phess11

cheap cross-fire parts car...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/82-Ch...QQcmdZViewItem

phess11

pics - front fender

phess11

pics 2 - rear fender

phess11

pic3

kboehringer

phess11 & TGO Friends,
Thank you very much for the amount of help you are providing with our restoration. You have gone to extreme lengths to help us.

Randy82WS7

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kboehringer

TGO Guys,

Wanted to give a couple updates. We replaced the rear deck lid and it was a MAJOR PITA. Water had worked it's way under the rear spoiler bolts and the plastic covers apparently held some of it in there causing a small amount of rust. For only $20 the local J.Yard parted with a deck lid from a Berlie that was in perfect shape.

We probably should have just grabbed the entire assembly including the window but we didn't. Getting all the old sealer off was extremely difficult. Alignment is another difficult task.

After several attempts, we realized that the only way to get the thing on properly was to center everything up with the bolts loose, use some wood shims to keep it that way and climb inside the car ans tighten up all the bolts from the under side. Guess we should have just asked TGO Guys for some help/guidance!!!

Sincerely,
Kurt & Derek

kboehringer

We've been looking everywhere for replacement grills for the car. Unfortunatley, we purchased a set that was advertised as "Good as New" yeah....right! They were in crap condition and broke before we even got them out of the box! I was a little leary about originals fearing they would be brittle after so many years.
We've alos had guys try and sell us Berlinetta grills which are not the same.

Until we can find a proper replacement we've done this. It looks better than nothing and provides the support the plastic needs to keep from becoming deformed.

We really want to get a historically correct exterior...these are only hopefully only TEMPORARY.

kboehringer

TGO Guys,

Derek's Doors have a slight sag and we better fix it now before the paint goes on!

We were able to purchase new lower hinge pins for only $10 on E-Bay (Florida Fastener?). Window Sweeps about $50 E-Bay (1A Auto). Door Seal Kit about $50 E-Bay (1A Auto).

Upper hinge repairs are an expensive proposition, but they're next on the agenda. I'm going to take calipers and try to get all the size info. for the original pins. My machinist at work has looked over the replacement kits and believes we can find all the parts (shoulder pins & bushings) for less than $5 from McMaster-Carr

I'll let you know how that goes....

Sincerely,
Kurt

BumpaD82

If you can't come up with the correct parts TDS one of the TGO board sponsors have everything you need... the prices "may" be a bit more BUT there service and product quality IS top notch and you'd get everything you need.... anyway it might be an option....

http://www.top-downsolutions.com/ind...66aa49878994e7

~DaVe

kboehringer

TGO Guys,

We purchased the rims we had mentioned previously. I don't know if I'm having a little "Buyer's Remorse" but I think I probably paid a bit too much? We got the set for $100, I tried to talk the guy down but he'd have none of that.

There are no signs of "CURB RASH" or any other damage but they were purchased without center caps. I kinda figured we better grab 'em as I don't see these TOO often. They are not exactly the proper color as they are a sort-of BRONZE rather than the appropriate Gold. We'll still have to purchase the center caps but those are apparently easier to find than we had initially thought. If one has the cash, they can be found without much problem. They will sit in the attic until we actually need to replace the tires Derek is currently driving on.

What do you think $100 too much?
What would you have to pay at your local J.Yard?

Sincerely,
Kurt

sellmanb

Those rims are in pretty good conditin judging from the picture.

You will probably want to grab some aviation stripper and then have your wheels painted at the same time as your car. Chances are the sun has faded that set a little, and the clear is fading/chipping, etc....


Dont feel too bad about that set though, you'd have had to do the same to just about any other set if you wanted it to look good after paint anyways!

Plus my local junkyard charges just about 175+ for 3rd gen wheels, and it only goes up in price from rarity, look, size, etc


I'm diggin' the mesh grill inserts lol.


edit: You'll probably have a harder time figuring out what the factory lug nuts looked, and where to find them than anything with those wheels

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

$100 is a pretty good deal...and as far as cleaning them up...get derek on them with some rubbing compound...i just did my dad's with it and it made a WORLD of difference.

kboehringer

TGO Guys,

Got a great deal on an ORIGINAL 1982 Camaro GM Shop Manual. Found it on e-bay (apparently we're the only guys that saw it - LOL). Total w/Shipping $11.00!!! It's well over 1000 pages and we haven't put it down for more than five minutes. The shop manual is going to make restoration so much easier! They don't miss anything in the GM Shop Manual!!!

We have tried EVERYWHERE for ORIGINAL/REPRODUCTION '82 Z-28 "GOLD" Rocker emblems.... Yes.... some places have a couple WE HAVE NOT FOUND ANY GOLD ONES..... ANY IDEAS??

SORT OF OFF-TOPIC..... Not really if you're trying to restore.
Does anyone else get really upset (we are!!!) by advertisements listed as '82-'92 for parts that are not at all the same from '82-92? (i.e., Door Sills, Shifter Indicator Plates, Emblems, Wiper Motors, etc. etc.)

Sincerely,
Kurt & Derek

P.S. I Media-blasted the rear (only the rear) of the "New" rims and Derek Polished the heck out of them.... They look like new.

BumpaD82

WOW ! I totally agree finding some of the '82 ONLY parts gets really annoying... OH and yes the Shop manual is a GREAT resource I scored one on Ebay also! (but paid more than you did)

phess11

Here is a complete Crossfire:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1983-...24338778QQrdZ1

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

here is my dad's car with our freshly redone gold wheels...i like them so much, i'm going to redo mine in gold on my white car!

kboehringer

Phess11,
Thanks, It's now on my e-bay watch list. It has several days left on the auction if It doesn't go too high I'm buying it!

COMPLETELY OFF-TOPIC:
What the heck am I doing wrong on E-Bay. I must be doing some bad searches because I never see these things. I get several daily e-mails for new "CAMARO" listings and never saw this. I notice this is in a category I never say before "Engines & Components"? I tried a seach in Parts & Accessories and still couldn't get the one you found to come up? What the heck am I doing wrong?

BACK ON-TOPIC:
Derek and I are removing EVERYTHING from the exterior of the vehicle over the next few days (I have a week off). Turn Signals, Side Markers, Head Lamps, Antenna, Emblems... ETC.

QUESTION:
Would it be better to remove ALL three rear spoiler pieces and paint them seperate and UNDER them also? The corners pieces of the rear spoiler have been previously painted over without any consideration for the seams (painted right over). They look like a bugger to get the bolts out of (at least the one way up in the corner) Worth the effort????? Gonna be a bugger feathering out all that paint that's gonna chip off..... Do the guys that are laying our thousands for good paint remove the spoilers and paint them seperate and then put 'em back on?

MW66NOVA,
Stock Five-Spokes do look better than MOST aftermarket rims. I personally can't stand ANY of those huge rims with tiny sidewalls.

Respectfully,
Kurt

phess11

Don't know for sure. I have numerous searches i use for camaro stuff. This is the one that i use to find 83 specific stuff.

(camaro, z28) ( 83, 1983)

i use it for "All Categories"
phil

BumpaD82

The only proper way to do it would be to remove the 3 spoiler pieces and paint the hatch underneath / paint the bottoms of the spoiler pieces / and paint the tops of the 3 pieces seperate off of the car.

The center piece bolts are easy to get to it and the side pieces really aren't all that bad just take some creative wrist bending

~DaVe

Asdfga3

It's usually better to search in All, as opposed to a catagory-specific search. A lot of stuff on eBay is mis-classified.

BTW, I must say, hell of a job on the Z28. I read your engine swap topic, and it came out really well for a Summer's worth of work.

tbifan

The deal with ebay is that the SELLER decides which category to place his/her ad!
I figure it this way, (ie: the glass is always half full) ...if it was hard for me to find, then it'll be just as hard for everybody else to find... and bid against me!
BTW: What category was the service manual in... "complete engines"?
That's probably why you got it so cheap! LOL
Thanks for some fine reading in all your posts!
Jay

kboehringer

Asdfga3,
Thank you for the compliment. Derek and I are very close to where we want to be with it. We would not have been able to get 1/2 this far without the help of countless TGO Guys. With a little more help here and there we should be able to get the RESTORATION completed successfully.

We have a week off from work (and High School) and should be able to get the Z-28 ready for the painter. However, we've had a little rain and it's a bit on the chilly side (by Georgia Standards) at about 45 degrees. We decided to organize our parts spares to make it easier to install everything and find what we need. So far we have filled two of these (see photo) organizers with spares we've accumulated over the past year of work.

It's amazing how much "STUFF" we have accumulated in buckets and boxes. Whenever we grab a part at the U-Pull-It yard we get all the fasteners, nuts, bolts, clips etc. That stuff sure does come in handy......

Sincerely,
Kurt & Derek

kboehringer

TGO Friends,

We doing the best we can with a bit of uncooperative weather. Derek supplied a bit of elbow grease and is cleaning, wet sanding, buffing, and painting (where applicable) all the small parts we're removing for the painter.

The front turnsignal rears (in photo) have been re-painted while the faces have been sanded and buffed with polishing compound. They're gonna look like new when he's done..... I was somewhat amazed how well the polishing compound works on the plastic....

Sincerely,
Kurt

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

keep up the great work guys! when i took my car to have it painted, i wetsanded the lenses of all the lights and took off the "casting" numbers from them. then i polished with rubbing and polishing compounds, then i repainted the applicable surfaces, and waxed EVERYTHING...turned out pretty great!

camaro430sut

iTrader: (2)

hey there ive been watching this thread for quite some time and ive gotta say u guys are doin a real nice job on that car. im in the progress of doing the same to my 89 but more of a resto mod kinda deal, just got it back from paint and it sleepin in the garage til spring. anyway reguarding your question about removing the spoiler ends, if you remove the tail lights they are much easier to get off. the one corner bolt that looks real tough to get to, with the tail lights removed there is a body plug that can be poped out and you can get the speed nut off with a deep socket and extension. i figured this out after i spent a half hour gettin those out. hope this helps.
matt

kboehringer

mw66nova,
You're right!! That tail lamp looks really great! Derek and I both prefer the "Look" of that style tail lamp. There is (maybe WAS by this time), a perfect set of those at our favorite J.Yard we could probably get them for less than $20. However, since we are trying for the "Stock & Restored Look" we've avoided an incredible temptation to replace ours. We'll also try to leave the casting numbers alone on ours.

In addition, I also like the third tail lamp/stop lamp and have considered installing a later model rear spoiler to get one. My primary concern was for Derek's safety, if that taillamp helps avoid one accident or fender bender it would be worth it. I haven't completely dismissed the idea....... but I'm leaning toward keeping the spoiler stock.

Thoughts?

Respectfully,
Kurt

kboehringer

Matt,
Thanks for the pointer! We just returned from the J.Yard and I spent a great deal of time (much more than 30 minutes) trying to figure out how to get them off without breaking them, or my knuckles. Also figured I'd mess around with a junker before I dug into Derek's ride (Derek was off digging around the other dozen Camaros with our list needs). I was gonna buy them and keep 'em around as spares.... I gave up after more than 30 minutes!

Thanks for the pointer.... I'm sure we can get Derek's off easier now!

Sincerely,
Kurt

scottmoyer

No offense, but the 3rd brake light isn't gonna help prevent an accident! People are just stupid these days with their driving. I have a 4x4 crew cab truck and people pull out in front of me like they didn't even see me. If the car manufacturers stop trying to make the cars do everything for you and made the drivers HAVE to pay attention, we'd be better off.

I'd keep the original spoiler.

kboehringer

I agree!

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

i personally don't like how much wider the third brake light spoiler is. (it has to be wider to house all of the third brake light stuff) it is less agressive in my opinion.

i did away with my spoiler/third brake light all together though. i now have no spoiler on the car, and i like it that way.

you can polish and wax your original tail lamps to shine just like mine do..actually, i have a set of the older style and will be doing up a set for spares for on my car...hell, i may swap them out from time to time, to keep people guessing!

i would gather to say that when you get your tail lamps polished up, you won't have any problems with people not seeing you as it REALLY helps with visability.

something else to remember when building your car is that little touches like changing to a grid style taillight will only add character to it while keeping a factory attitude about it all...and only those who KNOW thirdgens will know that your car didn't come with them from the factory and will understand that your car has been taken car of from someone who knows...

kboehringer

TGO Friends,

Decided to remove the T-Top Seals today as this is our only major remaining project to complete before painting. We want to get some good paint under the seals before we affix the new rubber.

What a major PITA it is getting all the old material out of the tracks. Major PITA!. None of the local auto parts stores had anything that would help release the 3M glue/adhesive so we had to go the scraping and picking route. There is some minor damage under the weatherstrip but we should be able to weld it up with a few small welds and grind it back down to normal.

Sure hope it's a warm & sunny day when we take the car to the Painter. Without the T-Tops....... it's going to be a long cold 15 mile drive!

Sincerely,
Kurt & Derek

kboehringer

TGO Guys,
We noticed the Finish molding damage and were able to grab a replacement for a mere $5. It had a little surface rust but didn't have the "Swiss-Cheese" look of Derek's original. We'll probably just do the "rattle-can" deal on this one.

Derek & Kurt (he wants to be first this time!)

coolram62

iTrader: (2)

This is after the fact probably but 3M makes a release agent for thier/or similar adhesives.Most auto paint supply stores carry it,I've seen them at Autozone/Advance also.All the work you guys have done so far looks phenomenal.I'm really just getting started on my '83 Z28.She's a running CFI 90% complete loaded with just about every option.My plan is similar to your's except i'm thinking of adding what few options she didn't come with ie;roll-up security screen maybe the locking stowage compatment,definitly the deluxe carpet panels in the hatch area
I got a smile from above on getting a set of gold wheels from another member on here.On these gold rims are the center caps supposed to be gold or is it black like the center spider,where the lugs are.Also do they use the standard silver Z28 emblem('82-'84) or a gold Camaro emblem?I'm lucky the PO used the factory lugs on the rims they installed and most of the lug caps are in hatch lock box.
On the third brake light maybe you could use the unit that mounts inside the rear hatch.Scottmoyer makes a good point about driving habits these days.You could go with Sylvania's Silverstar line of aux bulbs,not just headlights now.I have the low beam Silverstars on my '95 Jimmy and boy what a difference from the standard halogen bulbs,especially in the rain.And if you use the upgraded headlight wiring from Summit,hella makes one too,to provide full battery voltage to the lights and take the load off the dash switch.

kboehringer

coolram62,
We received info. from "Lo-Tec" about the 3M release agent. I checked EVERYWHERE and nobody had it. We were going to try a couple items I have on the shelf but decided it would probably make an even bigger mess than just scraping it all off.

Regarding the center caps I am certain they are supposed to be black but I am not at all sure about the sticker on the end. Phess11 provided a photo of his on the first page of this thread but he didn't have a cap on the rim. We're not ready for the stock rims yet and will be buying aftermarket center caps as we have no originals. We did manage to find 20 standard lug nuts and 20 black caps. The black caps & lug nuts are pretty easy to find as they are used on a bunch of different vehicles. I think Derek actually got the black caps from a mini-van.

RE: Missing options:
We did a couple minor upgrades. Derek added the Hatch Release Switch (not the pull down). The wiring harness was ready for the "popper" so he just installed the switch and the mechanism.

I "re-installed" a Locking Storage Compartment Cover the car came with one but the previous owner ripped out the brackets (literally) to install a speaker box in the storage hole. I cut the brackets(4) from a J.Yard vehicle and welded them back. There are a couple different styles of rear cover and you have to make sure you get the proper one for the '82 - '84. The rear plastic has to be the matching piece as well. It's a great option, but it's tough finding all the right parts.

Derek upgraded the Rear Speaker Covers from a newer T/A as they were in perfect shape and have a plastic backer not the crappy cardboard junk with glued on clips we got in '82.

We had to use a newer Shifter **** as the original "Ball Type" was long gone and they are impossible to find in the J.Yard in good shape. People that have them for sale usually want $30 for them, which, IMPO is $25 more than they are worth.

We looked at the Cargo Cover (roll-up) but decided that was going to be more trouble than it was worth since we don't have the brackets under the panels or the proper rear trim panels.

Derek insisted on my purchasing a Rear Louver Assy. we found on a J.Yard car. I personally don't like them one bit, but it's easy enough to install/remove and there is no drilling or anything required. It's definately an '80's thing........ I thought they were stupid looking then (& now) but it's Derek's car...... I'll let him decide it looks stupid.

There are a couple other little things we did out of necessity (lack of available '82 parts) but it is unlikely anyone would notice unless we pointed them out.

Sincerely,
Kurt

Asdfga3

Bah! He better take it off. Those damn things look even more idiotic than using a car bra.

If he's that worried about heat building up, why not buy a good quality, professionally applied tint? It would sure look a lot better than the louvers.

coolram62

iTrader: (2)

Have you tried the Eastwood Company http://www.eastwood.com .They carry a lot of different types of paint remover and a lot of specialty paints and tools for automotive work.
I've thought about the work it would take to install the lockable cover.Not the least of which is finding the coorect one like you said.Finding the rear panel cover looks to be just as difficult.The roolup shade would be easier but still involves changing the trim panel on the underside of the hatch.I'm lucky her shifter ball and E-brake handle are in very good shape,just needed a good cleaning.On the wheel cap the wheel I got came with one factory cap,has the metal retainer clips and plastic locator pins, which is gold with a black center with a gold stripe and Camaro written in gold,I apologize for not being able to post a pic.

scottmoyer

The factory set of louvers don't look bad!!! The aftermarket ones look ridiculous.

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

how much do those louvers weigh?

sellmanb

Just curious if your rear brake drums are still yellow?

coolram62

iTrader: (2)

She looks beautiful scott,Ihave always loved that shade of red.Yes the aftermarket louvers do look silly,especially the 3 piece design they tried to carry over from the 2nd Gens.As for the weight saw a chart somewhere that gave weights of options but I can't remember where/what site it was on.I would guess in the range of 15 to 25 lbs.

kboehringer

Those do look good......and that car looks ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! I'm not certain, but I think the louver Derek purchased sits a little higher off the window making it look out of place.
I Just picked them up...they can't be more than 10 pounds....

Fortunately... they only cost us about $10

Sincerely,
Kurt

kboehringer

Bobby,
NO! Thankfully, I convinced Derek (after much nagging) that the Yellow "may not have been your best choice for those drums"

For those who are not familiar with our Engine Swap Thread...... Brakes were the first project after we purchased the vehicle. I assigned Derek the project of painting the drums and he painted them a disgusting bright yellow.

Sincerely,
Kurt

P.S. It'll be a great day when these stupid looking after-market rims are finally gone........

Asdfga3

The stock louvers do look better, Scott, but IMO it srill generally disrupts the smoothness of the roofline.

kboehringer

Matt & TGO Guys,
Got an incredible amount of work done today and feel like we could probably finish her all up tomorrow. Maybe even get a chance to head to Florida for a day.

The spoiler ends were really easy to get off with Matt's advice and we are glad we removed them. There were several layers of crap paint around them and we were able to feather that out nice and smooth. Derek is going to remove almost all the interior and Mom is making a cheapo (old sheet) seat cover for the Driver's seat which will have to stay in the car. The painter will have to paint the T-Top area and he could get some overspray on the new seats etc. Just in case it seems smarter to remove it all...........

Tomorrow we remove the Door Locks and the Door Handle from the Pass. Side. We assume we have to leave the Driver's Handle so the painter can get in and out of the car? Unless someone has a creative way of getting him In/Out without one?

Sincerely,
Derek & Kurt

We found some more nightmare bullcrap on the Driver's side rear.....SEE NEXT POST.

kboehringer

TGO Guys,
Just when we thought we wouldn't find any more horse crap repairs/problems from the previous owner..... Here HE comes again to provide more grief!

When we were removing the DR.Side Spoiler Corner I noticed that something INSIDE didn't really look like the passenger side did? Well I should have noticed earlier but it is clear now that the entire rear quarter had been replaced. The job done doesn't look too bad but the Quarter Panel must have been from a NON-Z-28 and the guy had to drill for the GFX and Spoiler.

I Guess he had a few too many beers when we got started on the rear spoiler 'cause he sure did make a mess!! (SEE PHOTO). Tomorrow I get to weld up the holes and get it all proper.....

I kinda wondered about the interior side being White when I was installing the Retaining Bolt for the 4thGen Rear Seat Back... Guess I should have looked a little closer.......

Sincerely,
Kurt

scottmoyer

The Cragar louvers are garbage....sorry to say. They are rattle traps. You are correct that they do sit higher than they should.

Do you plan on coming to Orlando in February for the Camaro WinterNationals? It would be great to see the car if it's finished by then. If not, then I'm sure I'll see the car in May at the FBody Gathering in Marietta, GA.

Lo-tec

Remove that thing. Take the rod that goes to the handle, stick it through the lock cylinder hole and down to where it goes in the latch. Push down on the rod and the door opens. MAGIC

kboehringer

Scott,
Don't know about Orlando....Maybe? I'll talk to Derek about it.

I can absolutely 1000% GUARANTEE that Derek and I will be at FBody Gathering. We are members of ACFA (Atlanta Camaro Firebird Assoc.) although they haven't seen much of us yet.... Marietta is only about 40 miles away.......We were there last year but the Camaro was at home in a million pieces (Engine Rebuild/Replacement). We didn't see too many ThirdGens.....

I just hope we get a Paint Job we can be proud of and get her looking like an '82 Camaro should.

Sincerely,
Kurt

camaro430sut

iTrader: (2)

thats odd the way your inner quarter is white like that. what color is the inner quarter on the pass side? the reason i as is that in replacing a quarter pannel the inner structure (the white) is usually not replaced unless it is really badly damaged. it should be all body color in there. just something i thought was odd thats all.
matt