cheveyitis90

Hi everybody. I'm Rob. I'm in Michigan. Just before last Christmas, I picked up a 90 IROC. It's a T-top with a 5.7 auto. It was originally a 5.0. It belonged to a friend of mine. He was having some issues and offered me the car which needed a fuel pump and had been in a poll barn for 6 years. I felt bad but I gave him his asking price of $1,500. Still deal kinda guilty but he said he wanted a good home for it. Flattering.
Before I went to get it, I started looking up how to replace the fuel pump. That's when I found TGO. You guys instantly saved me a ton of work. I showed up with a New fuel pump relay and a battery and some starting fluid. Hooked it up after checking the hidden fuse and she fired right up and idled. Shocked everyone. I looked so smart lol.
So I drove her home with one front brake on clear winter roads. Pulled her straight into the garage and immediately went back to TGO. I have used this search bar a million times since then and still do. Since it was winter, all I could really do is interior and chassis work and dream of summer. You guys taught me how to do it all!! I rebuilt the whole car from the ground up pretty much. Made my own custom interior parts and even replaced the steering column after trying to rebuild it. By spring she was ready to roll. I still had stock drum rear end and wasn't really sure how she would really run. She idled good. But when I finally started taking her out for test drives every thing started to get a lot worse. I expected some issues, but holy crap!!! The rear wheels slid in and out about .150" and when the engine warmed up it did some funky stuff. I've never really played with fuel injection much. But how hard could it be? Lol. What a learning experience it's been!!!!!!!! I never would have imagined. I'm a machinist by trade. I'm not stupid. This car made me feel stupid! But now I'm smart again thanks to you guys.

I now have a 4th gen disk rear end which stuck my wheels out farther. I'm dealing with that soon. And an engine that runs awesome which was crap after warm up before. Stalling out when I let off the throttle at lower speeds yet firing right back up and chugging at steady lower speeds. I hate the word vacuum now. But I went out and bought a digital multi meter and searched this site for hours and hours. And hours. I saw a few guys a lot. Very smart and knowledgeable. I learned exactly how to diagnose and test every part of this 305 Speed Density system on top of a 5.7. Which runs strong and mean now. Late model block, 86 small chamber small valve heads. Strange set up. But pretty quick.

I put a lot of work in her but way less money because of your help. I've always wanted a third gen. I was a teenager in the 80's. I finally have one. And thanks to you guys, a couple in particular, I have been blessed with an experience I'll always remember. I'll have this car till I die. I can keep her strong and beautiful thanks to my new knowledge you gave me. I'm absolutely blown away that I actually got this car this far. She still has a few issues, but it will be a pleasure making her perfect and keeping her that way. Hopefully I can help someone as much as you have helped me some day.

I'll be here often. Maybe it will happen. But for now I'm still happy learning myself. I wish I had taken more pics but here is a bad picture of her now.


The outside was painted original color once. Lost its pin stripes.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Looks like you got a good deal. Congratulations!

cheveyitis90

Yes I did. Very solid car. Doesn't even rattle yet. I'd like to thank you personally DynoDave43. I read a ton of your posts. I learned a lot form you!!!!

battman

iTrader: (2)

Your car is looking good! This site is a wealth of knowledge and information on these cars, and the people here are great. It has certainly helped me a lot over the years work on my cars.

Damon

They do that to everyone. No matter how experienced. That's why I'll work on cars until I'm not physically able to do so (and then I'll keep helping out over the internet). Keeps me sharp.

Top three (four) reasons I love working on cars:

1. They don't talk your head off like some annoying carbon-based life forms do. They only tell you what you need to know and no more.

2. They work based on physics, not emotion. Though they can approximate throwing a 'hissy-fit' or giving you the 'silent treatment' sometimes.

3. They're patient. Want to walk away from a car for 6 months? No problem. Next time you see them, you can pick up the conversation right where you left off and they don't judge you for that.

4. They don't lie, they don't steal (at least not without your permission).

mikeceli

iTrader: (2)

NICE car! I think the 3Rd Gen Camaro is one of those cars that look particulary good, in white! Same w/ C4 Corvette.

PS WHERE IS THE "HIDDEN FUSE"?

bigal55

iTrader: (1)

$1500? REALLY? Some people have all the luck! LOL! Great job on getting her cleaned up! Looks GOOD!

cheveyitis90

Thanks for replying everyone.

My relationship with my car is definitely the simplest one I'm currently in. And looking at it that way, I'm sure the simplest I'll ever be in!!
It's still a work in progress, and always will be. I almost feel like I am the caretaker of an important piece of history. So I owe it to the car and everyone that appreciates third gens. Weird?

I did get a good deal. I'm very thankful. There's an 88 vert for sale a few miles away that I stopped to look at a few days ago. Pretty car from the road. I think it was an rs. But up close, I starting realizing that I would much rather have mine. And he wants $8,000. I don't think he'll get that. He even saw Mine and saw me checking out his. He never walked over to talk to me. He walked around the house and peaked around the corner til I was gone.

When I first started searching the fuel pump issue, I kept seeing that there's a fuse tucked over by the battery for the fuel pump. There was a lot of people it seemed that did not know this. Including me. I realize this seems pretty simple now, but it was something that would have taken me some time too figure out on my own. So I call it the hidden fuse. There's a spare in the console always now.

Again, thank you for all the hard work you've already done and sharing it with everyone else. I'm by no means an expert, but I'm very confident I'm not going to run into anything I can't handle thanks to you guys!!!

mikeceli

iTrader: (2)

I'll look for it when I can. By the battery, thanks.

cheveyitis90

It's a little black connector that should be mounted to the car somewhere between the battery and the overflow. Mine was just hanging free. A connector with a cap on it. And it's definitely my pleasure!!!!