Hey everyone, l'm new to these forums. l'm from toronto, canada. l appolgize in advance if l didnt post in the right section for this. I just recently inheirited my dads camaro. Its a black on black 85 iroc-z 5.0 5spd, 4disc brakes, 3.7.3 rear end, 4 bbl carb L69 motor. The car has about 190km on it. My old man hasn't moved this car in over 15 years, so its been pretty much sitting for almost 15 years. He is the original owner and he does have the original bill of sale. So l wanted to do a new project and l figured this would be a good job to do. So my question is what would be my best option with this car? Just restore the complete car? Or should l change the motor and swap in a 350 and a 6spd tranny?

 

I would say get it back to running condition with a full tuneup. These cars seem to do well when being parked for years with some refreshing I highly doubt you would have any problems. Best to get it all road worthy and then when you think the power just doesn't cut it then start doing upgrades. Nothing worse then missing out on the nice weather.

 

even tho im not from Ontario..Welcome!

 

Sitting for that length of time the motor might have some latent issues but o/wise sounds like a nice car with all the right stuff for its time.

It's also e-test exempt which is good.

Depends what you want to do with the car - cruiser or performance. As is it's not bad for mild performance because it's a standard so more fun to drive and these days it's not like you can use 400 HP on the road anymore.

I'd get it going this summer and see what it's gonna need plus how you feel about the car as is. Then decide if you want to start throwing mods at it.

There's a lot of stuff that can be done or needs to be done before installing a larger motor. Things like SFCs, LCAs, the new springs and shocks that it's gonna need, better tyres etc. All of that will make the car more fun to drive in the corners.

 

welcome, i agree with wraith, get it running and drive it then go from there

 

Alright sounds good! l will upload some pics of the interior and also what is so rare about the 5.0 H.0? Just outta curiousity does anyone think the value of these cars is going to increase?

 

A mint L69, J65, T5 would be a nice find particularly if its a hardtop but I think they only made about 195 FWHP - however for that time it's a good one to have.

Rare doesn't really apply to thirgens unless its the SLP Firehawks (about 25 made), the TTA if anyone still cares about them; or a mint Players car but they made up to 100 or so Players cars per year and there are still lots of them being raced - if a Players car had been raced from the factory by someone famous then it has some collector value but there aren't many like that so it's pretty much a non-issue. Players cars are just old race cars not worth much more than about $8K in the real world unless they have some good upgrades like a Tremec TKO, 383 and nascar cage.

The price of a good thirdygen has gone up in the last few years but not enough to worry about.

Best bet is probably just enjoy the car for what it is.

 

sounds interesting good to know thanks for that info

 

Hi and welcome to the board!

Sounds like you have a nice gem, can't wait to see some pics of her.

 

Welcome from Hamilton. Before you hack it up, check the spid for the a4u option code. that would make it an old players car. let me know if you find it. Hope to see you at a cruise this summer.

 

I will upload some pics of the car tomorrow on my profile photo album. And l will check for that code tomorrow as well. l doubt l will be able to make it out this year for a car show/cruise. l'm right now trying to do some homework on the car and l'm trying to find parts and trying to find out who can rebuild my engine for me...

 

Is the engine toast? 190kms is far from needing a rebuild. At the most new valve seals possibly valve cover gaskets , Refreshing items.

 

He said the car is a 85 L69 so it will not be a Players car.

Same year, motor and tranny as mine. Now it is a race car with a 383. Tremec would be nice but no coin for that. George is right about pricing.

Get it running and safe this summer and just get out and enjoy it before starting to think about mods.

 

Welcome to the board!
If you're looking for some good historical info on the car, contact GM Historical Sercices..
http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/shopping/parts/vintage
They'll give you accurate build numbers etc.

I'd also just get the car on the road, then worry about mods later!
Jump on here for advice on what to do first..

 

Paradise Alley in TO is a used parts supplier for 3rd gen cars only. Not sure where they are but I am sure if you google there name you will find it.

 

Expensive. Better luck on all the f-body boards.

 

I agree they should be a dead last resort.

 

Yeah, PA has lousy rep - been that way for many years.

 

Welcome to the boards. If the motor is dead, mothball the driveline and put in something fun. If the 305 still lives, drive the damn thing. It is way more fun to actually drive around in your car then to talk about the day you MIGHT get to drive it. I know, I've done both. If you need parts, ask me, I might have it, or I might know where it is. PA has lots of parts, but you'll pay for them.

 

Yes that is true I only use as a last resort on another note if you change out the drive train, changing it up with the combo I have will run you $7 to $10 grand so be sure of what you want

 

Welcome! I'm new to this forum too! Congratulations on your car too! I'm near Barrie, on. I am the proud owner of a 1984 camaro Z28!

My advice would be to get the car running and go out chat with some camaro people and get a feel of what you want to do with your car. There are camaro meets every saturday at Canadian Tire on the queensway (1608 the queensway, Etobicoke). It's actually street classics but the camaro club Im part of meets there every saturday. The meets start up sometime in may.

I was stuck in the same boat of deciding wether to keep it original or to modify mine. I ended up leaving mine original btw.

Anyways, good luck with your car and hope to see you at car shows/meets!!

 

Thanks guys! No, no, l would never go to Paradise Alley. I heard some real horror stories about them, but whatever. I'm just waiting for the new alternator, and the new pick-up coil, plugs, wires and have the carb rebuilt. l'm gonna keep it stock once we have it running, we're gonna pull the motor & send the upper head and bottom end to have it machined, put new gaskets n etc, just keeping it clean and stock. What's a good clutch for these cars? And is it true if you put kyb agx struts with eibach springs that you gotta change the front control arms? And if anyone was wondering...the car got repainted back in 94 from a old family friend and he removed the gold stripping thats why it doesnt have it anymore and he was by far the worst car painter ever! Thats why the car needs a new paint job. And for the car sitting for 15 years l'm suprised it hasnt rotted out. But once it comes out again it will be have the gold stripe all around.

 

Just west of Burlington if you were wondering I changed my engine due to the inability to past emitions. Looked at rebuild and crate engines all of which would have spent about the same or more to get the power I have now, verses all stock and can pass emitions with flying colors now and hopefully for years to come

 

Hey Tracker,

What colour is your car? I'll keep my eyes out for you this summer. I think the swap is a good one.

 

I think you have been to the mall you have a burgandy colour car right? I have not had mine out for at least 4 years dark green had the 5.7 TPI

 

I think the burgundy one is Issac (transamice). Mine just got on the road in the fall. I occasionally do head to the Mapleview cruise though, might go there this year depending on work, but the car will be in the mall parking lot, not in the show. Its FAR too ugly for that.

 

Welcome aboard Evenflo. Congrats on inheriting the camaro. I inherited one from my uncle waaaay back in the mid-70's, a '69 Z28 w/302 4sp. Unfortunately it was beat to hell & back. Ended up salvaging the engine & tranny for a cracker box race boat..... Anyhow, as for cars that have sat for a long time, mine spent 12 yrs in a barn, hoses & pretty much anything else rubber under the hood might be suspect. I've encountered a lot of problems with cracked vacuum hoses etc. Probably more of a problem with a TPI car than a carb. Just one more thing to look at......

Again, welcome. Post some more pics when you can.

 

The swap you are talking about is the one in waterdown I am assuming. I went there once and was told my car was to new to go into the park not been back since with my car

 

Hello there Tracker,
Good thing you stopped in here before you "destroyed" your car. This site has the most knowledgeable membership out there and if I'm reading the thread correctly, everyone seems to be steering you in the right direction to restore your car rather then modify it.
Seems like everyone selling one on eBay thinks their run-of-the-mill, 1-of-148,000+ built IROC is "rare","valuable" or the next "future collectable" but most of them out there are basically a bellybutton; everyone has one, just in a different color and some are prettier than others. Depending on how many people on the "street tuner" or "modder" sites you talk to, you're going to as many different opinions on the subject. Most misinformed people will tell you to "build it how you want to" and it's your car so you're entitled to do just that. I believe people that do indeed have something rare (and you do) have a responsibility to care for the car so someone in the future can continue to do the same. It's called "Stewardship". For what it's worth, I'd like to let you know what I would do if I had your car, because I too have an L69 IROC I am restoring. It took me nearly 20 years of seruious searching to find this particluar optioned car (see my post "who has the earliest production IROC"). Although I'm new to posting on this site, I have visiting it for years and have been a serious collector of 3rd Gens for over 23 years. I bought my first one in 87 & still have her along with 4 others AND 2 of the original IROC Camaro race car bodies from the 85-89 series. I worked for a Chevy Dealer from 1988-1994 as a Corvette & Camaro Specialist in the Parts, Service and New Car Sales in New Jersey USA (the Camaro capitol of the world in the 80's.) I drove and prepped an 88 1LE right off the GM transport trailer, so I've seen pretty much every desirable 3rd Gen out there and own a few myself.
You're very fortunate to have what appears to be an unmolested and very good original condition example. Having been involved in the collector car market for nearly 30 years I can tell you that if the past is any indicator of the future, you're sitting in a very good position. I think there's still some slight downside to the values of 3rd Gens in the next 5-7 years, but then the values should start to swing up. Some will wthout a doubt be worth more than others.
Although this isn't a "tier one" collectors car (think 69 COPO or Yenko) it is absolutely a "tier two" (think 69 Z28 w/ DZ 302). As with 67-69's, there are far fewer Canadian models than US, and there aren't many surviving L69 IROCs in the US anyway. I've actually seen more L69's sold & parted out than I have seen complete L69 cars for sale (or not for sale) in any condition for that matter.
Before you do ANYTHING to the car, I would STRONGLY suggest you do a detailed initial evaluation of how she sits right now. Document EVERYTHING with as many pics as you can before you remove a single screw. IF you're going to remove any parts and replace them with aftermarket (I wouldnt do that to THIS car), be sure to put all the take offs in the boxes the replacements come in so you (or a future owner) can always go back to stock. As far as what to restore, remember the car is only original ONCE, if a part is damaged or broken OR something was fixed once before (like your paint) it's now considered by nearly every serious car collector to leave it alone as long as its safe and is not going to get worse with age or use. If you must replace, look for NOS or original take offs. Years ago "survivor" designation was put on a car by sellers at auction to pass off a car that has potential to be restored or a good candidate for modifications. That was a selling technique to unload a less-than-desirable car, but in the past few years "survivor" cars have become more commonplace in the show circuit and many national judging orginizations are introducing a "Survivor" category to reflect the current trend. In the serious collecting world "Survivor" is more accurately used to describe a rare or desirable car that has somehow escaped being modified. Also, most serious collectors actually believe in driving thier cars. Reputable collector car magazines and websites are a good source of information if you're curious.
The ebay & CL is littered with LT1 6-speed 3rd Gens for sale and though they may be nice to drive now, so were the 69 Camaros with etched glass, scoops sticking through hoods, huge tires sticking out past fiberglass fender flares, sidepipes, and tilt noses exposing tons of chrome parts on replaced motors back in the 80's. Those cars were what everyone dreamed an ultimate Camaro was back then, and nobody would have questioned it back in the day. What do you think the majority of people would say if you had a near original 69 and posted this question. 20 years ago it wouldn't be given a second thought to hotrod a 69; now it's taboo unless you get a junkyard donor and do a $250K pro-touring car. Even so, sooner or later, tastes will change and those cars will lose favor. Historically, original cars fetch the most money at both auction & private sale. A factory looking 69 looks a good today as it did new. What do you say today when you see a neon pink IROC with neon green "heartbeat" stripe painted down the side? That's so cheap looking, or that needs a resto? That was the hottest fad, and those were the "people's choice" show winners in the 80's, but it looks bad today.
For whatever reason, 3rd Gens don't get the respect they deserve yet, and that's unfortunate because I'm seeing way too many potentially valuable cars get torn apart to do what's "hot" today, not considering the future value of these cars.
IMHO, if you want to mod a 3rd Gen, go on ebay & pick up a low mileage 6 cyl Sport Coupe that you know probably hasn't been wrecked or abused (because many of the IROCs were beaten to near death back in the day) and build it however you want without worry of losing any of the car's value. Although it appears you know what the right thing to do with your car is, your posting about spring swaps has me concerned you might be heading down the wrong path...
If you want to discuss further, just PM or email me.
With all due respect to those with modded 3rd Gens, I don't mean to offend, as everyone has their own style, but the poster asked what made his car desirable and what he should do with it.
Good Luck with your car!

 

Wow IROC-MIKE that's quite the post.
I agree with what you're saying, if you do mod it keep all the original stuff..I'm one of 'the many' with a 6-speed LT1 car, but have everything original that ever came off mine to put it back to what it once was. Even the pc of trans tunnel cut out for the manual shifter.. I might have tossed the original speakers though..

 

Hey guys, l just uploaded a few more pics of the car on my profile Now l need some parts to start this bad boy! Who can tell me where l can get some used parts? l'm looking for a carb quadarjet with electronic choke, and an altenator, and l need a new t-top headliner for the inside of the car! If anyone has these items please pm me a.s.a.p! Thanks!!

 

I might have a carb. I've got a couple from some 82-84 Trans Ams, not sure if they are the same one. You should just rebuild your existing one, keep it numbers matching and all that jazz.

 

Well since we are on the subject of parts I want to replace my shocks front & back any suggestions on what is best.