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Well I would have never thought to have been nominated for COTM on this huge forum. Thank you!
Anyways, this is my 1985 IROC-Z. The car is only 4 options away from being fully loaded and is still wearing its original paint. I have owned the car for six years and have been picking away at some of the issues the car had ever since. Engine misfires, torn steering wheel leather, corroded wheels, worn suspension, just to name a few.
The past few years however, I really focused on making this car as "factory fresh" as possible by using NOS parts when I could. These parts include parking lamps, a correct p/n 10017700 washer fluid bottle, gauges, turn signal stalk, floor mats and muffler. I had my wheels professionally CNC machined and powder coated by a local wheel restorer, and added NOS center caps and NOS lug nuts for an added touch.
I am not gonna lie, this car has given me plenty of grief over the years. Many times I was ready to push it off of the proverbial cliff. But it has definitely payed off in the end. It rides and drives like a new IROC-Z should. No squeaks or rattles, inside or out.
I rarely take the car to shows because it is frustrating watching spectators and other owners judge a car based on its odometer reading alone. I find it more satisfying knowing that I essentially did a mild restoration on my own and the car looks just as good (at first glance) as the guy who has a larger check book who simply went out and bought a 20k mile thirdgen.
I recently documented the journey in depth in the history/originality forum. Please check it out to see what the car looked like when I bought it.
Ill leave you with a few pics of the car as it sits today. Thanks again for the nomination! Also, I will not be voting for my car in this poll. It only seems fair. Thanks!!
Thanks for the consideration for COTM , Here's a couple of pics, more pics and details about my IROC can be found at www.irocin.com .
I've owed this IROC since August 2011, I'm the third owner. It's pretty much loaded with options. It currently has 48122 miles on the odometer. The plan is to keep this car and pass it down to my grandson when he's 25.
Thanks for the consideration for COTM , Here's a couple of pics, more pics and details about my IROC can be found at www.irocin.com .
I've owed this IROC since August 2011, I'm the third owner. It's pretty much loaded with options. It currently has 48122 miles on the odometer. The plan is to keep this car and pass it down to my grandson when he's 25.
I bought my GTA back in 2001 from a small car lot in Orlando, FL. The day before I went to pick it up someone backed a motorhome over the hood. I was crushed… or at least that’s how I acted. Lol. So at least I got a discount and a reason to put the hood on it that I wanted! Luckily it did no other damage to the car. Shortly after I got the car home, a rod started knocking. Are you kidding me?!? lol. At least I now had an excuse to put a new engine in it! Within a few weeks I had the new ram air hood for it along with a 4th gen style rear wing for it. Shortly after that I took it over to the paint and body shop and ended up get the entire car repainted the with 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Blue you currently see on the car. The car was originally Gunmetal Grey w/ gold wheels. Unfortunately I don't have any pic from when I bought it Here's what it looked like after I got it painted
https://www.flickr.com/photos/159637345@N07/36579241773/sizes/o/
So, even though the car looked pretty decent, it still ran like crap and I drove it that way for almost ten years! lol. I kept the RPM's under 2500 for all those years trying to postpone the inevitable.
Fast forward to 2010... I had finally saved up enough dough to put a new engine in the car. Woohoo! After much contemplation over many different engine options for the car, I finally decided that the LS1 was the only way to go IMO. It's hard to beat an all aluminum engine w/ 450+ HP & 20MPG! It wasn't long before I had purchased a freshly rebuilt LS1 chocked full of Comp Cam goodies. Here's my build thread in case you haven't seen it yet. https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...p-my-89-a.html
The engine swap ended up turning into basically a frame off restoration of the car. Yes I know the car does actually have a frame. lol. The car now has a fully tubular adjustable suspension, the LS1 (of course) along with a 4L65E Monster tranny, big brakes, aftermarket wheels, strut tower brace, subframe connectors, fully FatMatted interior, aftermarket stereo system and much more. Way too much stuff to list. I did the majority of the work in my garage with a little help from my friends here and there. My grandpa actually helped me get the engine back in the car before he died. So glad I have a great memory like that to look back on. Here's a pic of the engine/trans going in the car
This was shortly after I got the car back on the road in 2015 at a car show with my friend Luis and the TTA that he had back then. And yes, your math is correct. It took four years to do the restoration and get the car back on the road.
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Here are a few more current pics...
My goal with the engine bay was to try to make it look like the LS1 came in the car from the factory. I probably spent 50 hours just adapting the ram air filter box to work with the LS1 & designing the custom cover for it.
Unfortunately I don't have any good interior pics at the moment. I'll get to work on that. The interior is still a work in progress. All that I have left to finish to complete the restoration is getting the seats recovered and the headliner replaced. Phew... what a ride, but so worth it. The car is a blast to drive and is really quiet inside except when you mash the gas pedal to the floor!
This was shortly after I got the car back on the road in 2015 at a car show with my friend Luis and the TTA that he had back then. And yes, your math is correct. It took four years to do the restoration and get the car back on the road.
Motown’s IROC is such a fine example.. I am always more impressed with the high mile cars at shows and cruise nights.. makes me feel like a chump for getting a low mile car, but I’ve had enough of the “pushing off cliff” moments with my first two IROCs. Keeping a car mint and original that’s been driven is awesome. Should be a high honor.
dprest68’s Bird is another kind of car I see that makes me feel like a chump.. all that work in getting the most out of a third gen performancewise is awesome. It’s cool being bone stock, but seeing what’s under a hood like that at a cruise night is inspiring. And the car looks friggin awesome.. who cares about the interior with all that!
Mechmit’s IROC is an example to me of my favorite paint and interior, options, etc that they made. This is the IROC I would have ordered back in the day. I was looking for a 5-speed convertible but went with the car I bought because it was loaded and had the same paint and interior as Mechmit’s.
Jeremy B’s IROC is identical to my second IROC I owned. I had this car with Grey cloth and a 5-speed with 3.42 out back. My friend’s 5.7 looked pretty close to Mechmit’s car but was an 87.. I’d like to hear more about Jeremy’s car..
This was my 87 5-speed (silver) and my buddy’s 5.7 (gold) in 1995
Hey man, thanks. I gotcha...I think when I was checking for the voting thread it had not been made up yet. Unfortunately I'm heading to Europe like now actually and will be there until Oct 1st or 2nd (can't remember). I probably won't have time to post more on the car interior etc...just wanted u to know. It's not that I don't want to just can't.
Which is fine...Im just happy to be on and around the site....maybe if I win something one day that's just an added bonus...thanks for the info tho. I appericate it! Ttyl!
Also...is it just me or is this thread for got hard to find...or there is no sticky on it? Cot thread. Has this been a question that's been beaten to death...i know how ertain ppl can get upset with that on here lol
^That was the PM I got from Jeremy on the 21st. It was the 22nd by the time I got the message. I did peruse his profile but did not find a detailed "this is my car" thread to put together an entry on his behalf. I figured its best to not to put together a "sketchy" entry. It would be fine with me if Jeremy is nominated next month or subsequently.
I am pretty confident that he would have participated had he not been a victim of circumstance this month.
09-20-2017, 08:00 PM
Luckily it did no other damage to the car. Shortly after I got the car home, a rod started knocking. Are you kidding me?!? lol. At least I now had an excuse to put a new engine in it! 
Within a few weeks I had the new ram air hood for it along with a 4th gen style rear wing for it. Shortly after that I took it over to the paint and body shop and ended up get the entire car repainted the with 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Blue you currently see on the car. The car was originally Gunmetal Grey w/ gold wheels. Unfortunately I don't have any pic from when I bought it 
Here's what it looked like after I got it painted
