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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
I have worked for Katech for over 10 years. As you probably know, Katech was the exclusive supplier of engines for the International Race of Champions from 1984-1989. We have kept all of our engine build books going back to when the company was formed in 1977. As the resident IROC fan, there is one box of books that is very special to me. So special I've marked it never to be thrown away and if they want to get rid of it to give it to me.
This box contains every engine build book for every IROC engine made during the period we supplied engines. It also contains a wealth of information on the engines, press kit, hand-written notes, meeting notes with Jay Signore, hand-drafted parts drawings, mileage notes on engine parts, race results, and all kinds of cool stuff.
I don't think I've ever shared this on the forum, but I thought you guys would like to see it.
From: Doghouse ······································ Car: 1989 Formula 350 Vert Engine: 350 L98 Transmission: 700R4 Axle/Gears: B&W 3.27
Car: 87 Formula T-Top, 87 Formula HT
Engine: 5.1L TPI, 5.0L TPI
Transmission: 700R4, M5
Axle/Gears: Sag 3.73, B&W 3.45
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
The IROC cars IIRC were not road cars, they were purpose built Race cars, with a tube frame & Structure... Kind of like the NASCAR race cars of the era
I think a few of them survive, like the car that Dale Earnhardt drove, is in his museum...
This data is way way cool, but unless you own one....
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Originally Posted by B4C5.7
Really nice info, I assume some folks have the cars that go with the info?
Originally Posted by PurelyPMD
That's a great question - did any of the cars survive?
Originally Posted by okfoz
The IROC cars IIRC were not road cars, they were purpose built Race cars, with a tube frame & Structure... Kind of like the NASCAR race cars of the era
I think a few of them survive, like the car that Dale Earnhardt drove, is in his museum...
This data is way way cool, but unless you own one....
John
The chassis were built by Banjo-Matthews. The roof, door skin, and rear fascia were the only factory parts. After the 1989 IROC season they were re-skinned to Dodge Daytonas, and later to Dodge Avengers. The only in-tact 3rd Gen Camaro IROC that I know to exist is in the Earnhardt museum and I don't know how it was saved from the Daytona re-skinning. My boss thinks that some of the Katech IROC engines were rebuilt and used in the IROC Trans Ams, but I don't have confirmation of that.
I have seen an IROC Avenger race car for sale before. I wish I could have bought it, re-skinned it back to a Chevrolet and re-installed the Katech engine.
From: Doghouse ······································ Car: 1989 Formula 350 Vert Engine: 350 L98 Transmission: 700R4 Axle/Gears: B&W 3.27
Car: 87 Formula T-Top, 87 Formula HT
Engine: 5.1L TPI, 5.0L TPI
Transmission: 700R4, M5
Axle/Gears: Sag 3.73, B&W 3.45
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
What always intrigued me is After the IROC Daytona's no one used the IROC Badges on Street cars. IROC is so recognized with the 85-90 Camaros that Dodge never overcame it... the first few years as a Daytona tried to use the Big IROC stickers like the Camaro, but the later one's appear to have just a small emblem on the front fender. The Avenger AFAIK never had an IROC Factory Option, and obviously the Firebird never had an IROC Option, as I imagine figuring out how to Market an IROC TA would be interesting as they were completely different racing circuits. Same goes with a Formula, different racing circuit. So they would have had a third Performance minded car, the Formula, Trans Am and then IROC... So I imagine GM just said, naaw, just forget it.
If you notice, IROC continued after 2002, using the "Firebird" body, until the IROC demise.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Originally Posted by okfoz
What always intrigued me is After the IROC Daytona's no one used the IROC Badges on Street cars. IROC is so recognized with the 85-90 Camaros that Dodge never overcame it... the first few years as a Daytona tried to use the Big IROC stickers like the Camaro, but the later one's appear to have just a small emblem on the front fender. The Avenger AFAIK never had an IROC Factory Option, and obviously the Firebird never had an IROC Option, as I imagine figuring out how to Market an IROC TA would be interesting as they were completely different racing circuits. Same goes with a Formula, different racing circuit. So they would have had a third Performance minded car, the Formula, Trans Am and then IROC... So I imagine GM just said, naaw, just forget it.
If you notice, IROC continued after 2002, using the "Firebird" body, until the IROC demise.
Maybe that's why. The masses always identified a street "IROC" as a third gen Camaro. That's why we see so many classified ads where people call any third gen an IROC. Most people probably don't even know there was an IROC Daytona.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Awesome info and pics. Thanks! Yes I to wish I would have know about the auction when IROC sold off their extra bodies etc a few year back. Would love to make one for vintage race days.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Originally Posted by z28cop
Awesome info and pics. Thanks! Yes I to wish I would have know about the auction when IROC sold off their extra bodies etc a few year back. Would love to make one for vintage race days.
You didn't miss anything. Third gen Camaro bodies were not in the auction.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Originally Posted by skirocz28
The chassis were built by Banjo-Matthews. The roof, door skin, and rear fascia were the only factory parts. After the 1989 IROC season they were re-skinned to Dodge Daytonas, and later to Dodge Avengers. The only in-tact 3rd Gen Camaro IROC that I know to exist is in the Earnhardt museum and I don't know how it was saved from the Daytona re-skinning. My boss thinks that some of the Katech IROC engines were rebuilt and used in the IROC Trans Ams, but I don't have confirmation of that.
I have seen an IROC Avenger race car for sale before. I wish I could have bought it, re-skinned it back to a Chevrolet and re-installed the Katech engine.
I posted a thread on the subject on this site several years ago. Search for IROC Bodies because I posted pix of them before I took them out of the barn they were in. The are now safely stored in a warehouse awaiting assembly. However until that time, the ONLY COMPLETE surviving Camaro is the Red one in the Earnhardt Museum. I own the yellow & dark blue bodies plus enough spare parts to make a third car. I have spoken with Jay Signore (the owner of IROC International) several times in an effort to restore mine back to original. According to him, Dale Sr won either the final IROC race of the 89 series, was the overall points winner (or both) when Chevrolet pulled the sponsorship plug and was given the car. It was the first time they awarded a car but they continued thereafter with Daytona, Avenger and Firebird. The cars were rebodied in a scramble to continue the series uninterrupted in 90 with Daytonas but the windshield, A Pillars, and roof skin were reused Camaro parts straight out of the GM parts catalog. The rest of the body parts were discarded behind the shop until they were stolen a year or 2 later. Here's how my two survived: In 1993 I was at a swap meet in Englishtown NJ which is only a few miles from IROC International in Tinton Falls, and happened to see the Purple Camaro nose for sale. I bought it and went on my merry way. Turns out an IROC employee also saw the part but I bought it and left BEFORE he came back with the NJ State Police. They were able to get MOST of the parts back to IROC. A few years later I saw more IROC Camaro parts at the same swap meet but a different seller. I got his info and went to his house where almost all the cars were in his backyard. After some hard negotiations, I was able to make a deal to buy two complete cars PUS all the spare parts for the colors he already parted out. The ONLY complete bodies were the yellow and dark blue so I took them. I went to buy the yellow and silver cars but the silver was missing the hood. My second choice was the red car (shown on the cover of the 1984 IROC press kit) but it was the only "first style" car he had and not enough pieces to complete it. Look closely at the hood and you'll see it has a slight scoop with a Chevy Power sticker on the side and the black stripe / body seam at the rocker panel where my cars "second style" look more like production IROCs. That was in 93 and when I spoke with Jay (and his late wife who ran the business) shortly after the IROC auction he asked how I got the cars and I told him I bought them at Englishtown. I emailed him the flyer the vendor was handing out at the swap meet and he called and told me this: after I left with the nose the NJSP arrested the seller who was an ex-employee that had cut a hole in the fence and was taking the parts slowly so nobody noticed they were disappearing. The other employee knew who the guy was so even though I left with the nose, they led the police to him. IROC eventually dropped the charges because he gave them back all the remaining parts he had left. As a "reward" to the guy who turned him in, IROC gave him the bodies and he is the person I bought them from. Oddly enough in 2010 or so I saw a Daytona nose come up on ebay and saw the seller was from NJ so I contacted him. Turns out he was the guy that I bought the Camaro bodies from and he remembered selling them to me because he delivered them to my house! I asked him what happened to the other cars? He said only 1 complete car was sold (besides my two) and all the other parts were sold 1 piece at a time to dirt track racers at nearby Wall stadium. Which is ironic because that's where Ray Evernham got his start in racing and eventually became the crew chief for IROC. The other buyer bought the complete pink car where it was hanging upside down from a ceiling at a bar but has long since been lost to time. As far as Jay and the guy I bought them from these are the only two known to still exist although there is a possibility the pink car is still out there somewhere. I missed the auction but there were only posters and photos at the auction as the Camaros and all their parts had been phased out at least 10 years earlier. One of the Firebirds is listed on ebay now & is owned buy a guy I know about 2 miles from me. I'm pretty sure all the Firebirds had a Pontiac engine because EVERYTHING was new on those cars as they were a new body and blank slate. Plus the tech was 10 years newer and IROC was super pissed at Chevy for the way they ended the series without notice. That's why 1990 production IROC cars stopped in Dec of 89 and they went back to Z28. It was totally uncool how Chevy left Jay out there with commitments to tracks, drivers and fans and I get the impression from speaking with him its still a sore subject to this day.
Jay told me he had been asked by several people and fiberglass body kit manufacturers to make parts to convert street Camaros & Firebirds to IROC race car clones, but he is adamant they will NEVER be reproduced in an effort to preserve the integrity of the series and the original cars that still exist. ALL the Firebirds still do, a few Avengers and Daytonas but only 3 (MAYBE 4) Camaros which are Dales red car, my yellow & blue cars and the pink car (IF it ever surfaces). The chassis were sold off to various teams and do come up from time to time. Jay supplied me with a list of the oddball parts I still need to find and put me in contact with Banjos shop foreman who personally built EVERY IROC Camaro chassis. He agreed to help reassemble the cars back to original so if anyone wants to help me get these cars together you can send donations to my paypal account.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Originally Posted by IROC-MIKE
I posted a thread on the subject on this site several years ago. Search for IROC Bodies because I posted pix of them before I took them out of the barn they were in. The are now safely stored in a warehouse awaiting assembly. However until that time, the ONLY COMPLETE surviving Camaro is the Red one in the Earnhardt Museum. I own the yellow & dark blue bodies plus enough spare parts to make a third car. I have spoken with Jay Signore (the owner of IROC International) several times in an effort to restore mine back to original. According to him, Dale Sr won either the final IROC race of the 89 series, was the overall points winner (or both) when Chevrolet pulled the sponsorship plug and was given the car. It was the first time they awarded a car but they continued thereafter with Daytona, Avenger and Firebird. The cars were rebodied in a scramble to continue the series uninterrupted in 90 with Daytonas but the windshield, A Pillars, and roof skin were reused Camaro parts straight out of the GM parts catalog. The rest of the body parts were discarded behind the shop until they were stolen a year or 2 later. Here's how my two survived: In 1993 I was at a swap meet in Englishtown NJ which is only a few miles from IROC International in Tinton Falls, and happened to see the Purple Camaro nose for sale. I bought it and went on my merry way. Turns out an IROC employee also saw the part but I bought it and left BEFORE he came back with the NJ State Police. They were able to get MOST of the parts back to IROC. A few years later I saw more IROC Camaro parts at the same swap meet but a different seller. I got his info and went to his house where almost all the cars were in his backyard. After some hard negotiations, I was able to make a deal to buy two complete cars PUS all the spare parts for the colors he already parted out. The ONLY complete bodies were the yellow and dark blue so I took them. I went to buy the yellow and silver cars but the silver was missing the hood. My second choice was the red car (shown on the cover of the 1984 IROC press kit) but it was the only "first style" car he had and not enough pieces to complete it. Look closely at the hood and you'll see it has a slight scoop with a Chevy Power sticker on the side and the black stripe / body seam at the rocker panel where my cars "second style" look more like production IROCs. That was in 93 and when I spoke with Jay (and his late wife who ran the business) shortly after the IROC auction he asked how I got the cars and I told him I bought them at Englishtown. I emailed him the flyer the vendor was handing out at the swap meet and he called and told me this: after I left with the nose the NJSP arrested the seller who was an ex-employee that had cut a hole in the fence and was taking the parts slowly so nobody noticed they were disappearing. The other employee knew who the guy was so even though I left with the nose, they led the police to him. IROC eventually dropped the charges because he gave them back all the remaining parts he had left. As a "reward" to the guy who turned him in, IROC gave him the bodies and he is the person I bought them from. Oddly enough in 2010 or so I saw a Daytona nose come up on ebay and saw the seller was from NJ so I contacted him. Turns out he was the guy that I bought the Camaro bodies from and he remembered selling them to me because he delivered them to my house! I asked him what happened to the other cars? He said only 1 complete car was sold (besides my two) and all the other parts were sold 1 piece at a time to dirt track racers at nearby Wall stadium. Which is ironic because that's where Ray Evernham got his start in racing and eventually became the crew chief for IROC. The other buyer bought the complete pink car where it was hanging upside down from a ceiling at a bar but has long since been lost to time. As far as Jay and the guy I bought them from these are the only two known to still exist although there is a possibility the pink car is still out there somewhere. I missed the auction but there were only posters and photos at the auction as the Camaros and all their parts had been phased out at least 10 years earlier. One of the Firebirds is listed on ebay now & is owned buy a guy I know about 2 miles from me. I'm pretty sure all the Firebirds had a Pontiac engine because EVERYTHING was new on those cars as they were a new body and blank slate. Plus the tech was 10 years newer and IROC was super pissed at Chevy for the way they ended the series without notice. That's why 1990 production IROC cars stopped in Dec of 89 and they went back to Z28. It was totally uncool how Chevy left Jay out there with commitments to tracks, drivers and fans and I get the impression from speaking with him its still a sore subject to this day.
Jay told me he had been asked by several people and fiberglass body kit manufacturers to make parts to convert street Camaros & Firebirds to IROC race car clones, but he is adamant they will NEVER be reproduced in an effort to preserve the integrity of the series and the original cars that still exist. ALL the Firebirds still do, a few Avengers and Daytonas but only 3 (MAYBE 4) Camaros which are Dales red car, my yellow & blue cars and the pink car (IF it ever surfaces). The chassis were sold off to various teams and do come up from time to time. Jay supplied me with a list of the oddball parts I still need to find and put me in contact with Banjos shop foreman who personally built EVERY IROC Camaro chassis. He agreed to help reassemble the cars back to original so if anyone wants to help me get these cars together you can send donations to my paypal account.
Good to see you posting here. As you can see from my original post I work for Katech. We've talked via email before (I am Jason).
Katech didn't build the engines for the 4th Gen Firebird IROC cars, but we suspect a lot of the parts did come from the original Katech IROC Camaro engines. I'm curious to know if there are K-#### serial numbers on those blocks. Some of the front drive parts on those engines sure do look like the Katech parts.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Hey Jason I meant to PM you as I knew it was you as soon as I read this post. We also spoke on the phone a few years back when I posted the pix. I saw you emailed me a few months back but I had a major wipeout of my email and lost all my contacts and most of my saved messages. I cant tell you how many rare Camaros I had found and documented with VIN, ownership history and contact info. Sorry but you were one of the casualties and I coundnt remember your username. Still trying to recover them, and I've had a little success so all may not be lost. I'm keeping everything in a notebook from now on
I'm adding you to my friends list now.
Re: Sharing a piece of insider IROC racing history
Originally Posted by IROC-MIKE
Hey Jason I meant to PM you as I knew it was you as soon as I read this post. We also spoke on the phone a few years back when I posted the pix. I saw you emailed me a few months back but I had a major wipeout of my email and lost all my contacts and most of my saved messages. I cant tell you how many rare Camaros I had found and documented with VIN, ownership history and contact info. Sorry but you were one of the casualties and I coundnt remember your username. Still trying to recover them, and I've had a little success so all may not be lost. I'm keeping everything in a notebook from now on
I'm adding you to my friends list now.
Thanks for sharing. 
