The Camaro Club (UK)
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The IROC's back from the garage...
http://classiccamaroclub.mfatw.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1129		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  onemanrace [Thu Apr 29, 2010 5:50 pm ]
Post subject:  The IROC's back from the garage...
And I've got a bit of a laundry list of things to cracking with.
Ever since I've had her, there's bit of a creak and groan on (and near) full lock, the brakes squeal and there's a knock coming from the pass. side rear whenever I go over a bump.

Here's what my friendly mechanic noted down for me:

No rear fog.
High line brake light inoperable.
Head lights starting to corrode.
Driver side rear light cluster cracked.
Signs of brake fluid leaking from master cylinder.
Signs of oil leaking from power steering hose.
Slight oil leak around filler cap.
Slight oil leak around PCV seal.
Slight oil leak from offside rear shock.
Near side front sill under floor corroded.
Off side front sill under floor crushed by improper jacking.
Slight exhaust blow by front pipe entering the cat.
Both sides - track rod ends need replacing.
Radiator under support dented.
Battery tray starting to corrode.
Oil leak from oil pressure switch.
Sweating oil from transmission sump pan.
Transmission oil cooler lines corroded.
Section of front to rear metal brake line fitted with incorrect copper pipe.
Brake fluid 3% needs renewing.


So, I'm thinking I'll be renewing the braking system, doing all the track rod ends and steering links, and while I'm there maybe now's the time for a stainless system?

Any advice on good suppliers would be really useful!
Author:  Rocky [Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Drop me a email or PM im sure I can help with alot of it or advise on best places to get bits.
Author:  10mpg [Fri Apr 30, 2010 1:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Quote:
And I've got a bit of a laundry list of things to cracking with.
Ever since I've had her, there's bit of a creak and groan on (and near) full lock, the brakes squeal and there's a knock coming from the pass. side rear whenever I go over a bump.

Here's what my friendly mechanic noted down for me:

No rear fog. (so what? mine went through the MOT without one)
High line brake light inoperable. (probably a bulb/connection)
Head lights starting to corrode. (yeah that'll be a 25 year old car then, replace if you're really fussy)
Driver side rear light cluster cracked. (Ok Replace)
Signs of brake fluid leaking from master cylinder. (really? what signs? check level then drive and recheck see if it is actually using any, might be spilt fluid, is the pedal firm or does it sink under heavy pressure?)
Signs of oil leaking from power steering hose. (again a slight misting is no issue you need to know how much)
Slight oil leak around filler cap. (more likely spilt oil residue)
Slight oil leak around PCV seal. (so?)
Slight oil leak from offside rear shock. (replace, cheap and easy)
Near side front sill under floor corroded. (again how bad, surface rust or in need of welding)
Off side front sill under floor crushed by improper jacking. (so? how badly, and what would you do about it anyway)
Slight exhaust blow by front pipe entering the cat. (strip and reaseal)
Both sides - track rod ends need replacing. (quick simple cheap job, but get tracking done afterwards)
Radiator under support dented. (so?)
Battery tray starting to corrode. (clean and repaint)
Oil leak from oil pressure switch. (remove switch apply ptfe to thread refit)
Sweating oil from transmission sump pan. (sweating? really? leaking more like, anhoo, change sump gasket/pan and filter oil when you in there, cheap easy and quick)
Transmission oil cooler lines corroded. ( remove, clean and repaint)
Section of front to rear metal brake line fitted with incorrect copper pipe. (copper pipe is better than steel/doesn't rust)
Brake fluid 3% needs renewing. (3% eh? change fluid)


So, I'm thinking I'll be renewing the braking system, doing all the track rod ends and steering links, and while I'm there maybe now's the time for a stainless system?

Sounds a bit drastic for what is a day/day and a half work at most should be sortable for 3-400 inc parts at most garages...

bear in mind he hasn't found what you asked him to find i.e. the source of the knocking or creaking.. often the trailing arm bushes go on these, the brakes probe just want a strip and clean, only replace pads/discs if unduly worn

Any advice on good suppliers would be really useful!
depends what you want from the car if you want a show car then do all he says, if you just want a usable car then most of what he's saying seems mainly tosh..

If it's a pre 91 Iroc you can bin the cats anyway and just fit some straight pipe for better noise and mpg!

As a mechanic/car restorer I reckon it's should be about how you want the car to be, don't do everything on that list just because he says so!
Author:  onemanrace [Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Quote:
[Sounds a bit drastic for what is a day/day and a half work at most should be sortable for 3-400 inc parts at most garages...

bear in mind he hasn't found what you asked him to find i.e. the source of the knocking or creaking.. often the trailing arm bushes go on these, the brakes probe just want a strip and clean, only replace pads/discs if unduly worn


depends what you want from the car if you want a show car then do all he says, if you just want a usable car then most of what he's saying seems mainly tosh..

If it's a pre 91 Iroc you can bin the cats anyway and just fit some straight pipe for better noise and mpg!

As a mechanic/car restorer I reckon it's should be about how you want the car to be, don't do everything on that list just because he says so!
Cheers - as it is at the moment, there's no chance the steering will get through an MOT, and let's face it, brakes and steering are probably the most important things to have working properly! The other things, like the battery tray and head lights, I can put on a back burner for a while, I can probably cope with swapping light clusters in/out. The place I went to like to use Kunifer instead of copper for their brake lines. I know copper, properly installed, will last for years but they're fans of kunifer. I want the car to be as safe as possible, she's my daily driver at the moment. I'd like the peace of mind knowing that everything's buttoned down as it should be.
I think the trailing arms and rear sway have been uprated at some point - I'll try to grab a pic today for confirmation - so I'd have thought the bushes would be ok.

The rear tyres are directional, and were facing the wrong way. At the tyre place yesterday, I took the chance while the wheel was off to have a poke. The only thing I could immediately spot to my laymans eye was that the spring was quite loose. Of course it didn't have a car sat on it, but is this ok? Or am I looking at new rear springs?
Quote:
Drop me a email or PM im sure I can help with alot of it or advise on best places to get bits.
I will be in touch!
Author:  Rocky [Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Spring will be a little loose if axle is dropped ( no weight on wheels).
Author:  10mpg [Sat May 01, 2010 1:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Copper pipe actually has a higher burst pressure than kunifer, the only problem with copper pipe is it can work harden and fracture if it's not supported properly, but then all brake pipe should be supported properly, so if done properly then iit's a complete moot point..

Why did you have the tyres taken off? were they knackered? just swapping the wheels side to side would have put them round the right way? almost certainly how they got the wrong way round to start with!

Sorry to be pushy but i get hacked off with rip off garages, in my line of work i get asked for 'second opinions' all the time, and i've seen it all from '£4k engine rebuild needed' when all it needs is a head gasket/head skim to one car that the owner had been told was 'dangerous' and needed whole front to back new floorpans and sills as well as several other patches of welding at cost of several thousand pounds when it needed 3 or four patches doing that were in no way shape or form anywhere near the sills or floorpans which were actually in quite remarkable rust free condition, needless to say i usually end up with the jobs myself!

Just like to be sure that people know what they are being asked to pay for, many garages don't like to put any effort in and prefer to replace wholseale than repair/refurbish a component, they are often allergic to proper fabrication/welding so quote big for easy jobs that dont really need doing because the customer gets worried that their car is 'dodgy' when it just needs a few running repairs like most 25 year old cars need from time to time!

I'm not saying they're dishonest or trying to get one over on you, just saying don't give them carte blanche to do every daft little job that doesn't really need doing and cost you a fortune
Author:  onemanrace [Sat May 01, 2010 8:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Quote:
Why did you have the tyres taken off? were they knackered? just swapping the wheels side to side would have put them round the right way? almost certainly how they got the wrong way round to start with!
I didn't have them removed, just swapped, as you say. The manager liked the RS so I'd promised to bring down the IROC, and this was as good a moment as any. :)
He spun the rears up, moving the car into the workshop, grinning like a loon. He also didn't charge - I hope this extends into new boots for her!
Quote:
Just like to be sure that people know what they are being asked to pay for, many garages don't like to put any effort in and prefer to replace wholseale than repair/refurbish a component, they are often allergic to proper fabrication/welding so quote big for easy jobs that dont really need doing because the customer gets worried that their car is 'dodgy' when it just needs a few running repairs like most 25 year old cars need from time to time!

I'm not saying they're dishonest or trying to get one over on you, just saying don't give them carte blanche to do every daft little job that doesn't really need doing and cost you a fortune
Cheers, the garage has looked after my fathers cars for a few years, and have always been good and thorough. They restore Jags from about any era and I know one their mechanics likes his US stuff, so they seemed to be a good bet for looking after a US car of a certain age.
To be fair, the advice was 'First sort the steering and braking, the rest can wait until whenever.' which makes sense to me!

Collecting the RS today from the body shop - repairing a wheel arch and a couple of scuffs to the paint work.
Author:  Rocky [Sat May 01, 2010 7:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
Got to agree with 10mpg its worth checking on some things especially if a garage doesn't understand the cars. I have lost count of jobs we get because other garages dont want to do the work or have done it wrong and we need to put it right, some have even come from "well known" specialists ( I wont name names) but some of the things we have seen is disgusting to do to a customer. However if you have used them for a few years and have built up a relationship with them it sounds like you can trust them.
Author:  ukzz4iroc [Tue May 04, 2010 11:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
I would take it to Rich at American Technique. Get him to go over it properly and it will save you peace of mind in the long run.
Author:  onemanrace [Tue May 04, 2010 10:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The IROC's back from the garage...
I'd love to take her up to Rocky, but first and foremost I need to be happy the car's safe to cover the distance! :lol:
So, next Tuesday, she's going into Hilltop Services for the steering and a service.
After that, I'll be happier to venture further afield for work.
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