GETTING STARTED ON PROJET CAMARO ... "Day 1"

This isn't necessarily Day 1 for the car, what this means, more or less, is that the first step in the process of restoring this muscle car's former dignity is being described. Most people who start from the ground up when dealing with an older car know that there is a lot of necessary fixes to be performed before you can start getting to the more interesting (and far more fun) stuff. And so I will begin ...

1988 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z28 w/ 305 HO V8 & 5 speed

This beauty found her way into my hands via eBay in January. This is the photo taken from that ad. Ironically, when I did a search for 88 Camaro's in Michigan, I found this exact same picture on someone else's CD page. Apparently, he hadn't done much to the car since he got it and decided to sell it.

Quite obviously this car was used in either the late 80's and/or early 90's as a road racer and at some other point after this, as a drag racer. Clue #1 was the full roll cage with netting. I have since removed the front half of the cage (not only is it unneccesary in a daily driver, it was a real pita to get in and out of the car) and left only the rear roll bar in. An RPO code of G92 is printed in the center console; a runner up for the ultra rare 1LE package offered on Camaro's back in the day, the G92 cars boasted a Borg-Warner 5 speed manual, a 9" Borg-Warner posi rear end with disc brakes, and an oil cooler. Had this car been ordered without air, it would have been a 1LE car in 1988 (of which there were only FOUR). Anyhow, the paint looks like hell and shows obvious signs of being plastered, at one time, with vinyl graphics belonging to Timken, AC Delco, the number 87, and the drivers' names. A Koni suspension system was installed and removed at some point. Anyhow, she's been sorely abused in her lifetime and it shows. But, for the $1775 I paid for her, I'll keep my grumbling to a minimum. This car will be spectacular when completed. And so the list begins ...

She ran like shite the day I brought her home. After some tinkering, we ended up replacing the MAF, the PCM and the Thermostat. Now, I am pleased to announce she runs a lot better. Reliably so, in fact, and now I drive her daily. Next, I ordered four brand new Aurora brand (German made) tires in 245-50-16. A few convenience items had to be replaced (hood shocks, hatch shocks, the hatch pull down motor, the washer fluid jug, the heater control head, the armrests, the visors, the rearview mirror) and then a new Flowmaster muffler as well as some new tailpipes was ordered and installed. I do have to add here about the rear end. This is the factory rear end in the car, however (and I hate when people do foolish things like this) it had definitely been tampered with. As a posi, it wasn't the best setup for drag racing, and so when disassembled (I'm sure at this point they realized this particular rear end mimicked the Fords in the absence of C-clips and the fact that the axle shafts bolted directly in) they didn't bother swapping the whole rear end for something more suitable, instead (ugh) they jammed it full of washers and smashed it all back together so that it locked up permanently and acted like a spool. Right idea, wrong move. It cost me about $325 to have the rear end disassembled (again) and all this horse hockey removed, not to mention have the crap lubed out of it. It chatters on rare occasion still, but it's getting better. In another week or so, it will be moving smoothly. Don't do this!

And the list goes something like this ...
- Replaced steering column (broken tilt pin)
- Replaced battery
- Replaced MAF
- Replaced PCM
- Replaced washer fluid resevoir
- Replaced hood support shocks
- Replaced hatch support shocks
- Replaced hatch pull down motor
- Replaced exhaust muffer/tail pipes
- Replaced brake pads
- Replaced brake rotors
- Replaced RF and LF brake calipers
- Replaced tires
- Replaced spoiler
- Repaired rear end
- Removed roll cage (front half)
- Reconditioned roll bar
- Replaced radio
- Replaced speakers
- Replaced thermostat
- Replaced alternator
- Complete tune up
- Replaced all interior plastic trim
- Replaced rear seats with factory reupholsterd black vinyl
- Replaced front seats Summit poly molded seats & black vinyl padded covers
- Installed 4 point harnesses
- Replaced shift knob
- Installed A Pillar triple pod
- Replaced headliner
- Replaced cabin carpet
- Replaced hatch carpet
- Wired in JL Audio 10W0 subwoofer
- Tinted 5%
- Replaced front struts
- Installed chrome valve covers & oil breathers
- Installed dome light
- Installed Replacement Motor
- Installed headers 
- Reloomed all underhood wiring
- Replaced all hoses & clamps
- Replaced power steering pump
- Replaced starter
- Turned flywheel
- Detailed & Painted engine bay
- Installed new fenders & front bumper cover

*Thanks to XDC (Xtreme Detroit Concepts; 586-552-7000) for doing the supurb tint job!

The next page contains all the original pics from when I first got the car ...