street/stripZ28

Hello everybody! I'm new to the forum. My name is Kevin Kovach. I'm 19 and this is my first car, a 1986 Camaro Z28 coupe. I bought it when I was 15 with help from my parents and paid it off myself as my daily driver to high school and work. It has a Tuned Port 305 and 700R-4, with a disc-break rear!

The interior is saddle tan. The car was almost bone stock when I bought it with the exception of an aftermarket head unit and a flowmaster cat-back exhaust. The color is black sapphire metallic (a very dark blue) the previous owner had it repainted the factory color. The car has power everything except mirrors.


I'm starting the story from when I first bought the car, as a lot has changed since then, more pictures coming soon!

Psychoz28

Welcome aboard! Seems nice and clean! Love the black/gold combo! More pics !

2007xl50

Welcome and very sweet car. A few month back I almost bought an 86 Z28 and kinda with I would have. I love IROC's but it nice a see a Z28 now and then.

street/stripZ28

First up was a good wash and wax


Then it was time to get it ready for inspection. This meant pulling the tint off the side windows, 4 new tires, and new rear rotors.

street/stripZ28

Interior was pretty clean, had to replace the steering wheel for inspection, the one that came in it was too small.


Bone stock 305 120XXX miles

ibmtech

iTrader: (1)

That is a very nice looking car.. Very clean inside and out

1986Z28OWNER

iTrader: (1)

Looks like a solid start!

jhainer

Nice looking car. i personally was never a fan of dual colors but that one looks good

2007xl50

Very nice looking car. I too have to strip tint, but only on the hatch.

NowhereFast

That's a really good looking car you got there. Black and gold two tone is my favorite color combo for 3rd gens.

street/stripZ28

Thanks everybody! One Of my first modifications was a later model grill. I really like the bowtie and it allowed me to install foglights.

Old one is out:

New one is in!

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Thats a really nice clean 1986 Z28. Its kind of sad now but a lot of the 1985-1987 Z28's are starting to face the same issue as the 1982-1984 Z28's - they are either really nice or need a lot of work. Nice to see this car is still in good shape!

Are you going to paint the headlight coves back to black?

street/stripZ28

Thanks everbody! I not sure if I want to piant the buckets black, if I do I would use plasti-dip so I can remove it.

The next thing I did was help the car breath a little better. I bought some K&N filters and took the air box out to modify it. First I removed the covers

Then drilled some holes to help airflow

New filters in:

Guest

Your sopose to cut the bottom of the filter tray out, not cut holes in it.

KuroNeko

Thats a great lookin' z, and am i the only one who likes the louver grill???

NowhereFast

No, I do too. It meshed well with the pin stripes above the GFX.

street/stripZ28

Thanks for the air-intake info. I did't cut it all out originally because I was worried about dirt/water getting sucked up into my $70 filters. I know it isn't likely but I thought the holes were safer then cutting it all out.

As for the grill, I like the lourvered one, and I still have it but I really wanted fog lights( a lot of deer where I live, so I want all the light I can get for driving at night)

street/stripZ28

So it didn't take long before I made it out to the dragstrip, still on my provisional license at this time. Both my parents drag race, so I was already hooked. Best I ever got the car to run with the TPI 305 was a 15.42@88 mph. This was with the K&N filters, flowmaster cat-back, a corvette servo, and taller spring in the accumulator plus new fluid in the trans. I also took out the spare and jack and left on the third yellow foot-braking it.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

I did this mod to and even on an all stock TPI car cutting out the baffles and getting some ducting up to the airfilters makes a noticible difference.

What options does your car have? Aside from not having T-Tops your car looks like it was loaded up with options from the factory. Thats cool. You even have a disk brake rear end. Your car is one of the few 1986 Z28's or IROC's that I've seen that didn't have a drum brake rear. Hopefully you have positraction too. I wish they would have made positraction standard on all the Z28's and IROC's.

street/stripZ28

My car does have a positrac, disc brake rear end, it has the tag on the diff cover and burnout marks to prove it! As far as other options, power mirrors, power locks, power windows/hatch, AC, Thats all I remember right now. I actually found a build sheet under the passenger side seat, but I dont have it or any pictures right now( I'm at school)

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Thats cool. You can look up the RPO codes and see what options your car came with too. Should be on the inside of the console.

street/stripZ28

Thanks, I'll look into it

LivinLarge

That blue looks incredible in the sun!! I just do t like the gold! Great looking car!

street/stripZ28

So I contined to drive the car everyday to high school and work.

And just in time for summer and Ocean City crusin I got some weld prostars and Mickey Thopson wheels and tires

15 by 8 in the rear with a 255 60R15 Street Radial, fronts have slipped my mind right now

street/stripZ28

So some more daily driving and trips to the dragstrip, even some winter driving

Then I started having issues with the MAF, check engine lights, poor drivability, etc.
Dad and I tried to get it sorted, 3 autozone MAF sensors later, a new computer, cleaned throttle body.....still driving badly

So we took it to a local shop near my old house, they fixed the pig tail connectors at the MAF and I got talked into a $400 Bosch MAF........Ran Great!....for about a month. More digging at my own work turned up relay problems and some history of an underhood fire near the relays and harness at some point in the cars previous life

Time passed and I really was't getting anywhere with the TPI 305, so I bought what was supposed to be a four bolt 350, and contined to drive the car while starting a motor build

maroman88

thats an interesting color combo, i like it!

DiabolicalRS

So what was the 350 four bolt main turn out to be? Keep the updates coming

xcorvettekid06x

Car looks great man. I love that color. Are you going down Ocean City in May? I did my headlight buckets in plasti-dip. Just be careful not to get any overspray on the car cause its not as easy to get off if it isn't layered. Heres some pictures of how mine turned out.






To me it looks factory.

KuroNeko

i like the plasti-dip in the buckets, i might have to do that myself, since my buckets are faded from the sun

Dmans85

You're representing two-tones well and have a sweet ride. Two simple and cheap interior mods to suggest. Put some felt, yes felt inside your front center vents to be able to point them in a direction other than to the roof. Then get some new seat belt buttons. It'll sharpen up an already sharp car. Oh and thank you dad for not pushing some 4dr, fuel efficient, multi airbag soul-less car on you.

street/stripZ28

Thanks for the comments, criticism, and information guys!
corvettekid: Thanks for the pictures, the buckets look great, I might have to do it!I like the lip on the bottom of the bumper too!
I booked my hotel for ocean city last night, staying thursday till sunday and my goal is to have the car done in time, it wasn't ready last year(posts are not up to date with where the car is right now..yet)

Dmans85: Thanks for the tips and I am very thankful for my parents both being very understanding and my dad willing to help and teach me with my car.

So, back to what is now my build thread I guess! The motor ended up being a 2 bolt, tired motor out of a van, it was also a later model block with the thinner cylinder walls.

street/stripZ28

I put the word out that I was looking for a 350, and our friends at Marty Brown Racing and Machine happened to have one. Dad and I went to look at it, I put down a deposit and a little while later I had a freshly bored 30 over small block in the garage.

Got it on the stand and ready for a thorough cleaning:


I also purchased a scat rotating assembly;cleaning the crank:

Just about ready for assembly

1Aauto

Great looking car.

Pro-mo

Cool story, Ive enjoyed it and look forward to seeing more. Keep us updated!


And thats a lot of snow !!

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Any updates?

street/stripZ28

So I drove the car a little more, motor was pinging even with 93 octane and it was too slow! On my to work one day the torque converter decided it was time to go and with that I decided it was time for a drivetrain overhall. Luckily Dad was willing to give up a bay for my project
Got the hood off and started unplugging and unbolting

Got the radiator, hoses, belt setup, and battery out

street/stripZ28

Got the trans drained, bell bolts, unhooked the cooler lines....trans mount

Got the crane hooked up and started the pull Christmas Eve 2011 with help from my parents and a couple buddies

street/stripZ28

Comin out!

Friends and family are what it's all about


almost

It's out!

What a mess of wiring!

street/stripZ28

Cap had to come off to clear the firewall

So to be cleaned, smoothed, and painted......

Javier87z28

iTrader: (1)

Nice progress, you gonna paint the engine bay?

86_irocz-28

going have to keep an eye on this build i love the 86's how much are you wanting to smooth clean the engine bay?

street/stripZ28

Yes the engine bay will be cleaned, smoothed (unnecessary holes filled) and repainted the factory color

Started removing wiring, what fun!

Just a mess, with mixed fire damage and splices

Main fuel injection harness out

street/stripZ28

Other odds and ends were removed like the AC/blower motor box,motor mounts, brackets etc..Then I took a ton of engine degreaser and attacked the engine bay!


I used chepo stuff from advanced, it worked pretty well! Was a mess though

street/stripZ28

Blocked the holes with ducktape to prevent water from getting inside the car, almost ready for the power washer!

Can't wait till there is fresh paint in here!

Zane M

iTrader: (1)

Nice car. Hope to see more updates as this progresses.

IROCgiraffe

iTrader: (3)

subscribed! Nice car!

RECKLESS_RICK

welcome man I'm also new to the fourms and this is also my first car I have an 86 as well


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86_irocz-28

I went a little crazy when i smoothed and cleaned the engine bay not sure if i will regret not having ac or at least heat

Used a 4th gen overflow tank to git rid of the discolored big yellow bottle not sure what ill use for a washer tank

street/stripZ28

Thanks guys! I got rid of the AC, it had problems/leaked. took 33 lbs off the front end too! I get to the pics of my overflow/ washer tank eventually!

So, on the coldest day of the year, the car was ready to get power-washed, but first we had to get it loaded up......In this shot you can see I wrapped/taped up the harness to keep it from getting wet, as well as the headlight wiring

This is gonna be fun........

lots of pushing and a ratchet strap later..

Javier87z28

iTrader: (1)

Good stuff man nice progress