1987 IROC Camaro Pro-Touring Build

[garage_engineer]

Not much of an update tonight, been busy with a kitchen remodel so car time has been minimal. One thing I did get started on was the wiring harness. I've done some basic soldering in the past to extend and shorten wires or put on a new connector here and there, but nothing to this magnitude. I'm looking forward to it though, there's a been a lot of learning experiences along the way here and this is just another one to take on!

I started with just laying out the harness to get a good look at it:


I started taking off all of the old plastic loom next since I plan on re-taping the whole harness using some quality tape. The stuff was literally disintegrating in some places:


Some of the connectors are in rough shape too... this one for the AC compressor has a resistor shoved in it for some reason:


I'll post some updates as I move along with the harness!

I had some issues with overheating when I had the car on track back when it was running so I've been doing some research on a new AL radiator. I ended up going with a drop in replacement from Cold Case Radiators. I hadn't heard much about them before but as I started looking around I found they had some great quality products and their prices were quite a bit lower than the big guys out there. I decided to give them a shot and so far everything looks good... it will be a little while before I can install it but I wanted to unpack it and see what she looked like:






One thing I'm a little concerned with is that the fans do not have any designated mounting holes in the shroud. It seems that I'll have to drill these and use some riv-nuts or something to get them mounted. Maybe this is where the lower cost comes from:


One last question - the radiator is universal for 3rd gens, so it has an automatic transmission cooler built in. Has anyone ever used this for an oil cooler? I was going to buy a separate cooler but maybe this would be more efficient?

[rixtrix1]

A/T cooler fittings are too small and not enough flow for an oil cooler.

[gofastwclass]

What you called a resistor is actually a factory diode on the AC compressor line.

The diode prevents the AC clutch from creating a voltage spike or arc on the relay contacts when engaged. I know it looks like a hack job but that's how the factory did them at the time. Newer cars have the diode placed in the fuse panel which is a much better, safer and more elegant spot in the harness.

[garage_engineer]

OK I'm back! Sorry for the long delay.. it's been a crazy summer for me and my photo hosting website was giving me issues and I didn't have a second to figure it out. Decided to hop on tonight though to set things straight and get back on track with my posts.

I've been keeping up with the car work where I can but I keep feeling like I am so far away. Lots of small issues slowing me down but I'm chipping away! I would love to post some detailed information about everything I've done since my last posts, but I think I will let some pictures get everyone up to speed. If you have any specific questions or want any more details on something just let me know!

Rear suspension going in. UMI weight jacks, new ARP studs in the axles and a Spohn Panhard bar that came with the car:






Front suspension going in. UMI weight jacks, stock A-arms rebuilt with Delrin bushings and tall ball joints, modified stock spindles for C6 Z51 front brakes and 13.4" rotors, upgraded hubs for 1LE bearings:

[WSSix]

Good work. Glad to know you're still plugging away at the car. You'll get there I'm sure.

[garage_engineer]

Originally Posted by WSSix

Good work. Glad to know you're still plugging away at the car. You'll get there I'm sure.

Thanks! Slowly but surely I'm checking things off the list.

[garage_engineer]

And my wheels and tires are all mounted up and ready to go!







First time the car has been on all 4 tires in 1 and a half years!







I'm currently attacking the engine bay and trying to get everything squared away there. Since this picture was taken, I have my steering shaft installed, headers wrapped and installed and I'm almost done with installing a newer serpentine setup from a later 3rd gen:

I should be posting some more regular updates now so stay tuned!

[WSSix]

The wheels look great on there. Good choice!

[rixtrix1]

Where did you get your hubs and caliper brackets? Those Weld wheels look great on the car!

[SSLance]

Now you are getting there!! Looks great.