campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, it won't be an IROC clone. I also know I'm not leaving it in "base model" trim. I'm going to use a Z28 bumper, and delete the ground fx, but I have no idea what I wanna do with the hood. Right now I'm bouncing between an IROC hood, a ZL1 hood, and a short cowl. I really like the ZL1, but its gonna be the most expensive route of course...

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Alright guys, the vert is officially unpacked and ready for more work. I got really involved in planning last year, but a few factors kept me from actually getting as far as I wanted (don't we all know how that goes?)

Right now I'm getting the floorpans cleaned up and rust removed, which is a big pile of stuff that's not really worth pics. I'm hoping to get that taken care of in a few weeks so I can get some carpet and put the interior back in.

Anyways, thanks for all the support and advice last year, and keep it up, because I'll need plenty more this summer!

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Just a quick update:

Done a lot of "dirty" work patching floor pan holes, grinding rust, applying rust preventative measures, etc. I'm working on the final coating for the inside of the car before I finally start getting interior back in! Just ordered carpet for it last night, so hopefully in the next week or so I'll have the inside of the car mostly back together. I'll take pics as soon as I start getting the new interior in.

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

There will be pics this weekend. I have the carpet in the car (but no holes cut, nor is it settled right in place yet) and I should have the interior buttoned up and ready to go by sunday. Can't wait to post before/after pics of the inside of the car

bobbyk3lly

great looking car

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Thanks. I've almost got this "new" interior in the car and should have pictures in the next day or two. Hopefully I can drive her this summer!

bobbyk3lly

no problem, ill be keeping an eye on this thread. car looks great

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

OK, so HUGE update on the vert. I know its been a long time since I've posted pics, but here they are finally! First, the text version of what I've done:
* Replaced IROC wheels with base model wheels for the time being. IROC wheels need a little restoration and new rubber on them.

*Sanded, stripped, grinded, chemically treated, primed, patched, filled, painted, coated the interior metal (floorpans, interior wheel wells, etc). I never knew this would take SO long!

*Removed vert ragtop (truly in rags) to investigate who might be able to make a replacement.

*Replaced ALL interior of car with exception of dashboard and center console. Interior is 95% complete. Only a few small needs (including figuring out a hacked radio harness). Most interior is stuff I re-used from previous cars, but the carpet is brand new black carpet I bought from 1A Auto (awesome ship times btw).

So, here's a before and after!
Before:

After:

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

And some more pics:




The radio pod is a project for the other day. My wiring harness is messed up, and I'm not sure if the CD player I've got is working anyways. The cover on the back is still blue and needs replaced, and my shifter **** needs replaced. Lots of little stuff, but a bunch better. I'm just excited to have seats that aren't so rusted they won't bolt down!

musclecar70sfan

iTrader: (1)

Looks great! I think you should get an IROC/Z28 steering wheel.

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Agreed on the steering wheel. I hate the one it's got. The horn doesn't work, so I'm going to have to tear that apart anyways, so I'm gonna replace the steering wheel then too.

BTW, the biggest challenge on this car is getting the custom parts right. The vinyl that wraps around the rear seats is completely Matrix custom work, so I had to recover the originals. Nothing like walking into a fabric store coated in grease and oil as their normal customers cringe.

bobbyk3lly

hahahaahaha thats funny, if i seen you in there i would probably shake your hand lol.... interior looks great, im not a fan of tan but wow that looks good,..

im having some wiring issures n my car that need to fix, if you can give me a hand id apreciate it,

i need to rewire my drivers window it wont roll down and the wiring is shot... any idea on how to do this?

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the compliments on the interior. I was hoping it'd turn out well.

With that power window, I'd just work my way back if it were me. I'd start with the motor, see if it works, then just keep working back down the system till it did. Since you said the whole thing is shot, it wouldn't hurt to replace more than is needed at this moment anyways. If you can, find a working system in a junkyard car and just take the whole thing.

bobbyk3lly

your welcome, it looks great,

and i know the motor works, i took a spare connector i had and put power to it and it rolled up and down fast, so i know the motor isnt tired... or shot... with the wiring in this car one wire goes 6 places and its hard to track

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Get a Haynes manual or something similar, and start at where it is recognizable from the book and fix things when they start to diverge. This vert is mostly ok, but the stereo wiring is messed up, and I had a ton of stuff to trace back on with my firebird before it rusted itself to death.

bobbyk3lly

i had to re wire my 84 camaros speaker wiring and power wiring for the radio, i say you just rewire it yourself that way you know what wires are what and you dont spend hours on end figuring everything out...


but use the common colors to identify the proper wiring,

for ex,

orange= constant
red= switched
black= ground

like that, thats what i did and it worked out great for me, never had a problem again,

but i did need like 50 feet of wire only ended up using 20 or so feet though..

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Exactly what I plan on doing. At the moment though, I'm getting ready to move, so the radio is on the back burner as I make sure I get everything put on the car so it's ready to head to it's new home. At least it's street legal now, so I don't have to tow it.

bobbyk3lly

yeah thats good, but it sucks you wont be able to listen to any music while you drive.....

oh and where did you get those plastics for the trunk? i need those for my convertible, think i could make them?

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Between the nice sounding motor and the wind whipping around me, I'm good without the radio actually, lol.

The trunk plastics in my car were easy, I just cut them from normal plastics. HOWEVER, my car is a Matrix vert, which is not the same as your vert, so I honestly don't know if it's that simple for you or not. The Matrix conversion was sorta low brow, not as good as some of the other companies.

bobbyk3lly

really you cut those? they look factory, they have the little lip up towards the front of the car and everything, good work

campin1983

iTrader: (4)

Well on my car, the back panel and the passenger's side panel are the full coupe style panels. It's only the driver's side panel that had to be cut. And thankfully, the cut could be made along a "seam" where there is a little ridge, so it doesn't look like it was supposed to be done any other way. BTW, I've also learned that a sharp bread knife is completely awesome for most things interior.

bobbyk3lly

Aaha, nice. i need to pick me up some black ones for my car.. i hope i find some on craigslist.. and also went to scrapbusters and got a ton for a good price..

jayonemo

Hey Hows the Vert going

TRANSAM82-92

iTrader: (1)

Hi just saw your thread. I would keep it a camaro and not clone into a IROC, wouldn't look right. One thing you can do is paint the inside of the headlight area flat black. That looked good on IROC's and I think some of those earlier camaros were painted also? I do know for sure because Im a firebird guy, but it does look good on any of those 3RD gen camaros. When I see guys with IROCs ans they paint their car and leave headlight area painted the same color it looks bad???

rainmaker70

He sold the car a year ago it is now in my shop.

johnsonerik1989

Hey I'm wondering what happened to that matrix convertible? Any one find someone to make a top for it?? Mines look very similar and wondering if I have that car now lol!