As some of you know, i've been struggling to get a black 89 Iroc with a hardtop and stick (only one i personally have ever seen in real life) back to life.



Today i took a big step forward



My camaro is now officially street legal! It passed emissions today even without the catalytic converter, even after it failed last time i went!


pics when i got it home:








it came from this:



yes i know it still looks like sh**, but this is a HUGE step forward. Now i can start debugging it and get ready for the rebuild/restore this winter. Theres already a few little problems that popped up (another bearing howling in the rear-end), but so far nothing that will require any money to fix (dad has a replacement in the garage from another friends build).


we've started ordering new parts too, including a magnaflow cat that i though it would need to pass, a hooker cat-back, and hopefully Dyno Don's headers and header-cat pipes (sexy!)

After that it's really just Debug time. I gotta poke around an LT1 and sell it or keep it (who knows), then send the L98 off to the machine shop to be boiled, bored, and rebuilt with fresh parts from summit. By that time winter will be here, then im going to try and rent a paint booth and get some fellow thirdgenners to help spray some fresh layers of PPG paint on her after i pop out some the dents and stuff, then sand and edge the whole car.




so far though, so good!




edit: i need centercaps if anyone has them. Im on too tight a budget to buy them brand new.


also, the grill plate that is missing in those pics is in my kitchen being scruffed up for paint.


edit #2: anyone like the wheels that i slaved over? Took like 4 hours per wheel but i love them

 

Definately getting there. You are very determined as I noticed in a few previous threads, im sure it will turn some heads when you are done with it. Glad it passed inspection!

P.S- Rims look GREAT! Those are the only camaro rims that look good on firebirds also IMO...

 

its coming along, you've passed the biggest hurdle - inspection! time for some burnout videos, lol.

 

I know! I promised all you guys burnout videos, but my dad threw out my old tires when i was with my girlfriend!!!

still, i got these tires for free (i canceled the order on the falcons), and they are only maybe 1/3 to 1/2 tread. Ill put new tires on when i redo the paint. Be patient my friend

 

Wheels came out awesome man. Suprised you passed the sniffer w/o a cat. You must have that thing running in top condition. You can tell when a guy is trying his hardest to get it done right.

It's always worth more to you when you build it yourself. Keep it going and that thing will be perfect in no time.

 

hey man im glad that you finally got it on the road. Lookin good man. Just pick up some rustoleum as a temp fix and spray the hatch and hood and ull be set man

 

wheels look good, did they come with the car? What did ya do with the origional 89 wheels?

 

Black 89 hard tops ROCK DUDE!!! Good luck man,, keep us posted on its make over.

 

Congrats!

 

Congrats! Wheels look great! I'll be doing the same to mine. I am trying to get my car on the road by the end of the month, but that's if my dad decides to help me out and puts me on his policy. =/

 

came with, but that's fine with me because these are my favorite 3rd gen wheels.



Burned $25 in gas cruising today. So nice to have the torque. It's a whole new world compared to my Grand Am. I can't believe i've been missing so much. In 5th (high) gear, i was loping along at 50 odd MPH at roughly 1200 RPM. And we have a ton of hills in my area, and when i got to hills that the grand am unlocks and downshifts to maybe 3k or 3500RPM to climb, i just rested my foot on the peddle and idled up the hill with the exhaust throbbing behind me. Such an amazing feeling.


I also messed with a few local "tuners", followed by a few local vettes messing with me .




Thanks for the support guys and i'll definitely keep you posted, though i don't think any changes will be happening until the big rebuild this winter. . I'm content just to meet with some fellow Pittsburgh thirdgenners for now anyways.

 

now that you can legally drive it its time for a car cruise. time to show the local spray can flat black civics whose boss!

 

Ha. sounds good. If all goes well i'll be there tomorrow

 

Cars coming along man! Cant wait to help you get started on that paint, your cars gonna look sick next to us other guys from Pittsburgh. Your winter project is restoring your car, my winter project it dropping a 400 SBC in mine haha.

Cant wait to meet up and get these cars done, if they will ever actaully be 'done' lol.

 

hey now. in case you forgot, the 383 and dyno don's stuff is going in there at the same time as new paint. it's gonna be just as sick as any 400 SBC TA

 

Haha well I guess we'll have to see in the Spring at PRP who's is 'sicker' haha. Depending on how much I can afford to dump into my build, I should be able able to dip into the 11.5s but Im reaching for high 11s low 12s to start out.

 

Lol. Im not sure ill be racing the 383 for a year or so. Im afraid if i even push it ill turn my nice WCT5 and rear-end into scrap metal. Once i get the TKO and some kinda beefy rear-end in there though, your on.

final estimates for my build are low 11's on motor and somewhere in the 10s on the bottle. Street legal of course.

 

keeps looking better and better!

 

Nice to be legal huh? Good job.

 

why the red hood and deck lid? in your first post the car had a black hood .

 

As you can probably tell by the picture he got a new hood and rear deck lid because the old ones were trashed.

 

correct. The hood had been puttied in the passenger corner, and the hatch had holes drilled for a non-OEM spoiler (still have the hatch if anyone wants it. the glass is perfect), so i replaced them both. But don't worry, come spring time everything will be shiny black. The 2 reds were just a coincidence, as they didn't even come off the same car.

 

Ya know that kinda makes me laugh.. my red iroc hood is bent to **** in the right front corner.. so what did I find for a replacement? You guessed it a black one.. wish you lived closer I'd trade ya.

 

lol nice.


Im thinking i got some body alignment to do on either the hood or fenders when i repaint the car because the hood (at the back) sits about 1/3 an inch up from the fenders on both sides. I think the hood has to come down in the back because its alittle low in the front (and perfect in the middle). I'll see how i can get it when i get a few helping hands to hold that heavy thing while i try to adjust it.

 

Take that ford truck out of the pictures lol . jk

Gm is the best. lol

 

Looks good dude. Ive been following your progress and agree with everyone else. Keep up the good work!

 

if you dont like the truck, i suggest u dont look in the garage.



ill give u a hint. It rhymes with rustang.

 

BUTT STAIN-g? kidding, I don't mind mustangs at all.