ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Thanks to RCar7395, I have some more parts that I needed to finish this car once and for all.

Among other things, I got a hood safety latch from him (the one that you have to squeeze to open the hood after you release the main latch).

The one on this car was bent, and I assumed also worn. It has been further damaged by numerous people trying to close the hood by slamming it. After installing the replacement, I tested it, and sure enough, it still wasn't right. Closer study revealed that the mounting surface had been bent out of shape. It took a lot of coaxing with the old latch re-installed and a big pry bar, but I got it bent straight and with the new latch in place, the hood closes normally now.

I'm still amazed at how nicely the engine runs after sitting for weeks, but she fired off with a flick of the key.

That's all for today... tomorrow I will begin the t-top leak sealing project.

Awesome-X

How do you plan on sealing the tops?

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

I have spent a lot of time troubleshooting the leaks (both of his cars had t-top leaks. I'm not sure why, but the GTA never has.

In any case, my investigation leads me to believe that this posted cure is probably right on the money:

https://www.thirdgen.org/ttopleakfix

Alex would never let me have the car long enough to try it. I was going to wait for him to go away to school, and this was number one on my list of things to fix.

BTW, I know he's happy that I fixed that hood latch problem. It used to really vex him.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

After a long dry spell, and many things that got in the way, I spent some time on Alex's car today.

One of the things that really bothered Alex was the leak in the t-tops. After a few quick fixes did not work, I did the research and told him that I would need the car for a couple of weekends in order to get it fixed right.

He never wanted to part with the car, and since we figured he'd be headed off to West Point soon enough, the project (along with a few others) was tabled.

Thanks to Ray from Virtual Junkyard, I now have a replacement t-top bar, and boy did I need it! The old bar was badly rusted; the good news is that the sheet metal on the car itself is quite sound, although with some surface rust. I spent a few hours today removing the weatherstrip and the center bar, and now the cleaning begins.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

The screws that hold the t-top bar in under the weatherstripping were badly rusted, and the bar actually came off with 3 of them still in place, because the old bar was also pretty corroded. Naturally, the replacement part, which is virtually rust-free, will be installed with brand new hardware.

I will be spending some time cleaning, sanding, and applying Rust Bullet before this goes back together. Weatherstripping is in surprisingly good shape and I should be able to re-use it.

One thing that worries me is the aluminum center bar. It has some kind of plastic coating on it that is chipped off at the ends. There are also a couple of very minor dings in it. I am thinking about stripping all the coating off, using some aluminum aircraft body epoxy to fill the dents, and then refinishing it somehow. Anyone done this? Recommendations? I'd like to paint it flat black, but I have visions of it just chipping right off the aluminum.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

I am thinking that this all needs to be done very slowly and carefully. I plan to test fit the center bar as many times as I need to in order to make sure that the aluminum top strip conforms to the body lines. Once I am sure that it is properly shaped (it was a little bent at the ends) I will then attempt to refinish it somehow. Again, I am open to suggestion.

L695speed

Good to see you back at it. I got my car back on the ground. Gas tank in, rear suspension assembled. Front suspension and steering assembled, just gotta get those front springs in. Due to no motor in the car this is gonna be a real pain. All I need is brakes (which are pieced together with both the front and rear missing parts) and an engine. I will worry about the body and interior later. Just want to get mine running again.

As for the T top bar, it seems to be in fair shape. My trim piece was rotting away, but the T bar itself was in excellent shape with very minor surface rust. Clean it up, treat it, seal it up and put it back together. Can't really help you with the refinishing options. As I said, I'm not stressing the body yet.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

So you're saying that the front springs are harder to do with no motor installed? I would have thought it should be easier.

82tarecaro

iTrader: (4)

With no weight on the front end, you can't compress the spring with a jack when you try to install it. The front end keeps lifting up.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

UPDATE

I had torn the weatherstripping in one place while removing it. It is so soft and clean that I wonder if it hadn't already been replaced once. In any case, although I have replacement weatherstripping, this stuff looked too good to throw away. After reading up on this, including some tips from the guys at MYTHBUSTERS, I decided to try to glue it with Gel Formula super glue by Loctite (special rubber formula they say). Anyway, it worked like a charm! They also suggest using a little baking soda, which speeds up the curing process and also helps fill little holes. I am quite pleased with the results. I will shave the excess glue away after I give it some additional cure time, but even now the glue seems to be at least as strong as the repair, and it set up in less than a minute.


Thanks for the info on the springs... is it not possible to use a spring compressor?

82tarecaro

iTrader: (4)

Yes - spring compresser is his next option. If he had the engine in the car, he may have gotten them in without it, especially if they were lowering springs.

I have to give that glue a shot. Sounds like good stuff.
Glad to see you working on the car again.

L695speed

That is exactly what is going on. I am trying the internal 4 hook compressor with a 4.5 inch pipe and its being a real bitch to get it to compress evenly. I know of a compressor that will probably do it easily with no problem but it costs 200 bucks. I think you can do it with a compressor but it has to be setup just right and compressed quite a bit to get it to work.

L695speed

Just an FYI Tim, DO NOT try putting springs in with no weight up front. Its impossible. I would have to compress my springs to about 9 inches to have them pop in without a fight, and these are pro kit springs which are shorter than the factory ones. 9 inches is pretty much coil bind. The compressor will probably fail before I get them in. Not worth the risk. I'm gonna wait til I have a group of buddies playing in the engine bay or a motor without the oil pan in there to try again. Back on topic I saw you had Alex's car out? How did it run?

silentkillzr

iTrader: (2)

Restore them both if they are clean, just dont junk a shell if its clean!, Many people hunt for clean shells, and its quite sat to kill a car that could be saved and made into a sweet ride

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

OK back on topic, Alex's car starts with a flick of the key. It has a minor exhaust leak at one of the manifold donuts. It sits a lot, and could probably benefit from a little tlc, but it ran pretty well.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

I am not sure what you are saying. If you mean both of Alex's cars, that has always been the plan.

silentkillzr

iTrader: (2)

Oh jesus, I did not notice the 5 more pages, Good to hear! i seem to have read the first page, i have not gone to sleep yet and am very zombie. Sorry for my mistake, and thanks for saving another thirdgen!

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

no problem, I was just confused by your post. "Nellie" got the full body treatment and I am accumulating what I need to do the interior. In the meantime, she has developed a rod knock, so I am also considering engine swap options.

L695speed

I'm more of a fan of keep it simple if you're working out of your own garage, but I'm sure you know, if you go bigger you may (really a big question mark regardless) have to do something about the trans and brakes to compensate for the additional power. But if you just want to keep it running and simple could just swap a motor that is equivalent to what is in Nellie now.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

I like to keep things relatively simple as well. However, Nellie has the dreaded 2.8 V6. It's actually a pretty good motor, but if you read back in this thread we went through all kinds of hell just trying to get a replacement engine block, never mind the cost and availability of replacement parts. I have also wanted to convert her over to a 5-speed, so it makes sense to do both the V8 swap and the 5-speed swap at the same time. I am also not likely to do more than swap it over for another stock setup, which I may already have located.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

OK I know it's been a while.

I have not had a lot of time to work on this car because my free time has been very limited, mostly due to my responsibilities at work.

I have made some progress on the T-top leak, hitting the rusty spots (thank God no thru-holes) with Rust Bullet and cleaning the painted areas. I have begun the reassembly, but I am taking my time to make sure that it gets done right. In the meantime, my GTA has been having little mechanical problems that required my attention, since it is my daily driver.

I did locate a good engine to swap into "Nellie" (I'll post details in her thread). I'm waiting for the engine and swap parts to arrive, and my good friend Ray in South Bend is shipping me a clean T5 and related parts so I can go 5-speed at the same time. I'm going to try and coordinate that job with this one because I need some of Nellie's V6 setup to fix the AC in this car.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

Glad to see things are going well!!!!!!

silentkillzr

iTrader: (2)

Virtual Junkyard Ray? He rocks lol.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

That's the guy, Virtual Junkyard Ray. He does indeed rock!

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

OK I finally had the rare combination of a nice day, no other pressing responsibilities, and nothing else to keep me from working on the car.

After studying the tech article on fixing t-top leaks, watching a few videos on the subject, and performing my own agonizing analysis, I have concluded the following:

• the GM designer who engineered this system ought to be shot
• the overwhelming majority of leaks occur between the rubber weatherstripping and the body sheetmetal
• most of these occur on the center bar
• it's a bad idea to seal where the weatherstrip mounts to the body. If water gets down that far, you already have a big problem
• I decided that the best way to guard against leaks is to lay a bead of sealer along the top of the channel that holds the weatherstripping in, and then a second bead above it. That should fill in all the space between the weatherstripping and the sheetmetal, giving no opportunity for water to collect in there and eventually cause rust
• I also decided to fill the huge gaps at the front and back ends of the center bar with sealant, thus depriving water of another place to collect
• finally, I smoothed out the excess sealant that squeezed out at the top of where the seal meets the body, again to give water no choice but to run off and down the sides of the body.

It is now drying. Once it has cured, I will run some more sealant at the top of the space between the front and back of the center bar, again to prevent any water from seeping in and collecting.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

UPDATE

While waiting for sealant to dry, I decided to change the spark plugs. She fires right off when you turn the key, but for the first few minutes, she hunts and misfires... then all of a sudden after she runs a bit and starts to warm up, she settles right down.

When I pulled the plugs, I noticed that they all looked like we had good combustion except for #5 (center plug on pass side).

I swapped them out, and started her up, and still had misfiring for the first several minutes, and then she settled right down.

I'm open to thoughts and suggestions -- I'm thinking maybe I have a bad injector? I don't have any ECM codes, so I'm scratching my head here.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Well, I finally got the t-top weatherstripping back in place and sealed. I needed to have that done so I could put the car back outside, because Nellie needs some shop time for all the upgrades I have planned.

So I parked the car outside and limped Nellie into the garage on saturday.

Since then, it has rained on and off, and like the monsoon for the past two days... finally this afternoon, it stopped for a while.

I came home after lunch to finish the day up working from home, and I stopped by Alex's car where I had parked it in the street. I opened the door, and to my delight I found that she was as dry as a bone inside.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

at least for now. I still have a heater core to replace, and after I borrow some parts from Nellie that she won't be needing with her new engine, I will get the AC working in this car. Then I need to replace the clutch master cylinder, and check on what I think might be a pinion seal leak.

After that, I'll be driving this car on nice days, feeling his presence by my side.

87 player bird

Glad to hear it. Keep the wheels spinin'. Still get choked up reading this thread. You sir are a better man than I. Thoughts are always with you. Hope to keep reading about you and your triumphs. Maybe the little girl will be a car girl? My boy and girl love the f bodies I have. Hope to meet you one day.
Mike

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Thank you for the kind words. My daughter isn't really interested in cars, but will probably be happy to drive them. I'd be more than happy to meet with you if the occasion should arise.

Tim

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

I can't believe it's been this long since I have worked on the car, but the Queen of Hunnidoo had her way this summer. Lucky for me she is well pleased with what I have accomplished, so I'm off the hook for a while.

Of course, now I get to work on the car now that it's nice and cold outside... and all summer long I did inside work. Easier to bite the bullet than it is to argue.

So I got a set of upgrade injectors for this car from Southbay (they are great). Installed them yesterday, and once I got it all back together properly, there was a noticeable improvement in the engine. I filled it with fresh fuel, and took it out on the road, and it ran very well.

I want to check the base timing and a few other things, and also I have to replace the manifold to exhaust pipe gasket on the driver's side, which is leaking.

Next weekend I will install the heater core that Alex bought shortly before his death, and then we will be able to drive the car again. I'll deal with the AC after I take Nellie apart.

FormerL69

iTrader: (2)

Tim - I've followed this thread from the start and your strength and commitment to continue what you and Alex started is just beyond words. He was a lucky guy to have a father like you.

Glad to see you are still moving ahead with the car. Who knows -- your daughter might surprise you one day and may want it more than you think. My daughter had zero interest in my pace car, but she sure thought different once she got a ride on a sunny day with the T-tops off.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Thanks for the kind words. I believe that I am the lucky one, because he was the ideal son. I have two other birds. One is my daily driver, and the other I have been slowly restoring for my daughter to drive. It was Alex's first car. I hope she decides that she wants it. If not, I'll just enjoy it myself. Alex was a true patriot, and the cars all have a connection to him (two were his, and mine was acquired with his help). They are now red, white, and blue, respectively.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

I just want to say that I read this thread before anything had happened your son and I'm just now catching up. I'm very sorry for your families loss and I think it's so awesome that you are continuing to work on the cars.

I've lost everyone in my family in the past few years except for my mom and a half sis in Maine and my 2 sons who are now 14 and 11. Working on my cars with them is the only thing that's gotten me through it. Even if I lost everyone I would only need to work on my cars more and more. I made my dad so proud when I got my all time dream car 3 months before he died ('56 vette). I did the entire restoration in his honor and imagined he was with me at every car show and on every mountain drive, only to have to sell it due to another personal tragedy.

I know it's been more than 2 years but wow, reading this really inspires me to just keep going

Alex

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Thanks, and congrats to your parents for giving you that awesome name.

Remember that your loved ones are in heaven and will greet you when your time comes.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Yesterday I proved the old maxim that a picture is worth a thousand words. I finally got around to installing the new heater core in Alex's car.

This was one of a few jobs that he would never allow me to do for fear that he would be without his car for a few days. I couldn't promise that I would get it done quickly, so we just postponed it for until after he went away to school.

He had bought a new heater core just a couple of months before his death, and it was sitting on a shelf, still in the box until yesterday. I had researched all the threads and tech articles, and came away convinced that I would have to remove the dash pad and bust a few knuckles.

As it turns out, that wasn't the case. I did remove the dash pad, but it was completely unnecessary. All that was needed was the removal of the PS underdash valance, and the bottom piece of trim directly under the map pocket. I also had to move the cruise control module and its bracket, and then opening the access to the heater core was a piece of cake. This info came from a YouTube video about replacing a thirdgen heater core:


There is also helpful info on this board, but if I had seen this video first, I would have saved myself some trouble.

Old eyes and dim light slowed me down a bit, especially when looking for the screws that hold the plastic mounting bracket in the heater box. From there it was relatively easy. It was a little tricky wiggling the heater core out, but not terrible.

Of course, it was more challenging to get the new one in, especially since Alex bought an aftermarket heater core, which is aluminum, and had movable coolant inlet and outlet tubes. Still, I found that positioning the core partway in, and working back and forth between the heater box and the engine compartment, it wasn't long before the new heater core was in place.

The metal tubes that run to the heater core were rotted, so I bypassed them with heater hose, and after filling and 'burping' the cooling system, I not only had a happy engine but it became toasty warm inside the car in just a couple of minutes.

Now I can put all my interior panels back in, including the ABS headliner that I bought him, and all that's left is to put the missing AC parts back in and then from there, normal maintenance and happy motoring.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Had a productive weekend.

I decided to install the ABS headliner as some of the things that I would have to remove were already removed to do the t-top leak repair.

FYI, the fitment is less than spectacular, but after a little effort I got it to look presentable. I also installed some really nice reupholstered sun visors that I got from RCar7395 aka Ray at Virtual Junkyard (we never had any the whole time that we've had this car). What an amazing upgrade to the look and feel of the interior of this car!

I put all the heat/ac ductwork back in place, and the inside of the car is now looking way better than ever. I still have more to do, but I'm nearly finished.

Now for the bad news: The pinion seal seems to be leaking. I have found conflicting information that on one hand says this is commonly repaired by replacing the seal, and on the other says that it usually means worn bearings. I will need to get under the car now and see what I can see.

I decided to direct my attention to the windshield washer tank that I got from 1bird2bird, etc. a couple of weeks ago. It installed in seconds. Then I noticed that the tank had a built in washer pump. I wondered if it would allow washer fluid to pass through on demand from the existing pump.

SO, I hooked up the necessary rubber hoses... and turned on the wipers. More correctly, I turned the switch on. Nothing happened. No wiping of any kind. No washing either. Damn.

After replacing the blown fuse, I still had nothing. I had power and ground, but no response at all. I concluded that I needed a wiper motor.

After replacing same, wipers worked perfectly, but still no washer. I ended up bypassing the wiper motor mounted pump, and wired up the pump on the fluid reservoir. It worked beautifully. Turns out that getting the "wrong" reservoir turned out well. Karma, I guess.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Here is a shot of the new headliner and sun visors right after installation:

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

One thing I didn't mention was that the dome light lens all but disintegrated in my hand. To make things worse, in the course of trying to reinstall the lamp assembly, that crumbled in my hands as well.

Lucky for me, I was able to find the complete works on ebay for $19 shipped. I didn't mention it because the auction was still active until today.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

ESCAPE FROM HUNNIDOO... A NEW HOPE

I have finished the Project from Hell, and now am back to work on the birds.

Last weekend, I brought this one back into the garage, and solved a problem with the idle. It turns out that my IAC was all choked with carbon.

Fortunately, my tendency to hoard parts paid off. I had one on the shelf from the JY engine that we bought for the block... it was almost brand new, and still shiny. I cleaned what little residue it had, and installed it. I also found a couple of suspect vacuum lines that needed to be replaced, and did that as well. The car now idles normally.

The next day, I girded my loins for battle, and raised the car up on stands. Changing the pinion seal was not as terrible as I had imagined, although the old seal was more than a bit stubborn coming out. The bearing had a slight amount of play, but after replacing the seal it became obvious that the nut had indeed backed off slightly. Now that it's back together the play is all gone.

I then did a quick check of the car for inspection (it was last inspected in 2010) and noted that there are a few lights that need attention. I ordered a connector for the washer pump (it was temporarily rigged) and called it a weekend.

The connector has since arrived, and this weekend I'll take care of the lights and then install the exhaust donut. That should wrap everything up and she'll be ready for inspection. After that, I will drive the car daily for a while to give her a shakedown... then I'll drive her occasionally when the mood strikes me.

By the way, my brother introduced me to a very valuable tool: It's a battery charger, called "Optimate 6". It's under $100, and it actually can restore a dead battery that won't hold a charge. It has saved 3 out of 4 batteries that I have used it on... one in my boat, one in my GTA, and one in this car. The 4th battery is still a question mark... it's in Nellie (the red bird).

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Productive day today:

Even with an interruption from my Dad who needed some computer assistance, I managed to get all the lights squared away.

Since it is a little inconvenient to get at the tail lights, I decided to put new bulbs in all the way across. I also changed the 3rd brake light and license plate light.

I installed the connector for the washer pump, and a pair of new wiper blades. All is well, and I can get the car inspected.

Tomorrow, I'll tackle the exhaust leak and replace the dome light assembly. Then she should be ready for inspection.

Awesome-X

So is she drivable?

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Sorry, I forgot to update.

I had a frustrating time with the dome light, because the two replacements that I got were just as brittle as the one I took out, and they crumbled. I managed to get something together that works, but I'll be working on fabricating something more permanent.

The exhaust leak was a piece of cake to fix. Thank God I put anti-seize compound on the manifold studs; I just had to tighten the nuts a little bit and it sealed right up.

I took her in for inspection, and my mechanic friend said she was in excellent shape.

I've been driving her for three days now, and she is doing well.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

So today I gathered up the parts I had been amassing in order to restore the air conditioning. The previous owner had removed half of the system and discarded it, and it took a while to get the parts together. Naturally, other things took priority.

I combed out the fins in the condenser, and test fitted everything. All I need to buy is a new accumulator and orifice tube, and the refrigerant and oil, and I think I'll be good to go for installation next weekend.

90camaro355rs

Sir, I just came across this thread, as I was reading through it, I was in awe, when I read about your son. I am a father of a 23 year old. We are very close as you and your son was. We have 2 hot rods, a 72 nova and a 90 rs Camaro. I started to cry when I read about your son, Sir I am so so sorry for your lose, I think its a great thing your still fixing the cars. I will pray for you and your family every day. He was so blessed to have you as a father! My son is a Marine, Tears flowed even more when I read about him being buried with Honors. I can not even imagine what you was/are going through, my heart hurts for you. May God be with you and your family every day, May he keep you in his arms and give you strength everyday! God Bless! Tim Sr.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Thank you so much for your kind words. It means a lot to me that so many like yourself have reached out to me in this way.

As I have often said, I will keep these cars for the rest of my life. I can't tell you how good it feels every time I fix another little problem, especially the ones that used to make him crazy... of course, never crazy enough to let me have the car long enough to fix them.

I had originally planned to take care of all of that while he was away at West Point. It looks like I'll still finish ahead of that schedule. I must also tell you that few things compare to the sense of peace that I feel as I drive this particular car. I just feel better when I am driving it.

God bless you, my friend, and all the rest of you who have been so thoughtful in so many ways.

90camaro355rs

May you put many miles on the car, may you have many smiles as well! I know your son Alex is watching down upon you while you work on and drive the car!

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Well, after much tinkering, I got AC working, and fixed a few more little problems with the engine.

The car had been driving well for short periods, but after warming up the idle was less smooth. If allowed to sit, it would gradually improve, as though it was taking the ECM a period of a few seconds to adjust. This was particularly bad when the AC was on of course.

Then recently, it got noticeably worse, the car lost power, and as I attempted to drive home, the cat literally blew off the back of the engine pipe. She ran pretty well after that, although quite loud.

So she's parked again until I can get around to replacing the cat.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

My best friend came to visit me and offered to help me with changing the engine in "Nellie", my red bird. So we pulled the engine and trans.

The next weekend, I examined the exhaust on this car, and noticed that the engine pipe was messed up along with the cat.

I realized that the easiest solution would be to transfer the engine pipe out of Nellie, who was being swapped from V6 to V8, and would not be needing it. As it turns out, I took out the whole assembly with the cat attached. It went in nicely, and the car ran well.

Then I noticed that as long as the car sat in place and ran, it was fine. After driving it a while, and then stopping at a light, it would idle poorly, but after several seconds it would smooth out a bit. This became a pattern. I finally noticed that it was related to the brakes. When I step on the pedal, the rpms drop at least 200 RPM, and it's rough. Take my foot off the pedal, and it goes back up.

I also noticed that at times my brake pedal seems to lose the power boost, and then recovers. I am fairly certain that there must be some kind of a leak in the booster. I have checked all over the engine for vacuum leaks and found none.

Justin89Formy

iTrader: (26)

3rdgens...what can I say lol

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Nothing... I try to keep things in perspective... we are talking about a 27 year old car that I rescued from the scrap heap... so all things considered...