Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage is about to surprise his son with a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, but for it to be ready as a gift, it gets pushed back onto a ramp in Derek's garage, so he can get working on it.
And what follows is an anticipated countdown to make this classic car ready for the reveal. But to get it onto the lift, Derek ensures he straightens the front wheels of the Camaro to avoid any unnecessary circumstances. As the car moves backward, the lift starts pulling forwards.
He finds that the D-ring needs to be repositioned because it's snagged-up. After getting that sorted out, he attempts to get the car back onto the lift, after which, the dusty, blue Chevrolet is finally sitting pretty on the ramp. He pushes the car forwards a little and then pulls the handbrake.
He says he was a bit emotional when rolling-in the Camaro, because the car has sentimental value to it, further stating that it's been with him right since he started his YouTube channel, recording the same car with a smartphone taped-on to the garage door.
Vice Grip Garage '69 Chevy Camaro Is Getting A New Engine
It also reminds him well of when his children were just toddlers back when he was based in Minnesota and says that he spent lots of time with his boys, working on the car - and it turns out, one of his sons, Bailey, has fallen in love with the car because it's all he talks about and often pops into the garage to look at it.
Derek wants to plonk in the engine from the Bel Air into the Camaro, after having seen it simply sit in his garage, gathering dust. The whole idea is to keep it a secret from his son, Bailey until it's up and running.
The engine initially had issues with it. It was smoking, had low oil pressure, and had a wiped cam lobe. When they tried firing up the engine, it would send filings through the bearings.
The last time Derek drove the Camaro, it was at a friend's property, where he had some proper fun with it, driving it sideways in the mud. Before he drove it into storage, the engine gave up its ghost. It's been sitting that way for about three years, but Derek has fitted a bunch of brake lines and a master cylinder booster.
The body, Derek says, is not up to the mark. When he bought the car off eBay, it came with a lot of rust in various areas, including the lower sides of the Camaro. The quarter panel had already been replaced.
Vice Grip Garage '69 Chevy Camaro Needs Work
According to Derek from Vice Grip Garage, the Camaro would need the trunk, the inner fender well, the outer fender well, spring pockets, and rear valence, while the roof too, would need work, because it's caved-in. The fenders need lots of work as well, while the hood is probably the only part that barely needs work.
Derek put floor pans on both sides, and the seats look decent. The interior needs door cards, while the tires and wheels seem like new; he took them off his 1971 Chevelle that he sold to buy a different Camaro.
After getting the car up on the lift, we notice that the entire underbody is rusted, barring the purple exhausts, but he plans to eventually replace them with proper ones. The car features a Rock Crusher 4-speed gearbox that costs more than anything on the current car. The Camaro has also been fitted with new brakes.
He starts off by listing out the things that need to be done to the car. It starts with removing the current 307 and replacing it with another engine. He then has to inspect the clutch, bleed the brakes, the pinion seal needs to be done, and the fuel line needs to be attended to as well. Plus, he needs DLS header gaskets, figures out a carburetor for the replacement engine, and a digital fan for the cooling.
Getting The Replacement Block Into The '69 Chevy Camaro
He begins to remove the engine while his younger son seems to be giving him a helping hand. There are lots of accessories from the old engine that have been removed, so Derek can reuse them on the new block.
They begin to head out to Rusty Acres to dump the old engine there and pick up another one. After reaching the spot, he picks up his old Bel Air engine; it's not the perfect engine to be going all out with, but Derek says it's perfect for Bailey to learn how to drive stick-on. So he pulls it out of the back of an old pickup with his tractor and takes it over to his garage.
He cleans the engine compartment and the engine itself. After painting the engine, and getting all its components back in place, he put the engine back into the compartment. The Camaro now also has a WIX racing filter.
He fires up the engine once it's back down, and the rumble makes him happy. The Chevy is gargling its throat nice and clear. He finally gets the radiator fan in. It's now time to surprise Bailey!
Bailey comes into the garage blindfolded, while his mum guides him through. Derek fired-up the Camaro; she growls, and within seconds, Bailey has a smile on his face. He is delighted and thrilled before he sets out for lunch in Camaro with his dad and family!
Source: Vice Grip Garage YouTube and Instagram