Wow... I'd be really interested in seeing some more pics... What exactly is a 377? I'd assume that is a stroker small block of some sort, with a new crank right?

 

377 is a 383 without overbore, just the crank. i think drop the car and paint the irocs red, go with the vibrant red look, the color is amazing

 

well correction... a 377 is a 400 with a 350 crank.... or commonly refered to as a destroked 400. fun, balanced engine with tons of mid and upper end pull without beign to hard off the bottom (thats how u keep components alive..lol) there great engines if you happen to have the parts laying around to do one but i dotn think its really worth it to go out of your way to build one... build a 383 instead, most people would be much happier with that.

 

my mistake i knew it was something to do with a 400

 

The C6 wheels might work, but they're too big making the car look ghetto IMO.

The Z06 wheels are too busy. They work on Camarokrackers car because of the blue. Would also look great on a Maui blue SC (not certain if that color was available for the SC)

The black IROC's look killer on your car!
Very clean, goes well with the hood and 5" spoiler (quite defining features on your car, and they only work because of the color)

PS: your car got a lot of positive feedback on a german F-body meet last weekend. I had it set as lockscreen on my cellphone at the time and in a hood-discussion I brought up the Sunoco hood.

 

I think the IROCs will do fine, but as someone earlier posted, I kind of miss the American Racing rims I had on the car, but they were definitely WAY skinny. I am wondering if I should have had them widened or something, but to late now!

That is funny about the meet! Which photo did you have, if I may ask?

I cannot wait to get the car back... Unfortunately the owner of the shop that is doing the major work was away this past weekend so I was unable to snap the pics I wanted, but they are coming soon! I will do a full walk around/driving video when I get her back.

I have a few of 'opinion' questions... Should I keep the triple gauge pod I have now? I don't really need my amp and oil pressure gauge in my line of site the way I do... Was thinking of relocating those to the dash and having a single for just engine temp.

Second question... I bought a 5" tach with shift light. I am wondering where I should mount that... I have seen some just stick it on their dash (guess it wouldn't block much line of site) but that doesn't look to clean. I have seen some who mount them kind of above the heater controls. Would it clear the vents in that location?

Third anything else I should tackle before I get the car back? The refinished center console should definitely liven up the interior. Does anyone else have a short throw shifter? Specifically the PRO 5.0? How does it sit in the stock shift plate (as I know the rod for the shifter is physically shorter on top of the throws being short)

 

Matter of opinion, if you would want to relocate those 2 gauges, I´ve seen a custm dash on this forum somewhere (think it was the fabrication subforum) who had 2x 5" and one 2" gauge in the dash. That would allow you to relocate the other 2, using 2 furher 2" gauges, to the center console area. Above the heater controls would be a good location.

If you would want to do things "the right way" I would go for a custom dash insert. The fabrication subforum has quite a few topics on how to make them. Then place the gauges behind the clear stock cover in the dash.

I had the photo with the chevelle (?) in the background on my phone at the time. From your first post.

 

I was thinking of doing a panel for new autometer gauges all around, but I am thinking I will just leave the stock gauges be, and work around like many have done. Just found this pic on my phone for Evil's thread on IROC tails... I love mine way better than the blacked out look tails I initially had.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/5934697068/

 

Not a fan of the blacked out look either.

I think the stock lights look clean enough. Am still considering the 82-86 Z28 taillights as exchange for the grid style ones.

As for the grids I currently have, I polished, wet sanded, polished, waxed and still do not have the permanent shine I want on them. I´m currently considering a layer of high gloss clearcoat on them.

Might try on one of the 4 grid style taillights I have lying around in my garage to see how it works out.

Is there a trick to the clean hatch on your car? Mine looks quite scratched up somehow.

 

Yeah those lights are a pain to get looking good. Believe it or not toothpaste works good as a rubbing compound. Did my irocs turn signal lenses once like that.

Do you mean my hatch glass looks clean? It may be do to the fact the car had louver most of it's life, but in a few spots the glass is actually worn down where they were contacting it.

 

Quick update! I should have the car on the road for the first time next week! Speaking of firsts... She came off the lift for the first time on the new suspension loaded with all the goodies... the UMI sfcs, new struts, Edelbrock adjustable panhard bar, Edelbrock rear lower control arms, Eibach sportlines, and sitting on the rebuilt rear. The front end rebuild came out great and the underside of the car is CLEAN

Tonight I am picking up some 98 C5 wheels 17x8.5" fronts and 18x9" rears... Have to order the spacers...

Also getting a new 3" exhaust next week when she is drivable... Wondering how the poly motor mounts will feel =/ You can see them in the pic with the bolt out...

 

Outside for the first time... Springs should settle a good bit more... This is a minute after we took it off the lift. Can't wait for those C5 wheels...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/5998497312/

 

Looking good. I think the stance will work out fine once you drove her home.

You did decide to go all the way with SFC´s, panhard, LCA´s and the front end rebuild.

Should make quite the difference.
I was quite surprised how well these cars handle after my front end rebuild, new progressive rate springs, KONI´s and a bunch of new bushings and stabilizer endlinks.

 

I think it's funny, but my most anticipated addition to the car has got to be the Pro 5.0 short throw shifter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/5998922269/
I will get up some engine pics soon as well... Rerouted my fuel lines and got a performance fuel pump... As I said before my last one was leaking and putting out HALF the pressure it should have been... I was leaning out hard at highway speeds. Glad I caught that.

 

^^ That makes me wish I had a stick instead of a slushbox. Looks really badass!

 

Hopefully the T5 holds up, but I have a Pro 5.0 shifter in my T56 car and I love it.

A T56 swap wouldnt be too bad for you, btw. If you already have a manual in the car it's so much easier.

 

I love how it has the guide springs to pull you right up into third! I guess a T56 swap wouldn't be THAT bad, but the thing about my car is that it has a mechanical clutch linkage (non hydraulic) so I would have to see what swapping that over would entail. If I blow the rebuilt T5, no question I am going T56!

 

Just picked up that set of C5 rims! True GM... Taken off a 98 C5 the day after it left the dealership and stored since! 17" fronts and 18" rears... The guy didn't list them well on CL and kinda gave up so I got the whole set for $200!

Gotta order spacers now...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/5999899801/

 

I dont mean to question your taste, but those IROC wheels are a big part of the reason your car looks so good. The wagon wheels wouldnt look nearly as good on your car as the IROCs do. You've got a really killer, awesome vibe around that car with the IROCs. I suppose I probably wont be able to change your mind, but if you got a good deal on them, go ahead and flip them. The IROCs look amazing on that car, so think about it a little more.

 

InfernalVortex is right, the irocs definitely give it the right look. the c5's eh theyll look ok, and the turbines gave it a muscle car feel. so throw em on and see if you like them, but my vote is defintely for the Irocs

 

Hey guys... The only reason I am not a huge fan of the IROCs is the fact I feel they make the car look like a "poor man's" IROC, and also the wheels I have on there are in awful shape. I just talked to a guy on the phone who is looking into getting my set refurbished and finished in black with polished spokes. I think the C5 wheels would add a really clean modern look to the car, but I am not 100% decided... Yes I could probably flip them for a bit more than I paid!

 

The corvette wheels might actually look good on your car.

Maybe have them painted in gunmetal grey or another dark grey colour however (the whole rim that is).

What kind of spacers are needed to get them to tuck in nicely on your F-body?

 

I am at least going to mount them... I really like the look... Here is a photoshop. I think they would be a bit smaller in real life (good thing haha)

2" rear spacer 1.5" front

 

Actual size

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/6002761635/

 

Doesn't make it look like a "poor man's IROC" so much as it makes it look like a "burly man's sport coupe".

I've seen the C5 wagon wheels many times before. I think you should flip them and get 17 inch IROCs or ZR1 or C6 wheels. IROCs are VERY good looking wheels, though, they look better than any corvette wheel ever made, with the exception of the SLP ZR1 wheels that they used to make.







These are the probably rare SLP ZR1 wheels. I really would like a set one day:

 

That guy had a set of the c6s for $400. I was looking into getting larger Irocs but they only seem to come in chrome. The c5 wheels were a good price for me. I'm only 21 and have spent over 10k so far on this not including how much I paid for the car! 3k. Maybe someone would trade me lol.

 

It wont look bad. Your car looks too nice to look bad.

I hate the hawk's 5 inch spoiler, but the lack of ground fx really makes it work so much better than it should.

 

Haha thanks. Your committed effort to changing my mind on these wheels is starting to rub off on me :P Wow those zr1 wheels would be amazing. I'm gonna do a quick shop of that. I wonder if these replicas would hold up?
http://www.oewheelsllc.com/Wheels_3/...4/ZR1_wheels_4

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/whee...eels-post.html

Look through there.

The problem with corvette wheels is that they have no dish to them. you lose a lot of hte muscular look these cars have, especially the IROCs. Those ZR1's I showed you are special deep dish thirdgen specific ZR1 wheels that were made by SLP. Regular ZR1 wheels look amazing also, but, not as good as those.

My buddy Darkshot's car:


They still look very good.

 

Gosh I change my mind every day... I will probably be leaving the IROCs alone for a while, whilst road testing this thing. Nothing in the drivetrain has been left untouched, and the suspension is all new so I am thinking there will be some tweaking after my alignment.

 

To be completely honest... the more I see this thread the better I think the wagon wheels look. I think they'd look very good on your car. Whether they're better than IROCs... I dont know. But you said your IROCs are a little rough around the edges, literally, so I'd probably go ahead and throw the wagon wheels on. You can always unload them later. They seem to look especially good on cars without ground fx to me. IROCs are just classic, though.

I want to reiterate, though, your car has an excellent stance to it and that spoiler without ground fx... just a great looking combination. That will make it pull off nearly any wheel.

 

almost any wheel, i know its just my opinoin and that its his car so i really have no say what is suppose to do, but to me theat c5 vette rim is so flat and plain looking, like something youd fin on a knockoff hot wheels car

 

Agree. Another vote for the IROC rims here. And I love the Hawks spoiler. I have never liked it on any other car, but it totally works on your ride.

 

the hawks spoiler, that vibrant red, the sunoco hood, and no ground effects really is what defines your car as unique, everyone has ground effects, and the irocs compliment it soooo well especially with the drop springs

 

Thanks guys... Sticking with the IROCs until I can afford some nice rears for the C5s and I will probably give them a go at some point.

Heading out tommorow to work on the car and hopefully get her finished by Wednesday! No internet or phone data out there so I will post when I return! Car is 3 hours from my home near Boston... Can't wait to drive her back! Getting a front end alignment first thing before I come home.

 

whats all is goin on the car tomorrow? or needs to go on?

 

Reseating the intake manifold. Rear valve seals and valve adjustment. Valve cover gaskets. MSD pro billet distributor. Flush all fluids. Initial oil for rear end and tranny break in Install pro 5.0 shifter. Neatening wiring harness and some carb tuning.

 

Oh. And my 5" tach.

 

well i hope we get some pics of when its all done, and maybe soe of while your working on itttt

 

Where are you putting your tach?

I put mine on the A-pillar and I like it there a lot. I think it'd look better above the radio, but I already had an Air/Fuel gauge there from the previous owner.



Turns out I prefer it there - VERY visible and surprisingly out of the way. Plus I liked the idea of just needing a new a-pillar to completely reverse it back to stock later if I wanted to remove the tach. I just used some rubber grommets between the plastic and the bracket to help minimize vibration and keep it still.

 

I will be taking a TON of pics to post... Sorry this thread has been lacking those. I appreciate all the responses you guys!

IV Thanks for posting up your a pillar mounted tach... I currently have a triple gauge cluster there (I am gonna look for an interior shot of my car) with Oil Pressure, Engine temp, and an Amp gauge... Well the amp gauge was causing me problems, and I felt I didn't need that, let alone in my line of sight, so I have two options.

My first idea was to cut the triple gauge pod I have down to 2 and mount the tach right where yours was.

The second idea was to crimp on some molex connectors and make the tach dash mount (near the middle) and removable when needed... Was gonna tuck the exposed part of the wires into some of that spring looking wire tubing.

I may use this idea, but remove the shift light and run the wires to a 2" home made shift light mounted where my amp gauge was.

 

This was a pic of when I had some crappy digital looking sunpro gauges in the car... Also the interior was dusty and I had just taken the shift plate off so the boot was drooping. Interior looks much better now, but here it is...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/5470577030/

 

Here is a dirty underside pic of the rear... You can see the welded spot on the dif cover where a chunk of gear blew out! Yeah I could have bought a new cover, but I am thinking of painting that one white or silver with a red chevy logo outline on it. Why not?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/6013343941/
You can see my gauge pod here, and my tach is just sitting on the dash...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/6013368193/


As much as I like the fog lights, I think they make the front look to busy, so I am removing them... One is crooked in the pic I know

What if I mounted 3 slim fog lights (or two?) in the grill holes?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/6013891132/
Also I got this grant wheel to install as well this weekend as the stock wheel was just WAY to skinny feeling...



Old Idle vid for giggles

 

Why not put them behind the grills? There is already a hole there to mount them. They will be barely visible until they are turned on.

 

he just said he was thinking about it lol, i dont think it will work because they wont hit the ground or give you very good visibility and that would look weird as hell coming down the road at you at night LOL

 

they dont necessarily need to hit the ground, they will hit it eventually but shoot a very far range before hitting it, plus i think it would also be a cool idea because you clear up the grill area and its hidden in their but functional

 

I just yanked mine. Called it a weight-savings and I think the car looks meaner with two big black nostrils in the front bumper cover.

Some people think you need em to fill out the front of the car right. I think it just makes the car look meaner. Might help radiator airflow too, who knows. I seemed to notice a difference although I think I was imagining it.

 

Got a lot of work done the past few days but still more to do! Finally got the tranny and center console buttoned up and felt the pro 5.0 in the tranny for the first time. Haven't driven the car yet, but I think I am in love. Engine is prepped for the intake mani to be reinstalled on thursday, and after that she will be just about ready.

EVERYTHING always takes more time than ya think.

pics soon.

 

Quick post I made in another section about the pro 5.0

It works fine but...

Hey guys, just got to install my pro 5.0 shifter yesterday and it feels great, but during the install I had to change a few things and now I am wondering if I got it wrong.

I installed the shifter with the lettering (fat side of the plate) facing towards the front of the car... But in doing so I had to switch the shifter stick over from the left side of the shifter to the right. it fits OK in the console but it looks like it is in 1st gear (in comparison to the old shifter) when it is in neutral and is close to hitting the side of the console in first and looks strange, but shifts fine. Is this a common problem? Have others bent the shifter stick to make it more centered? Searched and couldn't find an answer...

 

Got the shifter functioning great...

This week was a bit of a disappointment. I worked on the car every day, but will not be able to finish it for another couple of weeks... It is so very close but my week off is up, and I have a bunch of projects to complete at work.

Details...

I got the engine top end freshen up completed. It took more time than I would like. I had to use a blasting cabinet to get my intake manifold clean enough to reinstall but it looks great. I had problems with surface pitting where the water contacts the aluminum due to acidic antifreeze.

Deleted my H4 conversion headlights... They were cheap ebay type, and although the looked good, they didn't put out much light and I would have to wire a separate relay as not to repeat burning out my dimmer switch.

I decided against the 5" tach and will instead be installing a smaller (around 2") tach/shift light in my triple gauge pod, deleting the amp gauge and keeping water temp and oil pressure on that 3 gauge cluster.

Pics... I absolutely adore the big white shift **** I ordered from hawks... It is that finishing touch to the interior that makes me want to just jump in and shift through the gears!



Now picture no jack stands and a dragstrip instead of garage :P