TP355Z

Evening TGO. This will be my build thread over the next couple of years. There's a lot of back story here, so I'll start with the history...

In 1999 I bought 2 Camaros, a 1985 IROC (wrecked) and a 1988 Sport Coupe. The Sport Coupe got a mild 350 (my first build) and a T5 with 200,000 miles on it out of a 1989 Firebird. For highschool graduation, my father and I painted the car - bright orange with white IROC stripes. She was my pride and joy.

Sadly by 2006, I was finishing college (UConn, Mechanical Engineer) and the car had a carburetor in place of the TBI and emissions kept me from driving it. Still, I spent $2500 on a Moser 12 bolt and started building a 383 LT1 to swap in. In the meantime, she sat...

TP355Z

It was in 2008 that I found myself with a dilemma: I had a 2005 CTS-V, my Camaro, and I had just purchased my father's 1984 Mustang GT (he was the orig. owner).

Count em': 3 hot-rods...and I just bought a house. It was time to get real and grow up. Who would make the cut?

The Mustang did. In the end, it had a lot of sentimental value (I rode in it as a child, my mom took it to Rod Stewart concerts, and my father built the motor). The CTS-V and Camaro had to go. They both were traded to a local dealership so I could buy a truck, and life went on...

TP355Z

For the next 5 years I poured time and money into the Mustang to continue my father's work. It got the following upgrades...

World Class T5
3.55 Gears W/8.8" Ford Rear
SSBC Rear Discs
FRPP Alum Driveshaft
New Headliner / Carpet
Lincoln Mark V Brakes
347 stroker with AFR heads

I always regretted selling the Camaro...but now that my current project was almost finished and life in-general was under control...I missed my old companion. I started searching for another IROC as my next build and that's where things got weird...

TP355Z

I looked for a few months for a decent third-gen to use as the basis for my next build. The problem was, at the last minute, it always seemed that - without fail - the deal would go south. I must have called or looked at over a dozen third-gens. Here are the highlights...

Car 1: 1989 IROC, 350 TPI, 45,000 orig miles -- $4500
Despite calling in advance to see the car, when I showed up at his house - the seller met me at the front door and told me he couldn't sell me the car. I figured he had someone else put a deposit on it, but no. His reason? "My 6 year old son was really upset when I told him I was selling it...sorry."

Car 2: 1985 IROC, 305, 5-Speed, 70,000 orig miles -- $7000
I showed up at Joe's house to check out his black IROC. It was extremely clean and very original but he said it was "a little tough" to get into reverse. He started it up and everything sounded great, but being in a hurry, I didn't drive it. I came back a few days later with a check in hand ready to buy - but it was raining. Joe was hesitant to take the car out in the rain, but I wasn't going to buy it without a test drive. It's a good thing I stood my ground! It was IMPOSSIBLE to get the car into reverse. When we got back to the house, I insisted that HE park the car, and GOOD LORD the way he banged on that shifter made me wince. He looked at me with a smile and said "you can't be wimpy with these transmissions, you've got to shift them hard". It was at that point that I told him he was nuts - that NO T5 shifts that hard, and that without a big price break, we would not be doing business. <Note: He would call me back 5 days later saying that the car went to "the dealer" for a new flywheel and clutch...I never returned his call>

Car 3: 1989 IROC
This was a turning point in my search. Basically everyone I talked to got the sob-story about how I sold my prized orange Camaro. This time, I met a fellow TGO member in Ashford CT to look at the car he had for sale. It had a lot of great features (T56 / Holley Mini-Ram / Etc) but while we were talking, I mentioned my orange Camaro, his response: "Oh, I see that car all the time in Willimantic CT, the guy only drives it on nice days."

Armed with that information, I posted a "have you seen" ad on TGO and craigslist. But that wasn't where I'd cash-in my luck...

TP355Z

The day after getting the lead on where my old Camaro was, I called every auto-parts store in Willimantic CT, asking them whether I could post a "have you seen" flyer on their bulletin board. Unfortunately, only NAPA said "yes". I printed out a few flyers and left work early to drop them off. During the drive down I kept my eyes peeled. I figured the chances of seeing my Camaro on the road were slim, but it was a nice spring day - who knows right?

Half there I caught a glimpse of bright orange behind some cars parked at a junk-yard. Never in my life have I locked up the brakes on a car, but that day I did. I pulled into the parking lot and sonnovab if it wasn't my old Camaro! Luckily she wasn't IN the junkyard..."just visiting" as they'd say in Monopoly parlance.

I waited for the owner to come out. The guys working in the garage threw me a lot of dirty looks for hovering around what clearly wasn't "my car" - but screw em' - I was on a mission. When the guy finally returned to his car I walked right up to him and said:

"Hi there. My name is Tyler and I'm going to need my car back."

Initially he didn't believe that I was the original owner (or builder) of the car. But after I pointed out a half dozen foibles about the car and told him where he bought it (and when) he was convinced.

We ended up talking for about an hour, during which time I noticed that he picked at the paint under the hood where he "thought it was coming up" and that he had also tapped a curb, ruining the paint on the front spoiler. He then tried to fix the chipped paint using what I can only imagine was "DOT Orange" paint. However, minor tweaks aside, the car was EXACTLY as I left it. Even the tires (which were bald when I sold the car) were still on it! I found out that he had it in storage for 3 years and that he had been thinking about selling.

As it turned out, he was AT NAPA when I called them asking about posting my flyer. The kid behind the counter told him that "someone is looking for your car" which he saw as a sign. When I showed up at the junk-yard the next day, he was simply blown away.

I threw a number at him, he shook my hand, and the next morning I was slapping new plates on it to bring it home! Every squeak, rattle, and feel was exactly as I remembered it - good and bad. Haha. One thing was abundantly clear: after years of driving the Mustang - nothing handles like a third-gen Camaro!

That's enough story for tonight. Tomorrow I'll start detailing my build plans...

86gn

iTrader: (3)

Looking forward to following, nothing like finding a piece of your own history.

TP355Z

After spending this summer tuning the stroker in the Mustang, I finally got the Camaro pulled into the big garage to start the project. This should keep me busy for a few months..haha…

The plan for the drivetrain is to do an LS1/T56 swap. I’ll likely do a cam / springs before dropping the motor in. In a perfect world I’d build a 408 LQ4, but since I’ll be learning to tune on this build, I think I’d rather run the risk of blowing up an LS1 with miles on it instead of a newly built stroker. Haha. The Moser 12-bolt should hold up fine to whatever I throw at it in the future, so it’ll get a fresh coat of paint. There will be a bunch of work in the engine bay and on the wiring harness too, I’m sure. My goal is to have the car as integrated as possible – eg: have the LS1 ECM controlling my fans and other auxiliary equipment.

Out with the old!

TP355Z

Just ordered a couple books to buff-up on the LS family of motors. Hopefully I’ll be an expert on them in a month or two…

“How To Build Big-Inch GM LS-Series Engines”
“How To Build High-Performance Chevy LS1/LS6 V8s”

For those interested in learning more about the LS family, there’s a lot of information available on the internet. I saved and printed a dozen articles from various magazines and sites – I’m blown away by how sophisticated these next-gen small blocks are. For example…

-LS motors are all 6 bolt mains – 4 vertical and 2 transverse: this gives them way more rigidity than a Gen I SBC.
-GM designed the LS blocks with deeper side- skirts: eg – if you look at a Gen I block with the pan off, the main caps protrude below the pan rail. On an LS motor the pan rail is even with the TOP of the caps. This allows the 2 side-bolts on each main cap AND adds rigidity.
-The bottom of the intake is shielded from hot oil / gasses by the lifter-valley cover.
-The lifter valley cover has provision for 2 knock sensors (I believe this is a better location than the prior side-of-block method).
-The oil pan is technically a “structural” member, adding further rigidity to the bottom end.
-Aluminum blocks are good to ~600 RWHP
Iron blocks are good to ~1000 RWHP -- compare that to ~600 RWHP for a cast iron Gen I block…wow
-The head bolts aren’t re-useable (torque to yield).

I knew the LS motors were awesome, but what I'm learning just plain blows me away. I can't believe I even CONSIDERED building a Gen I small block this time around!

Oh, and as a guy that owns a Mustang AND a Camaro and having studied both - I can say without question that GM has the better V8 right now.

dprest68

iTrader: (1)

Amen brother!

That's a pretty interesting story about getting your car back. Sounds like it was meant to be.

Make sure you do you homework on the swap. There is tons of information on this forum about it. I spent over 100 hours doing research on here and on the internet before I started my swap. And I am glad that I did.

I think that is going to be a nice ride once you get it completed.

S76

Hi,

I'm Tyler's dad. As he works his builds at his house I am working mine at my house. There isn't hardly a day goes by that we aren't bouncing ideas and questions off of each other. He is an engineer, I'm an aircraft mechanic, and we are both terminally ill hot rod junkies. Together, we can dream up some cool stuff at times. Other times we just over think things to paralysis.

So with that, let the cash flow begin!!!!

Bullydawg

iTrader: (7)

Awesome!!! Check out my build sometime when you get a chance! I'll be following yours! Great history and back story!

I too own a Fox...

TP355Z

To add a little backstory: the "build" S76 refers to is a sick 80s Jeep that's getting a frame-off resto, big meats, and a 300HP small block Ford (that came out of the Mustang).

We're both a bit ill...

Thanks for the post Bullydawg. It's funny how many rabid Camaro and Mustang fans there are out there. In the end, either car can be fast and each has things they do better than the other. Theres no black-and-white in car crafting.

IROCgiraffe

iTrader: (3)

Great thread and story! (subscribed)

TP355Z

Hey all,

The last 6-8 months have NOT been productive. It's funny (translate: frustrating) how life can screw up a build plan!

Since getting the Camaro back the only thing I've accomplished is selling off the 350 that was in it, as well as the T5. Right now she's just a roller sitting in my garage waiting for attention. Unfortunately: I have now far exceeded my vehicle-storage capacity. Both my daily driver and truck (and new plow) are forced to sit outside year round. So that's no good. Before the Camaro can be started in earnest, I've got to spend some money on a new 2 car garage attached to the house...argh.

TP355Z

On the plus side - being stuck in the "concept phase" has allowed me to do some research on what kind of plug-and-play LSX options are out there...

My knees aren't going to last as long as whatever drivetrain I put in that Camaro...so I've -for now- changed direction. After riding in my buddies modded G8, it's hard to find something cooler than a paddle shifted 6 speed auto...

http://www.tciauto.com/tc/6x-six-spe...le-shifterhtml

A 6-speed transmission in a 4L80E package means this SHOULD fit in a third-gen tunnel.

More due dilligence is needed - but this is the first auto tranny that's really gotten me excited...

TP355Z

FINALLY a productive weekend - I'll have pictures to post this evening. Got the nose off the car (that was fun by myself...) and started stripping the engine bay. Getting the harness out is going to be an adventure methinks. There's one connector giving me fits...I'll have to grab a picture of that to share as well.

I gotta say - it feels good to be working on the ole' girl again. It'll be even better I can DRIVE it...but that's a few years away...

TP355Z

Just like Michael Jackson - no nose!

When my father and I painted the car back in 2002 we shot it with the nose on. As a result the seam between the nose and fenders was prone to chipping. That and the guy that had it before me...after me...between me(???) hitting a curb meant that I needed to bring it down to primer and start over.

I'm just lucky the paint shop still has my file on record.

TP355Z

Looking for a little advice from those who have done full engine bay restorations...

My plan right now is to strip the engine bay, mask off any holes in the firewall, cover the back of the car with plastic, then blast down to bare metal. Here's the question:

What sandblaster and media would you guys recommend for the job? I'm sure sand would work fine, but if there's a less coarse / messy material to try I'm all ears...

Thoughts?

cam-

Unless the engine bay is rusted out? I wouldnt recommend sand blasting just for the sake of it. Its messy as hell and unless you strip the car right down the sand will get in places you dont want it.

I use good old dish soap and warm water followed by pressure washer, lots of elbow grease first with the sponge and soap though. Then a good chemical silicone.grease removing pre cleaner ( buy at paint supplier ) and a scuff with 240, prime, paint. Looks mint and doesnt make near the mess and if you clean it well enough it will be every bit as good if not better end result than sand blasting first would be.

TP355Z

Hey Cam - I'm glad someone is watching this thread - thanks for the response. My concern is the longevity of the prep. Last time we did the wash-sand-clean-paint method and it only held up for a few years. Plus, sanding my entire engine bay by hand is a bit daunting.

I don't mind a mess

This weekend is going to be dedicated to further stripping. I've got to get the harness out and all the brake lines / wonder bar / sway bar stuff.

Oh, and I live near the local race track - so when I'm tinkering Friday night I'll have that to listen to for "music".

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

subscribing strictly because i love the back story and want to see the end result

keep up the good work!

cam-

I understand. Might be worthwhile on such a build to strip the car right down to the shell, blast/prime the whole thing, and do it right. Its a lot of work but you will end up with a TOP level car when your done. Section blasting a car is... a painful process imo.

But adhesion wise? Best thing I ever learned about painting cars is to get a good quality paint supplier and stick with their system from A-Z and you wont have adhesion or sink issues over time. Its typically not at all cheap mind you, but the results speak volumes especially as the years pass. RM, Dupont, PPG, Sikkens etc. No cheapy, especially cheap no name primers = bad news.

Considering that this build seems to be something more akin to wanting it to last for the duration, thought it worth the mention. Hope it all turns out mint whatever route you take.

BTW I noticed you have painted black over the factory paint in the engine compt and it does look to be peeling off. A good chemical stripper will make short work of that too, equally messy, but once its done, its done. with sand it will be dribbling out of cracks, for practically forever.

TP355Z

Hey Caveman - thanks for tuning in.

As far as the flaking paint - I have only myself to blame. When I built the car I was in highschool / early college and just didn't have the money to do many things right. I should have at least sanded the engine bay aggressively, but I didn't. This time I'm going to blast everything, making sure that any hole/cavity/opening is masked off so that the sand doesn't permeate the whole car.

My father is an aircraft mechanic so working on the Mustang (his car formerly) forced me to up the quality of my work - it made me a much better builder. Now I have to go back and fix all the corners I cut. Including but not limited to...

1. New brake lines everywhere
2. Reinstall heater blower w/correct AC delete box
3. Dynamat the interior
4. Install the 30% of the interior screws that I never bothered with :P

Thats why I don't mind taking my time on this one. It'll keep me busy and in the end, be the nastiest 3rd gen in my area.

TP355Z

This weekend was pretty productive...

1. Wonderbar / front sway bar removed
2. Harness disconnected up to pass-side passthrough
3. Brake lines removed

I'll have to snap some pictures - but I definitely demolished the big square black connector on the firewall by the brake booster (it's held on by a bolt...I didn't see...whops). Maybe I'll get a replacement TBI harness from Hawks to start with. Mine was already cut up some. I might use it as a practice harness...

I'd like to separate the vehicle lighting harness from the engine harness. Seems it would make the swap easier down the road.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

If this is the Ascendancy of the Reclaimer, is your motor called Mjolnir? Is there a 117 anywhere?

Sorry, thread title screams of Halo.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Is this your 85 or 89? I have an 89 harness cut down ready for the conversion, alot cheaper than hawks too

TP355Z

Ha! I was wondering how long it would take for someone to ping me on the Halo theme. It seemed fitting since I got the car back and now it's going to the next level.

Not gunna lie though...I did look for a button that would let me change the title of the thread. But the damage is done. I'll wear my nerd label with pride.

Pocket - the car is a 1988 - originally a TBI/305 car. Depending on what I do for a motor (used vs new) I may be doing business with you one way or another.

Thanks for tuning in fellas!

TP355Z

Another productive day in the books. Yesterday I took the day off to continue stripping the engine bay. Shocks got dropped, k-member came out, and all the brake/fuel lines are loose back to the rear tires.

The next step is dropping the rear axle and tank. Once that's done the cleaning begins. I've got to figure out my strategy for 2 things though:

K-member
I had planned to get an after market LSX k-member with tubular arms, but the more I look at the prices the less I think I need one. I'm not going to race the car and weight isn't an issue, so I'm leaning towards re-using the stock one. I've just got to see what the deal is with the AC compressor - if deleting it cures the clearance issue with the k-member then I'm good to go. AC is for wimps...

Fuel pump
Simple one - I need to figure out what aftermarket kit I want to support a 400-600hp LSX.

Here's a pic proving work got done.

Time to research...

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Fuel is simple
Single 255 up to 500hp, twin 255's 5-700
Do NOT use aeromotive 340 pumps

TP355Z

Hey Pocket - thank you for the reply. To be clear though - I wasn't asking for someone to tell me the answer. A lot of people do that here (instead of learning/reading) and it irritates the crap out of me.

<Steps off soapbox>

Looks like the W255 is a plug-in in-tank replacement, so that may work. Then I'd just do new fuel lines and keep the stock 3rd gen charcoal canister.

I also considered converting the tank to a carb sender (no pump) and run an external pump...that way if the pump ever dies I don't need to drop the axle/tank...not sure about that. Would likely be much more expensive.

I did some reading about the k-member too. Re-using the stocker isn't looking promising. Apparently clearance to the pan is TIGHT - if I'm going to spend a couple hundred bucks modifying it I may as well splurge and get a tubular unit. Lose some weight and free up some space at the same time.

I think it's time to start selling my RC trucks to free up some discretionary funds. haha.

QwkTrip

iTrader: (22)

I am also separating chassis harness from engine harness. I found it very helpful to review the LS1 Camaro schematics. A copy is here, http://cascadecrew.org/LSx%20Info/20...20diagrams.pdf

After reviewing, I made my own schematic that boils down what I needed to know, https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/post...08-post60.html
And then patterned my power distribution after it.

By the time you start contemplating air intake you'll probably wish the OE charcoal canister was gone. Canister is integral to 4th gen tank.

TP355Z

Well, it's been a few weeks - I'm due for an update. Since my last post the rear axle came out and the fuel system got dropped too. It's a good thing too since I think my filler neck is loose and all my fuel lines are rusted fairly badly.

It was good to see the Moser 12-bolt I put in the car back in 2007. Probably doesn't even have 5000 miles on it. But it needs an axle seal on one side (my drum brakes were all goo'ed up) and a fresh coat of paint. No big deal.

TP355Z

While I was in the cleaning spirit I did some poking at the goo covering the bottom of my car. I always thought that it was just caked with dirt/oil from having too many motors/trannys with leaking seals. I was wrong.

IT WAS UNDERCOATING! And let me tell you...I'd rather deal with grease. Undercoating is pretty hard to scrape off when it's "dry" and it makes a MESS if you try wire-brushing it off. Here's what I found works:

Load a spray bottle with paint thinner
Spray a 3 sq foot area until it's visibly "wet" - this will loosen the undercoating
Use plastic paint scraper / putty knife to get off most of the goop
Free remaining undercoating with brass-wire brush
Wipe clean with thinner soaked rag

First-pass results look something like this and didn't take too long. I'll be doing the whole bottom of the car. Then maybe I'll POR-15 everything (?) I just want a clean car to work on from now on.

TP355Z

So now I have a confession to make to the moderators: this build probably isn't going to remain an LSX swap. If this thread needs to be moved feel free - just let me know.

Whats the new plan? First - accept a minor disclaimer from me - my mind changes MONTHLY. But the time winter hits I may be putting a big-block in the car, but right now this is the chosen direction... My brother has been very successfully road racing his '95 BMW M3 and tracking a car sounds like too much fun to pass up. Since the 3rd gen platform is so capable I figured I'd give it a shot. Some of the suspension work was already done...

Already done:
- 1" lowering kit w/Eibach springs
- Poly/poly rear LCAs
- Poly sway bar links
- Wonder bar
- Strut tower brace

Chassis modifications planned:
- 13" or 14" front brakes
- Poly front a-arm bushings
- Koni/Bilstein shocks (brand tbd)
- Adj panhard bar w/poly ends & relocation kit
- 8 pt cage
- Sub-frame connectors
- Quick ratio steering box

The motor/tranny will be a simple 350hp/350 cid & T5 setup. I figure if I'm going to wreck a tranny or motor it may as well be cheap. When I build a nice motor I'm always reluctant to beat on it. I think I'll enjoy beating on a junkyard motor with a cam.

I'd love to hear from anyone who tracks their 3rd gen on what works/doesn't.

TP355Z

I'm sick of scraping undercoating, so this weekend I focused on something with an immediate reward: PAINT. I had a pretty big pile of parts so everything got blasted, primed, and painted. Pics attached.

Pretty...

TP355Z

Just ordered some cleaning materials from Eastwood's:

1 Qt Rust Encapsulator - will be used on the bottom of the car to provide a rust inhibiting / durable protective layer. I used this stuff 10 years ago to treat spots on the bottom of the Camaro that were exposed bare metal. The stuff stuck and prevented rust from developing.

Soda/Sand Blaster Intro Kit - I'm going to test this on my k-member and other misc under-body parts. It includes the gun, siphon tube, and 10 lbs of soda and 10 lbs of glass. Should be fun to try.

Fast Etch - All my nuts/bolts will get a week long soak in this stuff. We'll see how good of a job it does cleaning the rust off them. It's supposedly reuseable too.

My only regret was not ordering this a week ago...I'd have it for THIS weekend!

TP355Z

Evening all,

It's been an interesting week - though not a particularly productive one. As some of you may have noticed, I haven't really spent any money on the Camaro thus far. Lots of cleaning / painting, but no credit-card smoldering fun.

Why?

I've been saving up for a new garage (the Camaro is the sole resident of the "workshop garage") and this week the build started. In the first day the concrete guy tore down the existing garage, removed the old foundation, and dug the footings. It was impressive to see.

TP355Z

Today I actually got some work done on the Camaro. The k-member had been sitting in a corner of the garage looking forlorn, so I thought it was time to prep it for paint. It had several poorly done coats of POR-15 on it, and lots of light surface rust. After 3 hours of work this is what I had:

1. 72.48% clean k-member (surface area weighted)
2. One very hot, very angry, very undersized air compressor...

I'll continue work on this piece and hopefully have it painted next weekend...

As an aside: most of the stripping was accomplished with a 90 degree buzz tool. I had been using the thick abrasive pads (see picture) but they didn't last long. I switched to the thinner pads and they were awesome - much more durable and they cut through the rust/paint great!

Just a tip for those looking to do the same.

86gn

iTrader: (3)

Looking good and the new garage is great, you will love it im sure...Congrats

camaro1185

Great story about the Camaro. I am also in ct with an 88 Iroc. Do you ever make it to "the pike". There are lots of clean 3rd gens that hang around those parts. When you get the car finished we would love to have you hang out!


The left 2 cars a ls powered.

TP355Z

I'm posting from work right now (shhh, don't tell my boss) so I can't see the pictures - will comment on them tonight.

I have been to the Pike before - but not in my car. A friend of mine has an 12-sec Pontiac G8 so we go there to mess with all the kids. The last time I went he DEMOLISHED a kid in a WRX and at the next light the kid rolls up, with a smile on his face, and says... "I hate you so much right now"

Good times.

I'm starting to re-re-think my decision to go with a Gen 1 small block. I'm really excited about the self-tuning EFI kits...but combined with a $3500 budget small block build I'm at ~$5,500 for the motor / efi alone.

$4,500 gets me an LS1 and a T56 from Hawks...

Argh.

camaro1185

Thats my exact delema. I have a LT1 t56 now and the idea of a crate 383 with fast self tuning efi is really tempting but then for a bit more I could get an ls.

What you have to remember with the SBC everything will be new. with the ls it will probably have close or more than 100K.

TP355Z

Yeah...it's a slippery slope. I initially thought I'd go the SBC/T5 route as a "budget" track build, but I don't like the idea of doing another carb'd motor, which leads me to the Holley EFI (fuel and spark control), which is a $2200 cost adder...considerable.

The problem with a LS swap is the effort / time required to execute it properly. Pedals, k-member, tranny member, clutch cyl/res, harness, etc etc etc.

A Gen 1 will just drop in and with the Terminator EFI run great.

TP355Z

Ah, now I can see the picture. Yes, I've seen the two Firebirds (on left) at Mark's King Of Cruise in E. Granby - VERY clean LSX swaps.

If it weren't for the brakes/suspension/fuel system improvements being so straight forward I'd probably get nothing done.

Engineers call it "analysis paralysis". lol

TP355Z

Progress on all fronts over the last 2 weeks. The foundation for the new garage has been poured and framing should start this coming week. Pretty exciting!

I've managed to put a few solid days into the Camaro as well. I realized that I had a lot of grinding and cleaning ahead of me, and my little 20 gal air compressor wasn't going to cut it. So I picked up a 26 gal / 2 hp unit at Harbor Freight and chained the two together. PLENTY of air now!

TP355Z

I also got a bunch more parts blasted and ready for paint, including the k-member.

I always knew the car had been hit on the passenger side front (that tire always rubbed at full lock) but I didn't realize my k-member was cracked. Bummer. There were also some small spots where the GM welds didn't look super strong.

Lucky for me my father has a welder, so after a tutorial and some "training" we stitched up the crack and a few other spots.

Today it's raining out so I dragged a bunch of parts into the basement to get the POR-15 treatment. More to come!!

TP355Z

Oh, and a word to the wise: IF you ever try a rust remover (like I got from Eastwoods) keep in mind that it's most likely a water/phosphoric acid solution of low concentration. Wear appropriate PPE and be careful with it. The stuff works great if you get the scale / surface rust off first.

HOWEVER - do NOT soak parts in it for a long time. I intentionally performed a 2 day experiment / soak test (which turned into a 5 day experiment because I forgot about it...) and the rust remover turned those springy c-clips you see on your brake lines into paper-thin scrap.

I think I'll stick to non-etching rust removal. Wire brush and abrasive wheels for the win!

mikezohsix

Uhmm, posted at 10:55 - BUSTED!

mikezohsix

consider Rust Bullet for your undersides after you've done the stripping and major surface rust removal, follow with a wash of acetone. It goes on much smoother than what you ended up with on your suspension pieces. It can be painted with just about anything, as long as you get the timing right. Once it's fully cured, it's hard as a rock and no paint will stick without sanding. My son did his, dare I say, Volvo underside, which I did all the spraying, and it laid out unbelievable.

Here's a link - forgive the Swedish steel and 4 banger power...

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=290558

TP355Z

Drat.

I'll have to look into rust bullet. My complaint about the POR15 was the 'quality' (or lack thereof) of the finish. However, I opened a new can this weeeknd and it's MUCH thinner than the can that had been aging in my garage for the last 10 years...that may be part of my issue...

FYI third-genners: Mike (who is my actual boss) has one of the 505hp Z06 Vettes. I have zero aspirations of beating it in a drag race...