Finally!

[FUBAR]

Yeah they forgot that philosophy when building my IROC and giving then 2.77 gears unless you picked 1LE performance package even then you just got 3.27s

[Andy]

An '88 Trans Am has just come up for sale in North Cornwall, no engine but chassis and rear end, which is rumoured to be an LSD.

Gonna ring the guy and ask for the RPO codes and see what it has. Might be worth a punt for £650...

[Roadkill]

That's a lot of cash for an unknown axle !

[Andy]

True, but it has everything from the gearbox back, which is a manual too... i'm just wondering if after I've taken all the bits off I want (diff, gearbox, mirrors) I can still break it and get my money back...

[Roadkill]

Ah, fair enough . . . "proper" mirrors would be good . . .

[Andy]

Well not got off to great start, phone goes straight to voice mail. But left one asking if he can get me a copy of the RPO codes from the door. Would give me some chance of working out what it is.

Yeah, I'm jealous of the Aero mirrors!

Failing that it'll be back to plan A and buying the parts myself and having a bash.

[Andy]

Jegs parts arrived... yay!

No customs charge either, although I was only expecting to pay VAT as it fell under the duty rate.



Because race car...



God bless American instructions





The Catalogue that makes you poor!

[FUBAR]

Shiny Things!!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UulNenJMRGE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UulNenJMRGE

[Andy]

Quoting: Andy

An '88 Trans Am has just come up for sale in North Cornwall, no engine but chassis and rear end, which is rumoured to be an LSD.

Waiting for the guy to get me the RPO code for this, its confirmed an LSD by the previous owner, but other than that and what gearing is unknown. He's offered it to me for £450, but I have to take the whole car. My only issue is I have no where to store a whole car...

'But you have that huge workshop?!'

Yeah, but my dad doesn't want me filling it up with junk. So right now I'm working on him to let me get this and keep it for about a month. Strip anything of any value to me off of it, then junk it. I really can't be asked with breaking it myself, and at £450, half what I've been quote from Hauser, it could be a cheap bolt in LSD.

Still crazy?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

Still crazy?

No, I've done more for less . . . .

[Andy]

Well a further update, the guy sold the car to a mate... I also wouldn't have been able to store the car anywhere sensible due to a current issue with the place I'm working at the moment. So anyway, the hunt continues!  

Seen a 9 bolt Borg Warner diff up on eBay, are these all LSD like Ryans? Are they a particularly stronger, one would think losing a bolt would make it weaker... Do they have the same carrier issue where you need a 3 series carrier to get any decent ratios?

Car went in for paint just over a week ago, not too fussed when I get it back, as long as the guy is keeping it under cover at least.

But another box arrived for me at work!



A big box of seals to fit, which should be fun!

Also got a VAT bill through the post from FedEx, at leas they give you the pleasure of looking at your shiny bits before then hitting you with the bill!

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

at leas they give you the pleasure of looking at your shiny bits before then hitting you with the bill!

Good cop, bad cop . . . I like it.

[Andy]

OK, need some help. My weather strip kit turned up, but it was missing something I thought was in it. Now looking back it wasn't in it and I don't know what the part is called...



Its the hard bit of rubber, not the soft bit that the window edge pushes into.

Any clues?

[FUBAR]

Yes, I know exactly what you need these are called:

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/products/T%252dTop-Outer-Drip-Edge-Seal%2C-Camaro%7B47%7DFirebird-82%252d92-New-Reproduction-L%26R-Pair%2C-Plastic-Style.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/products/T%252dTop-Outer-Drip-Edge-Seal%2C-Camaro%7B47%7DFirebird-82%252d92-New-Reproduction-L%26R-Pair%2C-Plastic-Style.html

The aftermarket ones I would recommend of these are Hard Plastic rather than the rubber ones that came as stock, you can get the rubber ones but plastic is good.

You can get these from places other than Hawks to avoid using them, i.e. Brocks which is where I think I got mine from

http://www.ebay.com/itm/82-92-CAMARO-FIREBIRD-T-TOP-PANEL-WEATHERSTRIPPING-SEAL-NEW-DRIP-EDGE-SIDE-OUTER-/390651495251?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ACamaro&hash=item5af4a4c353&vxp=mtr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.ebay.com/itm/82-92-CAMARO-FIREBIRD-T-TOP-PANEL-WEATHERSTRIPPING-SEAL-NEW-DRIP-EDGE-SIDE-OUTER-/390651495251?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ACamaro&hash=item5af4a4c353&vxp=mtr

[FUBAR]

FYI thinking about it I too had to order these extra after realising the same thing you just have.

[Andy]

Ah Fubes! You legend! Thank you, I shall have a scout around with that name and see if Rockauto can produce anything.

See in my weatherstrip kit it said outer edge rubber seal and I thought it was all one piece, but turns out I was wrong

[F Body]

Quoting: Andy

Ah Fubes! You legend! Thank you

MKB  

[Big Mouse]

You'll find your average chevy LSD's are all made of glass and paper mache once you start getting your launch technique i.e. times, improving.

Before cutting the 4th gen up and pro streeting it, I was still running the original series 2 carrier. I tried a set of Richmond 'small' gears to get down to 3.42 but they were so whiney that I changed back to the original 2.73 and still ran into the 11's with it - but the diff was completley buggered by time I sold the axle to Binky for his project. That was over half a season

I originally used Lakewood traction bars on the 4th gen, they made a big difference to the launch especially when the SFC were fitted, went from 2.1 to 1.7! - but that what helped to wreck the diff

I'd look for a second hand Moser or Strange unit if you can find one - might be worth asking on Eurodragster, you'd be amazed at what people have tucked away in their garages and lock ups

[Andy]

Quoting: Big Mouse

I'd look for a second hand Moser or Strange unit if you can find one - might be worth asking on Eurodragster, you'd be amazed at what people have tucked away in their garages and lock ups

Are you meaning like a Strange or Moser version of a 9" Ford rear end?

I've been talking to the Heaven and Hell Team quite a bit, Carla has been very helpful with advice. She's still running a 10 bolt, albeit with welded up tubes and a spool.

I know its a slippery slope but at the moment, its not so much for speed, but more for making sure it hooks up consistently, which is as much to do with the tyres I guess, but I'd like the reassurance of an LSD.

What I have read is that the Auburn units burn up their friction material pretty quickly and don't offer as much value for money as the gears LSD like the Eaton TruTrac.

[Andy]

After two weeks, a few phone calls, and a lot of dodging the rain, my car finally got painted and back to me!

I was very anal in wanting it kept inside, as I'm still not 100% on the weatherstrips and don't want to have to go to all the efforts of drying it out again. Fortunately this spray company has a spare unit that they left it in till they could do the whole thing in one shot.

And heres the results...



Now you may not initially notice much difference, but the lacquer peel from the top left side has now gone, the lower grill area where the previous grill had just been sprayed around is now gone and overall its just shiny and new. There is a slight colour mismatch, but thats expected, only noticable on the sides where the fender meets the bumper.

Overall, very happy chappy! Now onto fitting parts!!

[F Body]

Looks good

Did you get that bit done on the off side rear quarter

Edit : Are the SFC's fitted now

[Andy]

No, not got that done although he treated it last time (read rubbed it down, primered it and coloured it) but that section will need a complete run down and touching in to blend the colours. To be honest I'm a little apprehensive about that as it's not obvious, but a massive colour change would be. That said... One day!

SFCs turned up the day after I gave him the keys for it. So as yet the two haven't met, I really hope they get on!

Hoping to get her back into the workshop tonight, in the dry. Then I can look at doing all the seals, which I'm really scared about!

[Andy]

Lil update...

SFC's offered up, marked up, fit like a glove, happy days. As yet not fitted as I want to get them welded in really and my mate who does the welding is a tad busy with work and his twin turbo mustang.

Drip Edge rail fitted to drivers side. Haven't done the passenger side because it was already a hard plastic one, but now the new one is really black and the old one is greyish, I shall replace it, along with rubbing down the t-top frame and repainting. As yet, no other weatherstrips fitted.

Now a little last minute eBaying saw me pick up 4 third gen wheels... when I bought them I though, they'll be ideal for sticking slicks on or something stickier as opposed to the BFG's I'm running at the moment, but when I picked them up I realised actually as they are they'll probably be pretty sweet. 3-4mm of tread left on all 4. Centre caps need some work and I'm not sure on the white, but for £125 with tyres, you can hardly say no!







245 width as opposed to the 215s I'm running, not as tall either. But hopefully should be better for some grip!

[Roadkill]

245's ?

What width rim are they ?

[Andy]

They're standard Camaro wheels, just the tyre sizes are wrong. Definitely too low of a profile and also too wide at the front. They handle like shit in other words. Also has a slight case of the ARCH GAP!

Only keeping them on for the day I think then I'll pull them off and see what comes up tyre wise. Although I'll probably stick the rears on to see if they help my launch at all.

They do look rather cool though I think. Break up the colour codedness...