Ok, so I mentioned shiny things for 2014, cue the epic post.
The IROC is now 25 years Old as I mentioned before, my ethos with this car has always been, and always will be to make invisible or near-invisible (if they are complimentary to stock looks) tweaks and modernisations to my car as time goes by
The changes I've made over time have been:
- To swap out the standard Orange side markers to Clear lenses to 'clean' the side look of the car (see above)
- Added a Momo Milennium Steering wheel which was actually a wear & Tear necessity but is also IMO a perfect wheel for this car (This was Phil's recommendation and I thank him whole-heartedly for it
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- Silver gauge overlays & Blue internal dash lighting, these are probably the most un-subtle change I've made, I like them but don’t love them if that makes sense. (see below)
- The Rear blackouts I bought but don’t fit anymore.and that's about it for actual changes, the list of standard replacement or stock-equivalent items, like headliners, light lenses, floor mats etc etc is a longer one but not too long. This all comes together in a car that I am very proud of and am very happy to own & drive, this winter especially has made me realise that, if I can at all help it, this car will not be for sale... ever.This IROC is my '58 Caddy [img]http://www.mkb.cc/forum/smileys/cool.gif" alt="" border="0" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" class="bbc_img" />
So this leads me on to what could be next for my IROC.I have some after-market parts I’ve already bought but never fitted, I have a full Spohn rear suspension set in black for the car and a T/A 9-Bolt billet ally cover for the rear that are still sat in my garage.
LEDS- Lets properly start with the literally shiny potential new things, LED lighting.
For a long time I’ve had thoughts of the rear lights on the IROC would be perfect for a board of LEDs behind the lenses instead of the standard filament bulb, they’re big, flat and just crying out for it, but not knowing how to make such a thing or where to start it has always sat in the back of my mind.
Cue This company that I found this month:
https://digi-tails.com/1982-1992-chevy-camaro-led-tail-light-panelsNow I really like these, I damn near ordered a set as soon as I found the site, but have instead sent them an email about custom-making boards for UK spec Reverse light / Rear fog light conversions and am awaiting a response. If they can, this is pretty much exactly what I had in mind, + I like the sequential indicators
(Watch the 1st video)
I need to check with the insurance company if these will affect my policy in any way as well.
What do you think? Too chavy? Too cheesy? Or a nice addition?SFCs- Next up is Subframe connectors, The IROC will be getting these this year if Rocky can fit it in, if so this is a definite. (advance notice m8
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Brakes & Wheels.- Now here is the big, big question and has the potential to cost more than that car itself… 3rd Gen Brakes suck, end of, even with 4-wheels discs they fade fast & are very prone to warping. In addition the rears initially failed on the MOT last year & have given me more hassle this month as well, so this got me thinking about upgrades.
which would become a necessity in the very long run if I manage to invisibly add power to this car.
Of the “Main 3” companies for American cars, Wilwood, Baer & Brembo, Baer are the only company that do bolt on kits for the IROC covering both fronts and the 9-Bolt ‘aussie disc’d rear on my car, so I’m looking their way.
They do small diameter disc kits (SS4 for rear and SS4+ for front) that will fit the stock 16” wheels no problem, but they still show the same problem the IROC has from stock, that the rear discs are bigger than the fronts!! (12” and 11” respectively) This really irritates me because it looks stupid.
Now this would still be a significant upgrade from stock, the better discs and going from single piston to 4-pot callipers would be a big step, the cost of this is approx. £1700-£1900 I reckon. As far as I know no changes to the rest of the brake system are needed, and they come with braided lines
But what got my inner Magpie really going was the 6-Pot 13” rotors that are the same front & Back (Pro+) Baer say these will fit some 16” wheels but are designed for “17 rims and at Circa $2200 per set is not something you want to get wrong. I need to measure the IROC wheels with their template to check. (oh yeah, Black callipers only BTW)
http://www.baer.com/shop/ymm/1989/chevrolet2013-03-29-01-10-271014496775/camaro2013-03-29-01-10-27517919948/all2013-03-29-01-10-27272760901/front2013-03-29-01-10-27492401506/stock2013-03-29-01-10-27898983732But this got me thinking further, what about 17” or 18” IROC rims? Then I would be able to comfortably fit their 13” or even 14” brake kits… can you get the wheels?...
In short Yes, but not in the correct design for my car, so actually No. they all use the earlier design.
http://customwheelsmarket.com/iroczwheels.htmlThese guys sell them as do people on ebay but the backspacing isn’t quite right for the 9-bolt rear because it’s a 'bit special'
so none of these are suitable, + they’re chrome which is far too blingy and would have to be stripped & painted.
This got me onto thinking about having wheels custom made…
http://squaredwheels.co.uk/products/custom/ is the expensive option, I’ve again sent them an email to see if it’s possible, just a ‘what-if’ for now, I’d also get the rears made as 9” wide rather than 8” as stock with the backspacing adjusted accordingly so they look the same from the outside (why not eh?) I’m 99% certain there’s room behind the wheel for that extra inch
. And these would be painted / clearcoated to exactly mimic the stock wheels if they can make them. very
So this could be either a nicely sub-£2k job or a £6k moment of madness…
So Pics for hypothetical purposes only for now:
Stock 16” rims
17” rims (I like this car)
18” rims
What do you all think? Are 18” rims too much if the brakes fill them properly? Do you lose too much sidewall from the tyre making it look too modern? do they 'open up' the wheels too much? The 17”s I would have no reservations about, the differences would be subtle (which is good) but the benefits would be huge with the bigger brakes. The 18”s I’m not so sure about at the moment
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The tyre choices are still slightly limited for 17” rims (being 245/45/17 fronts and 275/40/17 rears) but are better for 18”s because more modern cars use them (being 245/40/18 fronts and 275/35/18 rears) the wheel diameter change is only 1mm for either setup.
Discuss...
