Hello fellow Camaro owners i have just purchased a 1986 camaro iroc z28 with 5 speed manual transmission. It has also had an engine swap the guy i got it from said the new motor has been rebuilt and that its a 350 5.7 from a newer iroc but ill have to verify that when i take it apart lol. Im 28 years old and this is my first project ive never done any major work myself on a car so this one will be my first. I plan on sandblasting it, reparing any rust and getting a paint job. Ive decided to take out the motor rebuild the transmission and make as much as i can original. The body has very little rust that i can see its been covered in a horrible lawyer of plasti dip so when i take it apart ill know more. I know floor has holes and needs to be changed. Basically im hoping you guys could share some wisdom on tips things i should know and ways to save some money i know this isnt going to be cheap but i freaking love this car. Im planning on buying a cherry picker and pulling everything myself but id like a step by step guide if possible or video hopefully lol.... anyways sorry for rambling on ill attach some pics if i can and i look forward to hearing from you guys!

 

welcome

wisdom- here's a disclaimer: any advice or "wisdom" you get from me has the same value for which you were charged for it.

holes in floor- if pin holes, grind them till u see nice shiny metal, a little jb weld, let dry, grind/sand smooth, prime with rust inhibitor

big holes, don't screw around, either weld in patches or if real bad, u need a replacement welded into the car

engine- does it run? If so, why replace? Have you done a compression test? Unless the car was only a few hundred $$ then you should have run a compression test. Does it smoke out the exhaust? Is there coolant in the oil?

the above may or may not determine the need for a engine hoist.

Now, if you're going to yank it just so you can clean the engine bay and respray, then ok but frankly, unless you're trying for a show car, and the engine is OK, then I'd leave it right where it is

where are the pictures???? We always like some good Camaro pawn (mis-spelled to avoid the censor) and never see enough of it

how does it ride?

How is the interior?

you might be needing new bushings and replacing shocks front/rear on 3rd gens is easy.

interior is expensive when you add up headliner, carpet, cap for the cracked dashboard, weatherstip (wait until u see the price for that) and re-upholstering the seats (don't use cheap slip on covers). You might also wish to consider removing the plastic interior trim and re-spraying.

Even if you do the above yourself, and find OK deals, you're pushing $2,000 for the interior and weatherstripping. If you need to pay someone to do your seats, cha-ching.

You mentioned paint, are you capable and have the experience of sanding and spraying a car?

There's a reason that body shops get $thousands for a decent paint job, it's easy to mess up and get serious orange peel and drips. You need good equipment (not cheap) to do it right.

It's also easy to assume that your "spray area" is good, and just to walk away for an hour, come back and find hundreds of bugs all stuck in the paint..........sooooooo you get the joy of sanding, and buying more material and spraying agan (ask me how I know)

that window you left open is like a big sign flashing "welcome". Those tiny "no see ums" fit through screens

as for yanking engines, I've found it easier to yank them with the trans still attached.

Each person has their own opinion about that but I've found that for me, it's easier to re-attach the trans in the open, on the ground than messing with it from underneath the car.

 

Hey thanks for your reply!
i really appreciate the advice and ill answer your questions point by point

The floors definitely need to be replaced the holes are tennis ball sized give or take i was considering patching them up but since its a unibody i wanted to just put in new floor pannels

Engine

It has been rebuilt and runs like a dream lots of power no ticking and looks clean i kinda wanted to open her up to see how it was done and i kinda wanted it sprayed but maybe just doing the outside will save me some money so ill take that under consideration

The ride of the car is tons of fun lots of power but ithas a few minor issues... i can hear a squeezing coming from the front i think its a shock or axel will have to take her apart to see and the freaking heater stays on so its good for nights with the t tops off lol

I looked into the interior i have about 2k to put in but basically a iroc in my area would go for 8-10k i purchased my car for 2k soi figure 8kin it and she will be almost brand new the way im breaking it down for this summer 5k on the body 3k on the inside than before next summer msd ignition deamon carburetor flowmaster american thunder exhaust system that includes the headders and also chrome dip my iroc rims lol

I dont plan on doing the paint myself im only gonna sand blast it myself with the help of a professional and get a welder to fix any rust i found a welder that works from home and has experience with cars than the paint im gonna leave to a shop make sure its professional.
I know ill be sinking in more than its worth when im done ill be in it 12-13k but i plan on keeping the car and im doing it how i want

 

that car must have seen road salt

Being in FL (I used to be crazy enough to live where they salted roads...........never again), I've yet to see a rusted floor or rotted vehicle. It's not to say it isn't possible but there is something to be said about southern and California cars

Since you're spending time on it, then consider the things thant many over look


Fuel and brake lines, check them well and replace if questionable. if nothing else, at least replace the rubber sections

Fuel tank- drop it, clean it and of it uses an electric pump (engine swap might use mechanical) then replace it while the tank is out

bushings- yes a pain in the butt but what a difference when they are replaced

pinion seal and u-joints replace

As for the floor, as funny as Fred Flinstone is with his feet sticking out, it doesn't work well in the real world, definitely repalce the pan.

For some reason the automatic word censor kicked in when I said that everyone enjoys some good Camaro pawn (i mis-spelled it so you get the point and it avoids the censor)

Post up some photos

oh, if you end up buying new carpet, all of the on-line places use the same exact product so just buy from the place with the lowest price (incl shipping) It's true with the plastic backed, cloth headliners and sun visors, again, go with the lowest price as it's the same product.

If you're looking for exhaust or suspension pieces always be sure to include streetsideauto.com as one of your searches because if you catch a sale there, it tends to be good pricing.