Finally!

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

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

Agreed.

I'm still a little baffled by the tyre width.  I put 235's on my standard Z28 rims (7") and they were noticeably "bulbous" . . . They were higher profile but that wouldn't have changed their relationship with the rims.

The same 235's are on my 8" rims, now and look "right" (to me).

[Jamieg285]

The tyres look OK to me, but at the top end of the acceptable width range. The 215s would be 'tighter' and have less flex. I've never had anything narrower than 235 on my 7" 3rd gen wheels.

[Andy]

These are IROC-Z rims I believe and they're 8" across. Stock size is apparently 245/50 on the front and 255/50 on the rear.

I know the offset is different on the front to the rears.

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

These are IROC-Z rims I believe and they're 8" across

That makes more sense.

EDIT - Must have quite a bit of back spacing . . .

They'd be ideal for me as the back-spacing on my Outlaw's only allow me to get 235/245 on mine . . . . Those I could probably go for more like 275 on the rear.



<goes to search for IROC rims on eBay>

[Andy]

Fronts are offset quite a bit from the rears to avoid a nasty comin together of the rim and steering arm!

[Roadkill]

What diameter are they ?  16" ??

[Andy]

Yep, having just googled them, they're actually 1991 Z28 wheels. They stopped producing the IROC-Z the year before.

[Andy]

Ok, so seeing as I've been rubbish lately, lets update this to what I've done / bought for the car...



Wheels / Tyres:

As the last couple of posts show, I got a bargain set of wheels from up't North. I knew I should treat them as just wheels even though they came with tyres attached. They were beyond sketchy to drive on and make the wayward BFs seem to handle like a modern car.

I ended up getting a deal from Black Circles on some Kuhmo Ecsta something or others. Cornered the car for just shy of £60 a corner, but the difference is night and day. Handles so much better with the stiffer more squarer tyre. What it does show up is the slack in the steering set up, but as yet thats not a huge concern as its perfectly manageable. With the boat like characteristics of the BFs it only exacerbated the problem. These tyres have far more traction than the BFs with great rain handling qualities too.



UK Power Tour / RWYB:


(Packed for the Power Tour, toolbox fits PERFECTLY)



I also took the car on the UK Power Tour at the end of May. It was probably my proudest moment with the car. It was my transport, my home and my 'racecar' all in one, sleeping on the passenger seat in a sleeping bag at night, driving it on the 700 mile round tour and racing it at all three strips.


(At Rye Mini Drag Strip)


(On the line at Shakey, about to put a run in with the handbrake on... )

The car never missed a beat, only throwing up a 'Service Engine Soon' light randomly for about 5 minutes on the run between Shakey and York, but nothing untoward happened.

Ultimately though, I didn't win anything, the fastest car on the tour with an average of 11.11 sec et was a sweet Ford Anglia Pop that runs in Outlaw Anglia.

I've also been massively been bitten by the drag racing bug, RWYB in particular as I can't be doing with the entry fees to events at the moment. For the last year and a bit I've been doing the RWYB Challenge held on some RWYB dates at the Pod. I have no chance of winning, but the crowd that take part are awesome and it gives you something to run for. The challenge works on a points table, turning up and putting a run in scores you three points. From there you get an extra point for every person you are faster than. Added to that there are bonus points for fastest reaction time of the day.

For this I've been experimenting with various air intakes and the like, finding that the stock setup is actually pretty good for delivering cold air that is needed. Anything like open air element setups just seem to be bogging the car down on the 2nd to 3rd gear change at WOT.

Anyway, I've been chasing my PB at the pod and Shakey since the beginning of the year. I started with a 16.8X figure being fairly consistent for me manually shifting the autobox. With a fair few driver improvements and getting a better under standing of the car and how shifting it effects shift points etc, I've managed to gradually work that down to a current PB at the Pod of 16.33 which I'm pretty proud of.

I also ended up doing a best of three grudge match against my old man in his 1992 Camaro. He was pretty adamant that his was faster than mine, it being fitted with an LSD, CAI, uprated suspension mods etc, so the game was set... I wasn't about to let some manky third gen beat me... wait. Oh and there was £500 on the line*


(A crash course diet the night before...)


(This was the outcome in all three races, 2 won on holeshots.)

Current plans:

Rear end, I picked up an Auburn 3 series carrier off ebay out of a written off 4th Gen Camaro for a pretty cheap price. Doing a quick bench test its pretty solid and take a helluva force to get it to slip, which makes it seem like it was genuinely listed, as it apparently came out of a low miler car. I bought a Richmond service kit for a 10 bolt and a rear cover strengthening plate to help give the axle casing more strength. As yet, I'm waiting for a good time to get some garage space where I can take off the rear axle and get it taken to Southern axles where the guy there will hopefully set it all up for me. I possibly could do it myself, but its a right headache setting the pre-load and you only get one shot with the crush sleeve, so I'd rather have it set up right, first time. Also this is a gear upgrade, the series 2 carrier I'm running has 3.08 and this is loaded with 3.23 gears. Not a massive leap, but good enough for now.


(Series 3 carrier with 3.23 gears)

Exhaust, Got fed up of it being quiet so I removed the back box and replaced it with a single cherry bomb and a bit of tig welded stainless I knocked up. Then got fed up with the cat, so removed it and punched the guts out of it. Now it sounds awesome and knocked somewhere approaching a .1 off my times.

I've also just picked up a set of Hedman Hedders and connecting Y-Pipe. These won't be getting fitted until I do an engine swap from the 305 to a 350.

[FUBAR]

Nice update Andy, Good to see you went with the Kumho tyres, Steve has those on his 4th gen and swears by them.  I will be buying a set later in the year for the IROC as well.

Edit: Black Circles has these listed at £97 a corner at the moment, how on earth did you get them for £60?

[Andy]

If I remember correctly they had an offer on and I rang them up and did my 'come on, you're busting my balls' bit and they knocked a wedge off.

I know the total bill for re shoeing was around £300 something as I was getting the garage over the way to put them on, and when I first asked him how much it would be, he said £15... I just didn't hear the bit where he said per tyre.

My only issue with them is wear on the back ones. As the tyres are directional and the rear wheels have to stay on the rear axle for clearance issues, I can't rotate them without taking tyres off and swapping them from wheel to wheel.

[Andy]

Oh and regards the tyres. By far the best purchase I've made for the car re handling. It's still very wishy-washy, but the tyres are gripping and aren't rolling over on their sidewall like that BFs do.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

Ok, so seeing as I've been rubbish lately, lets update this to what I've done / bought for the car...

More of this! Great update

[Roadkill]

Good update, indeed . . . keep it coming.

[Andy]

I did leave a little bit off this update which I will add now and seek opinions on what to do.

At the July South Bucks meet, a chap rocked up in a van asking who owned the 91 RS and would they be interested in a Firebird he has for sale.

Anyway, next day I get a lift with my mate to go check it out, and sure enough this chap has a 1986 Pontiac Firebird sat in a garage doing nothing. Body work is fair, but suffering from door and wheel arch rot. Interior is pretty mint and is wearing a GTA set of seats, carpets and mats.

Now it has no MOT or Tax, but, it is 60k mile car, of which 40 something were driven with the original 305 engine. This however was sporting a 350, having a Corvette bottom end, roller followers but Goodwrench heads with standard rocker gear.

This guy already has two other yanks and was just looking to get rid of it as it was in his way and he doesn't drive the others enough as it is. So, he was giving it away for a pretty decent price and I said yep I'll have it.

Now originally my plan was hook the engine and trans out, see what I could do to service it with it out of the car and then do a swap. But now I'm thinking, if its not too much work, maybe whack an MOT on it if I can and flog it. It would be a superb first yank for someone or a good little project for someone else.

So as it stands I'm gonna go collect it sometime this week and see what work is required, but here is the question, what would you do?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

roller followers

You mean roller lifters ?

Quoting: Andy

This however was sporting a 350, having a Corvette bottom end

Did he have proof of this ? - the bottom ends aren't that different from what I understand . . maybe 2/4 bolt being the main (only) difference ?

Quoting: Andy

But now I'm thinking, if its not too much work, maybe whack an MOT on it if I can and flog it

That all depends on how much you have in it already . . . .

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

what would you do?

Quoting: Roadkill

That all depends on how much you have in it already . . . .

IF you can make money on it and reasonable money to cover your time, then I think it maybe a good investment. Also, why break it if it is a good car, it would be one less Firebird on the UK road

[Andy]

He sold it to me for £500, the engine runs, sounds strong. Gearbox could probably do with some fresh ATF as it's been say there but it moves under it's own power etc.

The only thing he knows of that needs doing is a hose going to the back brakes. This brings up the Brakes light on the dash showing an unbalanced proportion at the master cylinder manifold.

That is also my predicament. I love these cars, and carving it up just for the engine and box would be a real shame. It's fully optioned as well. Only thing it lacks is a decent rear axle.

The opposite flip of the coin, is any money made from this needs to go towards an engine. So could it be flipped for enough to buy a decent 350?

[Andy]

Add to the list of the list of things it needs are a battery and a tyre.

[Roadkill]

And bonnet rams ?

[Andy]

That's a standard Pontiac Prop there, limited edition model stuff

What do you think?

[Roadkill]

Third gen prices are roller-coaster stuff . . .  You can pick up a good'un for hundreds, or be left with a lemon for thousands !

I'd assume you'll only ever get the low-end of the market and go from there.

I wouldn't invest more than £800 myself (including the purchase price) . . .

[Andy]

Another Update: (Like buses these are)

I said I wasn't going to spend too much on this engine as the big plan is hooking it out and fitting a 350. So the most I'm going to is deleting the AC, this is two fold, for weight and for tidying up the bay a bit. Tonight was part one of getting rid of all the parts...


Assess the scale of the job, luckily my adjustable was big enough for the AC pipe nuts.


Disconnecting the condensor pipes, removing the battery for better access to scrape my knuckles on even more rusty metal work.


Condensor to compressor and evaporator to compressor pipe removed.


Breaker bar to remove support bar to the back of the compressor mount. This was bolted just under the exhaust manifold to the block.


Three long bolts undone on the back of the compressor, out she pops leaving behind the compressor mount casting.


Bit of WD-40 and a scraper to tidy it up a bit.


New idler pulley fits like a glove. (Slightly blurry due to shock of it fitting so well)


Belt refitted


Bits that I wasn't sure if I should refit, so I didn't.


Thought I'd clean the strut towers now more of them are visible on the side... but whats this?!


Ok, this seems weird, something rubbery that is loose... well, best give it a tug...


WHAT THE ****?!


Now the fun game begins. Its a glove, half painted. Was it put in there from new or after something 'happened'.


Battery and cables all put back in, and cleaned up the bay a bit more.


All the bits removed!

[Roadkill]

There's still loads to come out !!!  

[Andy]

EGR delete, yay or nay?

I'm verging with Nay as it's a stock engine and doesn't have any performance gains at WOT but may induce pinging without it under load.

[Andy]

So the next thing for upgrading are the brakes.

This came about after the July RWYB and I noticed while pushing the car I had a sticking pad caliper. I removed it and liberally gave it some movement and since has been working well but I decided after quite a number of trips through MK to the Pod that braking isn't the cars strongest point. So ideally I wanted to upgrade and renew the whole front braking setup.

I was recommended the Powerstop Brake kit available on RockAuto, the kit comes with rotors, calipers and pads. The rotors on these are actually the hubs as well which means the only thing you need to source are the bearings to fit, unless you use your old ones. Considering that I'm pretty sure all of the setup is actually original from new I decided it would be best to replace them at the same time.

The Powerstop brake kit includes cross drilled and grooved rotors, which apparently help with the braking and having read a few reviews they seem like a fairly decent brake upgrade. I'm not yet in the realms of requiring 4 pot calipers etc! The calipers are re manufactured with fresh seals and powder coated red, little bit of front wheel bling. The pads are Powerstops own ceramic type pad which are designed to work with the pad and also are meant to be dust free... Yeah sure!





With that all ordered and turning up I thought it would be relativity easy to get the wheel bearings over here, so I held back from ordering them all at the same time. After ringing a few bearings companies and quoting what I had been told to get, either a Timken Set6 & Set34 or an SKF Br6 & Br34 it soon became apparent no one knew what I was after and these bearing numbers do no translate.

As an information dump:

Timken Set6 / SKF BR6 = LM67048/LM67010
Timken Set34 / SKF BR34 = LM12748/LM12710

Once I had those numbers and went back to the bearing supplier I found out each bearing was going to be roughly £12+vat and the inner wheel hub seal (Timken #8871 / SKF #19984) was going to be another £16.50+vat I decided to try RockAuto again and bunged them all in a basket plus some hub nut dust caps for just under £40 delivered. Only downside is it blew out the weekend I had planned to do it. That's said, ordered Friday lunch time, on the door step Monday morning, so can't really complain!






Hub dust caps... Turns out 2 means two boxes of 5!

With all that, plus DOT 5.1 brake fluid, a tub of lithium grease, a set of AC Delco hoses and some copper slip I'm hoping to get all this fitted and on the car this Saturday. I've been given access to that workshop again so I'm hoping to get the thing up on all four corners and completely flush the brake fluid through as I'm pretty sure that's never been changed either!