Camaros *Now Camaro*

[TerryD]

Seeing this thread, makes me miss mine, sometimes wish I had never traded it off for the Burb, but then I wouldn't be here or have certain friends that I have today...

I'll get another, just a matter of finding one that hasn't been hacked, wrecked or rusted out.

Third gen's are pretty easy to find not messed with. The blue 89 RS you can see in one of the head liner pics is a 99k mile NC car that spent 70% of it's life in a garage. The only thing hacked on it is where someone took our the factory BOSE head unit and put in a super cheap SONY pos.

As for the 84, Julie helped me get some more done tonight. Got my switches in the mail today, installed and wired in. We also installed the radio. While I was getting the wiring done on the switches, Julie painted the new shifter panel with wrinkle paint. It hasn't had time to properly dry so we'll see what it looks like tomorrow.

I also picked up tags for it today on the way home so as soon as we get the shifter panel in, I'll be able to take it for a spin. After work tomorrow, the plan is to swap rear sway bars on it and put new lift supports on the rear hatch. With a quick wash and some paint spraying underneath, it should be ready for the trip this weekend!

 

[4xcrazy]

If I may pic-whore your thread, just once, this is what I had. When I get around to trying to find another, it'll be about the same.

Grey cloth interior, automatic trans, little to no add-ons from previous owners.

My thinking is that since these were a limited production car, the more that get trashed & wrecked, the they should increase in value down the road.

Probably wrong about that, but just an idea.

 

[TerryD]

That's was a good looking car man.

As of right now, the only things I have left to do before it's ready for the trip is adjust the TCC vacuum switch and spray a little paint underneath the car to clean up the wheel wells and visible undersides.

Installed a larger rear swaybar from a 88 RS this evening. It's about 1/3 again as thick as the 82 Trans-Am bar that I had on it. Who'd have figured a Trans-Am would come with a smaller rear bar than a 88 LO3 powered RS? Also put new lift struts on the back hatch so Julie doesn't have to hold it up while I unload our luggage/gear. She was happy about that.

Shifter panel is in, along with the new switches and radio. HVAC illumination bulb was out and I forgot to get a new one so that'll have to wait a bit. Julie didn't do too bad on the wrinkle paint. Once it gets a little dirty, it'll fit right in with the rest of the panels nicely!

Also took it for a test drive this evening at dusk. The new exhaust REALLY brought that engine to life. It sounds a little funny though. Quiet at an idle but about 2000-2700 it makes a popping racket I'm not fond of. Up about 3000 it quietens right back down though. Sounds AWESOME above 6000RPM! As good as that muffler breathes, I may just have to live with it sounds kinda stupid.

 

[4xcrazy]

What size tailpipes are you running, or what is the exhaust design you have on there.

I ran all factory pipes/cat back to the muffler, which I swapped out for a Hooker Aerochamber and had 2.5" pipes coming out the back, it has a nice quiet rumble at idle and opened up a bit under full throttle, but never made any of the crackling or popping noises. Just a modest roar.

I always seem to think, whenever I hear crackling/popping exhaust, the people are always running something like 1.75-2" pipes, thinkin they are just too small or something for the sound.

 

[TerryD]

2x 2.25" head pipes back to the drive shaft tunnel, then a single 3" over the axle with a Dynomax ultraflo 3" muffler and single 3" driver side exit like a factory V6 car.

 

[TerryD]

OK, back from the Pigeon Forge Rod Run trip! Towed the car down behind my Dad's Duramax, but drove it to their house and back from their house. After getting the TCC vacuum switch adjusted, it does great. Dropped the power valve in the Holley from a 6.5 to a 4.5 and thinking about going on down the the 3.5 just to see how it reacts. It already improved the throttle response ALOT.

The bolts on the torque arm need re-torqued. It's thumping and banging alot under there. I figure it has to do with wearing the powder coating out from around the rod ends. Also need to find a standard ratio aluminum pulley for the alternator. I changed out the 37A I had on there for a 63A which helped out with the charging problems I was having, but it's still spinning too slowly at an idle thanks to the underdrive pulleys I have on it. Stops charging under heavy load (lights, fuel pump, radio, turn signals, ect) at a stop light.

Car ran great and got 10.2mpg crusing around town with no highway or over 45mph use. I'm looking forward to seeing what it got driving home today on the interstate with a little in town driving and no full throttle assaults.

I suck pretty bad at taking pictures, but I got a few of some cool cars. I'll try to post them up. I think I may have taken one of my car or my Dad's '12 Mustang 5.0 GT.

 

[TerryD]

 

[swettysblazer]

Before/after?

 

[TerryD]

One or the other. Going to check them out this evening. A more family friendly replacement for the ugly Camaro. Pigeon Forge sealed the deal on getting something big enough to carry all 5 of us.

 

[Big Ray]

this thread makes me miss "Christine", my old 79 Z-28...

It has twice the room my 95 did...of all my vehicles I miss selling that one. A guy at work wanted it, I named a ridiculous price, he said o.k., paid cash...

 

[C/Kjunkie]

Ummmm Camaros! I love me a camaro! I pretty cool project you got there. I hope you don't scrape it in favor of the wagon, just add the wagon to the collection.

I got an 83 and 84 L69/5spd Z28s. I think they are some fun cars to play with, It drives my wife crazy that I would rather drive my 84 than anything else we own.


@4xcrazy 88 L98 car?

 

[TerryD]

I'm afraid I'll have to take it apart for the wagon. I just can't afford ANOTHER car. I've got the 84 Camaro, a 89 Camaro RS (can see in some pictures in the garage), a 90 Camaro RS (Julie's car), the 84 K5, a 98 Jeep Cherokee and a 99 Suburban to keep running. I've got to let go of something.

As much as I hate taking it apart, I never drive it. If we go somewhere, we have to take the Suburban (getting three kids in/out of a 2dr Cherokee is a chore in it's self) because it's the only thing we can all go in. Having the wagon would remedy this. I'd be able to haul everyone in the hot rod, including luggage/cooler/ect. We could then make weekend trips in it instead. Logic and responsibility are both bitches sometimes.... I see you're in NC, if you're interested in it minus engine/transmission to make you a fun beater car, I'll make someone a good deal to not have to part it out.

 

[4xcrazy]

Ummmm Camaros! I love me a camaro! I pretty cool project you got there. I hope you don't scrape it in favor of the wagon, just add the wagon to the collection.

I got an 83 and 84 L69/5spd Z28s. I think they are some fun cars to play with, It drives my wife crazy that I would rather drive my 84 than anything else we own.


@4xcrazy 88 L98 car?

It's been several years since I had it, but yes, the L98 sounds familiar.

TPI 350/700r4, 3.42 gears if I remember correctly, 4 wheel disc brakes, power everything.

I really do miss driving it, was quick and fun.

 

[76zimmer]

It's been several years since I had it, but yes, the L98 sounds familiar.

TPI 350/700r4, 3.42 gears if I remember correctly, 4 wheel disc brakes, power everything.

I really do miss driving it, was quick and fun.

The L98 was the TPI350 If I recall....a nice piece in its day!

 

[TerryD]

Well, drug both cars out of the garage today and washed them. Took some pictures of the 89 while I had it out. I need to set up some good shots of it out somewhere, but it doesn't get driven much.

Pisses me off that they put this SONY POS in there where an original BOSE head unit was...

Why I'm so particular over this car. 95k original miles.

On other fronts, the wagon thing has ground to a hault. The storm, cutting my leg, and other things have drained what little money I had to put toward it. Unless I can sell off the 84 whole (which I doubt), I'm probably gonna have to stick with F-bodies and just put ANOTHER vehicle on the road. I've got 4 on the road now, 5 on insurance...

 

[79rustyk10]

That car is SWEET!

If I love it could find the right one that I could afford. So much potential in those cars.

 

[TerryD]

These are fairly cheap cars still. I traded a $3000 pickup for the t-top and the multi-colored one was given to me as an empty shell. I got a free 1982 trams-am parts car, a $150 88 RS and a $100 83 SC for parts to put it together.

Scour Craigslist and trader papers for them. We've picked up a couple runable cars in the last few years for less than $1000 each. You can buy a car that needs a little work and put it together as you go like I've done the 84 SC. I just got plain ol' lucky coming into the 89 RS.

 

[79rustyk10]

Problem here is the rust, like any other older vehicle worth fixing, the ones in useable condition are usually priced out of what I would be willing to spend on one at this time.

Id LOVE a metallic maroon, or teal IROC Z though. One of my favorite cars of the 80's next to the 87/88 Monte SS.

I should probably look a little harder though, the 70-72 Split bumper Z barn find Ive been waiting for probably isnt showing up in my lifetime.

 

[TerryD]

It needs some work (front clip replaced with proper stuff, steering column rebuilt, and cleaned up), but I've got a 1992 35th Anniversary RS T-top, metallic maroon with beige cloth interior. 350TBI, 700R4. I have a clear title and everything to go with it. I don't want to pull it apart for spare parts because it is so complete. If someone wanted to fix it up, it's a prime candidate for a restore. I just don't have time right now. I'm trying to keep it nice though so it's not a total loss by the time I get around to it.

I've also got a 35th Anniversary hard top, 305TBI, 5 speed car without a title. I'm considering putting it's drive line in the t-top car. It would no longer be numbers matching, but even a 305 is fun with a manual transmission.

 

[cybrfire]

Looks like you got a full stable TerryD. That blue one looks really nice.