Being a muscle
car fan, after watching the Transformers movie I had this
inspiration to start a new project: to re-create the 1976
Chevy Camaro that Bumble Bee transforms into. I’ve worked
on several projects and built up some vehicles over the years:
1982 Jeep CJ-7, 1995 Jeep Wrangler and a 2002 Sport Trac….
Time for the next project. On my search over the internet,
I realize I’m not the only one who has had this idea,
but to my own credit, it is an original thought to myself.
In the movie they used a 1976 Chevy Camaro (custom faded),
but I will be building a 1974 Camaro for one reason: in
the state of California, there are no smog emission checks
done on vehicles 1975 and older. The ’75 Camaro was
a down year for Chevy, and parts are more readily available
for the 1974 model. The body did not change drastically
over those years, so the image I’m going for will
still be achievable.
The car I will build will have the same Small Block 350-cubic-inch
(5.7L) engine and three-speed automatic transmission, including
(but not limited to) improvements such as high performance
aftermarket headers and exhaust system, a Grant steering
wheel, B&M shifter, and custom yellow upholstered seats
(from a ’64 or ’65 Chevelle) and door panels.
The paint will be consistent with that of the one in the
movie minus the faded color and rust effect with one addition:
behind the rear tires on the body panels on both sides of
the vehicle will be a custom ‘Autobot’ logo
only a shade darker than the body color, as not to be too
apparent or stand out too much from the rest of the car.
All the decisions and design choices for this project are
made specifically from research that I have done on the
vehicles used for the film, and I will try to be as accurate
as possible. With that in mind, any suggestions, comments
or advice are welcome.
This page is my dedication to this project. I do not have
the car yet, as there are a few things that have to happen
before I can take this project on. I have however found
a classic car repair shop that has already committed to
helping me once the car is purchased, found a custom paint
shop to add some special touches I have in mind, as well
as a shop that can make the custom Autobot horn emblem.
So, until the project starts, this will be my Bumble Bee
page.
Click on any of the pictures to the right to see an exploded view. I’ve also included some additional photos below.
Enjoy.
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