Last month I attended my first ever auto-cross event at a local airport with my Z06. 1/4 of the participants were Pro-Touring muscle cars. In all, about 20 of them. Mostly 67 to 69 FBody cars but also some Novas, Mopar and a couple of Mustangs of that era.

They ran exceptionally well!
I also found out that a shop dedicated to Pro-Touring was just a few miles from my home. So, I dropped off my restored '89 IROC and started a new project with JCG Customs in Oxnard, CA. The first phase of my project is suspension and brakes using 6 pot front and 4 pot rear Wilwoods. Also adding some beef to the tires and wheels.






















...what recession.

 

What do you have in mind for wheels and tires? Nice IROC, by the way.

 

nice to have them actually work all the way around on the road. And get rid of some of the cheap crap from the factory.

 

This should be good. I'm very I Interested in what your specs will be for the suspension and wheels.

 

Suspension - sways, Eibach springs, synthetic bushings for now. The shop is developing a front frame section that when replaced, will be able to accept Corvette C6 suspension. Should be ready by spring. 3-link rear to be installed in the spring when front suspension is modified.

Wheels - Ronal LT 18" front and 19" rear

Tires - BF Goodrich KDW
front: P275/35ZR18
rear: P295/53ZR19



mock up of rear wheel with old pirelli P-Zero tires to check clearences. i took these wheels from my 2001 Corvette Coupe that just got new shoes too. Tires came in today and are being mounted. Should have this thing on the road tomorrow.

 

looks good

 

So much for your "restored IROC". It has just become another modified IROC among thousands.....

 

unless he has plans to sell it, it really doesen't matter. There's a lot of restored IROC's as well as modded ones.

 

This car is the reason I bought my red 87 IROC, I had been drooling over it when you posted about it in the F body section over on CorvetteForum. Such a nice car. Interested in seeing how the C6 susp. is going to be done. It's going to take quite a bit of cutting for sure.

 

I don't know what exactly "restored" means to the OP, but I'm kinda with Stephen on this one. Thirdgens ARE great AutoX/Protour cars, and they're super available, AND affordable. That being said, I personally wouldn't do this to a "restored" thirdgen. So few of 'em out there...

....but ultimately it's his to do with what he pleases. It looks like a nice car now, and whatever he does, I'm sure it'll still be nice.

 

True... but it's all realitive. I'm just enjoying the car. of all the 5 vehicles i own, this was the only one not modified. So, it was going to happen sooner than later anyway. I like to think of this car as "slightly modified" compared to one of my other cars.

For example:
'06 Z06 bought new. But not much left of the original:
Katech 600hp built LS7
RPM Level 5 trans
Quaife differential
Davis racing radiator w/int. oil cooler
Halltech intake
Centerforce dual friction clutch
Pfadt Comp. sway bars
Moton 2way adjustable coil over shocks with Eibach springs
Brembo GT monoblock 6/4 piston brakes
HRE 591R wheels

Drive this for a couple of hours and jump in the IROC and you have been time warped back a bunch.

 

It's only 100% original when it rolls off the assembly line, go for it. It's your car, make it into what you want. I personally applaud you for doing this. I hear these comments all the time in the corvette crowd about restored cars, ncrs stuff and it being a shame to cut up a car.

 

Exactly, its your car and you should do whatever you want to it that makes you happy. I think the car looks ****ing sweet with those wheels on it, and the brakes are probably awesome. I want to upgrade the brakes on my GTA badly...

 

me too -_- lol ^^ brakes suck on these things...

 

I have ZERO problem with modified cars. Look at my 87 GTA.

Just gotta question putting $$$ into a restoration, only to tear it apart again to modify.

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Hey it's all good. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're gonna do.

 

There is enough Horse power in that shop to make my head hurt. I think You should modifiy everything as much as possible and if you got the money forget the budget. Restored cars are nice for nostalgia, but nothing is better than a highly modified machine.

 

**Update**
Well, I picked up my Z last night. I have mixed feelings about this car now.

Performance:
HUGE difference! Tight suspension, little body roll, tires grip very well and I have gobs of brakes.

Looks:
I'm very disappointed with the appearance. Sometimes what looks good in concept doesnt transfer into reality. I was going for an aggressive, yet subtle look. The only good thing is I hadn't really wasted any money here. The wheels I had on the car before (polished '87 IROC wheels in 16") still fit. So I will be swapping back to these till I find the right set.

Go forward plan:
The grip of wider tires was a big plus so bigger wheels are key. I have a buddy that used to design wheels for Cragar and designs airplane components now. (Bruce, if you're reading this, please chime in). The look of the OEM '89 does little for me but now I'm thinking to get my buddy to design me a one-off wheel set that uses the OEM flavor of the '89 as the design base.

I will post pics of the car as it sits now and you guys can comment.

-Tommy

 

Thats the route I'm going with mine. Honestly, restored cars don't do anything for me...especially third gens with thier underpowered drivetrains, sloppy suspensions, and junk brakes, etc. To me, at a car show or on the street, when you see a pro touring style car as oposed to just a factory restored car, it stands out MUCH more. Not to mention the much improved handling, driveability, etc. I actually get sick of all the stock restored 1st gen camaros and vettes I see. Gets boring seeing the same thing all the time.

Thats exactly why I'm doing the pro touring style mixed into my restoration! Do it once how you want it I say, haha.

 

It'd be different if there weren't like a bazillion 3rdgens made. There will be plenty of factory, low mileage, stock cars left.

 

Exactly my thoughts. It's cool seeing something like a restored hemi cuda since you never see them. A 3rd gen though is in all honesty probably worth exactly the same being a pro touring style car than just a "restored" original. I would bet that if I were to sell mine when it was done to the right buyer, I could get around $15k-$16k.

 

Honestly, I think those Ronals ruin the look of the car as well. Wheels are such a tough choice... not many seem to look good on an IROC.

For my car, $$$$ willing, I'm hoping to get into something like a Rushforth Livewire or equivalent (everybody makes a wheel in this style now) with satin spokes & polished lip. It's a tasteful, anti-bling understated appearance, but still very expensive looking.

Here they are on Brian Finch's car:

 

 

Yeah those wheels don't compliment the car, the fronts are way too small. Gives it a jacked up front look. IMO, best would be 18s front/19s rear iroc replicas in machined/black or gunmetal powdercoat...certainly not chrome.

 

Twin Turbo, that is exactly what I think! Great minds think alike! I'm not a chrome guy.

Thinking about 18s with slightly wider rears.

 

Those Wilwood look nice. They will fit under stock Iroc rims?

 

I need to start hangin' out with you guys!!!! ....because 'round here, there sure aren't too many nice lookin' stockers!!! You might not like the performance, fair enough, but a nice lookin' stocker is hard to beat. FAR more rare than a Pro Touring car nowadays, at least for the Thirdgen anyway. My goal has always been to keep it LOOKING stock, at least with the hood closed. So far so good.

As for YOUR car Frenchian, my two cents is that the Iroc stripes, door decals, and Iroc wheels kinda all go together. The overall appearance of those parts together is somehow more than the sum, you know? Of course for performance, you also need a little more rubber. LOT of road race guys running 17's though. No need to go TOO big. LOT of people swear by not staggering the diameter OR the width of the front and back. I have two guys in my club who both feel their cars became much more predictable (thusly faster) by going back down to a smaller rear tire width to match the front tires. I don't race, so I can't say.

...you seem to have good taste. I'm curious to see what you do.

 

Car is beautiful. I echo the sentiments on modding a restored car, but at the same time you're doing things right so I have no fear it will come out beautiful.

What do you do for a living?

 

I want your job lol

 

First off, gorgeous car!

Its nice to see someone that has two expensive Corvettes put that kind of money in a third gen.

My question, which may be a dumb one, is how does the IROC with the new setup compare to the Vettes as far as fun factor? I know it can't compete with horsepower, but I'm thinking it should be a blast.

The reason I ask is I drive my IROC everyday and am thinking of doing something similar. I also throw around buying a C5/6 Z06 and can't seem to make a decision. Being you own all of them, whats the best place to put 30K?

As far as wheels, I'm partial to Fiske's but I am interested to see what you come up with.

I agree with the statement a nice modded car is worth as much as a restored original as far as third gens go at this time. There seems to be a fair amount of clean, low mileage original cars out there, something that you really didn't see too often in the world of 60's musclecars. People bought cars then and drove them. My 92 B4C Camaro pulled quite a bit of coin when the car was sold and it was modified a fair amount. Just my

 

I think that's a great question, and I'm interested to see what his opinion is. By FAR the most fun car I've ever driven was a buddy's pretty much stock, 68 RS with a 327 and a 4 speed, on 15's (maybe 14's). It wasn't all that fast, and handled like crap, but MAN was it ever fun! you feel ever turn, ever dive into every corner, and every off centered lurch forward with every launch!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!! It required concentration to drive fast! ...I think ya gotta be honest with yourself about fun versus performance. I have a friend with a C5 Zo6, and you can't legally have fun in that car. It's just too tame. Performance yes. fun no. Not on the street anyway.

 

Well, I put the right wheels on the right cars. I didn't like the comp grays on my black vette anyway, so the new tires came in handy.

 

Seriously I think the wheels on my GTA may complement your Camaro. Not that I want someone running around with the same wheels, but they sure look like they may work. Beautiful car!



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Very nice GTA Dave!

Each of my cars serves a purpose for me even though I went a tad overboard on the mods. I bought my first "reward" car after my 5th year of owning my business. i finally could afford something I always wanted... a Corvette. So I bought this black 2001 Coupe. About a year after I bought it, I met some vette guys that had dome some really cool stuff to their cars and that was it. Mod fever set in.

Each year after, my little oil business started doing pretty good. Having started out driving tanker trucks after finishing my hitch in the Marines, I stayed in the oil fields and have been fortinute with my career choice. I really enjoyed my vette, met some great people and have been on some great road trips. In 2005 I ordered myself a new Silverado SS all wheel drive for a company pick up. As soon as it arrived at the dealership, i sent it to have a Magnusen supercharger installed. I still have this truck and have yet to drive anything new that is as much fun.

In october 2005, I ordered a new new Z06. I picked it up at the factory in Kentucky on February 2006. Drove it straight home to California only stopping once to sleep in New mexico. What a great trip! Fast forward a couple of years and that stock Z06 was sent to Detroit where the guys at Katech did a great job modifying the car into a road course monster. I track the car when I can having been on a few big tracks with it like Laguna Seca. My favorite is Autobahn raceway in Joliet, Illinois. I got it up to 204 mph in the Mojave desert once. That ws an expensive ticket.

When I was in the Marines, my buddy re-uped and took his bonus money and bought a new, 1985 blue IROC-Z. I debated for a month whether I should take the $13,000 and by an IROC or get out. My dad had a job lined up for me driving a tanker truck in the oilfields that paid $10.00 an hour. That was pretty good money back in 1985. I promissed myself that I would start my career in the oil patch and still buy an IROC. Well, it took me 20+ years to finally buy one so I wanted to make it as new as I possibly could. I drive my IROC more than either of my Corvettes. It takes me back to the day and I really enjoy it.

My other toy is just that. an American Ironhorse pro-street chopper. I don't ride it much, but it sure looks good in my house.

 

I just wanna hear more about this custom subframe with C6 suspension......

 

Holy Shnikeys! Sounds and looks like you got a nice stable going on there.

 

Thanks for the compliment. Our stables are not too much different yours stuff is just newer and more expensive :-) I have a supercharged 77 vette, Like a dumbass I sold my stroked RoadStar, to my uncle he made me an offer I could not refuse.

That IROC is insane. I like other cars but the "Bird" as it is known just seems to stick. Thirdgens are kinda like that I guess.

I bet you have a boat too. I got a 23foot Chapparal.

 

Dave, you are kind of right about the boat. Had one... Sold it. 2 of the happiest days of my life; the day I bought it and the day I sold it.

To address a couple of guys questions about performance compared to my other cars, my IROC is the slower and less nimble of all my cars. Although now it isn't as slow as it used to be in the corners. The brakes are now better than my C5. I am very impressed with the Wilwoods. Especially happy that the 16" OEM wheels fit around the brakes! Today will be my first real drive of the car. Taking in on some twisty mountain roads along Pacific Coast Hwy today.

Where the IROC has my other cars beat is the cruising factor. T-tops off, windows down and running through the gears. Living in southern California is great to own a driving car.

 

Everyone always says that but I can't figure it out - I've got a 21" boat right now and I love it. I do all my own maintenance, which makes me confident that its in tip top shape, which is really all a boat needs. I just don't get why people stop liking them - Its just like a car, take car of it, it'll take care of you. 'Course living in East Tennessee where the weather is prime for boating May-Sept helps. Its not Florida or Cali, but the season feels long enough.



As for the ProTouring stuff done to the IROC, I don't really see much "ProTouring" feel on the IROC. It looks like they slapped on some bolt on stuff, but it still doesn't have that 'look'. Its a beautiful car, don't get me wrong, but it lacks that bad *** pro touring look.

 

Thirdgens were built pro touring :-)

 

beautiful car! cant wait to see what you do with it..

 

Nice to see Chris Gonzalez work ither than on a mag. How you liking his work? Hey frenchican do you drive your thirdgen often? Haven't seen you rollin around the 805.

 

yes, I am very impressed with Chris' professionalism. i highly recommend him.

I drive my IROC more than my other cars but rarely during the week. PM me and I'll shoot you my phone #. Have you ever been to the cruise-in at Wendy Dr in Newbury Park? I'll hit that place once in awhile with one of my cars.

 

Thank you for sharing your story and answering my questions, I appreciate it. It's nice to see a success story of the average man. Gives us all hope that we can do the same one day.

How did the drive on Pacific Coast Highway turn out?

 

... you wanna adopt me?

 

i think the wheels looked OK on the camaro but they look a little better on the vette.

i think its the grey/chrome combo thats throwing me off.

stock 16"s FTW!

 

Awesome IROC man, I actually saw your Camaro in the background of a picture on another site. I asked Cris about it, then I did a search for it hoping I would find something...go figure, I should've checked here first. I thought man, Cris is working on a third-gen, I gotta find out more. Just so you know, Mary Pozzi, whose Camaro I was looking at when I saw your thirdgen, was wanting to get behind the wheel of your IROC I think.(That says something right there.) By the way, which Eibachs did you go with? Keep us posted man.

 

Frenchian, I think these might look good, centers in black maybe. I know next wheels for my RS are going to be black centers.

 

Beautiful canvas. Gotta say those very high dollar muscle cars are gonna be ticked when you out handle them in a third gen. Irocs still dont get the respect I think they deserve. They can outhandle lots of cars with just some relatively simple mods done to them.

 

Awesome car! How did I miss that thread? I cant wait to hear more about the C6 modified subframe