The Camaro Club (UK)

Might as well start a thread in here I suppose!

So far - new alternator, radiator, water pump, battery tray, trans cooler have all been fitted.
Today I picked her up from the garage after sorting out my passenger side wing mended. There was a gaping rusty hole in it!
Thankfully, I had a wing from Rocky which was used as a patch panel. The final result is ok - there's a slight line discernible where the new metal has been let in. But other than that, I'm pleased.
Also got the trans mount replaced, and it's made such a difference at motorway speeds. I was wondering if the prop was unbalanced, because there was a real hum/vibration/drone at about 60, but now it's just smooth all the way to 70.
Next on the list will be:
A manifold blow. I have new (to me) manifolds to go on.
And while they're there, the valve stem seals will be taken care of as she's smoking a bit when cold starting.
Also got some new Bosch Platinum spark plugs to go in - I guess when the manifolds are off will make life easier, so it seemed like a good time to do them.
Waiting for an MSD dizzy cap and rotor to arrive as well.

Magnaflow catalytic convertor and a 3" stainless exhaust exiting through a Walker Dynomax VT muffler looks like it needs to happen for the MOT.

Future - I will get around to the suspension and putting that poly-bush kit on that's been sat on the shelf for over a year. No, really, it'll happen. Honest.

After a pretty quiet couple of months, I got back in her to go back to work this morning.

The SES light came on - surely nothing to big, I though, I'll stick the code reader on when I get home.
She then died totally on the way to work!
My garage recovered her, and it's looking like I've just avoided a small electrical fire. All sorts of dodgy connections and earths, relays that were intermittent.
So I'm pretty much looking at a rewire - starting with new battery terminals, earth points and across the bay to a fuel relay, up to the fire wall. I'm still waiting for the MSD dizzy cap and rotor to arrive, but the spark plugs are going to be changed tomorrow probably.

So, after a lot of rewiring, a fusible link was found to be shot.
She's now running some new spark plugs, a fresh rotor arm (the MSD cap and arm are on their way) and the difference is (I think) noticeable.
She's much easier starting for one thing.
The plugs were (apparently) slightly looser than they expected. And one was a little oily. So hopefully she's burning better than she was.
The only niggling issue was that we're not sure what caused the link to burn out, so I'm possibly not out of the woods yet.

Only time I had a fuseable link burn out on my old IROC was when the electric fan packed up...

_________________
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Got in her this morning, and the SES light was on again! Error code suggested it could be a fuel relay - which tallied with what happened. So, could be a dodgy fuel relay on it's way out?
Took her for a run along the bypass, took her up to 65-ish, and the rev counter needle dropped to 0 and bounced up again. No problem with the engine, still running strong when this happened, so it's probably yet another bad earth somewhere.
Given the age of the wiring now, I suppose you've got expect some things to start failing.
Got the MOT next week...

So, MOT time. Fun.
Or not.
A combination of bulging brake hoses, handbrake cables that are seized (only a year old!) and some inner sill welding, and rear shock mounts that need welding mean that the MOT wasn't a goer.
This is on top of a dodgy fuel pump relay.
So, this morning I've dropped her off with the new springs and shocks, the new ball joints and tie rods, and the polybush kit. Cables and hoses should be there tomorrow - apart from the LH cable which will be the start of next week, along with the relay.
If anything, I'm glad I'm finally getting round to sorting the suspension out at last! I've been putting it off for about a year!
The bank balance is wincing, and I've had to borrow a little bit to get it done... but it's happening at long last.

Also - radiator is still leaking. Looks like the join between the right hand end tank and the top of the core isn't happy - hopefully something repairable though?

We abide... we abide...

Hi Alex you have realy had your work cut out for you with your Camaro keep up the good work you should eventually be finished with all the repairs and start enjoying running it like i have already said its a pitty your so far away as i could have helped you out Cheers Neil

Small update -
Just dropped off the new MSD dizzy cap and rotor.
The rear needs a bit of welding - it's had a new driver's side wheel liner at some point, for certain. However - both sides are a rusted through, so it needs catching now.
The garage have found an old newspaper wedged into the driver's side rear quarter, that was peeping out through the rust, and on the other side, after a bit of poking, what turned out to be a small rubber faced hammer.
So, lots to be done, but the underseal's being stripped as it's looking like there's a bit of surface rust creeping along underneath it and if it's not done now, it'll be a headache later.
Does mean that it'll be sealed from the elements ready for winter though!

Picture time:

Old underseal stripped:



Floor pans seem pretty solid, not a lot needed here!


They've cleaned up the rear axle - the sway bar will be treated too once it's off for the bushings to go in.


Passenger side rear - the spare tyre can just be seen in there. And yes, that's a hammer head on the left. No, it's not mine. I think that's probably what was causing the knocking!
The driver's side is much the same, except a copy of a paper from Bolton is sticking out instead of a hammer...


New tie rods are on, ball joints and the lower assembly are off and being treated for rust, polybushes are in already. Didn't think to take pics.

So... hopefully home tomorrow.
Apparently the welding required has been extensive. They kept finding they needed to go deeper with it, but rather that than finding another spot once winter's been and gone.
So, good news is that hopefully this will see the worst of it. The windscreen frame will probably need digging into next, but for now, I'll just be glad to get her back again.
All the chassis items have been bushed and fitted, it's just the last push on the welding and undercoating basically.
Then on Saturday, looks like I'll be taking her a couple of hours up to north Devon... I'll just be keeping that radiator topped up...