventually turned into what many people around here say was the best classic auto/street rod upholstery shops they've seen. He also did some resto work, but would send out the paint work, engine work, etc, then reassemble the car. I was just a kid back when dad was big into that though, and didn't really know much about it other than I liked to hang out there and "help" dad work on the cool cars he had in the shop. He quit doing upholstery about 15 years ago and switched over to doing mostly new autoglass replacements. He would still take in an upholstery job occasionally though. On one occasion, dad got a call from a guy on the west coast wanting dad to do an upholstery job on a car he was building. The guy had a '55 Chevy that dad built, and also owned a '55 that Boyd Coddington had built. He had compared the two cars, and contacted dad based on the quality of work he saw compared to the Boyd built car; that's the kind of work I grew up around. This is what I've always wanted to do and I'm thankful my dad has helped me get where I am today. We eventually want to get out of the newer car glass replacement business and go back to doing only restorations, building street rods, and upholstery. There's people paying mega bucks for the quality of work that dad is capable of doing, and together with my fab/bodywork/paint skills I think we could have a pretty competitive upholstery shop. Look out Paul Atkins The autoglass replacement industry is quickly changing, so we may get out of it quicker than planned.

It is a family business, my sister is the secretary in the office and handles insurance claims, appointments, and the associated paperwork. Mom does all of the financial bookwork, and my older brother works with the classic/street rod glass jobs. He's working on a chop top, four door '50 Chevy now, converting it to one peice windows (front and rear doors). We have two other guys that install glass for the newer replacement work.

Thanks for the background story! I, for one, am totally impressed! May the gods of fame and fortune smile kindly upon you all!

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by truckzilla

Thanks for the background story! I, for one, am totally impressed! May the gods of fame and fortune smile kindly upon you all!

Thanks for the kind words, although I was secretly hoping nobody would bump this post so I wouldn't have to go through and update the pic links! .

[dammitmitchell]

hahaha! get it done dude!

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by dammitmitchell

hahaha! get it done dude!

Pics are back up, I think I need a nap now!

[andrewmp6]

I'll say it again you do amazing work it looks factory,I have seen one or two try before and it was a ugly hack job but yours is prefect and looks like it came like that.

[Rod Run]

Just clicked open this link from your signature line.

It looks interesting but I'm curious.... since you cut all the strengthening support out of the car when you diced the roof, what did you do to put integrity back into the body and chassis so the car wouldn't twist?

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Rod Run

Just clicked open this link from your signature line.

It looks interesting but I'm curious.... since you cut all the strengthening support out of the car when you diced the roof, what did you do to put integrity back into the body and chassis so the car wouldn't twist?

It already had subframe connectors and a roll bar with down tubes that tied into the front and rear subframes.