NagleMac

iTrader: (1)

The wii idea was pretty cool and definetly original, can't wait to see what she looks like when you're finished

FireDemonSiC

The wii was a cool idea, it just didn't flow as well with the rest of the car as I thought it would. I got rid of the Jensen because the only time I opened the flipout was to navigate through my library and wanted something with a little better quality.

FireDemonSiC

No sanding. Just base/clear. Let the base cure about an hour before spraying the clear.

LivinLarge

What steering wheels and seats are you running?

FireDemonSiC

Steering wheel is a grant sport club.

seats are the $350 bomz racing seats they used to well on eBay. The quality isn't as good as some of the more mainstream seats but for what they are they're doing well.

FireDemonSiC

Time for a much needed status update.

Been busy behind the scenes with a few things. Progress has began to relax a bit as most of the big item stuff is off the table.

Got my new HUmount and head unit installed, along with my BBK underdrive pullies and my scorpion roller rocker arms.

FireDemonSiC

Verified the pushrod geometry and got to work installing the roller rockers, along with a set of hardened steel p;ushrods I've had laying around for the past 4 years ever the since the boat anchor 350 caper.

Presoaked in some 10w30 while installing and had a brief heart attack moment when one of the old pushrods fell down IN the motor during removal, however luckily it landed in the lifter valley straight up so I was able to retrieve it through an oil drainback opening in the head with a flexible claw wand.

FireDemonSiC

I've also been working on a set of taillights refinished with some red nightshades and clearcoat, as well as a refinished grid.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...531_232143.jpg

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...531_232211.jpg

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/atta...531_232421.jpg

FireDemonSiC

I also have some LCA relocation brackets and a custom chip to install here soon. However, a few performance mods are taking a backseat to today's status update.

Today, all exterior trim, lights, weatherstripping and any body pieces that could be bolted down were removed and the car was taken to the bodyshop. In the next 1 - 2 weeks you guys are going to see the big moment we've all been waiting for. Mid June, the transformation is coming

Trinten

Nice! Thanks for the update! When you say "verified the pushrod geometry" what exactly do you mean, and how did you do it? (inquiring minds want to know! especially since I'm planning on replacing my rockers and springs, and comp cams has not gotten back to me yet...)

FireDemonSiC

http://www.compcams.com/Products/CC-...rods%27-0.aspx

Trinten

Thank you sir! (it's when I ask questions such as those, that reaffirms I made a good choice in having a shop build my engine. lol)

FireDemonSiC

Today I had a delivery run to the body shop and was able to check in on the progress. The front end is all torn down to correct the frame. For what the accident was, there is hardly any damage. If the impact angle had been different by just a small amount things could have been so much worse.

This is it guys. It's begun!

FireDemonSiC

Well, we're down to the final moments here. I was told it should be done this saturday.

Trinten

Awesome! Is that including getting the paint done? Looking forward to seeing the final result!

Mr.donuts

man i feel you on being young and stupid.im 21 and am starting to maintain my car like a pet... a pet that eats my cashola. but its always and i mean always to replace parts that are beginning to fall apart then to let them cause massive engine damage.For example it better to replace a spark plug you dropped then to drive 50k later and find that the predetonation screwed up one cylinder you know what i mean

87TTops

I just read this whole thread, great tale! I'm in a somewhat similar love affair with my IROC, only I haven't been able to do nearly as much to bring it back thanks to my two friends money and time. Keep this story going, I need the motivation!

FireDemonSiC

So guys, seeing as how It's been two months everyone is probably wondering what has been going on behind the scenes.

The car should have been out at least a month ago, but the bodyshop has been having some staffing issues, and the fact that they had an employee who was involved in several felonious swindlings around the area and managed to make off with some tools and a $900 spray gun when they fired him didn't help.

To make matters worse, this was the same tool who was assigned to do the work on my car. I have some pictures of the car done up in primer that I never posted, only because this heinous waste of sperm and eggs primed over top of the white maaco job, so just before laying down the basecoat the whole car had to be stripped again and started over. Alot of the bodywork he did was sloppy as well so that down the drain too.

This idiot actually lived on my street, and has $100 of my personal money I will never see again. Make a long story short, he told me the bodyshop had not been paying him and that he had babies in the house with no food. Like a fool I loaned him the money figuring it was safe since he was doing the work on my car AND was my neighbor to boot. After everything at the bodyshop went down, I went over to his house to give him a good "talking to" only to discover that he had set fire to his own house in order to terminate the lease and leave the area. The story does have a good ending, though. The feds discovered the real cause of the fire, as well as a rumored large amount of cocaine and picked him up from a local hotel .


Back to a more interesting subject, however. The car has since had all bodywork redone, was shot in epoxy primer/sealer and they just laid down the first PPG basecoat last night. Tomorrow morning they will be fine tuning any remaining bodywork areas and laying down more base before the clear.

Once I have the car back in my possession, There are actually a fair amount of goodies I have been accumulating That are going to be installed:

- UMI LCA relocation brackets
- Autometer wideband gauge (So I can get a proper tune going)
- Power steering system rebuild
- (Here is the best one) A few of you might have seen the "CRACKHEAD DEAL" post I made in the vendor review section. I managed to score a set of 4 Tokico HP blue shocks/struts WITH matching lowering springs for a whopping $309 shipped. Don't you just love 65% off sales . We're going to take the car to Ryan's shop to install them along with some poly bushings for the rear swaybar and front control arms.

I also purchased a brand new accumulator/AC compressor (Aluminum compressor weighing in at under 20 lbs!) job for my car, however I still do need the rest of the AC system in order to get it working that will remain in the parts closet for now.

One other possible "goodie" I have looking at, which is a serious "Go Fast" mod. A guy who runs one of the hole in the wall shops around here has a 400 smallblock core at his shop he only wants $100 for. I'm still on the fence about the idea but am seriously considering it.

FireDemonSiC

Here she is in the midst of getting sprayed with the epoxy primer.

FireDemonSiC

Here are some photos of the hood, fenders, bumpers and doors being worked over. I also had bring the hinge assembly for the drivers door home and put it on the drill press and drill out the detent roller pin that broke off in it at some time in the past. Now I am finally NOT going to have a driver door that swings closed on my leg!

FireDemonSiC

Picture of the door hinge on the drill press. Also a photo of the 400 I am considering buying and turning into a 406TPI side project. If I buy it we're going to stash it in my friend's shed.

The motor has had a cam failure for sure (Look at how far down some of the lifters are in their bore) and will need a magnaflux and a pressure check before starting.

FireDemonSiC

Now the photos of the first base coat. Everything is covered in bondo dust right now and will be cleaned up before application of the second base coat.

FireDemonSiC

More basecoat and pics of said goodies (Tokico kit gets here thursday).

Trinten

sorry to hear about the troubles with getting it done initially. I hope that guy gets pinched and goes to prison for a good long time.

Things are looking good though! (at least to my amateur eye)

FireDemonSiC

I highly doubt he will get off. Amongst the list of things he did was obtain over $2000 of money under false pretenses (At least that I knew of) for mechanical work that he didn't do, as well as sold a vehicle to someone that wasn't titled under his own name.

He now has arson and possession with intent to distribute charges to add to the list. I might not have gotten the opportunity to kick his ***, but at least now he'll be getting raped for sure

tacampora91RS

Haha I almost cried halfway through. Haha. I think I'm having the same problem your having with not wanting to touch anything. Im 16, the Camaro is my second car, technically my first because I never drove my first, a 68 Impala with no motor, tranny, and a beat frame. Sold it, bought my 91 RS and it runs ok, some issues that I can't really figure out but it runs. It looks fine, Maaco paint with a cracked front bumper nothing to bad. I just got my first job and I want to get this thing pretty. Shave emblems, door handles, take off the door bump guards, swap to a high rise spoiler get a tan interior and after all that paint it Arctic White. I'm terrified to do anything mechanically though because, what if I can't fix it? Anyway, just a little story of mine, yours was great.

FireDemonSiC

MAN! Has this been a long and tiring process.

BUT, we are just about there. The whole car has been shot in PPG base/clear. They just did the side mirrors, hatch and remaining GFX pieces today (Look great but I forgot to snap photos).

I dismantled the header panel, Took those disgusting looking rusted headlight pockets and frames home and shot them in epoxy base then clear. Stopped by the shop today after work and re-installed them into the header panel then aimed the headlights.

Everything on the car is done except the molding strip on the hatch. Next week is touch up, then re-assembly and wetsand/buff!

FireDemonSiC

Headlights.

FireDemonSiC

I also have something not many people can say they have.

I happened to stop in last week just as they were shooting the clear and took some videos.

The first video is a walkaround of the car 5 minutes after the first coat of clear was shot. The second video is during the application of the second coat of clear.

FireDemonSiC

ALSO!

The 400 I mentioned earlier turned out to be a no go. However, a little something I picked up last week (Got a great deal on too!)

I'm not disclosing the details as of yet. However, this is going to be our next (And last big) project dubbed, "Project LB4". This one is dedicated to all of the members on this board who have to put up with the non-stop trash talking for having a 305 under their hood .

FireDemonSiC

Also the shocks/struts/springs have arrived!

Ron U.S.M.C.

Very nice,all of your hard work is paying off.
Oh yes ,welcome to the world of pristine paint. There is how you could treat your car before and there is how you will treat your car after.Moving any close shopping carts and the long walks from the farthest reaches of any parking lot is great for the legs anyway.

FireDemonSiC

Funny part is, even as busted as my car was before I still parked it at the far end of the lot.

Ron U.S.M.C.

I can understand that.I guess what my painter ment was be ready because of the way new paint changes things especially with a "DD" like mine. It took me a long time to accept the fact there "will" be "small" chips here and there no matter how hard I try.
Again, your cars coming along beautifully.One bad a_ _ ride.

FireDemonSiC

Everyone go here and subscribe. The details for the block have been revealed:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...ml#post5356000

R3DRUM5309

Hey, i read your stories and Firedemon i can relate, i am 20 and i bought my 92 rs 4 months ago and have never loved a car more than this one, i have had five cars/trucks in the past 5 years, none have compared to my Camaro, and with that none have been such high maintenance. i have never been this passionate about any car before. and i am making the mistake of being 21 and you know the rest, making hasty decisions and not treating her right, i have a very sever problem and i dont want to give her up over it. my frame is splitting at the gear box, and tonight on my way home from work i busted the second bolt out of the gear box. i barely made the drive home. there is absolutly nothing wrong with the drivetrain at all. just this one little piece that is considered the death of the 3rd gen according to everyone i have talked too, but i am not about to give up. this is where i ask your advice...how do i fix this problem!!!! i will post pictures of her soon

Ron U.S.M.C.

From what I have read you can have new material grafted to reinforce the weekend/torn sheet metal. By the way you may want to start your own thread concerning this.This one is dedicated to FireDemonSiC build.

FireDemonSiC

This is actually a very common problem with the earlier thirdgens that did not have the additional frame bracing located at the gear box. You can simply weld up the crack in the frame if you do not allow it to get too bad. Head to a local junkyard and pull those triangle shaped braces off a later year model if yours does not have them or the crack will just come back.

Do a search for more details as there are many people who have gone through this issue before. I am surprised that GM never issued a recall for this along with the famous loose tilt column bolts.

FireDemonSiC

Spent 4 hours at the bodyshop today helping with the final preparations.

She's all put back together now, minus the lights and mirrors. Tomorrow final adjustments will be made to the hatch and hood alignment, the hood has to be notched to clear the strut tower brace and It's going outside to be wet sanded and a final "blending" of the paint.

Ron U.S.M.C.

Very nice!!!

FireDemonSiC

Right after I get it back, I'm doing the wideband, suspension kit and the A/C is about to hit a high priority.

irocZ281986

Wow definately subscribed and makes me wish I would get mine done. 19 years old trying to do things right and spend the money where it needs to be spent first. Some days I kick the ol' girl and walk away frustrated but hopefully I can look at my own completed thread like this one and be a proud man. FireDemon makes the thirdgen owners proud

FireDemonSiC

Status update via mobile directly from the bodyshop.

Stage 2 is in progress!

FireDemonSiC

Monday is D-Day guys. Weatherstrip, lights, mirrors, align the hood with the front bumper, badging and all the small details.

Here are the results of wetsand and buff:

FireDemonSiC

More:

Cat Amanigh

Wow... I wish I had the kind of dedication to my car that you have when I was your age and living with my parents. Now I have to wait a few more years before I can give my car the kind of attention you're giving yours. I can't wait to see it once it leaves the shop.

And I would love to see what it would look like with some fully polished, translucent red powdercoat on those rims with that beautiful black paint to match the underhood scheme....

FireDemonSiC

It would look like crap. I don't believe in ANY color for wheels other than black or silver. I am debating on painting the inside "triangles" on the wheels black.

The car does need some red though. Tomorrow, all of this is going on:

Cat Amanigh

I have to respectfully disagree with you there, wheels can be an excellent tool to provides contrast or highlights to the body color, as long as it's done right.

Case in point, though I think they should have done metallic powder rather than paint:



That being said, to each their own, and I think it's going to look fantastic in your capable hands no matter what you choose, and I only hope to make the journey a few miles south to hit a meeting and see it in person soon!

88Fan

New to these forums and have read you whole story all the way through.
There are allot of people out there who just do not understand the passion and determination that lovers of cars have for there projects.
While you have dropped some money on this project the lessons you are learning by doing a good bit of the work your self.Even paying shops to do things wrong are actually invaluable.
My very first car restoration project was on a cast off 71 Camaro nobody wanted setting in the back of a used car lot.
Some of the things I learned on that project I still use to this day over 30 years later.
When she is done it will be a head turner and you will be a very proud owner.
Keep up the great work......

.........88Fan

Dabesiv

iTrader: (1)

After reading your story I have to say, what an inspiration. I won't clog up the thread with my whole story, but in a nutshell i got my thirdgen 4 years ago and it needed a lot of help. I learned everything I know about cars (not a whole lot, but still learning) because of this thing, I have had plenty of bad mechanics who did more harm than good, I have seen some of the craziest possible things go wrong with this car but no matter what my parents ever said I refused to sell it. Most of my friends don't understand why I would waste most of my money on "just a car". The few friends of mine who love cars like I do know it's not just a car, its a part of your life and it's an experience never to be forgotten. Yes my car always seems to have at least one thing wrong with it, yes it is terrible on gas millage, yes I know its a cop magnet etc. but in the end no matter how terrible a day is I always look forward to driving this car that has been practically rebuilt. I hope some day I'll have mine fully functioning and clean as a whistle like you are doing with yours. Best of luck on future projects with it too!