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1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

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Old 06-26-2016, 11:49 PM
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Car: 1989 Camaro-1LE
Engine: TPI(s)
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Axle/Gears: 3.45, 3.73
1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

I wanted to post up about a new project and a new find! I hope to document it more as I go through it.

It is a genuine 1989 1LE IROC Z28.

- one of 111 made in 1989
- one of 76 that came to Canada
- one of two that were not R7U cars (and built before the R7U cars)

This car is the lowest surviving VIN from 1989, and could be the second or first car sold. More on that later.








This car’s production date was January 1989 and it’s VIN places it well before the 74 R7U cars. It still wears it’s original paint and has most of it’s original parts. For example, the radiator hoses and clamps appear to be original parts as do the spark plug wires. And most important, all the 1LE stuff is intact.

As I received the car, it was not running. It sat in storage for 15+ years. The prior owner(s) tried to get it running and left me with a bit of a challenge to sort out. Long story short, the fuel tank was dry, and the pump had seized. Some quick work to remove the tank and change the pump (Which was a great opportunity to document the 1989 tank and pump), and the engine fired up. There were some other issues, but eventually those got sorted and it is running well now. Still lots to do.

Next steps are to go through the mechanical items and ensure it’s road worthy. Somewhere in it’s history someone installed AC, but it's easily removed and returned to stock. My goal is to keep the car preserved rather than restore it. Plus I can tighten up all the rattles from whomever installed the AC years back.

History (This is where things get interesting)

In researching this car, I thought it was “just” a 1LE. Quite excited by finding one of the two 1LE’s that came to Canada which were not part of the Players race series was very exciting. I could now dig into the 1LE myth vs. the R7U cars. What was different? What was the same? And so on.

This car wears it’s original paint (apart from the hood stripes!) and shows signs of age with rock chips … and there are lots of strange scratches (more on that later). The usual wear items like hood struts and door sag. Some wear on the fabric. Overall not in bad condition. I was surprized to see the original rad hoses and clamps! And the spark plug wires were original! All of this is concerning for other reasons such as being road worthy.

In researching the car’s history, and looking through the car … the story took a turn. The car was first sold in May 1990 (from a Pontiac Dealer no less). It’s first registration was also in 1990. So what happened to a car built in January 1989 until spring 1990? Why no records? And why was it sold "used" from a Pontiac dealer?

Upon looking under the carpets, and pulling the build sheet … I discovered the car once had a roll caged installed, and then was removed having all the holes welded up and painted over. Very nice work (unlike most racing teams). The foot print of the cage appears to be the older design before the rules changed requiring a larger foot print. So this was a curious find … but not uncommon for a 1LE car I suppose.

As I worked to get the engine running and dealing with the VATS system … I ended up burning my own PROM with no VATS. When I went to pull out the stock PROM … to my surprize … an original 1989 Player’s Challenge Racing PROM was in there! Now I am excited … why would this be there. I removed the PROM and read the information … and it matched the literature about the changes GM made (Shift light, Fuel cut off, etc.). It is genuine!

By this point, here is what I knew … the car was not sold as new, it’s first year is not accounted for, it had a cage and it has the Player’s PROM. What gives? I messaged a retired GM engineer who worked in the Player’s series and he confirmed they typically got a car or two prior to the “batch” and used them around the tracks. Sometime they ended up with Marketing. Now I am curious - could this be one of those cars?

In reading the RPO codes for this car … I compared it to an 1989 R7U … and it matched including the R7F, R7K, R7N Sales codes. The only difference was this 1LE had Cruise control along with the “X06” code which was the code for all the PW, PL, Tilt, Cruise options. Other 1989 1LE do not have the R7 codes. R7 packages are how cars were built with particular groupings of options and such. Hence the R7U specified the unique parts of the players program. The other R7 codes aren't well documented but it might explain why this car has the front struts, front/rear springs, etc. that match the R7U cars instead of the 1LE part number.

Some Player’s history … In November 1988, GM told race teams about the 1989 cars, and teams had to submit their orders by Dec 8th, 1988 specifying the new code “R7U”. This new package included the race goodies along with convenience options … as well as Cruise control Delete. There was no X06 needed as the R7U sales package specified all the options. This 1LE has all the same options as an R7U car and is unlike any other 1989 1LE car we have seen so far.

Also noteworthy … all 1989 R7U cars did not have the N10 dual cat option. Neither does this 1LE. The 1LE cars produced after the Canadian batch did have the N10 option.

Now I am thinking … was this car the prototype? Built before the batch. Tested the 1989 PROM before teams got them?

The Final chapter (so far)

Below is a picture of the 1989 Poster:




Take notice of the decals. On this 1989 it has left over decals in the edges and corners that MATCH!. There is Red where there was Red, Yellow where there was Yellow. And the scratches in the paint match where decals were removed! Too bad someone wasn’t more careful removing them. :-/

A Poster Car? Well that would explain the roll cage, race prom, and poor decal removal. The evidence certainly points this way. For now, this is my conclusion - it once looked like that.

The Twin …

The first two 1989 1LE’s that came to Canada were early production cars. Both were optioned identically down to the color (I have the VIN for the other car). The first car was was only 20 or sequence numbers before mine (which was the usual spread for 1989 R7U cars). That car appears to have no history and wasn’t sold to the public. My car was sold a year after production.

Remember the GM Racing series in Canada had an EASTERN and WESTERN division. My car was a Western car and spent it's life out West. It stands to reason the other car was the Eastern car (I'm waiting on confirmation) Both would have been used as test cars, and later as marketing, promo, and poster cars.

Summary:

Here is what I know for sure. I have one of the earliest known 1989 1LE Camaro’s produced. It is was the second to come to Canada. Perhaps the second produced overall. It wasn’t sold new, and was first sold from a Pontiac dealer in 1990. It had a Roll Cage, It has a Race Prom, and there is evidence of decals. And it's pretty original.

It's a great car for a history junkie like me. Now to dig out some of my old 80's cassettes and enjoy some summer cruising!

I'll post up other pictures as I go through the recondition of this classic.

Cheers!
Mark.

Last edited by Mark_ZZ3; 08-24-2017 at 05:19 PM.
Old 06-27-2016, 12:19 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Awesome!!!!!
Old 06-27-2016, 01:29 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Awesome find! I don't know why, but something about the way it sits now looks great. Given the history, a restoration seems like the smart move. But if it weren't a 1LE/R7U with heritage, I'd be tempted to leave it looking as is while getting it mechanically straight with performance boosting. The car looks mean (maybe it's the storm in the background?).
Old 06-27-2016, 05:56 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

What a cool find !!!
Old 06-27-2016, 09:27 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Very Cool!
Old 06-27-2016, 10:29 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by KMK454
Awesome find! I don't know why, but something about the way it sits now looks great. Given the history, a restoration seems like the smart move. But if it weren't a 1LE/R7U with heritage, I'd be tempted to leave it looking as is while getting it mechanically straight with performance boosting. The car looks mean (maybe it's the storm in the background?).
For now the project is "preservation" vs. restoration. I want to keep as much of it as it was. Every dent or scratch has a story behind it.

And yes the picture and location worked out well ... storm clouds and all. This was the maiden voyage (now with working brakes and the engine running on all cylinders ... one original wire was dead). I gotta say the fun factor in driving it was exceptional! I had an ear to ear grin driving it. All I needed was my long hair and my Def Leppard tape playing! ha ha ha.

Not sure if it is the race PROM, but the car has some get up and go!

Mark.
Old 06-27-2016, 10:45 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Congratulations....
Old 06-27-2016, 10:51 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by Munyguy
Congratulations....
Same to you on your latest find and an 89 as well! We can call ourselves Thirdgen Paleontologists.

Mark.
Old 06-27-2016, 11:46 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Outstanding!
Old 06-27-2016, 01:56 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Very cool Mark. Thanks for everything you do for third gens. I know I have asked you for pics and articles in the past. Not enough people preserving the history of these cars, but you are doing the work of many people. It's amazing.
Old 06-27-2016, 02:01 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Amazing that the factory Multecs still work.
Old 06-27-2016, 04:08 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Personally I would think making it look like the car in the picture would be the way to go.

Also did the 1LE Camaros get the Black cross laced Pontiac Wheels?
Old 06-27-2016, 04:26 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by okfoz
Personally I would think making it look like the car in the picture would be the way to go.

Also did the 1LE Camaros get the Black cross laced Pontiac Wheels?
Yes I would agree. Plus the decals cover up the scratches! I am checking to see if I can source the large color decals. All the "words" have been made already and can be sourced.

The two 1LE's in Canada came with Iroc wheels according to the option codes. I haven't looked at the US based 1LE's to check the RPO's. For Canada, Race on Sunday, sell on Monday ... hence the cars had to look like street versions.

Mark.
Old 06-27-2016, 05:20 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Very VERY cool! Another piece of history preserved!
Old 06-27-2016, 09:54 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by okfoz
Personally I would think making it look like the car in the picture would be the way to go.

Also did the 1LE Camaros get the Black cross laced Pontiac Wheels?
Originally Posted by Mark_ZZ3
Yes I would agree. Plus the decals cover up the scratches! I am checking to see if I can source the large color decals. All the "words" have been made already and can be sourced.

The two 1LE's in Canada came with Iroc wheels according to the option codes. I haven't looked at the US based 1LE's to check the RPO's. For Canada, Race on Sunday, sell on Monday ... hence the cars had to look like street versions.

Mark.
Totally agree!!!
Old 06-27-2016, 09:58 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

I love this stuff, history and all, Great Mark and thanks for sharing.
Old 06-27-2016, 11:55 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Hmm ... I've been holding on to these original decals for a long time ... maybe this is the car to do something with? I got the main ones, plus the Western series Mohawk. Just need the black goodyear, Declo, GM parts, and so on. Those are all pretty easy to come by. The Blue, Red, Yellow splash will be a challenge.



Mark.
Old 06-28-2016, 08:01 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

That is a very cool find. I really enjoy reading about each of these cars because they are all unique in their own way.

Upon looking under the carpets, and pulling the build sheet … I discovered the car once had a roll caged installed, and then was removed having all the holes welded up and painted over. Very nice work (unlike most racing teams).
I have a 1991 with cage remnants (plates and tubing circles), but have no idea if or how I could trace any racing history of the car (actually there may not be any history at all). But the cage was installed by someone who knew how to weld and it was removed in a way that doesn't look "cobbled". It's not an R7U car but it is a LB9 non B4C 1LE. Maybe just an amateur who raced SCCA, I don't know. Anyway, thanks for sharing your car Mark!
Old 06-29-2016, 10:21 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Do not use the above decals on any car. The adhesive has a maximum of a 7 year shelf life. Being that these were used on race cars, there are lower life expectancy adhesives used so they can be changed easier annually based on sponsors. I'd use these as a template for new decals.

Anybody know why the TA has the Mohawk decals and the Camaro has the Sunoco Gold decals?
Old 06-29-2016, 11:12 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by scottmoyer
Do not use the above decals on any car. The adhesive has a maximum of a 7 year shelf life. Being that these were used on race cars, there are lower life expectancy adhesives used so they can be changed easier annually based on sponsors. I'd use these as a template for new decals.

Anybody know why the TA has the Mohawk decals and the Camaro has the Sunoco Gold decals?
Thanks for the note on adhesive. I'd be bummed if they fell off.

Mohawk was the western supplier for fuel.
Sunoco was the eastern supplier.

All western cars had the Mohawk decal. All eastern cars had to Sunoco. So in the poster you will see both represented.

Mark.
Old 06-29-2016, 12:53 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Neat find, and neat story to follow!
Old 06-30-2016, 12:18 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Congrats on a awsome piece of history
Old 08-16-2016, 10:55 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Latest news.

I found the history on car number 1. It is no more, wrecked in 1998. So long gone.

It's history is similar to mine. According to GM Vintage, it was set to a small town dealer in Ontario. Get this ... population < 2000. My car was sent to a small town dealer in Alberta ... population < 2000. Hmm ... fancy car for a small town.

Ontario history reports are better than Alberta. Car #1 was registered to GM of Canada on March 29, 1989. An then appeared to move through a few dealers starting in Sep 1990. Car #2 was first registered in Alberta in May 1990 (the report says the municipality is unknown).

In the mean time I called up the Race Director for the GM Motorsport series and asked him a couple of questions. He was the one who approved ALL cars. In 1989 there wasn't any spare cars, and he didn't order cars for Marketing to use. In fact, there were three legs of the GM Motorsports "stool". Marketing, Engineering, and his area which was the Race Director. I spoke with one of the lead engineers from back in the day and he said they did get a test car or two prior to the season and had some of the lead racers test them. These were not Players race cars according to the race director.

So my story still stands up. Cars #1 & 2 were ordered by GM of Canada (most likely engineering and Marketing) as promo & test cars. One was kept out East, and the other sent out West. Both had cages, PROM, decals, etc. They were kept for the race season, and then sold off when the 1990 season started as the cars changed to the 1991 look.

Car #1 is wrecked. Car #2 is in my Garage. Cars #3-76 were R7U race cars. Car's 77-111 were US based cars ... I've found a few of them, but none were optioned the same as the Canadian cars.

My car is now the earliest surviving 1989 1LE Camaro. :-) Not that it means anything ... but I like it!

I've put a few miles on the old girl. Taken to a few local meetings. It still runs strong. Valve seals appear to be done and the power steering pump has a small leak. But otherwise no leaks. Everything works. And I'm taking back to my youth ... just wish I was that young!

Cheers!
Mark.
Old 08-17-2016, 12:41 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

This is fantastic that the car survived. I would 100% take it back to the poster car using decals.
Old 08-17-2016, 07:55 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Reading this thread gave me goosebumps. I love reading about the history of these cars and it awesome that this community still has a few members who are actively trying to research, document and save these cars. Keep us posted on your progress with this car.
Old 08-17-2016, 09:52 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Any updates on this cool car Mark?
Old 08-17-2016, 10:37 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Updates ... hmm.

Car #2. Well I've spent time detailing it and fixing the little things ... all along trying to keep it original-as-found. It's been really hard leaving things alone and not improving. It's kind of a time capsule. I'm sure most people would prefer a shiny, dent free, like-new car. I like the "used" look as there is a story to it.

One night I polished it. Took the haze out of it ... but left the larger scratches visable where the decals were removed. From 10 feet away, it looks much better.

I swapped the hood (for now) with a spare one. The gold stripes didn't do it for me. So the original hood is stored. I also sanded out the stripes on the nose hoping to find the original white to polish. The surface is too imperfect. So I will have to paint that area. :-( I think the end result will be the reward and will keep people focused on the cool part of the car.

I've gone through other things and fixed the odds and ends. Found the TPI dist cover part from a 1989 car. Had to replace the smog pump as this one was junk. I had a 1989 version as well - exact match. Spark plug wire #7 was burnt - luckily I had a spare one with the factory markings! (why did I keep this stuff?) The shifter **** was missing ... but I found an original one - worn - but original. And the wear matches the rest of the car. The AC parts that were in the car, are now removed and it is back to the as-delivered non-AC setup. Engine bay wiring now looks like stock again.

I need to find a spare tire and jack for the 1989-up cars. That is long gone.

Get this ... my drivers seat had a slight tear. :-( ... a local guy I know had an exact match from a 1989 Players Camaro!!! OMFG! What luck.

I'll post up a pic of the interior soon.

The car drives well. I need to set the idle on it as I have no clue who did what with the car before me. I spent hours going through it when I got it. I also think the valve seals might need to be done. The puff of smoke on start up. OR else the injectors leak down. Not sure yet. Remember ... the car sat for 13 or so years.

I'm still waiting on more info on the car to help put it's history together. The binder is growing!

If I put the car in a local show this weekend, I'll take some better pictures of it.

Mark.
Old 08-17-2016, 11:05 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Ok more of the 1LE story (I need to write an article)

(Borrowed from www.hagarty.ca - Aug 2015 - SHOWROOM STOCK STEALTH By: Paul Stenquistm - A Camaro race car delivered via GM’s back door)

******

"Six 1LEs were built for 1988, and 111 were produced for 1989. Most were fitted with roll cages and safety equipment, then beat up on race tracks. Competition was the 1LE’s mission, and it succeeded: Heinricy drove it to the SCCA Escort Series and Firestone Firehawk driver championsips in 1989, and the cars dominated for several years. But at least three of the machines never saw a green flag.

“Sometime in mid ’88 as we were ordering our ’89 press cars, John Heinricy told me he could build three or four of the 1LE race cars for the press fleet if we wanted them,” said Ralph Kramer, a former director of Chevrolet public relations. “I put the blue one on the east coast where Jim Rooney took care of it. The white one stayed in Detroit, and the west coast press fleet got the red one.”"

*******


The most common story we hear is that GM needed to make the 1LE cars in 1988 in order qualify for sanctioned racing. My thoughts are that they already raced the cars in 1988, so there wasn't anything to sanction as the 1LE's came out late. And rules are rules, you can't race with parts BEFORE they are in production. After the 1LE cars were built, then yes they could have. I'm no expert on the Firehawk series. Keep in mind the Canadian teams were using the larger brakes in 1986 and so did *some* of the US series.

My belief is this ... The more accurate story is the marketing one. And it holds true in Canada with the two 1LE's - one out East and one out West! GM of Canada's Marketing division ordered two 1LE cars like the US ones and placed them in regions that would garner the most interest - Ontario and Alberta. Basically the early 1LE cars demonstrated the combinations of parts that would be available to the race teams.

Effectively "1LE" created an equal combination car whether it was a Trans Am or Camaro. Both got the best parts of each other. Sways bars from the Trans Am, chassis stiffeners from the Camaro, front struts derived from a convertible (they were the heaviest car), springs selected to provide the lower stance, camaro bushings, aluminum drive shaft, better designed fuel pickup and baffle, and of course the front brakes. There is some writing that suggest the 5 speed combined with the 1LE was the 0.74 OD one as designated by two RPO codes.

R7U cars added the luxury items not commonly seen on the US cars of the same year. And R7U cars were optioned so that a Camaro and Trans Am were close in weight. Hence the different options selected.


I have to gather my thoughts and put it down in writing. I get some of my stories mixed up due to my excitement with it all.

Anyways ... thats my news for today.

Mark.
Old 08-20-2016, 09:44 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Thanks for the update Mark, the history lesson is fascinating.
Old 08-22-2016, 02:04 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Nail in the Coffin ... so to speak.

Well I got the Vehicle registration information on my car (from Ontario!) AND - drum roll - It was first registered to GM of Canada in April 1989!!!

So the story now has some fact. The first two 1LE Camaros made in 1989 were regsitered to GM of Canada. Registered means having a insurance and a license plate in that province.

Car #1 & 2 where produced in Jan 1989, and delivered in Feb 1989.

Car #1 was regsitered with GM of Canada in March 1989, then sold in Sep 1990.
Car #2 was registered with GM of Canada in April 1989, then sold in May 1990.


So the first 6 1LE Camaros made were used by GM (US and Canada) for marketing/testing.

There ya go. Another chapter in the 1LE history.

... now to see what GM used the cars for. Have to contact some old photographers from 1989 and see what they have.


Mark.
Old 08-22-2016, 02:10 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Wait a minute ... now I have to put the decals back on it!!!

:-)
Old 08-22-2016, 08:49 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

What a score, with documentation......nice.
Old 08-22-2016, 11:51 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Ok ... something neat. Years ago I clipped the beginning of the 1989 Wide World of Sports TV show with the Player's opening. I found it today and there is the Marketing car doing a burnout!!!

Now the poster picture I have show above had the "89" with blue and gold. The one in the video is just Blue. My car only has the blue ... I could not find the gold. Knowing there were two cars ... I am led to believe THIS IS MY CAR!!!

No idea how to host the video ... but here is the 2MB download. It's low res from a VHS TV. So no 4K television folks! But what the Camaro burnout ... !!!

http://www.playerschallengeseries.ca...Motorsport.mpg

Now seeing the decals on the back bumper ... that now explains why the "TUNED PORT INJECTION" and "IROC-Z" badges are gone. Here I thought someone ripped them off or the bumper was painted. Seems it was done for the GM Motorsport decal.



Mark.

Last edited by Mark_ZZ3; 08-22-2016 at 11:55 PM.
Old 08-23-2016, 06:46 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

So cool!
Old 09-05-2016, 11:46 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Another chapter ...

I spoke to the GM engineer Bill Ball) who DROVE the car in the video clip. He is also quoted in the magazine article (https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...ro-iroc-z.html) that compares the difference between a 1989 Players car and stock Iroc. He confirmed the Engineering group did get a test car, and they used it in that video opening as well as other things. As he said, they drove the h*ll out of those test cars.

So this story is nearing completion. The car was the one in the video, owned by GM, Driven by GM engineering. I have another phone call to make to see if I can find out more about what GM did with the car.

Being the car that it is ... the correct thing to do would be to put it back to the one in the video as it was truely the one that was the "hyde" car from the videos. I have some old race footage from 1989 that I need to go through and see if there isn't any coverage of the car.

All for now.
Mark.
Old 09-05-2016, 01:13 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Hope you don't mind... a minute or two of editing

Camaro 1LE: A storm is coming to a track near you:

Attached Thumbnails 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND-img_5235.jpeg  
Old 09-05-2016, 05:12 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

This thread and the one below it, "1990 1LE Trans Am 1 of 4 FOUND" are how a 1LE thread is done right. No BS, just informed and documented info.
Old 09-12-2016, 07:45 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Thanks Drew!
Old 10-06-2016, 06:21 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Another chapter in the 1LE Files ...

In looking up information my camaro and it's twin, I learned that both were registered to GM of Canada and used for a variety of purposes. I suspected both were marketing cars in one way or another ... but what I have discovered is that the marketing cars were just "regular" camaros, not 1LE cars.

In 1989, GM campaigned the racing program throughout Canada at different events and malls. In those setups, there were various GM cars including a 1989 "hyde" car. Here are a couple pic of the displays:





See fog lights AND see the Players decal on the hood:



Numbers have gold and blue:





These cars have a different decal package compared to the video car:

Here the numbers are just blue, no gold.



This is the Trans Am from the video ... better picture of the door numbers.



And here the hood decals are only GM Motorsports:





Ok, so now I have pics of multiple cars from 1989. The marketing cars had foglights. None of the 1LE cars had fog lights (I have all the VINs and RPO's for the 1989 1LE cars). In talking to Alan Chapman (race director), he said none of "his" cars were used by Marketing. So the story seems to hold.

My challenge is trying to decal the car up like the video car from Wide World of Sports. I have quite a few angles.


Now to save this post and start the next chapter!

Mark.
Old 10-06-2016, 06:42 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

The `Sister Cars` ...

It stands to reason ... GM got the first two 1LE Camaros that came to Canada, so there should be two 1LE Trans Ams ... right

The first two 1LE Camaros were about 1900 sequence numbers prior the R7U batch. Knowing the Trans Ams sold less cars, I figured any 1LE Trans Am`s would be no further than 1900 sequence numbers before the R7U batch. Over a few days, I look up no less than 1600 VIN numbers ... yes 1600!!! I created my own VIN numbers with the F engine code and a Trans Am VIN starting with the Sequence number before the first R7U car, and then decremented 1 by 1. Out of those 1600 or so cars, I found 7 GTAs that had an F code engine, 1 Trans Am, and then of course ... drum roll ... the TWO 1LE Trans AMS!!!

Pulling the vehicle history on these two VINs showed the same info as the two Camaros. Cars number 1 were both registered on March 20 and Cars number 2 both on April 25th. GM had two sets of 1LE cars in 1989.

Now how is that for cool information?

I am trying to track down the TAs and see if either are still around. This may take a while, but I have some leads.

If you have watched any of the Players Challenge videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCay...wMpRlxGBYrrpcQ there is some footage of interest. In the 1989 Molson Indy, there is a tire change event for the media about 1 minute into the video. In this clip, different media teams compete to see who can change tires the fastest ... using GM Motorsport Camaros and Firebirds ... and yes these were the 1LE cars.

Here you can see both Camaros, and way out up front is two Trans Ams. About all you can make out is 4 roof lines.



Here are the Trans Ams.


Here is the full video if you want to watch. If you are paying attention, you can see the 1LE PBR calipers when they pull the front tires off. It`s pretty quick, but you can see the two circles and aluminum color.




Ok, so now we know the story of the first 4 1LE cars that came to Canada, which are also the first 4 1LE cars made in 1989.

There is one other 1989 Trans AM 1LE that is not yet accounted for. No idea where to start looking for this one.




Mark.
Old 10-07-2016, 07:07 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Were were you running the VIN's and how did you account for the random check digit?
Old 10-07-2016, 09:26 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by PurelyPMD
Were were you running the VIN's and how did you account for the random check digit?
The Check Digit is not random it is derived from a formula from the rest of the VIN.

In 1998 I wrote a software program to calculate the check digit.

VIN Check Digit Info from Wiki
Old 10-07-2016, 09:50 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

I too have made a check digit calculator program, but mine was made in Basic, and was only for 1989 Firebirds, it generates all possible VIN combinations with the set of 5 known sequence numbers. Simo's program is much nicer.
Old 06-05-2017, 06:23 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND - Updated

Well I have been thinking about what to do with the 1989 1LE. Keep it original and preserved. Restore to as delivered. Or ....

The decision was made for me when an invite came in to attend a Grand Opening of a race track in BC (www.area27.ca). Two of the owners are Player's drivers, so they invited a group of cars to come out on grand opening. With short notice, I got busy getting the car track ready ... or at least safe to drive. And then to get the decals done up. And so forth. Well after many long days, it was done, and 1000KM to the track, the car was there along with 12 other Player's cars, racing on the track like they did years ago.

It feels fitting to see the car back to where it started life ... being run on the track proving what the 1LE was built for. Even 28 years later, it still runs ok.

It was a bucket list item for me to run the car on a track with other Player's cars, and a few cars with original drivers! The car even saw 100MPH on the track (An experienced driver would have seen more than this ... and having some stickier tires would have helped with cornering speeds).



I still need to add a few missing decals as I ran short of time. Shortly it will look like it once did.

Oh yes ... notice it is running the race exhaust now. Sounds great!

Mark.

Last edited by Mark_ZZ3; 06-05-2017 at 06:26 PM.
Old 06-05-2017, 07:34 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

THAT IS SO COOL!!!!!

(Yes, I'm yelling!)
Old 06-05-2017, 09:50 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Man that is AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Love the pics, the history.....all of it!!!!!!
Old 06-07-2017, 01:56 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

I enjoyed reading this story.
Old 08-16-2018, 05:46 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

I didn't see anyone mention it so I have to ask...

It would be super cool to see if the timing table from that chip is special. Maybe GM spent a lot of time on the dyno perfecting a more aggressive table. Obviously the fueling is engine specific and we can all dial that in for our cars, but without loads of dyno time there's no way to get your timing table "perfect" especially starting with a table meant to meet emissions standards of the time.

If you haven't already read it into the PC, I think a PROM image would be a big value in the fbody community. I know I would give the timing table a try on my engine!

Very awesome special car to have. Knowing so much of it's history is great
Old 08-17-2018, 09:44 AM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Originally Posted by dieselbird
I didn't see anyone mention it so I have to ask...

It would be super cool to see if the timing table from that chip is special. Maybe GM spent a lot of time on the dyno perfecting a more aggressive table. Obviously the fueling is engine specific and we can all dial that in for our cars, but without loads of dyno time there's no way to get your timing table "perfect" especially starting with a table meant to meet emissions standards of the time.

If you haven't already read it into the PC, I think a PROM image would be a big value in the fbody community. I know I would give the timing table a try on my engine!

Very awesome special car to have. Knowing so much of it's history is great
I've been through the race proms from the various years of the series and compared them with stock. A big step for GM was to ensure the longevity of the engines more so than max power. The MAF tables and AE tables were adjust to match the open exhaust systems and flow matched injectors. The spark table was based off the 5 speed 3.45 ratio cars with some changes to reduce detonation between gear shifts. Plus safety items for rev limits and shift lights.

After making my own proms for a while now, the tunes would be unique to your engine setup. The race one could be a good starting point, but you will quickly deviate depending on mods.

Mark.
Old 08-21-2018, 07:03 PM
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Re: 1989 1LE Camaro - NEW FIND

Agreed, I think the spark table is the only thing that would apply to a similar engine. The fuel stuff is too specific and is easily tuned anyway. I haven't found a way to tune my spark tables that makes me feel like they are "perfect". I am happy with performance and mileage and I don't get any spark knock but I'm always curious if it could be improved.

Well not to get off topic.... Cool car! I really like all the history!


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