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September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
We have six incredible projects spanning a decade plus of commitment by each of their owners... a wonderful story in itself of 3rd gen love for this month's COTM contest... Nominees please post up some info on your wonderful cars! https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...ml#post6476343
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Since my car has been officially nominated, I felt that I would give a few details about the project. I started the current rendition of the car in 2004 on a challenge from my brother when we found a ’92 Corvette roller chassis at a swap meet and he told me that I couldn’t put it in my 3rd gen. I started with the rear IRS because it would be “easier” and included widening the wheel wells an 1.5” on each side and modifying the geometry in order to retain the rear seat. The front was more difficult because the frame rails had to be sectioned and new rails fabricated and installed at a 13* angle for proper upper control arm anti-dive geometry. The K-member was custom fabricated to accommodate the LS engine, rack and pinion steering, and is 2” wider due to the Camaro’s increased track width and improve the front slip angle. Coil-overs were utilized for adjustments and packaging simplicity. The Corvette ABS was used because it came with the roller and Vintage Air HVAC was used for better access to the engine. The entire electrical system was redesigned for safety and to incorporate the LS, Vintage Air, and Dakota Digital gauges. A Baer brakes are 14”, 6 piston units which were prototypes when I got them in 2013 and the DANA 44 TruTrac was new to the market at the time also. I drove the car for the first time in September of 2019, 25 years after the last time I drove it. The car is currently blown apart for paint, hence the “Long Hauler” status. It will look completely different next year from the current pictures. Enjoy!
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Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Well, first off I'm pretty stoked to have my build nominated for this months contest. Thank you to blackgloves for the nomination, and topdaurte for the second!
Here's the story of my 1987 IROC-Z. I first heard about the car about 4 years ago. I worked with a guy that said his aunt who was a single, old lady, had a black IROC-Z, sitting outside beside her barn. He said it had been sitting there FOREVER, but was all original, SOLID, and all complete. I immediately asked for her name and number, directions to her place, etc.....and he absolutely would NOT tell me anything more. Fast forward to January of 2021. I was on the phone with a really cool third gen fan that I had met a year before at a car show. We were talking about IROC's that we'd seen sitting around over the years, and he says "Hey, I know where there's a black, 87 350 IROC sitting not too far away from you. An old lady has it sitting beside her barn and it's been there FOREVER". I told him I had been wanting to find out the location of that very car for a couple years. He drew me a map of its exact location, and sent it to me in a text message with the words "Good luck, I've tried to buy the car several times since 1999 and she won't sell it". The very next day I was on the road, found the place out in the middle of nowhere on a gravel road, saw the IROC, went up to the door and she was home. I visited with her for a good half hour, and she sold me the car under the condition that when I got the car done, I would bring it back to her and give her a ride. The deal was done.
So the car had been sitting on a little cement pad, luckily. There was ZERO rot on the car, and was remarkably straight, other than a few dings on the pass side fender. It had also been sitting between 20-25 years. It has almost 7 full rows of RPO codes. It's loaded up GREAT. It's a 5.7 TPI, 3.27 gears, 4 wheel disc brakes, posi, Bose, power seat, mirrors, locks, auto dim mirror, overhead console, etc. It currently has 74k miles.
The only body panel on the car that is no longer original is the rear bumper cover. The original one had a crack and was just too sunbaked to mess with. Every other body part on the car is original to the car. I am a professional painter at a Chrysler dealership's body shop, so all of the bodywork was done my myself and a 21 year old coworker who helped me out on nights and weekends.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
[QUOTE=soloc4;6477064]Since my car has been officially nominated, I felt that I would give a few details about the project. I started the current rendition of the car in 2004 on a challenge from my brother when we found a ’92 Corvette roller chassis at a swap meet and he told me that I couldn’t put it in my 3rd gen. I started with the rear IRS because it would be “easier” and included widening the wheel wells an 1.5” on each side and modifying the geometry in order to retain the rear seat. The front was more difficult because the frame rails had to be sectioned and new rails fabricated and installed at a 13* angle for proper upper control arm anti-dive geometry. The K-member was custom fabricated to accommodate the LS engine, rack and pinion steering, and is 2” wider due to the Camaro’s increased track width and improve the front slip angle. Coil-overs were utilized for adjustments and packaging simplicity. The Corvette ABS was used because it came with the roller and Vintage Air HVAC was used for better access to the engine. The entire electrical system was redesigned for safety and to incorporate the LS, Vintage Air, and Dakota Digital gauges. A Baer brakes are 14”, 6 piston units which were prototypes when I got them in 2013 and the DANA 44 TruTrac was new to the market at the time also. I drove the car for the first time in September of 2019, 25 years after the last time I drove it. The car is currently blown apart for paint, hence the “Long Hauler” status. It will look completely different next year from the current pictures. Enjoy!
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Here is the reason my car is a “Long Hauler”. The car is currently undergoing a body transformation and paint. Different wheels and an interior are in its future also.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Gee. Where to start. Without a local track any more, the car has been sitting in the garage for quite a few years now. I don't think I've even started the engine in at least 5 years now. Technically other than expired SFI stuff and needing a transmission tunnel, the car is ready to race.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
The girlfriend took a lot of pictures and some video. They're all in Flickr so instead of copying and posting, I'll just post the link to the album. Hope it works for everyone.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Originally Posted by dagwood
Houston, we have lift-off!!!
That sumbitch is BAD!!!!
I'd always hoped that I'd get to see that car on track. But, stuff happens. Tracks close. COVID. A deep recession in this part of the world. But maybe one day.
Truly a project car for the ages.
Here's hoping...
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
I guess I should have posted some basic info for those who have never gone to my web site.
Bought the car in 1999. It was a very good condition street car with no rust that had the original L98 removed and an old school 383 had been installed. Had a good cam but really crappy smog heads. Never drove it on the street at all. It was towed to my house and I started gutting it the next day to make a race car. First year of racing and it barely got out of the 14 second range. After the first season, I took off the smog heads and installed some heavily port camel heads. Took out the 700R4 and installed a TH350 with a 3800 stall converter.
First pass of the second season and I ran a 12.0. At the end of the second season, the 383 didn't like spinning to 7000 rpm and became a boat anchor when it exploded. Those stock 400 rod bolts and cast pistons don't like spinning that high. Yanked off the heads and intake and the rest went into the scrap metal bin at work. That's when I went with a big block. First one was a 468 and had a lot of changes over the years. It's finally up to 588 and the only thing on the engine that can be considered OEM is an alternator. Everything else is aftermarket.
I took out the 9 bolt with 3.27 gears for a 10 bolt. Ran that for a few years. When I switched the TH350 to a TH400 with a transbrake, I also swapped out the 10 bolt for a 9". The easiest way to put in the 9 bolt was to install ladder bars. The floor required some fabrication work since the ladder bar front mounts are roughly inside the body. Never had much luck with the TH400 so I went to a powerglide with a 6000 stall converter.
The car had a couple of different roll bars/cages install but when I did the back half, I put in a full cage. There isn't a whole lot left of the original car's body after all the fabrication work was completed. There's a thread on the cage install somewhere on TGO.
Hood went through various changes over the years. I swear the 6" cowl had to be the worst. Very hard to look over the cowl when you're almost sitting on the floor to stay inside the cage with a helmet on. The 2-1/2" cowl was nice and the small aeroscoop fit perfectly over the flying toilets with no air cleaners. Finally got rid of the aeroscoop and put a Hilborn style scoop onto the toilets.
Doors were replaced with fiberglass. All the windows were replaced with Lexan. The rear window seal lip was cut out and the rear Lexan is slid under the lip and riveted in place. The deck lid is a simple piece of aluminum wall skin held on with Dzus fasteners. Finally fabricated a wing which double as the rear deck lid.
Rewired the car 3 times over the years. First attempt was just a rats nest. Need something electrical installed just run wires anywhere to make it work. Finally installed a relay board and did a real good job drawing out schematics on how I wanted everything electrical to work. Trust me, to do a job like this I would charge a minimal or $1000 plus expenses.
Front brakes went through a couple of changes from the stock brakes to some Aerospace brakes which I never liked. Front brakes are now Wilwood and are much better but they are drag race brakes and not designed for the street.
Rear brakes were OEM 9 bolt then OEM 10 bolt. When I installed the 9", the easiest way to put brakes on it was to install Ford drum brakes. With the assistance of the local auto parts store, I was able to find rear brake drums that did not have the massive cooling fins. I finally fabricated a rear disk brake system using brake calipers and rotors from the back of a 1999 Jimmy. Worked out better than I expected and there's also a build thread of TGO about putting disk brakes on any diff for those with enough fabrication skills.
The car is a gutted out race car. It will not win any show and shines. It's made to go straight down the track then drive back to the pits. From the 14 second passes it was making when I first bought it to the 9.0 of my best pass took a long time and a lot of broken parts. The car does have an 8 second timeslip in it if I can keep the front end on the ground or even If I ever race at a much lower altitude track. Racing at high altitude sucks. Chances are I'll never get back to the track again so the car just sits in the garage now. I enjoyed all the days I was racing but it's time to retire.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Wow, I appreciate the mention, but I feel I am still on the route of the long haul. I still have a ways to go. I bought my car right before 911 and drove it a lot during college summers. I wrecked it into a guardrail in 2003 in a rain storm and basically parked the car until about 6 years ago. That's when I started getting serious about the car and slowly getting it back on the road. I didn't want to compromise anything on the car and refused to do anything basic. Meaning, I didn't even want rubber hoses or the appearance of something OEM. I wanted everything to be thought out. The price for this is time, as it is taking that much longer to get her where I want her. Mechanically she is basically done. Now I can focus on the interior and exterior paint.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Originally Posted by ShiftyCapone
Wow, I appreciate the mention, but I feel I am still on the route of the long haul. I still have a ways to go.
I think that's the intent of this month's theme unless I'm missing the point.
Something being worked on, finished or otherwise so as to highlight what the typical calendar car COTM doesn't.
Maybe never finished.
Maybe, like my own, are waiting on another engine. And it needs a windshield. Certainly not COTM but a project, like yours, that might interest many.
And it certainly fits the 10 year + long hauler criteria.
Good luck with yours.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Made these myself since I didn't like what was available.
My car is a 1990 Firebird Formula.. I bought the car new in 1991 as primary transportation and since I've always had a love of Firebirds and Pontiacs in general. Guess since there was always a Pontiac in the garage since I was a kid was the reason. Anyway, as with any aspiring hotrodder modifications began almost immediately with basic items and worked their way up to the more advanced things. The car started as a 5.0 TBI car with auto and a peg leg 10 bolt. Car received all the applicable mods of the time and was used as it was intended. The car has been with me through 2 marriages and everything else life has thrown at me. Fall of 2002 brought a front end collision with a Honda Accord that resulted in considerable damage. Luckily, I had a paint and body guy that brought her back to life with a cooperative insurance adjuster and some creative paperwork. From that point I retired her from daily status to plaything and proceeded to blow her apart and make it what I had always wanted from the beginning. With the paint and body already handled I worked on the mechanicals. The tbi was scrapped for a complete TPI conversion and then upgraded from SLP, Edelbrock, Holley and various others. Thanks to Tuned Performance for helping with programming issues. Other upgrades included FIC Bosche3 injectors, MSD ignition and Edelbrock ceramic coated headers. The transmission has a TCI shift kit set to heavy duty along with a Corvette servo and a Jet lockup delay module.
Further exhaust improvements came from SLP and Magnaflow. The brakes were initially upgraded with one of Ed Miller's C4 front kits and swapping out the old 10 bolt drum rear in favor of a refurbished 9 bolt with 3.27 gears and 1LE rear brakes. The fronts have since been updated to C4HD 13" to help fill out the 17" TT2 wheels that found their way on the car. 8s up front and 9.5 out back. A personal touch came in the form of custom machined canter caps from ID my ride out of Oregon that I found on etsy. The guy does great work.
Suspension was treated to Energy Suspension throughout along with Tokico adjustable shocks and struts with Eibach Sportline springs. Spohn adjustable control arms, rear sway bar and torque arm along with UMI adjustable panhard bar and upper brace kit were added. Southside Machine subframe connectors and an Edelbrock 3 point tower brace stiffen things up. These items probably prevented the collision damage from being much worse according to my body man. The rear spoiler was replaced due to the original coming apart like they all seem to do. I went with the 91-92 aero wing instead for durability. It has since been replaced by a fiberglass version from Hawks. You can see the car in his catalog and website listing for the wing. Rear taillights were changed out for 91-92 TA versions. The interior was gone through and changed from grey to ebony/black with a full set of leather 4th gen seats and belts. Stereo was updated with pieces from Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, JBL and JL AUDIO.
Other updates include wrapping interior pieces in carbon fiber and color matching trim parts to the black interior theme.
Other mechanical upgrades include relocating the battery for the installation of the SLP dual CAI from the Firehawk. Thanks to Justin LeClair for being willing to part with it and TTOP350 for his pics and advice on installation issues concerning the hoses and electrical.
I've enjoyed the car and being in the 3rd gen community over the past 30+years and the car still gets a good bit of attention wherever it goes. At shows it's usually the only one there or 1 of a small handful.
I want to thank BizJet for seconding the nomination as well. I hope you enjoy the pictures and thanks for your consideration.
Re: September 2022 COTM "LONG HAULERS ~10yr+ Builds" **Voting Thread**
Originally Posted by Mongoose
Made these myself since I didn't like what was available.
My car is a 1990 Firebird Formula.. I bought the car new in 1991 as primary transportation and since I've always had a love of Firebirds and Pontiacs in general. Guess since there was always a Pontiac in the garage since I was a kid was the reason. Anyway, as with any aspiring hotrodder modifications began almost immediately with basic items and worked their way up to the more advanced things. The car started as a 5.0 TBI car with auto and a peg leg 10 bolt. Car received all the applicable mods of the time and was used as it was intended. The car has been with me through 2 marriages and everything else life has thrown at me. Fall of 2002 brought a front end collision with a Honda Accord that resulted in considerable damage. Luckily, I had a paint and body guy that brought her back to life with a cooperative insurance adjuster and some creative paperwork. From that point I retired her from daily status to plaything and proceeded to blow her apart and make it what I had always wanted from the beginning. With the paint and body already handled I worked on the mechanicals. The tbi was scrapped for a complete TPI conversion and then upgraded from SLP, Edelbrock, Holley and various others. Thanks to Tuned Performance for helping with programming issues. Other upgrades included FIC Bosche3 injectors, MSD ignition and Edelbrock ceramic coated headers. The transmission has a TCI shift kit set to heavy duty along with a Corvette servo and a Jet lockup delay module.
Further exhaust improvements came from SLP and Magnaflow. The brakes were initially upgraded with one of Ed Miller's C4 front kits and swapping out the old 10 bolt drum rear in favor of a refurbished 9 bolt with 3.27 gears and 1LE rear brakes. The fronts have since been updated to C4HD 13" to help fill out the 17" TT2 wheels that found their way on the car. 8s up front and 9.5 out back. A personal touch came in the form of custom machined canter caps from ID my ride out of Oregon that I found on etsy. The guy does great work.
Suspension was treated to Energy Suspension throughout along with Tokico adjustable shocks and struts with Eibach Sportline springs. Spohn adjustable control arms, rear sway bar and torque arm along with UMI adjustable panhard bar and upper brace kit were added. Southside Machine subframe connectors and an Edelbrock 3 point tower brace stiffen things up. These items probably prevented the collision damage from being much worse according to my body man. The rear spoiler was replaced due to the original coming apart like they all seem to do. I went with the 91-92 aero wing instead for durability. It has since been replaced by a fiberglass version from Hawks. You can see the car in his catalog and website listing for the wing. Rear taillights were changed out for 91-92 TA versions. The interior was gone through and changed from grey to ebony/black with a full set of leather 4th gen seats and belts. Stereo was updated with pieces from Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, JBL and JL AUDIO.
Other updates include wrapping interior pieces in carbon fiber and color matching trim parts to the black interior theme.
Other mechanical upgrades include relocating the battery for the installation of the SLP dual CAI from the Firehawk. Thanks to Justin LeClair for being willing to part with it and TTOP350 for his pics and advice on installation issues concerning the hoses and electrical.
I've enjoyed the car and being in the 3rd gen community over the past 30+years and the car still gets a good bit of attention wherever it goes. At shows it's usually the only one there or 1 of a small handful.
I want to thank BizJet for seconding the nomination as well. I hope you enjoy the pictures and thanks for your consideration.
08-26-2022, 07:07 PM
