scottmoyer

Fixed.

scottmoyer

Had some time after work to do a few things. I removed two small dents in the passenger front fender, right on the wheel lip - gone! There was an outward dent on the roof over the driver seat - gone! I removed two dents from the body line on the driver door - gone!

The car is looking really good, I just need to get the stereo and speakers replaced so I can listen to tunes while I cruise!

Drew

iTrader: (58)

What method are you using to remove the dents?

scottmoyer

Paintless dent removal. I used to work for Dent Wizard and have my own side business, called DentWorks. I go to car shows and take dents out of show cars to help pay for some of my toys. I have all the tools to do the job the right way.

Here's me about 10 years ago at a car show, when I still had my 80's hairstyle!!!



And my business logo that I designed a few years ago.



I took a bunch of dents out of ABUBACA's car at this same show and he might have some pictures. This is the only one I have as I usually don't take selfies while working.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

I'd love to see a step by step.

scottmoyer

It's easy to make this look easy, but damage to the paint and the panel happens very quickly if you don't use the proper technique. This is not something you can learn overnight and takes months, if not years, to master. Too hard of a push and you can crack the paint. Not hard enough and the dent doesn't come out.

grngryoutmyway

iTrader: (1)

Lol, I think I was standing a few feet away you working on this car and this picture was taken. One of Abubaca's friends with Tri Cities. Good times.

Very cool story and the car is looking great already. Sounds like a whole lot of little stuff that has kind of piled up. I'm sure it will get sorted pretty quick, subscribed

scottmoyer

I need opinions on this one. The stereo needs to be rebuilt and I found some posts where others made recommendations, but I found this radio from a 1990 Olds, that is new and never installed. What do you guys think about putting this in the car? I know I need the wiring adaptor, but it should work. This radio costs less than the cost to repair the analog radio currently in the car.

JohnFB

Hi, Scott.


It's just my opinion, but aesthetically, I don't think that radio looks right in a third gen. I would think many other Delco radios of the 1980s would look more appropriate. And I really prefer radios with volume and tuning *****!


My family had a 1982 Berlinetta with the top of the line cassette radio (analog tuning -- looked identical to yours). It ended up being my first car, which I drove for over 175,000 miles, so I'm nostalgic for the old style radio. I was always amazed how well the mechanical presets held their accuracy after you fine-tuned each station. (I'm an electrical engineer, so I tend to think about such stuff!)


--John

irvan

iTrader: (1)

I think you would be much happier with an original radio in your original car.

BOTTLEDZ28

iTrader: (9)

Nice car Scott. Quick question for those following here.... did GM put build sheets in all thirdgens and if so were they all put under the carpet in the passenger side?

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Id get a modern MP3 player if your going to ride around and enjoy the car.. If its JUST for shows only id get a factory style radio. I wouldn't put a sub-par stereo out of a 90 Olds in it that's just changing it up anyhows. BTW love the car! Id love to own another one one day myself.

scottmoyer

The car is a low mile car, but isn't "all" original anymore. I spoke with the 2nd owner the other day and found out that the car was painted somewhere around 1990 after he sold the car. He mentioned the paint was in bad shape and the decals were peeling with only 9k miles on the odometer. A brick wall was knocked over into the car during a storm before 1990, requiring the paint work.

The interior appears original, but I can't confirm that the seats or seat material hasn't been replaced. The odometer is the over the counter "Z28" badged 140mph speedo available back then. Even the hood insulation is aftermarket, so the car is not "original" in the 100% aspect, but it's pretty close.

scottmoyer

The build sheet is just that, a build sheet. Many were tossed out by the plant, and many were just thrown in the car and thrown away when the car was dealer prepped. They are located in many places in the car, if they are in the car at all. ALL pace cars had them in the passenger seat springs, but that's the only "known" location for a specific car.

irvan

iTrader: (1)

It looks and sounds like the "original" concept was kept when redoing different aspects of the car and from seeing your "other car" here on the forum and in Hemmings I think you are probably an original radio kind of guy. They must have done really nice work if you didn't spot the repaint, gorgeous car.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Weird question, but I'm curious. What would you have charged to remove those dings on a customer's car?

Also, I think you'd be happier with a stock radio...

scottmoyer

I'm looking at a stock appearing radio, from a GM car of that generation. Do I really need a 1982 specific radio that has an analog radio? No. A digital display would still be period correct. Adding a CD stereo from 1990 would not go well in a 1982 car.

As for the repaint, I knew it was repainted the first time I saw it 15 years ago. It was purchased, sight unseen, via eBay. Once we got it, I told my father it was repainted. They did a fantastic job, by removing all of the trim and weatherstripping first, but clear coat was only a thought in 1982 factories.

Charlie, the dents I had were similar to what your white car had, only fewer. For me, it would have been less than $200 for the dents because they were minor. If they were bigger or harder dents, the price goes up. I find it hard to charge someone the $80 per first dent when it takes less than 5 minutes to remove it. BTW, I had two dents on the body line that needed to be removed. Just like your car that couldn't be fixed, but I fixed mine in a matter of minutes, each dent.

scottmoyer

Ok, it finally stopped raining. The sun was out so I was able to get the car out. Here's more eye candy with a new wax job!

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Lookin' good, Scott!

JohnFB

Scott, when you say "period correct", you basically mean early third gen, right? Because I'm pretty sure digital displays only came out in 1983 for Camaros (digital displays for Firebirds might have come out a year earlier), so a digital display is not strictly correct for 1982.


-- John

JohnFB

Oops. Scott, I see you said "1982 specific", so I realize you know digital displays for Camaros weren't available until 1983. Ignore my last post!

siuol

Scott, that is one very good looking car.

Louis

scottmoyer

Thanks

bjpotter

All original or not the car looks stunning!

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Amazing that you fixed your dings in minutes but I can't find anyone who even wants to deal with a 3rd gen.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Looks great Scott!

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

I don't understand that. 3rd gen or not, a dent is a dent??

scottmoyer

The center line of the 3rd gen door is behind a brace. It's difficult to access dents in this area and some are almost un-doable. Many dent people are not familiar with the inside of a 3rd gen door since PDR came to the US in the mid 90s. I have had some dents that were very difficult and that I couldn't get perfect because of the brace location.

I've been fortunate on this car that there were dents in the front fender wheel lip (very accessible), the doors below the handle (very accessible), a couple on the body line under door handle (limited accessibility), and the roof. The roof dent I had was from the inside going out, so I only had to knock it down to level.



You can see by the curvature of the door that the body line is protected by the beam. The door skin is glued to the beam in many places, making it difficult to get a tool behind the beam. With the beam so close to the door skin, if you do get a tool behind it, any movement or twisting of the tool to work a dent causes additional outward dents, creating more work.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

I never gave that a thought. Thanks for the explanation.

PS: Scott, your car is looking great! Those outside pictures really "pop"!

scottmoyer

Thanks. Silver doesn't photograph too well. The reflection in the car is awesome, but the pictures make it look flat. Not sure why a camera can't capture those features.

I also got word from Amazon that my hood struts should be in today! YAY!

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

As others have said the car looks spectacular! It's original enough lol in my opinion. Many early thirdgens haven't made it this far and still in this kind of shape. Its very clear that people cared about the car over the years.


How does the car drive? I forgot that 1982 was the last year for the 4-speed?

scottmoyer

Compared to the IROC-Z, not very well. It seems sloppy, even though the suspension is fairly new. It's nowhere near as tight as any of my cars. I need it to stop raining so I can drive the car and get rid of the gas that's in it. I may need to do another carb rebuild and fuel filter replacement. Both were done a few hundred miles ago, but that was 3 years ago. The gas sitting may have gummed things up a bit as it runs rough when cold and pings badly when accelerating.

I'll get rid of this gas, add some Sea Foam, fill up with ethanol free 89, and see how it runs. If it's still bad, then I'll check the timing and start on the carb and filter.

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Yeah I understand. It will take some time to get it where you want it. Does it have 3.23 gears? It's still a very sharp looking car.


Would have been great if the L69 was available in 1982. L69 pace car would have been very nice.

((Mike))

iTrader: (1)

Man I love these pace cars! I would bet that carb is gummed up from sitting for three years. It only took my lawn mower a year of sitting before the gas gummed up the carb and it wouldn't start anymore! Nice Car! Sorry to hear you lost your dad! I lost mine 26 years ago and I still miss him like crazy!

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

Scott! Good work man! Car looks great! ....and I remember you massaging those dents out in Atlanta, and yeah, that car in the pic is Birdman (Bryan's) TA.
You've always had more draw to "original" than I have, although I love the heritage. Always thought a later 3rd gen (Iroc or 91/92 Z28) version of the pace car would be cool! Some color/graphics etc. etc....

...anyhow, good work!!!!!!

okfoz

Wow, car looks awesome!

scottmoyer

It really is painful being a stock ****! I've been searching for years, for the correct rear hatch switch for this car. I found one on eBay last weekend that was new in the box. The guy only wanted $25 for something that's not been available for 30 years! I got lucky and already installed it!!

rarebmx

iTrader: (6)

The car looks amazing. Your really did get LUCKY with that hatch switch. Perfect!
The factory stereo is really appropriate for this car. Justifying a different one can mean run whatever you want to run but I thought the 82 was a one year only & I also thought there were two different head units depending on if it had the console clock or not. I thought the digital clock was installed if the car didn't have the console clock. I don't think these head units were ever very good from the factory but they are correct.
Leave that one in its current state & figure out a way to run another unit hidden for "real" sound.
Following thread & appreciate all your efforts on the forum as well as knowledge in helping save the history of these cars.

FormerL69

iTrader: (2)

Tell me about it. Finding that switch in the box is nothing short of incredible. Unobtanium for sure!

((Mike))

iTrader: (1)

My first camaro was an 82 Z. I don't remember that switch being like that. Maybe my car didn't have one. Nice find.

scottmoyer

And it was in the box!!!!

FormerL69

iTrader: (2)

Not to sound like a stalker, but I looked up the completed sale on eBay and saw the pic. Incredible! And only $25 too ...

okfoz

What did the one on the car look like? What was wrong with it...

With this in mind, I will have to suggest that you just get the correct radio fixed for the car, being a stock ****, it would drive you crazy... If they had a CD player that was correct for the year, but not correct for the car, I could see you doing that, but, use what you have, pay the $$...

yaj15

iTrader: (3)

Were you able to get the carb problems worked out? If you can post a video driving. I haven't seen a manual 1982 V8 f-body in a real long time.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

What a score!

scottmoyer

Nothing was wrong with the one that was in the car, other than it wasn't correct for 1982. The '82 and '83 had a toggle switch and the '84-'89 had the slider below.

rarebmx

iTrader: (6)

I have a few with the graphic above but now I'm seeing this graphic show up here & there. Both are identical in every way except for the graphic. I wonder if the actual 3rd gen cars had a specific graphic. I didn't realize until I did a comparisonof a few of mine recently.

scottmoyer

I just did a google search and found the one I posted. The one you show is the correct one for the Camaro. My '87 has the same one you posted.

KMK454

For stereos, I'm either an original or hidden fan. So for your car, I'd consider:

1. Fix the original system and put it in

2. See if you can mount the face of the original system minus the backing and then hide a new system behind the dash/console. I put the radio delete panel back and mine and simply hid an iPod mini-amp input behind the dash. This gives you the correct look but with better music input options.

rarebmx

iTrader: (6)

Yes, your's is 100% correct & the one I posted above is correct for 87-89 for sure but trying to figure out that other graphic, wonder if that one is 84-86. There seems to be quite a few of Camaros with that switch.

1982 switch.