So my neighbor down the street has an 88 vert, and told me there was a 92 trans am in the junkyard a town over... so today I had to sneak away from work, and check it out.


I got both the hatch solenoids, black vinyl side panels with speaker covers and speakers, sun visors. I ran out of cash, but I think I'm gonna go back and grab more.

 

I cleaned the TPI air box with BRAKE FLUID...

Drivers side done



Completed



There is no plastic dressing on there at all. Just washed and wiped with water after scrubbing.

 

That car doesnt look bad, why is it in the bone yard? Looks like a good rebuild from here

 

^ what he said. then again i see nicer ones end up in the yards . and even nicer ones getting parted out ...but you should ****** up them iroc wheels!! depending what they charge out there.

 

Yeah it actually was pretty straight. One of my techs is gonna grab the wheels, even though they have pretty nasty curb rash. The car should not be there. I don't know much about the birds, but I'm gonna go back and try and grab as much of the vert specific stuff as I can. I got both the solenoids, and they work everytime flawlessly

 

Well I ordered my top today after a super surprise rain storm came through and I couldn't get it inside... wet old carpet yummmy

Hartz stayfast cloth top in black with factory style plastic window, and rear bow seal. My dumb butt should have bought it through ebay to save the shipping charges. Lesson learned.

 

Did you consider one with a glass window? Mine will need a new top next year and I'm considering the glass instead of plastic.

 

Sticking with factory correct as I can on this one. I like the glass, just trying to keep it factory as I can within reason... and its cheaper lol

 

Totally understood. I'd like to see the end result. Nice build so far.

 

Thanks man! Keep checking in, I'm trying to post updates often.

 

 

that makes me sad

 

I know. At least it got its picture taken before it was stripped of the rest of it glory.

 

such a shame, i hate seeing third gens get abandoned and junked, iv saved 4 from junkyards so far... both my iroc and sport coupe wer on their way to junkyards, i had to save the iroc AGAIN because i sold it and the kid LITERALY abandoned her on teh side of the road, luckily i found her in time and took her back



ANYWAY on a good note your z03 is looking GREAT!

 

Thanks man! I feel like I saved the Z03 from rotting away too. I loved your sport coupe when it still looked like one... I have been wanting one with the grey/black color combo for a while

 

i feel like all i'm doing is ruining my z, it needed some tlc when i got it and now i know it needs alot more then that hell just today pulling out of the driveway someone clocked me in the quarter and now its all messes up too, the one panel on the car that was kinda okay, ohwell this is life until i have a steady cashflow and can resto my car, yours looks great by the way glad its in good hands

 

There are very few thirdgens in the junk yards around here, they have all been crushed. Just a few years ago there were lots of them with good parts still left on them. I went to several yards earlier this summer and I found a total of 3 thirdgens and they had very few usuable parts remaining...get the parts while you can! When the price of scrap metal went up they crushed most of the older cars.

 

as much as i love sport coupes i cant wrap my head around the front bumpers on em, idk it makes it look so high off the ground i cant stand it, that and spoilerless looks a bit odd to me as well

maybe if the sport coupes had a simple front lip on them it would look great but they dont

however i doubt im doing rs/z side skirts and rear bumper, i think im just doing the front bumper and spoiler, so its still sport coupe ishhh

and both my fenders and both my doors are screwed so i have to still get them, although i got a new, yes new, drivers fender today from Fastbbt, im gona sand it and paint it later this week,

 

i really wish mine had black interior tho... the grey is really excellent shape just boring -_-, thats why i switched my iroc to all black with grey faced seats

the sport coupe will be getting a similar treatment

 

tell ya what, ill toss the stock hood and bumper back on and trade you for your z03


i want a z03 SO BAD!

 

Bring a large stack of Benjamin Franklin trading cards with you and you can have a really rare Z03!

 

I have two vert would love to know more about that 4gen seat swap.

 

and you will find that they bolt in, no modifications.

 

lmao i wish i could,

i actually might be selling it tomorow, i got offered a decent price + a car for it so i may take him up on it we shall see tho

but id really love to have a z03 thats probably gona be the next f body i search for

 

wow man i just sat here and read this whole post. Love the car and that fact you keepingit all stock!!! Great find but most of all great job man!!!!

 

Hey thanks man. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels on this one, with only small bits of progress and the fact its been more of a cleaning project to this point. Can't wait to get the interior and top on!

 

Well I pulled the door panels to put in new window motors in each door. Got the nasty purple window tint scraped off, and the glass cleaned up. Man does that make it look better.



Convertible top showed up today. Was really surprised how quick they shipped.

 

Today on my lunch break I got the front speakers (water damaged) replaced with some pioneer 3 ways, and installed my dash cap from the 91 (has a crack in the speaker grill). I installed the mint one I just got into the 91... Bonus

 

After multiple cuss words and a couple bud lights I got the drivers window replaced (chipped badly at the top), and both window motors installed, and new switches. So nice to be able to roll the windows down reliably.

I grabbed a set of spare JY turnsignals and got to sanding on them. My original plan was to remove the cast in lettering, part #'s and DOT #'s sand and polish to spray them black for my 91, but they came out looking pretty damn nice, and I think I need to put these in the vert... Use them and paint another set for the 91?



after 320 grit


After polishing


Smooth with no castings




I washed the inside with soap and water, and they are drying in the sun. I will try and get them installed today

 

quote= Use them and paint another set for the 91?

Yeah, they're to clean to paint. Nice job.

 

 

That's what I thought too!





Not really good pics, but you get the idea Now need to do the taillights and replace these dull headlights

 

Looks good! Yeah, I'm also looking to upgrade my headlights. I'm looking at something like this but you never know what your going to get with some of this chinese made junk! They're 4x6 halos.

 

I know you were thinking about selling it. Have you fallin' for it and decided to keep it?

 

I thought the dash pad in the 91 was fiberglasses and painted with the teal stripes like on the car?

 

Still planning on selling it at some point. We shall see when that point is

Yeah about 6 years ago it had a smoothed and painted plastic cap over my perfect dash cap... then sitting in the 100 degree sun in the staging lanes at Bandimere Speedway it warped badly near the vents and cracked my dash pad, so I replaced it with good pad with one cracked speaker vent. The cracked speaker vent one went into the vert now. I put the mint on back in the 91... no more crazy caps for me

 

One of the most entertaining and fast-paced build threads I've followed!

Looks like a very fun build.

 

I never did read anything about how you convinced your wife into getting this car. hahaha are you in the dog house??? Other than that, It looks like a really nice find... just treated poorly by the prev. owner. Nice Find!!!

 

Thanks man! It has been and frustrating at the same time lol. I don't really feel like its all that fast paced, but I'm glad everybody is enjoying it.

HAHAHA! Oh yeah there really wasn't much convincing to do... I told her the night before I was gonna email on it, then she wouldn't answer the phone when I was letting the PO sweat about the low blow offer I shot him, so when he said that he would take the offer... deal was done. This is why "I'm in trouble". Yeah she was pissed that I didn't talk to her, then she realized I called and texted, so she just has to trust that I know what I'm doing with our money. I buy and sell cars all the time, but never get to work on third gens, so this has been great!

 

lol yea, well it looks like you won this time!!! Man this ones really turning out good.

 

Thanks! I'm trying to buy a wreck modified 4th gen right now and she is not having that one... guess I should be really happy I got one car dream under my belt LOL!

 

HAHA man oh man that wouldnt be good for the relationship status. lol geez growing up we got told NO by our parents, we get older and think we got it made, then ya get married and you get told NO even more. ahhaha but im afraid she might be right on this one

 

"Maybe you can buy another after you sell that 'thing' you bought without my permission!!"



She might cut you some slack after you (possibly) sell the 'Vert.

 

This is an awesome transformation. I'm working on a similar project, an '88 with a good deal of parts in need of replacement, but not too many. The changes the previous owner made were sloppy, needless, & destructive...doing a lot of fixing to his "upgrades." Jealous ur finding parts for your 'vert. Haven't been able to find much as far as convertible parts here in Southern Cali. Do u have another resource that I may not know about?

 

wow somebody got alittle too close for comfort eh?

 

Yeah, he told me someone side swiped him when it was parked. I get the feeling he ran the side mirror off and rubbed that dent in the rear fender himself!

 

I'm no vert expert, so I turned to the board when asking questions and to find parts in the classified boards. Most of my convertible specific parts I found on ebay. I needed stuff and just ordered it. I could have probably saved money on somethings waiting for deals to pop up on here. Make a wanted thread and see if people will reply to your needs. I know I will make a for sale thread with some of the vert specific stuff I have replaced that is still in good condition.

 

Well I got my window sweep set delivered over the weekend. I didn't get time to get them installed.... Cause I was driving de-tuned NASCAR race cars!



Had to post a pic somewhere lol! I should have the doors going back together and get to installing a new top next week!

 

Ok got some work done.

Door panels with "new" caps...



New inner and out window sweeps...


Cleaned and polished the gauge cluster lens, while cleaning the cluster...


Got 4 new headlights... so much better looking


First shots with the windows down... New window motors in both doors, replaced the drivers door glass, removed window tint, passenger door lock actuator, and used door seals...

 

Also swapped in a clean & tight set of dash vents, and a correct rear view mirror... then the mirror button on the glass popped off... dammit!