n past articles we looked at some of the preliminary work being done by Roadster Shop on this outstanding 1965 Corvette. This time, we’ll take a close look at the intricate radiator fan shroud, the all-stainless exhaust system, and the aluminum pan that seals off the bottom of the body at the rear.

This car uses a temperature-controlled SPAL electric fan for the radiator, along with the belt-driven fan on the front of the engine. The electric fan helps manage coolant temperature, even when the car is idling for long periods and after the engine is shut off. There is precious little room under the hood of this car, so great care was taken to position each component with adequate clearance, ensuring nothing looks crowded or out of place.

The first step was mounting the electric fan on the back side of the radiator, accomplished by making a shallow perimeter frame from sheet aluminum. Next, the circular portion of the shroud was formed by putting a 1-inch flange on a strip of aluminum and shrinking the flange to create the round shape. Once the part was accurately formed and sized, the seam was welded and metal-finished.

ugene, Oregon, is known for a number of things: it’s home to the University of Oregon Ducks, there are coffee shops everywhere, and the classic movie Animal House was filmed there. Most important to us is that nestled on the edge of town is one of the premier restoration and hot rod shops in the country: MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration. Something interesting is always happening inside owner Jon Mannila’s facility, and we can always count on our man on the scene, Chadly Johnson, to keep us dialed in on the latest action. The most recent activity brought together MetalWorks’ ace fabricator Dave Williams, a Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE) QUADRALink rear suspension kit, and a 1963 Chevy II—and we had a front-row seat to follow it all unfold.

General Motors unveiled the Chevy II in 1962 as a compact car aimed at competing with their own Pontiac Tempest and Oldsmobile F85 as well as the Ford Falcon and others. The little Chevy was well received, and the available 153ci four-cylinder engine and the 194ci inline-six certainly appealed to the those looking for an economical grocery getter. But when the 283ci V-8 was offered as an option in 1964, hot rodders took notice and they really perked up when the 350hp 327 became available in 1967. These little nondescript Chevys were often described as wolves in sheep’s clothing.

n the first installment of our 1978 Camaro buildup, we laid out our plans for a complete suspension upgrade thanks to a Level Two handling kit from QA1 along with a massive upgrade in braking capabilities and an all-new system from Wilwood. By the way, we’re also using a built third member for our 9-inch rearend from Quick Performance and new 18-inch wheels from Rocket Racing Wheel. 

In that issue, we also managed to do a few baseline braking tests, stripped the old stock suspension out from under the Camaro, and even got the new QA1 suspension installed up front. This time around we’re tackling the rear suspension and also installing the new, high-strength 9-inch rearend.

t can be argued that the first-series (1970-73) second-gen Camaro is the most beautiful Camaro ever designed. True, the first-gen Camaro (1967-69) styling is also gorgeous, but the complete restyling of the second-gen brought undeniable benefits through the end of the run in 1981: a front steer gearbox, wider track width, radial-tuned suspension with improved geometry, better insulation, and tons of options, to name a few.

The Rally Sport option is primarily cosmetic, but it was a styling home run that holds up today and makes a fun modification to any second-gen model. Our car is a prime candidate for this nose conversion, since the 1974 model still had the small back window carried over from the 1971-73 body design. The rear conversion involves lots of cutting, replacement, modifications, and welding, but the front is primarily bolt-on, especially if you have a 1974-77 car where the fenders match the first-series design. That’s what we’ll walk you through in this article, pointing out the basic steps, parts, and pieces you’ll need, along with what you can reuse, and what you’ll need to buy to complete the conversion.

This car made its way to us from Derek Bieri, host of Vice Grip Garage on YouTube. We traded favors and parts and I got this thing for a song. I never intended to fully restore it, but the small rear window and very solid spring pockets and framerails convinced me to go the full-9 on this car. Auto Metal Direct (AMD) has everything I need to transform it into the image of a 1970 RS—but not as a clone, just my version of the best second-gen styling. The AMD catalog along with the GM service manual I found on eBay for $9 has been essential for reassembly and reference.

iberglass is a very misunderstood material. Most people can just think of the itch, followed by the sticky mess and simply don’t want to fool with it. The reality is that it is far more forgiving than metal, but repairing fiberglass is where many DIYers get spooked. Fiberglass moves differently than metal, so bodyworking it requires different materials and techniques. The fibers swell in the heat and can print through paint in the sun, but that goes away in the shade. Fiberglass sticks to itself quite well, but it has to be properly prepped to get solid adhesion. These inherent differences tend to scare off less-experienced body shops from working on the early true fiberglass Corvettes (1953-72).

BMF Bodies LLC builds replacement bodies and repair panels for C1 Corvettes (1953-62), as well as custom work. We visited the shop to document a front clip replacement on a 1962 Corvette. This car had been poorly repaired 30-plus years ago, and most of the bonds had failed. The crew at BMF Bodies stripped the original panels and showed us the entire process. This is something that anyone with basic bodywork and fabrication skills can do, you just need some patience and a couple of special tools.