ADDED PICS at the bottom.

Background: 1989 IROC with LB9 305 and 5 speed manual trans, power everything, and T-Tops. Less than 70,000 miles and NO rust. When I picked it up in May it was exactly what i was looking for, a red manual iroc with t-tops.

My Plans:
Im putting the car in storage over the winter. Plus side to this is its in our shop so i get to work on it while its freezing out but the shop is 70 degree heat!

1: Suspension; While its in the shop im doing all the suspension, installing things in my sig, and repainting the axle and doing any other upgradeing my wallet can handle lol.

2: Strip: Near spring im going to strip the interior to weld in my SFCs.

3: Body: After the suspension is done im bringing it to a local body shop to get painted the factory bright red. Then ill do all the weatherstripping.

4: Interior: Lastly ill work on the interior and hopefully get some 4th gen seats!

What do you guys think? Should i do anything in a different order, or add to something? Im open to ALL opinions and comments.

 

Yeah do the SFC last, especially if you dont plan on driving it until everything is done. That way you can have the car welded with all the weight already installed and have SFC be consistantly level. Otherwise you might have it weld correctly, but it will never sit right with all the weight on it.

 

don't go with 4th gen seats...either keep the original or replace them with originals.

 

Don't waste your time stripping the interior to weld in the sfcs. I know you've probably heard that the carpet *might* melt from the heat under the car. I welded mine on and didn't touch the interior, as well as a handful of my friends have done the same. None of us experienced any adverse effects with the carpet or the rest of the interior for that matter.

 

Thanks for the comments guys! Im planning on stripping the interior anyways to put in new carpet, mine isnt as "shiny" as id like it.

Also noXid, why shouldnt i go with 4th gen seats? Ive sat in 95 maro seats and they feel awesome.
Im putting it in the shop tonight sad day, atleast i got my sled to play with while i work on the iroc! keep the comments comeing guys.

 

BIG progress has been made. My SFC's are welded in, started undercoating with 3M, took the rear out and cleaning up/new parking brake lines, then cleaning and coating everything. New KYB GR-2 shocks, and all my new suspension components. Im also doing my exhaust. Been getting parts at the local yard too, i picked up an a/c delete box and other random pieces for $10 lol. Here are some pics.

 

All parts were sandblasted then primed and painted.

 

Lots of new parts coming yet. Im also keeping ALL my stock parts, just in case this car is worth something in a hundred years lol.

 

looking good so far!!

 

Some more Progress. This axle stand allowed me to remove and install my axle all by myself.

 

I wirewheeled the whole underside of the car and sprayed it with the good 3M undercoating. You can also see how i sandblasted, primered, then painted everything like the torque arm, heat shields, pretty much everything under the car looks like brand new. Im proud of myself it was worth the days i spent on my back under there lol.

 

Looks like its coming along nicely. I'd go with 3rd gen seats too.

Cheers

 

I really wouldn't recommend welding with carpet in the car. you paid a lot for your car, do you want to risk melting or even catching your car on fire?
bluezee28-are you suggesting that a car will bow under the weight of the interior enough so a strait sfc wouldn't be seated right? if we have cars that flex THAT much I think I bought the wrong car.

 

The SFC's are already welded in, and i didn't remove any carpet. The welding surfaces are only on the subframe part. I did doublecheck everything though when i was done, i wanted my car un-charred lol.

 

I realize they are already welded in. I don't mean to start anything, but for the record taking out carpet to weld in sfcs is a much safer idea. even if the welding takes place on the subframe. many weld the sfcs to the floorboard as well as the subframes. I'm sure any welder knows there is a lot of heat involved with welding and thinking it won't sink through the metal your welding to, especially the floorboard, your very wrong. if your just welding the subframe, then it obviously works. still, better safe than sorry can save you a lot of trouble and money. u sure your car isn't singed up a bit. lol.

 

Don't worry no offense takin. It is a really good safety measure to take out the carpet too. I was really carefull. And no she's not singed at all lol. I've got some more pics to add.

 

Put my front sway bar back on and spohns and ES bushings. The only other thing i got done today was put my J&M LCA's on, thats the stickiest grease EVER. I hope to get my new shocks and panhard on tomarrow oh and springs. Ill take pics of course.

 

you'll like the new shocks. my old shocks were so bad I compressed them almost a week ago and they haven't moved. lol. so yea, after all these years you'll enjoy the responsiveness of good shocks. I sure do.

 

Looking good, tell me more about this 3M undercoating? Is it just the basic kind you can buy in the store or do I need to order the GOOD stuff? I usually ignore the paint & finish products on the shelf of anything but a body shop supply store.

Do most of the members here who have really clean undercarriages clean/paint them themselves? I thought everyone had powdercoated everything.

 

I cleaned and painted mine with POR-15. Some people hate it while others can't stop singing its praises. I fall a bit in the middle. I would use it again though. Just make sure you read the instructions. Can't just slap it on.

 

OH yea lol i compressed mine and threw them in the garbage, they haven't moved either! Total junk they where.

The undercoating turned out really well, it got hard and even if you hit it with a hammer it doesn't crack or peel away. Its hard yet somewhat flexible http://www.shop3m.com/60440096497.html?WT.mc_id=3MAAD. The only powdercoat i have is the lca's sfc's and panhard. The rest i painted with good rustoleum red, and some ACE rust stop. Both brands are holding up good.

I was really close to buying por-15, but for the price and ease of applying undercoating i couldn't go wrong, and it seems really strong too.

 

Just some more pics of my progress. Should be able to get the shocks and springs in tomarrow, and im waiting on new panhard rod bolts. Then i need to order bolt in lcarbs, that way if i put in a disc rear ill just unbolt them. i had weld in's.

 

More, everything's full of synthetic grease especially the lca's. what could i use to take it off that wont damage powdercoat or paint? It wont wipe off thats for sure it's the stikiest stuff i've ever seen.

 

Looks good! Do 4th gens seats!

 

you are almost better off picking up some after market seats w/sliders. one, they are cheaper than 4th gen, 2 they are new, 3 they will provide more support. i thought about getting 4th gen myself but looked at all the pros/cons and went with new seats.

 

Thanks Frozer. Ill get new pics up tonite.

Hey that sounds like a plan. What seats did you go with? Any pics? I dont want to go over $300 on seats though.

 

Some random pics first


Plenty of room to put all my parts!


Nice welder! Still needs a spool gun though

 

Down to business.

Got my LCARBS in.

 

Exhaust is getting there. I made a nice bracket to hold my test pipe and cut out up. Should also add that im using Stainless nuts and bolts.



I also welded these pipes together. No reason for a clamp to be there.


Here's the over the axle tube mount. Should hold up good.

 

Hooker 2055s that i bought used for $200 shipped. Started blasting them, but for $60 a powdercoating guy will blast them inside and out real good. I'm using VHT silver for the paint.




What I'm using for the install.

 

A/C delete pulley. I got to get my ac delete box in there yet. (please excuse the dust).
Also removing smog pump and having a custom chip burnt.



Polished aluminum air dam, hope it works, we'll find out! (its got plastic covering on it)

 

Getting it ready for the paint. EVERYTHING is coming off.





Next thing is getting the headers painted and in, then finish exhaust. Then paint, reasemble body, interior, and get my 17" IROCS!!! I can't wait for this to be completed!

ps. I apologize to those who have dial-up, i posted a bit too many pics.

Let me hear your opinions/thoughts, or what i could do differently/better! I'm open to constructive criticism.

 

not sure if the spider stays. your car is looking very sweet. nice to see your taking your time and spending extra effort on clean.

 

Haven't shared in quite a while. I'm taking my car to paint tomarrow around 9 am! I really can't wait for it to be done. Some more pics...

VHT alluminum color paint. (lots of prep work+sand+quart of lacqure thinner)




Getting A/C delete box in.

 

Headers installed. (ran plug wires under on drivers side, pass. side i had to go above)




Y and QTP cut out.

 

looking good.

 

Thanks alot man! Your IROC turned out AMAZING.

EDIT: I'm going to take pics while the car is in paint every friday. So ill update you then!

 

when does it go in?

 

Looks GREAT!

 

89roc-z your car is looking great, especially those new headers
bigdavesiroc your car looks downright gorgeous. the rims match the car perfectly.

 

Just brought it to the shop 2 hours ago .

Thanks for the complements guys!
Is phoenix graffics the best place for the stripe and door decal kit?

 

Let us know how long the paint stays on the headers. Did you bake them after paiting?

 

Sandblasted, washed/blown dry, wiped down with lacqure thinner till rag was clean. I put them on the car, did the whole curing process (idle for 10 min, cool for 20; idle for 20, cool for 20; run for 30 min under normal conditions, let cool). After the curing process the paint got VERY hard. When i re-torqued the bolts i couldn't scratch the paint by rubbing it with the wrench.

Ill let you know how it holds up once i get my car back from paint and on the road.

 

Very nice work!

 

nice.
those header gaskets are the best by the way.
i got tired of always replacing mine and a friend told me about those ones and i havent had any problems.

ps
love those wheels dave

 

WELL I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED!! LOL

I clicked on new posts for the day and came across this one so I read this entire thread from the beginning not even paying attention to the dates when posted, then I came to the one that stated you just got it up to the shop 2 hours ago and there were a few more posts to read yet so I got all excited waiting to see these beautiful pictures of this gorgeous finished car..............BUT NO!! YOU JUST POSTED THAT THIS MORNING AND NOW I'M LEFT HANGING AND HAVING TO STAY WITH THIS THREAD SO I CAN SEE THIS WORK OF ART WHEN ITS DONE!! LOL

excellent work man, very very nice! can't wait for those pictures!!

 

Someone please answer this question, I'm curious too. Hoping to paint mine sometime this summer, gonna need a new stripe and decal kit.

 

Sorry to dissapoint you lol. I went in to check on it saturday morning. They got the hood off . I'd think after a full week they'd have more than the hood done? Oh well, the work he does is amazing! My sisters friends dad (lol) has a pace car edition vette that he had repainted with the same guy, it looks like glass its so smooth. ZERO orange peel or waves. I'm excited to start puttting it all back together

 

it took my guy 4 1/2 weeks. the best thing you could do is not rush them. but also it shouldn't take forever.

 

That does make me feel alot better. I should be nice to him, he took 500 bucks off the bill right away, and is ordering me GM t-top seals and window sweeps at his discounted prices. He is putting the seals on though, he knows how to make them 100% leak proof.