Finally got one.85 Iroc,305ho,5spd,fully loaded,t-tops,128000kms,orginal body/paint,no winters,black on grey,$4300 safetied.After 6mths of shopping thought it was worth the coin.Seen alot of well used and abused 3rd gens.Need some help on a few things.Been through tech boards already also but would like some feedback from fellow Ontarians.Pwr windows not working and electric coolant fan not kicking in.Can the rear hatch pull down be repaired also.Ruled out fuses already.As my 1st camaro (finally) need some help on where to start as in switches,where the relays are located and so on.Any help would be appreciated.Whats the best repair manuals for these f bodies?I have a few mths to take care of these items while it's stored in the garage.Sure looks sweet beside my 97 Ski-doo Mach 1.Now i have my summer ride i think with all the snow i'm going to take my other ride out to beat on it.Thanks in advanced and to all a Happy New Year.

 

Hey, first of all congrats on your new ride. As for the windows, I would first start with the Switches. I know when I purchased my 89 rs the windows were not working and all it was that the one switch was dead, and the other one the connection was badly incrusted with corrosion. Start with the switches and then worry about tracing back the wiring etc.

In terms of your question regarding the repair manuals I have both the Haynes and Chilton's manuals. I prefer the Chiltons because it seems like they go into a bit more detail with things and seem to have more detail on mine (89 rs).

What sort of plans do you have for the Car?

 

Wayyy cool. I always liked the 85 IROC's. Sentimental I suppose -- used to own one.

About the manuals, I once found a web site with a CD showing the breakdown of all parts on a 3rd gen. Can anyone help with this ? I don't have the link anymore.

Also, any mods planned or just restoration project ?

RP.

 

Thanks for the info.As for plans for the car,just got it,not sure yet.Would maybe like to keep it close to orginal but sometimes what kind of fun is that without twisting some wrenches on her.Still stock form except for breather.Maybe next year on some mild mods like cam/lifters,carb,intake,exhaust,any suggestions?Need shocks for the hood and hatch though,who is reasonable there.Used from wreckers or new from where?Ltr.

 

Ah the good old hood and hatch shocks, they always go. Dont even waste your time or money from a wrecker, even if they are willing to sell them to you. Alot of them wont even sell those shocks, but some will, dont even bother unless they want like 5 bucks each and they can demonstrate they work.

When I got my 3rd gen 3 years ago I replaced the hood shocks, and they are already on their way out. My hatch ones are gone too. As for where to purchase them, go to a parts place, not crappy tire.

Get to know the guys at your local parts place and buy them a coffee or something like that. You will find that they are often very "flexible" on the prices, so ask them for "a good deal" or a mechanics discount. Once you find a parts place you like you will be amazed at how much they can knock the price of things down when they want too. (eg clutch kit for my 91 swift retailed at 220 I walked out the door for just over 100, dealer wanted 400+)

I cant remember exactly how much the shocks were when I purchased them but I remember they were alot more than what I had originally expected (I think 40 each but it was a while ago)

 

Original is important. If I had an '85 IROC my first goal would be to restore as much as makes sense given the overall condition of the car plus how deep my pocketbook is.

Keep in mind that one day the IROC will be a collectible aka the '70 BOSS 302 or DZ28 ('69 Camaro). No kidding -- try to pick up a Players Challenge car that is in decent shape WOW are they running up in value. I could have picked one up for pennies 6-7 years ago.

The cam is a big job on these cars. I would 'save it till last' if it were mine. Especially as I know how well the HO 305 responds to some simple mods.

Eg:

- a decent dual plane manifold can be had for about $175-225 depending on source. These really wake up the carb'd setup.

- combine this with a decent set of headers

- and full 3 inch (don't lose the cat we have Emissions testing to pass now) exhaust and you will think you are driving a 350.

No kidding carb'd motors behave very differently than EFI setups.

A great mod that I did on mine was the '83-84 Z28 dual air-filter setup. You can usually find these for under $200 and they simply bolt right in. It is not enough to just open the filter element -- you are just drawing in hotter, humid air. Build some kind of cold air setup instead. Lotsa ideas about this on the web.

I tried the distributor recurve as well, changed the advance weights. The car responded well to this in 0-60 as I remember it.

Well I could go on under we all got bored listening so let me end for now with this -- if yours is an HO then you have 1.92 intake valves which is a pretty hot setup already. You just need to take advantage of it with a few conservative mods.

BTW: get used to changing the shocks.

Happy New Year,
Richard.

 

Thanks again for the input.It will give me some things to consider.Definetaly getting rid of open air breather,good for looks.Palric that 83-84 Z28 dual air filter setup can you get from wreckers for best choice or some expensive dealer items.Happy New year.

 

Sounds like a steal dood!! Congrats... I think I know how you feel... I felt the same way when I got my 1988 GTA last year... got it for 7500bux cert and e-tested.. no winters, and mostly original.

Get your car in 100% running condition first, then worry about performance. Do the windows work at all? As for the hatch pulldown, I'd hit the wreckers and grab one out of a Olds, or Caddi, I think you may be able to swap the mounting brackets.

Get some pictures of your ride.. I'd like to see it

 

Will get some pics up soon.Have to get my scanner back from my sister first.Pwr windows don't work at all,nor does the electric coolant fan.Need a little more room in my garage first before i can start to trouble shoot.Too much junk accumalated.Will give a check on the wreckers on the hatch pull down never thought about it being simular in other GM's.

 

Forgot about the cooling fan problem.... here is two things you can do.. One: Try running the fan directly off the battery to see if it is still good. Two: If you have a multimeter, check the resitance of the Coolant sensors. Chances are the one that controls the fan operation has gone bad.

Don't pay too much at the wreckers for the pull down unit... you should take it off yourself if possible.

Where abouts do you live? I know the wrecker down here in Fort Erie lets you go back and take stuff yourself, and it saves you money. I got 2 for my Olds 98, I ended up not needing them, too bad I chucked them already.

 

Congrats on the 5.0 Liter HO, skidoo 68! You'll find the rear hatch struts quite pricey, even from CT. I found I could get by with just replacing one. When I got my '85 a couple of years ago I also discovered the electric fan didn't work either. Waiting in line to get into Cayuga it boiled over. I think it was a corroded connecion, because I later got it working. Check the fan itself with direct battery voltage, then work back. Grounding the temperature sensor at the front of the manifold should turn it on. I ended up putting in a manual override switch.

 

Just picked up a spare dash pad in ec and the pull down unit here in Waterloo for $125 for both.Got lucky they just got my donor car in Monday.Thanks again guys for the info on tracking down the fan problem.Should be able to get at it as soon as i clean the garage,next week i hope.Ltr.

 

Way back when I found my dual air setup at a wreckers while on holidays in B.C.'s Okanagon region. Pretty much a fluke -- they didn't know what they had -- or it was a slow day, because I only paid $20 CDN for the entire unit ! (Really pissed off the wife toting this air cleaner around for the rest of our holidays ha, ha).

I think they are a little harder to find now and probably a little pricey but it is a very worthwhile mod that you will definitely appreciate once installed.

I saw one on Ebay a while back. Notice one every now and then on the 3rd gen classifieds but of course it has been down for a month now.

If you are so inclined you could build your own as well. Pick up on some of the ideas used by the EFI rides, typically sourcing cold air from the inner fenders just in front of the wheel wells then direct this air to the carb. A couple of 3 inch feeds will definitely wake up your 305 ...

RP.