1969 Chevy Camaro - Project American Heroes Two 2008

Prior work to this abandoned project included quarter-panel skins "welded" in place. With the luxury of complete OEM-style quarter-panels now available from Classic Industries, Nick pulls out the Lincoln Electric plasma cutter and removes the inferior panels.

Offending external sheet metal is discarded, and the car is taken to the lift, where the front subframe and rear differential with stock leaf springs are removed.

Project American Heroes 2008 shell is transported to Imperial Blasting in South Holland, Illinois.

Back from Imperial Blasting, finer metal work is now much easier to accomplish. Lines are marked for cutting rear floor/shelf/trunk floor metal to accommodate the Detroit Speed and Engineering inner wheel tubs.

A cut off wheel makes for a cleaner cut, and is employed for cutting away in the inner half of the factory wheel tub.

The stock rear frame rail is trimmed and cleaned up to prep for welding.

New metal is fabricated, employing a cardboard template. The metal is then MIG-welded to the factory rear frame rail.

Welds are then ground clean in order to produce a perfect mating surface for the new DSE wheel tubs.

DSE "Deep Tubs" are inner wheel housings made from 18-gauge USA steel, and are almost three inches wider than stock. They are designed to accommodate wider tire and wheel packages, including tires as wide as 335 mm, while appearing to be OEM.

Trunk extensions, though not horrible, are removed in order to replace with nice clean metal from Classic Industries.

New trunk extensions are prepped for welding, and clamped into place.

With both trunk extensions welded in place, the trunk lid brace is welded to the new DSE tub.