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Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
Thank you for the nomination, it looks like this will be a tough month!
I was looking for a project car a few years ago and the rules were simple, Camaro, V8, Manual and T-Tops. I found this car on craigslist, from the factory it was a 305TPI, T5, T-Top car, but the original 305 was long gone and the 350 that was in the car wasn’t going to cut it.
Over the next two years, the engine was replaced with an LT1 from a 1994 Caddy Fleetwood, seals/gaskets/sensors were all replaced and the engine was cleaned, a T56 was sourced to add the strength needed, and of course 3.73 gears and big disk brakes were added in the form of a bolt-in 1998 Camaro rear end. To up the stopping power C5 brake upgrade was added up front. The suspension is a whole basket of goodies- Tokico 5 way struts, Koni shocks, Eibach Pro-Kit, all new bushings and steering kit, Spohn adjustable pan-hard rod, LCARB’s and tubular lower control arms. Finally had to weld in outer subframe connectors to keep the rattles down. Later, I installed a full 3" cat back system with Magnaflow muffler, and Dyno Dons headers
The interior has also been refreshed, new seat foam on the driver’s seat, new seat covers from Lethal Interiors, new ACC carpet, painted the interior plastics, sound deadening, new suede covered headliner and visors with matching sail panels. Grant leather wrapped steering wheel a custom leather wrapped shift **** and console cover and double-din radio round out the creature comforts.
Finally the body was taken down, blocked, straightened, blocked again, primed, blocked, and shot in base coat of 2004 Corvette Lemans Blue Metallic (Luxo Blue) and 4 coats of clear coat. Color sanded, buffed, and polished. All of the work was done in my garage at home, save for the alignment.
After all of that- and lots more- here are the pictures-
Last edited by tglennon11; Jul 22, 2017 at 08:08 PM.
Reason: Added "before photos"
My car is a 91 Z28 with an L98, C&C vented t tops, and red leather interior. I purchased the car in March 2015 as a replacement for a 91 RS that had been rear ended and totaled the previous October. I had quite a stroke of bad luck for a few months there. I had gone through a pretty nasty break up, had a massive heart attack and had to move and start a new life without my son and his mother with no money. Naturally one of the first financial cuts I made was the full coverage insurance on the RS. The car was pretty much all that I had left at that point. On Devils night I was driving the car to work one last time before putting it into storage for the winter and i was hit hard from behind. The car was done for. After sobbing like a little girl for a few weeks, (literally) I brushed myself off and buckled down and started looking for a replacement and saving money. I found the Z tucked into a garage in Detroit in pretty bad shape. It had been hit lightly on both sides of the front bumper and
both front fenders were wrinkled. The paint was dull and chipping in places but I knew that I had to have it. After chasing the previous owner around a little I was able to negotiate and purchase the car. She has come a long way in the couple of years that I have had her.
Hi Everyone… Really appreciate the nomination for COTM. It is awesome to see all of these fine examples of thirdgen’s in the running!
I was the first owner after the car was in service for the FBI in Connecticut. Purchased at 95k miles the car was in need of a lot of TLC. Over the course of 6 months we went through the car front to back and dialed it in. It was finished off with a repaint which in September 1998 ran me a total of $1200 (wow has the price of paint changed!). Shortly after completing the car I set my sights on a 4th gen SS which is what I sold the B4C to replace. While going through the process my dad and best friend both swore I would regret selling the car.
It took me about 8 years to realize they were correct. I stopped by the house of the kid that I sold the car to some 8 years prior to find it was still there in the garage not being driven. Not only was it still there, it hadn’t seen the road in 5 – 6 years. After a few conversations with the owner the price was a bit out of my range at the time. TPI-Hearse (Fred) ultimately bought it and resold it to a guy in upstate New York. A quick search of the VIN identified it was still in update New York, not driven very much since he purchased it from Fred.
Late fall/early winter 2014 I posted a Craigslist ad looking for the car with a picture of it from right after I had painted it in 1998. In February 2015, roughly 4 – 5 months later a guy who claimed to have the car emailed me. We exchanged a few emails before connecting on the phone to confirm it was in fact the same B4C I owned 17 years prior. In the fall of 2015 I reached back out to the owner asking if he would be willing to part ways with the Camaro. Through some negotiating we agreed on a price and early December I made the trip to upstate New York to pick the car up. Aside from the 4 tires and the muffler on the car, nothing had really changed since I owned it. Just about everything was the same right down to the spark plugs in the engine. More importantly all the documentation I sold the car with in 1998 was still intact. This includes receipts for every part installed in the car and the build sheet from GM.
Over the last 18 months I have completely restored the car front to back with its completion just a few weeks ago. There is not a bolt on the car that hasn’t been touch, cleaned and painted.
Wasn't expecting this, so I'm a bit unprepared. Bare with me..
My car's name is OUTRUNR, named after the popular 80s arcade game Outrun.
This car is a driver. However, I constantly work to make the car a beautiful example of a Formula 350; she is pampered, but she is enjoyed.
HISTORY
Bought the car in the California desert July 2015 with 145k miles. It was running, but she was in pretty poor shape.
(craigslist image)
Originally Posted by thtanner
She's more solid than I expected.
Well, not so fast. Few weeks later rod knock became apparent. Cracked head by #8 on the drivers side. Few weeks in the driveway and then I had the engine rebuilt. Moving forward!
Car needed surface rust sorted and repainted.
Painted, driving away from the painters.
Interior was rough. Torn seats, bulging console, non-functional radio, dirt and dust in every nook and cranny.
Repaired the center console. Little dusty post-install.
A small radio upgrade, hopefully not a huge faux pas...
Got reupholstered front seats and cleaned everything else. Hawks center console lid to polish it off..
Redid all the weatherstripping
Broke the alternator bracket. Doh! New bracket and alternator, also got the alternator support to prevent that from happening again.
Spark knock... diagnosing a bad knock sensor.
Light upgrades in the rear.
Continued in next post..
Last edited by thtanner; Jul 26, 2017 at 05:20 PM.
Owned this car since 2003. It was bone stock then. Now almost entirely aftermarket or custom
Street driven and inspected/registered/insured. Motor was a dart block based 401" sbc with Speier racing heads 245cc, victor e efi single plane. Big hyd roller cam. Twin turbonetics hurricane 72mm turbos. Run thru a 5" single exhaust. Its made 1009 whp sae on straight 93 oct pump gas. Air water intercooler keeps it cool. Estimated 1200+ on vp110 gas.
Run 8.88 at 154 on pump gas. 8.24 at 169 on race gas. Driven to and from track. 3750-3815 lbs depending on which wheel combo and gas in tank
18/19" tires for street. 15" 275 pro radials for drag
Interior is blacked out with corbeau forza seats with matching custom door panels. Had an 8pt roll bar but getting more bars for the ET cert
I was out of town until yesterday, but this was a good excuse to take out my thirdgen for a ride and have my wife snap some nice pictures of it.
Bought this 91 trans am early 2006 and re-did about everything including many options and mods, except body work. I was not a fan of the stickers so it turned out looking like a GTA.
It's a blast to drive and I always enjoy it when I can.
Lately it does not come out very often as I'm in the middle of completely restoring a 73 formula 400.
My compliments to all the nominated car owners and best of luck, a huge thank you to Linson for keeping this alive.
Last edited by thomas1976; Jul 27, 2017 at 04:33 PM.
I quite enjoyed that theme this month. Lots of rebuilt cars, instead of just garage queens on the block. Shows there's more to thirdgens!
One of the friendliest, most helpful and knowledgeable guys on this board who has been a member here for 14 years and has an awesome car that has seen multiple personality changes wins car of the month!?!?!
Something is fishy when guys like him and Badnblack win.
One of the friendliest, most helpful and knowledgeable guys on this board who has been a member here for 14 years and has an awesome car that has seen multiple personality changes wins car of the month!?!?!
Something is fishy when guys like him and Badnblack win.
A magical sudden influx of votes in a single instant is.. interesting, no matter who you are. Either way, as I said, nice cars all around.
Edit: ...and to clarify, I didn't say "fishy" nor indicate nefarious activity took place, just said it was interesting. It was apparently interesting enough to warrant mention in the COTM winner thread. /shrug
Last edited by thtanner; Jul 31, 2017 at 04:21 PM.
She makes me work for it... but it's worth it. 
