Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

looks like times(money wise) will be lightening up for me over the next month, don't know how but every bill for the next month is spread out for the first time since moving back down to Southern MD, meaning i will actually have spare cash to spend on getting the iroc running, i will have to get the Iroc over to my parents house as i don't have the luxury of a paved surface to work on(working on getting out of the park lol), in the mean time the RS will be put back on the road

i think ill change this thread to be about both cars, since once the iroc is at my parents updates will probably happen faster on the RS

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

here's some info on the RS, copied from my thread on Camaroforums(i forgot i even had a thread on there)

History on the car is as follows

Model: 1989 Camaro RS
Motor: L03
Trans: Automatic 700-R4
Trim: T-Top
Color: Black

Purchased 10/22/88 from Jim McKay Chevrolet in Fairfax, VA
Odometer reading of 17 Miles
Sticker Price $14,249

purchased and owned by a coworker of my grandmother, who is currently in his late 70's or early 80's putting him in his 50's or 60's when he purchased this car he used the car to travel back and forth to work, it had right under 65k on the clock when i bought it and had been sitting for a few years

pics will be uploaded after work, got lots of um

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

first three pictures,

1. about a week after I bought the RS, lots of polishing went into that shine

2 and 3. condition when i began body work, after removing the GFX

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

1. taking care of the slight rust forming on the lower quarter, pass side

2. rust terminated and sprayed

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

1. removing door trim

2. that's how far down body filler was

3. spayed rust reformer to show how wavy and damaged the door was

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

the doors current condition, i could not find the shots taken of the body work in progress, but my dad and I hammered the door almost perfectly straight, and used minimal filler to make it perfect

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

1. typical thirdgen fender bow from ill jacking

2. bent everything back into place

3. primer drying

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

1. we did have the fender off to address some dents and to get to the battery tray easier, no pics of that yet

2. original window sticker

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

bringing this thread back from the dead,

making some more money at work now, Iroc has been officially put on the back burner, RS is back up front,

I got the RS started back up last weekend, finished up replacing the brakes(calipers and lines)

i want to start actually driving a thirdgen daily again, i will continue to pick up parts here and there for the iroc, i am one step closer to owning a house so i can tear that car down to a shell and start from scratch

not gonna give up on it!

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

I'll post more pics later, but I worked my butt off getting the interior all back together in the RS and the Iroc moved to my parents for now

I didn't bother screwing everything down(just the stuff that rattles) since it will be painted sometime over the next year

swapped the gold Iroc's onto the RS since the tread on the tires were near new compared to the 8 year old dry rotted tires that were on it

The RS is running like a dream,drove it to work last tuesday and my wife wanted to drive it everywhere we went over the weekend, it woke everything back up, no strange creaks or noises to be worried with, the only thing i am unhappy with is the exhaust leak at the cat

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

RS took a dump on me, its idling crazy on start up and if i keep my foot in it, it stays running long enough to warm up, once warmed up it will idle smooth in park/neutral and in gear, but as soon as i try to pull away it stumbles

im pretty sure its a fuel issue, checked for vacuum leaks, but haven't found any, tested the TPS, its smooth from closed to open(no spikes or drops),

my fuel pressure tester should be here today so ill check it, im hoping it turns out to be the regulator spring but if its the pump failing i will be replacing it and the sender all in one shot

IROCgiraffe

iTrader: (3)

Keep 'um alive!

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

my fuel pressure tester arrived yesterday, i also went digging through storage to find my spare TBI unit and the rebuild kit i bought for it, gonna rebuild it and throw it on the RS whether its the fuel pump or not, im sure the stock TBI was never touched before hand other than me cleaning it when the car was purchased

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

well, fuel pressure was reading between 3 and 4 PSI, ill be ordering the fuel pump soon(with sending unit)

on a brighter note, i rebuilt the spare TBI i had, it looks as though its a newer unit from a 90's truck, it uses a different TPS sensor so ill be ordering a harness adapter for it(unless someone wants to point me to the connectors i need to make one)

here's some pics

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

fuel sending unit and pump installed, everything is running great again

wife helping out


tank dropped the next day


a** up

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Don't let that woman get away!

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

shes definitely on lock down, lol

always willing to help me out if my arms are too big to reach something, and not afraid to get down and dirty under the car

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

RS has been up and running strong since the last update, made it to the ****** Militia meet and greet the day after doing the pumphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/614704615227152/

the only thing that was bugging me being the Fuel gauge reading
with $20 in the tank(slightly under half a tank) the gauge would read 1/4

on the next fill i put $25 in, and it read the same

i figured the float was getting caught somewhere on the swing and i would need to drop the tank again to re-adjust and make sure nothing was in the floats way

last week i decided to fill the tank up, got back in, noticed the gauge still read 1/4, came out of the parking lot sideways(cold and wet out, having fun) and when the car caught traction and jerked, instantly the gauge read full, and has been reading fine ever since!

think i might have gotten lucky on that one

89fast5oh

Was it hard to fix the fender bow? I have the same problem on the drivers side but haven't looked into fixing it yet.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

Not hard at all, single bolt at the bottom of the fender, where it mounts is what is bent, just grab it with a pair of vice grips and bend it the opposite direction, pulls it right back in to shape

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

little update

bought some jegster SFC's last night for the RS, going to bolt them in, then have them welded up

the Iroc still sits cold and lonely at my parents house until i get a place that can accommodate the work that needs to be done to it

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

arrived pretty quick, just gotta wait for the ground to dry up so i can install these

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

since it was so nice this past weekend, i spent most of it in the RS, tinkering with things that have needed attention for a while

still couldn't bolt in the SFC's due to the ground being nothing but mud(damned not having pavement to work on!)

good news is, i got the rear view mirror i pulled from an 01 TA wired up and working without hacking the stock wiring.

my overhead console was having issues with the dome light switch getting stuck, which would in turn not allow the dome or map light to work, took the switch apart and cleaned it, the problem ended up being the spring inside the switch, I stretched it slightly back to its original length and everything is working again.

then i got curious about the courtesy light under the dash pad that is suppose to shed a tiny amount of light down onto the console to help see it at night, mine hasn't worked since iv'e owned the car, i will be replacing the bulb with an LED, and enlarging the hole that lets the light through slightly, we will see how that goes

the next interior project is going to be installing the 145 cluster i received in a trade for a 91-92 unit, im in the process of rolling the mileage to match my current miles, i could swap the rolls and may end up doing so if it takes too long to roll the numbers

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

well i lied, this past weekend instead of messing with the 145 cluster, i decided to install my scosche GM1516 kit

the results are phenomenal, i love the look of this kit compared to the typical Universal GM install kit that sticks the head unit out about an inch and a half

best part is, its under $10, and the only "modifications" needed to the console are removal of the metal support bracket and Remolding the heater ducts(butane micro torch on low heat + a long piece of wood)

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

trying to remind myself to update this thread from time to time

the Iroc will be getting a fuel pump, hopefully sooner rather than later
once its running on its own we will find out if it truly needs a clutch

the RS got it's 145 cluster installed finally, i put blue LED's in it, as well as the two floor courtesy lights,shift indicator, and the one under the dash i was talking about


i also painted the black trim ring on the gauges "star spangled blue", it looks awesome and is a very subtle enhancement, i got the idea from another member here who did his Red, i think its nice as its not over the top like painting the entire plastic trim



i found out before i can install my SFC's i have to straighten out some damage to the Rocker panel, im getting a stud welder soon, and ill pull the damage out so the subframe connector can line up where it needs to be

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

NICE

I want to do LED's in my cars, too. Did you use a kit or just modify them?

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

i bought the cheapest crappiest blue LED's i could find on ebay, cost me $10 for 20 194 style LED's and another $4 for 5 of the 74 style bulbs(i only needed 1 for the under vent light)

they all fit like stock with no modifications needed, just had to play with them a little, adjusting the prongs to make good enough contact to stay on when you want them too, but it wasnt so bad and made a big appearance improvement when you open the doors at night

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301014811028...84.m1439.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400494635318...84.m1439.l2649

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

ah... so they make LEDs to replace the stock bulb... handy. I hope they come in red/amber.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

tip for you Tim, not sure if you know this, but LED bulbs will only light up when inserted in the correct orientation, even though the bulb will physically fit both ways, it took a while of playing with them in the cluster to get them all lit up

i had a buddy buy all new leds for his mystic cobra and got frustrated because half of them wouldn't light up, i told him about the orientation thing, he switch the ones that were out around, and boom all of them light perfectly

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

also update to the thread, yet another setback, was going to order the pump and sender for the iroc, buuuut the Tires on the RS(pulled the wheels from the IROC since the tires had nice tread life left) decided to break a belt, im guessing i hit a pot hole at one point and separated it, vibrates really bad at 40 and 70, lifted the front end and saw the bulge on the tire, they were badly dry rotted anyway, so i ordered 4 new tires that will be going on the Black RS/Z28 wheels i've had since 2010

once they are paid in full i will order the pump and sender for the iroc and get that baby started

thanks for hanging in there guys, this is probably going to be a few more years before either car is 100% done

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, Ronny, I am aware of the orientation thing. The "D" stands for diode, which will only pass current in one direction.

I DO have a question though: How many do I need to do the whole instrument cluster? The red/amber ones aren't available in lots of 20, so I wasn't sure if I'd need to buy two sets.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

that's a good question, i know for Camaros there are 11 bulbs that light up the gauges, not counting the warning lights along the bottom, blinkers, or the high beam bulb

i used a total of 15 194 bulbs to do the cluster, foot wells, hvac and shift indicator.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

OK so three sets of 10 would likely do two cars. That helps. Thanks.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

no problem Tim!



next "update" if you want to call it that, this past weekend was extremely busy, my wife has her own boutique shop, and this past weekend was the Superheros rally against cancer event, so we prepped for the event most of the weekend and went and had a blast on Sunday

I managed to squeeze some time on Saturday to get rid of the slight curb rash on one of the wheels that the new tires are going on, and polish them back up, these wheels are far from perfect, but are great for a driver, the black areas need a little touch up but im not worried about it at this time

I was also able to pull the rest of the side moldings off the car, it had a bad look to it driving around with the door molding missing from the driver side(the fender and quarter pieces were still on) and then missing the pass side fender molding, so i pulled them off, sanded down the rest of the adhesive and paint, and sprayed some primer over them, looks 10x better for now, still undecided if i will re-install the moldings or not once the car is painted, will post pics at some point lol

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

3 months have passed and I have a huge update, not with the cars themselves but my wife and I made an offer on a house, the "big garage" is a dream for later in life, but this house does have an oversized one car "garage" shed, that the iroc will be stored in and stripped apart

we are currently waiting for the bank that holds the mortgage to agree with the offer we made(it's a short sale, blah)

but according to our Realtor, the bank is close to approving the offer, hopefully it wont be another two months before we find out if we get it, once i actually have a driveway and garage to call my own updates should happen more frequently

Richboll

Good luck on the house! We'll be watching for updates.

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

That is WONDERFUL news! You deserve it, buddy!

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

well, as we drag along this journey


the house is ours! we actually moved in to it during the month of October
other issues needed fixing before the Iroc could make its journey home(mainly we had to put a new roof on the house), but the RS is here and sleeping comfortable in the driveway, best part about the garage that i didnt know before buying the house since the door was locked and seller didnt turn in the key to the agent until closing(don't worry all locks on every door have been changed now) is that the garage is fully wired, outlets everywhere, even 240V in the back corner, this will make for a great shop even though the floors are wood so i cant jack the cars up in it, i have plenty of room for all my tools and the power to use them!

my son was also born a few weeks ago so that was a big deal and is taking up all of my free time naturally.

with that said, the Iroc will be making the journey to our new house hopefully in the next few weeks, it will definitely be here by spring, my parents neighbor is repairing the winch on his trailer and offered to tow it to my house, once that is done i will get some pics of everything as settled and begin the tear down process of the Iroc

fun times guys, i may do some cleaning on this thread once things pick up as i feel its been dragged on for too long

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

What wonderful news for you and your young family! May God bless your house and all who live there!

Congratulations on your new son! You deserve all the best!

Wood floors in the garage? Does that mean that there is open space below? You may be able to modify...

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

yes sir, it is one of those Garages that is actually a shed, I really just call it my work shop.

but the plan is to remove the floor and pour a slab, eventually one wall will be knocked out and the entire thing widened as well, so might do it all in one go to make a bigger garage

ternandes

iTrader: (7)

Ah, excellent. That was going to be my next suggestion. Too bad I'm not closer. I'd be over there helping you.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

Major update.........the IROC finally made the journey home

1988CamaroSC

iTrader: (2)

nice! congrats on the new house!

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

Thanks! progress should definitely pick up on the IROC now. the RS is still used once or twice a week to commute to work so I cant really tear into it, but it doesn't need much other than paint anyway.


The IROC will be getting the fuel pump replaced in the coming days

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

got the exhaust out and the rear dropped, it started pouring rain and hasn't stopped yet so i will probably finish changing out the pump tomorrow.

while the tank is out i am going to take advantage of the access i have and clean/paint all the parts under the rear of the car, so the reinstall will probably be a week or two from now.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

got the cat bolts out without breaking them





dropped the exhaust off the cat





everything unbolted and dropped

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

side shot of the rear dropped





exhaust out in one piece

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

dropped the tank a few days ago, cleaned it up last night, really cruddy on the inside so I put a gallon of white vinegar in it and will leave it soak for a few days to get the corrosion out. pics to follow

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

painted the rear and freshened up the outside of the tank, also go the pump installed and tank back up in place.


I've done this a few times now, still can't figure out why an able bodied person would cut a hole to fix a problem.


pics of the old pump/sender to come, its nasty