Year/Model: 1984 Z28
Matthew purchased this Z28 knowing the amount of work and money that will go into fixing this baby up. As with many of restorations go, parts will come when money is available.
I have just bought '88 IROC doors to put on. The driver's side door is on and lined up well. I do have quite a project ahead of me. The interior of my car was pretty trashed so I have been replacing parts when I have the money. I have '95 Z28 grey and black seats. I love these! They are the contoured ones. I put new carpet in the front part. It is black. My dash was in good condition, and I replaced the middle console with one I got at a salvage yard for $7.00!! My headliner is pretty non-existant. It was all torn off when I got the car. That will be the next project I think. After the doors of course!! The sun roof is one year old. The one that was in it leaked horribly. I covered the rear plastic interior panels with grey automotive carpet I got at Auto Zone. that worked great! I think I might order a headliner and sail panel recovering kit from Classic Industries. I think if I take my time I could make it look descent.
Body Panels I need:
Drivers side fender
Hood
Rear hatch
Side ground effects
Year/Model: 1983 Z28
Clayton purchased this car in the fall of 1998 for $2200 (pic 1). At the time it was fire engine red. He took the car off the road that winter and in February of 1999 the restoration project began.
Claytons Comments:
The whole process took me until July '99 to complete. I did the complete resto job myself (other than the paint). I had started by stripping the whole car down to nothing, and layed out all the parts. I sand blasted the whole thing, welded sheet metal for any holes that I found, and sent it off to the painters.
In the time it was being painted, I rebuilt the 305 that was in it (pic 3), replaced headliner, visors, center console, shift boot, speaker grille covers, door and t-top rubbers (t-tops don't leak now), windshield (after paint), dash, signal lights, wheel bearings, axle bearings, rear end (installed posi rear $150, 3.73 posi w/5spd. stnd) rear shocks, some accent lights, alternator, battery, exhaust, headers, plugs, wires, distributor cap, brakes, brake/fuel lines, rad, end links, added some chrome for a nice look.
When I got it back from the paint shop, it was only in beige primer (pic 2), I had somethings to do it before the finished paint. I repainted the underside of the car to protect the bare metal. I bought some paint from a car show in Ottawa, ON. Great stuff! Took 3.5 months to get it off my skin, and you can take a hammer to the paint and it won't chip. Put in the engine and whisked it away.
Back at the paint shop the finished the paint, lined up the doors and hood, etc. and I put in the smaller stuff, (lights, signals, etc.) I couldn't wait for it to run...mistake. After a few hours of flooding it roared! No exhaust :) Took it down to get exhaust on it, and I drove on a milk crate, because the seats weren't in it. I finished putting the interior in at home.
Ever since I brought it home, people haven't stopped gawking and complimenting it (pic 4). Up here, where I live not many people take car nor do they do this kind of stuff to their cars.
Future things:
Engine upgrade
Door hinges
Perfomance steering components
Year/Model: 1984 Firebird Coupe
Bill bought this car in January of 1998 for $500. Bill was looking for a car to work on, and my dad spotted this one beside a silo at someones house. They checked it out, and found that it had 10,000 on the rebuild, and a 5 speed manual to replace the stock 4 speed. Power plant: 2.5L 4-cyl.
I was looking around for a 2nd generation Firebird, but jumped at the chance of buying this car for $500. It had some major visual rust spots, and some pretty bad looking rims and tires on it. It sat for 3 years, collecting dust, dirt, and mouse dung, that's right. The owner lived on a farm. I wish that I had taken pictures from when I first bought it, you'd get the idea what kind of shape it was in. My brother Dan, and my dad towed it home one frosty night, I was so excited to see it in my drive way when I got home! The interior was in nearly mint condition. Only accumulated dust and dirt hid it's beauty. My buddy Kirk from church is an auto body guy. He offered to paint my car for me. It took two weeks, and a lot of sweat during that summer of '98 to get that thing prepped, sanded, bondo'd, primered, painted, and wet sanded! It needed a new fuel pump, battery, exhaust, rear shocks, drum brakes, gas tank, and throttle body injector. (Dad and I managed to catch the injector on fire while attempting to start it :) We eventually got that puppy to kick over, Praise the Lord, never did a 4cyl. sound so sweet! I have done many things to accessorize and spiff up this fine looking machine! Check out http://www.oocities.org/billsfirebird to get ALL the details.
On my site you'll see info on my '91 Firebird Coupe 3.1L V6!
