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Hi, I'm new here on TGO and looking forward to meeting with you all here. I recently purchased a 1987 IROC Z28 5.0, 5spd, with T Tops. It's currently painted flat black with grey interior,and in need of a total restoration. I live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada most of my life. To begin with when I was about 20 yrs old I had purchased a brand new 87 IROC Z28, loaded automatic, 5.0 LTR , but only kept it for two years. I had too many speeding tickets and the insurance was on the rise so I had to give up the car, the price of being young!! Now in the present I was looking thru the classic car adds and there it was my youth looking right at me, buy me you can do it. Two weeks went buy and the car was still sale so I took wife and we went to check the car out. When I got there it was sitting on a flat tire, had not been started in 6mths, just had her years showing with faded interior, ripped and of course the famous leaky t- roofs.
My wife sat in the car and was not impressed, but to me it just said perfect, a car that I build and call my own, you know time and money!! When I'm ready to invest and build her up one day to a Pro Touring car, LS swap and as nice as I can build it. This is my plan for.the car , but I'm no mechanic just a car guy and I don't have a garage to work on it, so I will sourcing out the work to get it done proper. ATM I'm just looking to tune the car and enjoy for now, it drives well but in the process of looking for someone to work on the car with good knowledge of these cars, if anyone here knows of a good mechanic or builder, let me know. I'm actually looking for someone to look over the car and it's needs ATM.
it's funny how all this happened, I wasn't planning on buying a car, but after all these years it's like the car found me? As for the forum the amount of great cars on here is amazing and it gives you encouragement. People would say , why didn't you buy a new one? Because I don't want to be driving a common car that is everywhere, I'm old school and I still regard 3rd gens unique because I had one in 1987 and what a car!! My new project 87 IROC Z28 CAMARO
Welcome Clem. That flat black paint actually looks pretty good.
Hopefully it's not hiding anything beneath.
Thanks, NoEmissions84TA.
I'm liking the flat black paint as well, but I'm going to find out the original color, I'm guessing it was a yellow car but I will post when I find out. I plan to strip the car down one day and paint it, but I like the road warrior feel and look.
Welcome Clem, nice ride! I was 8 in 87 and wanted a black GTA ttop.....30 years later and also an unimpressed wife and I got me one.
Thanks, Jbuchanan. I'm glad you got your ride man, I really love the GTA , Pontiac knew how to build em!! My wife actually likes going for drives now, she never been in a T-Top car before, she enjoys talking the roofs off.
Looks like you got a solid car! Keep us updated as you work on it so we can follow your progress.
I agree about not wanting to drive something common. 20+ years ago when I had my first Formula, it was as the 5th gens are currently......they were everywhere and nobody really paid too much attention to them......they were common.
Now, with my current Formula, everyone wants to stop and chat about it, or at least wave or give you the thumbs up as they drive by. People are starting to appreciate them now because you don't see them very often.
Looks like you got a solid car! Keep us updated as you work on it so we can follow your progress.
I agree about not wanting to drive something common. 20+ years ago when I had my first Formula, it was as the 5th gens are currently......they were everywhere and nobody really paid too much attention to them......they were common.
Now, with my current Formula, everyone wants to stop and chat about it, or at least wave or give you the thumbs up as they drive by. People are starting to appreciate them now because you don't see them very often.
Thanks, auto_god , I couldn't agree more about seeing all cars as common , that's the buety of owning a classic car. I was coming home the other day and there was some construction ahead and a police officer keeping an eye on traffic making sure people were driving slow. The office was leaning on his car a bit, as it was a hot day and saw me pull up towards him and took his hand out of his pocket and gave me a big thumbs up and smiled and returned the gesture. I soon realized I was much older than the officer, and I was like I'm glad to see that young generation digs these cars!
^^ That made me think of another instance earlier this week.
A local grade school was having their graduation night tonight & the kids decided they wanted the theme of the night to be Fast & Furious. Given the car theme I was one of the people asked to bring their car out to allow the kids to have their pictures taken with the cars.
Nice to see the next generation of car enthusiasts taking an interest in our old beaters!!
^^ That made me think of another instance earlier this week.
A local grade school was having their graduation night tonight & the kids decided they wanted the theme of the night to be Fast & Furious. Given the car theme I was one of the people asked to bring their car out to allow the kids to have their pictures taken with the cars.
Nice to see the next generation of car enthusiasts taking an interest in our old beaters!!
That's a great example, and some nice cars too!!
It's nice to see the next generation like these cars, my son and his friends know and like them too and they are about 16yrs now, amazing how they appreciate these cars!
Welcome to the board Clem and to some else in Canada lol,
Glad the car found you, the car looks cool in the flat black. Any question or help needed on the Thirdgens you WILL find the answer here as I can speak too.
Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian Thirgen members tomorrow
Welcome to the board Clem and to some else in Canada lol,
Glad the car found you, the car looks cool in the flat black. Any question or help needed on the Thirdgens you WILL find the answer here as I can speak too.
Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian Thirgen members tomorrow
Thanks, cop332.
I promise to.give you guys a shout-out when I need help that's for sure!
Today I put a new battery, filter and oil change, and went out for a needed cruise, T-Top off and it was hot but I loved it!!
Think we are all getting older here. Maybe faster than our birds
I couldn't agree more, but driving this unrestored original for the past couple of weeks still puts a smile on my face, reminds me what road feel is like compared to a modern car.
Well the ride came short yesterday evening when I had a coolant leak, it was late so I left it in the mall luckily in front of a 24hr fitness place. I was 10mins from home and I was able to bring her home. Looks like I will need a new radiator, but I will change the hoses and put newer ones. I also noticed my twin fans don't work, I haven't been able to drive the car much as I feel out what it needs. So, off the mechanics to get this stuff fixed up so I can go driving, slowly I'll get these bugs out of the car as I had know idea what was done from the past owner.
I totally understand. I hadnt got mine home and the day the mechanic called and said pick it up the fun started. When I got there he said look at the windshield and passenger floor. Yep on his test ride my heater core blew. Bunch of old boys around all figured I don't drive in the winter so who cares. I am staying true to my car my heater works car still won't be winter driven though
I did end up finding a local garage to see about my coolant leak, and it was the radiator. The mechanic did a pressure test of the system and thought it was the lower hose and I ask him to replace all of the hoses and he did. Latter on he noticed a puddle of coolant, and the radiator also needs to be replaced. I hope he can get my twin fans to work also. There are a couple of smaller items I'm going to get done too, other than that the mechanic said the car runs quite well. I'm glad to have found a local shop it's 5mins from me and they have been around since 1968, they fix newer cars but love it when an older one comes in
I hope to be driving this weekend since the weather has been nice, my wife and I like to take the Camaro for evening cruising sometimes down to the lake front here in Mississauga.
Got the IROC on the road this weekend, after a new radiator and hoses, and the fan now working!
Couldn't be more happier how everything worked out and the new mechanic turned out to be great guy and did a couple of extras at no charge, looks like a found a good shop to go to from now on. We had some nice driving weather this weekend and it was nice having the T's off !!
06-29-2017, 06:55 PM
