I have a 88 IROC I bought from a salvage yard. Body was too straight to go to waste with little to no rust other then over a few dings on door edges and hood and around t-top cross member which I replaced.

Got it for $700 from great 3rd gen parts guy here in Tampa area. My concern,fear at the time was it was a junk yard find (clean title) so it was going to scrap and the PO didn't care either. What was really wrong with it?

The steering column was busted and car was hot wired. INterior was musty with junk and some debris from sitting but again just looked like sitting closed up maybe under a shed or something since body wasnt too bad.

The interior I knew I can easily replace myself all new for cheap. The plastic was all in good shape (except the dashpad of course) needs new seats carpet clean the interior plastic and maybe new door panels. Headliner looked ok to start with.

The body was straight. Even had original GM stickers inside the fenders and quareters with no sign of any rust bondo at all. Frame was same way and modling all look tight and even the pin stripe matches the RPO codes and so do the rims. Could this be all original paint? It looks like there was some clear coat touch up in areas and the lower valence might have been replaced do to typical curb rash since the red has faded by the foot sill and it looks white. Unless this is primer?

The engine had leaves and such but again other then a cheap alarm install everything looked original even original decals on most of the delco stuff.

No signs of flooding or water damage, Some start fluid and hot start and car kicked over. Hmm so running engine check, straight body check, trahsed interior. 2 out of 3 for my restore checklist. Hmm $700 ok I bought it. Jason gave me a few of the missing parts like a spare steering column and extra 700r4 tranny (he knew he tranny was shot when he bought, hence the PO maybe sent to salvage)

At he mechanic the owner was surprised and optimistic like me. It fired up be he said it looked to be sitting for 10+ years. He said must have been under cover as I suspected but just sat no fluids were drained so all fuel system was shot.

So with about $1400 in additional parts and labor I replaced the tranny, new TV cable, fluids, brand new summit fuel tank, walpro pump, fuel lines some minor rewiring and swap out steering volume the car fired up. the brakes and everything all work well too (new fluids)

The Mechanic said it smoked for hour black with even debris coming out of exhaust. He was surprised again. no knock rumble or stutter. Still needs serious tune up but he drive a little and idle and brakes stopped very well and all injectors are firing. He said some BG in the tank and drive it hard to blow it out and see what needs to be done. (IE anything broke or just tune up clean and drive it?)

Oil pressure is at 30psi at idle and over 60 at WOT. Again wow.

I am excited and relieved after dropping $2k into junk yard car. So I was hesitant to pull the VIN check thinking I get long list of 20 owners, police impound, wrecks etc..

I pulled it and found there was a full clean title. only 3 events in the life of the car. The car was original bought and titled in Mass. in 88. Then in 2004 titled with 52kmiles in Florida. Thats it. I bought the car with 55k. So what happened for last 9 years?

Little google search of the previous owner in Florida. He was arrested in and out of jail in 2005-on. So I am thinking parents or family had this car driven for few months then that's it sat in a garage or under shed?

I thought a cool little story to share. I am going to bring her back to life. Keep it 99% original. Red with Grey interior. For now even the stock 15" I will polish up for now. I will do some minor mods to engine assuming it drives well and needs no rebuild (otherwise just scrap and do 355 TPI). Interior replace new aftermarket stereo (it is missing now)

I will get nice bright red maybe torch red paint but I will remove the side bumpers and pin strips. IROC will remain.

 

Nice find!

 

Hey send that horseshoe my way ill pay for shipping. Lucky dog.

 

Great story and what a superb save. Nice lines on this one too. (Alignment and body gaps). Trying to understand how this worked on the title though: are you saying the Title was just a regular title and not marked a 'Salvage' title? If so that's even more cool.

 

Thanks. Yes the body is worth keeping the car alone. I am sure there are small rust areas to fix around the t's and the some I see on door and hood edges from small dings that spread but all lines and gaps are tight.

It was never a salavaged title to begin with. It was a clean title BUT it was a cash deal. With the seller just giving me the previous owners unsigned title. He junks or stripes 3rd gens for cash so he normally never signs titles just turns them to junk yard. He doesnt register them basically.

So he said it was clean but who knows right. I was figuring a 25yr old car would have had multiple owners and since it was junked, not salvaged, that it has some history of impounds or major wreck or flooding.

So the VIN check revealed that it just had 3 events. The 3 times the car was regsiters. The dealer when new, the previous owner in 2004, whom then got arrested and car sat for 10+years ever since (the odometer only changed by 2,000miles from 2004 to now) then when I registered.

So it is a 2 owner car with 1 driver only history and all parts match the RPO codes. Rims trim decals colors and the engine bay it self (although some rats nest and leaves) looks good and has all original parts and labels.

Yes I know I will be doing a global sensor and vac line swap but that is expected for an used car this old.

 

Excellent! I guess in my mind, I remember clearly when this gen IROC - well they were all over the place. Used to see them on the roads, in parking lots. Etcetera. Now it is rare I see one. So when I see a post like this of a genuine jewel being saved by someone who "gets it" and saw its value and decided to invest in it.....that makes my heart sing.

 

Nice! I betcha that paint would buff out.

 

My buddy said the same about the paint. If you zoom into photo there are clearcoat and some large peeled off paint sections on the top of t and rear deck and one on hood but I will compound and wheel the paint for sure just for fun to see how much I can bring to best original state before I paint.

Yes these cars were popular in NY where I grew up. i loved them and always wanted them. i had 3 of them before this one but back when I was broke student or just starting my career. SO I never kept them or did what I wanted.

Well except for my 92RS I should have kept.

The 5.0 was WAY more popular in the NY area for me. The IROC were more money always and always coveted. Typically modded IROC were deemed faster and had more street cred then the 5.0

don't get me wrong 5.0 were fast as hell mod for such light cars but always so much cheaper and rental looking.

I want to play with the 5.0 TPI but I keep telling my self just do a 355 after I get her cleaned up

 

Keep the 305. With some mods that car should scream. I've contemplated the same for mine, but with it being a kind of survivor.... Makes me think twice. I am pondering replacing the TPI with a HSR type to wake up the higher RPM performance.

 

I agree, I had a L03 305 that I miss and was totally happy with the performance before and after mods. After mods it was a 13.5 car and more then a sleeper. My problem was in the small drag world, racing against otehr cars there is alwasy bigger and faster then you, so I could never keep up with modded lt1, turbo v6 etc... but again that was what i looked at. As I am older I can care less, It would be nice to be in the hunt and not the slowest, but on the street a modded 305 would surprise or beat most bone stock cars. And that to me is all teh fun.

Because a 25year old car will be modded but I can say sure your brand new car is stock but it has blah blah blah and $30k and I beat it with a $3000 v8 ride N/A

Once I get it cleaned an painted if it runs reliable without bogging, idle issues, shifting well and decent MPG then hey I will be happy. bark 1,2 and pin me in the seat more then my v6 m35 is what i hope for.

 

Looks like a good find. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks

Well new carpet, dash pad, lamps, speedo, seats are all here so hopefully start putting together this month then off to paint.