Fixed the burnt out reverse light on the passenger side. Previous owner put in a new receptacle on the driver side and just left the green wire going to the passenger side dangling. Grrr...

Then I moved on to installing my new windshield washer pump so that works and then topped it all off with new wiper blades. Getting ready to free the 1986 Iroc from the garage anyday. Hopefully tomorrow I can replace the MAF Burnoff Relay to get rid of the code 36 that keeps popping up.

 

Found a guy on FB parting a 84 TA 3.5hrs away from me. Drove there today and got all this stuff for $560: front bumper fascia with ground effect (ground effect does have cracks though), both headlight assemblies, tail lights, rear hatch latch with power release, factory radio (kinda rusty), radio bezel with no cracks, headlight switch, t-top headliner and all the air induction parts. I think I made out pretty good

 

I've been looking for a decent set of centerline champ 500 wheels. i found a set with 9.5 inch rears and i was stoked. it was two hours away. made the deal and drove up only to find that the wheels he said came off a Camaro had a 4.5 inch ford bolt pattern. so wasted 4.5 hours and didn't get the wheels i really wanted. im bummed dude. I installed a 4th gen rear end last summer and about a month ago i broke it. so im going to put a 9in rear end in but i wanted to get the wheels first to make sure it all fits. i will keep looking

 

I got all my tail lights working. next stop headlight motors.

 

I finally installed an aluminum radiator that actually dropped in without any modification. I tried other brands and never cared for their construction. I ended up with a Mishimoto two core which I purchased from Summit racing. I was just slightly under $400 and honestly, I didn't need a three core like the copper and brass one I just removed. That one served me well as I bought it back in 1994.

I wasn't too crazy about having two extra connections on the new radiator. My car's heater doesn't connect to the radiator like later models. The smaller one bellow (both marked in red arrows), I have no idea what to hook up to it. Either way, I'm pretty happy so far with the installation. Next step is to clean up and modify the used LS1 fans I bought through HAWKS.


Old copper brass 3 core

LS1 fans.

New radiator info

Two optional connections.

 

If you haven't already, it would be a great time to switch to an OAT coolant to prolong that aluminum as much as possible.

 

I haven't filled it up yet. I wanted to make sure the transmission cooler lines fit as well as the hoses. I still need to flush out the heater core and block a few more times. I got 99% of the DEXCOOL out.

 

Got the front fenders filled and a leveled to where I like them after sand blasting. Hoping to be ready for high build primer on Thursday (weather permitting).

Every time I think I am ready I find another low spot! Bonus points one fender still had the GM sticker on it too.

 

Drove out to a show, went out for a date with the wife, then cruised all over the place saturday evening. Knocked down 21.9 mpg and ran 160-180 deg all day long in the 90 degree heat. Been really enjoying this car especially since the 350 swap and have about got it where I want it. Still kind of looking for some GTA, Recaro, or 4th gen leather seats to swap out in the future but overall really happy with the lil Redbird.

 

Very nice! Glad to hear she runs as good as she looks. My wife likes taking the car also when we go out. It's a really nice feeling when you just enjoy the ride, especially in a third Gen.

 

Used and abused her!

 

I have this EXACT sensor on my O2 sensor.

 

New fans and radiator finally installed.

I used rivet nuts to secure the LS fans onto the radiator. My existing 3rd gen dual cooling fans wiring hooked right up to the LS fan motors. I did modify (hacked up) the dual fan upper radiator cover to fit as I wanted to retain the upper hose "rest". It's not the best cutting but it worked. I didn't tighten the transmission cooler lines enough which caused a leak. That has been since fixed. This mod so far, as I haven't taken it out on the road yet, seems to be working a lot better than the Z28/IROC factory dual fans. I will get another upper cover and do some better cuts.

 

Finishing a few things, radiator fan and shroud, coolant overflow and oil catch can

 

catch can turned out cool. like how you welded the bracket on there.

 

Thank you, quite pleased with how it turned out

 

started the install on a quick performance 9 inch rear end with 3:70 gears and a disk brake conversion. i have the 4th gen rear end with bent axels and got the new rear end connected to the car and the car back up on cribs. the rear end went in as expected but the new torque arm mount was a pita because the top bracket had been slightly bent in shipping. when i had it on jack stands i was able to get the mount in but once i had it mounted i couldnt and had to drop it again to open up the bent bracket. they must have parked a truck on it to bend it because its a beefy bracket that didnt yield easily to my forced bend. the second issue i had was the brake lines i had will not work. i may have to buy a set from quick performance but i would rather not as they are $75 on top of the already ridiculous amount i spent on the rear end. if i can get factory disk brake lines to work im sure they will be cheaper. so as it sits 2 feet in the air i need brake lines, to hook up the torque arm and driveshaft. oh and one of the shock bolts is stripped. it will get there. once the rear end is in i have a new BMR torque arm, a BMR transmission mount, and inner subframe connectors to go in. its an exciting time.

 

I checked fuel pressure on a brand new lifetime pump and its reading 45 at key turn. Shouldnt 5.7 TPI get about 60 or 70?

 

45 psi is about right for stock tpi, 60 is more in the range for LS.

 

Got these https://www.ebay.com/itm/176066718538 and modding a bit before installing them.
Will create another post.

 

I’ve been thinking about installing some smoked marker lights, are the Camaro lights and the Firebird lights the same I wonder?

 

Not the front markers, but front side markers are.

 

Not the rears?

 

Camaros have the rear side markers in the taillight corner.

 

when doing the 5 suggested break in sessions on the quick performance rear end i had a couple of issues. issue one there was an intermittent vibration from the rear end and two the car was running hot and leaking like the titanic. the vibration didn't feel like it was the gears. it felt like it was coming from the pass side. i was starting to wonder if i got the axel seated correctly. Put it on stands with the car in drive and i didn't feel or see anything. i pulled the wheel and started looking for rubbing or signs of issues and when i started shaking everything i found the shock were very loose. i guess i left them loose and was going to tighten them once it was on the ground but didn't. i hope this is the issue there. the leak was a freeze plug that was n,a.s.t.y! i replaced it today. i will put some coolant in it tomorrow and hopefully get a nice clean test drive. I also noticed that i didn't put the sway bar back on. im not going to reinstall the original but purchase a beefier aftermarket unit and get that in. its up on stands now and before i drop it tomorrow im going to go over all the fasteners one more time. i installed a new trans mount, torque arm, inner subframe connectors, rear end, and disk brakes. it was a lot. one more thing. the bottom of the car is in beautiful shape. not a smidge of rust. however the exhaust was rusted through in several places. i cut it off and put a cherry bomb on the pipe in place of the catalytic converter, its not going to stay but will work for now.

 

I threw my hands up and walked away. Gotta wait till warmer weather.

 

sometimes you have to man. ive done it over and over with projects,

 

I changed out a destroyed freeze plug. this seems to have corrected the heating issue. i drove it about 5 miles tonight and it stayed cool. so that's a small victory. the vibration seemed to be better too. the shocks are squeaking on the top mount. so i will address that in the next day or so and then start driving the car regularly again.

 

I found a decent nose in Amarillo for $60.


Finally!

Edit: Including the headlight mounting bar and grille, but my old grille is in better shape.

 

I discovered that my distributor ground pin is missing lol

 

Removed T5, replaced leaking RMS, installed flywheel for T56. Just waiting on a few parts to come in to complete the swap.

 

Made adapters for these seat tracks (one driver side is now pass side). Anyone think welding my adapters on is a bad choice?

To install these.

 

Wasted all christmas break trying to avoid pulling the motor only to have to do it the last day. Started to put it back together yesterday and just didn't feel great about the rod journals on the crank so we took it and the rods to the machine shop to be polished. Thankfully they said it should only take a few days, gotta get it back together and out of the way because I got a very special delivery coming today or tomorrow that's gonna need some attention before spring gets underway.

 

What today? Usually I just look at it in passing as I go in/out of the garage. Today I connected a battery charger to freshen it up. It was -4°F this morning (65° in the garage) under clear skies. I'll be firing it up and moving it around a bit for its monthly exercise. The roads are salted but the driveway is clean, so It can get a 50-foot roll to limber up the tires and scrub the rotors clean.

 

I finally got a Corvette starter, because my stock refurbished one is finally dying.

Ever since I got the car, almost seven years ago, the starter has occasionally just clicked instead of cranking. If I try again, it works, or sometimes not until the fourth or fifth attempt, but it always works. I've had it tested a couple of times, and it's always good. Then a couple of weeks ago, I thought the solenoid was going, so I ordered the 'Vette starter.

Yesterday I replaced it. I pulled & wiggled a couple of extra inches of battery cable through its bracket, so it would reach the solenoid on the opposite side, and after I torqued it, it did nothing but click every time I turned the key. Then I pulled it off again, and discovered I'd stripped the terminal stud so bad that I couldn't unscrew it. I gradually pried it off while unscrewing until it grabbed the remaining threads and came all the way off. Then I chased the threads with a taller nut that reached to more good threads.

Then I scrubbed the grease off the block mounting surface, added a 1-mm shim, reattached the cable with a couple of washers to hold it up in reach of good threads, and it works like everyone promises! The shim must have been the clicking problem all along, until the solenoid died.

 

kicked some parts on the ground as i walked by my project....

 

Replaced my ball joints again, and replaced 30+-year-old rubber bushings with poly:

• Sway bars
• End links
• Control arms
• PHB

And while I was at it, I replaced my stock 18-mm rear sway bar with a 19-mm I had found in a JY a while ago.

 

im in the midst of an engine swap. i have the 305 out . it was a good running engine but i basically lost every freeze plug at the same time. it was a mess. i cleaned. degreased , and painted the engine compartment. I installed the new torque converter (2500-2800 stall) and have the 383 almost ready to drop in. i need to put some shims on the starter and then its go time. The suspension has all been done and I installed a quick performance 9 inch rear end with 373 gears a few months ago. it should be a lot of fun once i get it together. ! switched from the throttle body to a First performance tpi unit. so there is some wiring to be done and i have to make new fuel lines. it is what it is.

 

Reworked dipstick to be used with headers.

 

terminal removal tool

 

I put new fuel rail o rings in, now it's has no fuel leak, no air leaks, but won't run. Fml. Only running with a tpi bolt out, which makes a vacuum leak lol. I posted about it with my own post, if you wanna chime in. Always something! Ughhh

 

still working on fitting things here and there...

 

Finally started mine today, five months and way to much money I think the motor is finally right. Next weekend (s) get the kids IROC set and safe so next time she goes to a street takeover In downtown Pontiac at 1am she's not taking my '23.

 

i bought an awesome set of dougs long tube headers off off a thirdgen race car. turns out they wont fit. i guess the guy had a tubular k-member. im super annoyed that they aren't going to work.

 

I ordered a set of dyno don shorty headers from tds. it hurt my heart to spend that much on headers but they are supposed to be awesome. I have so much time and money in the 383 that going cheap on the last pieces would be foolish. i was going to go with a hooker but i wanted the 1 3/4 primaries vs the smaller 1 5/8 that most of them have. i got the engine sitting in the car last night. that's how i found that my headers weren't going to work. I have the engine in with motor mounts, bell housing, and converter bolts all installed. i need to put in the drive shaft this evening. i had to remove the distributor to lift the engine in and the engine rotated a tiny bit so im going to have to reset the tdc again. not the worst thing to happen. par for the course. Im only short a couple small parts to get this running but im not buying anymore parts until i get to them. im starting to feel like a parts hoarder. i need the coil, ignition box, and some fuel fittings. getting close. the plan for tonight is drive shaft and hooking up some plumbing.

 

DO NOT waste your time on this.

G body 5.0 engine oil dipsticks bolt right in to an unused 5/16 x 18 threaded hole in the block.

Dipsticks are matched to tubes, so get the matching stick so the oil reading is correct.

 

spent a couple hours on the car tonight and got a few things done. it seems like every step forward is another step backwards.
1) driveshaft installed
2) distributor installed
3)upper TPI manifold installed-ish. when i went to install the top i found that the gaskets i have are stock. i have a first TPI manifold and the runners are massive. the stock gaskets a about half the size of the runners. so i need to get on the first tpi website and figure out what gaskets im supposed to have.
4) power steering hoses installed.

 

You have angle plug heads.
What are you using for headers?

 

Swapped out carbs. My original E4ME was leaking and needed a rebuild. I put a used E4ME from a 2k mile '85 Berlinetta on to get me through until the original carb gets returned.

 

Nothing much done today, too busy at the shop. But last weekend I installed these awesome new LED lights! The scooter blocks a perfect view, but that's ok as it has new fork seals and is back on the road as well.