1992 Camaro "The Lady Mullet" Z28

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motorheadmike

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Nov 18, 2009
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For those who have been following along with my ramblings over the years, you may have noticed that my darling girlfriend-turned wife has a sweet spot for Camaros. Her previous car was a 2002 B4C that served us well and donated its guts to make the wagon. After that car's demise I came to learn that she always lusted after my blue 1991 Z28 (which was a total shitbox). So over the last few years we've been actively looking for a clean example of a '91 or '92 Z28. For her it had to be white, have the big wing, hard top, and clean inside and out (I swore I wouldn't being doing the bodywork under any circumstances). We'd seen some pretty freaking horrific examples, some decent examples (with questionable mods), and very few worthwhile examples both nationally and internationally. So when this car showed up on the market and it looked solid from the pictures, it was kind of a now or never and take advantage of the current market (or wait to pay an extreme amount later).

We loaded the truck up with the kids and drove about 5 hours to see it; and we were not disappointed. The car has basically only changed hands 3 times since new. Lady who ordered it, the people who bought it from her, and the guy we bought it from who'd had it for the last 5 years. It seems incredibly sound mechanically and physically - shockingly so. Magnets don't lie.

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Does it need some cosmetic stuff? Sure. It is 28 years old. Is it slow and brake like crap? Yes, it is 28 years old. But for a driver? It is pretty sweet for a 28 year old car.

What is it? 305 TPI (LB9, 205hp/285tq), 700-R4, 2.73 posi, disc/drum, F41, power everything (even the driver's seat), and A/C. There is literally not a single "special" option package on this car that I could decode. It is a base model Z28 highway cruiser with lots of miles. A perfectly clean slate for mods... and there will be mods. Interestingly this car started life as a red car.

So where are we now?

Well the car isn't yet in our possession. Why? COVID-19 that's why. Processing private vehicle sales during a pandemic is a royal PITA, especially between Provinces. Getting a trip permit in Quebec City yesterday was damn near impossible (endless lines)... the heat wave didn't help especially for the kids. So we came home - another 5 hours. I was at the ministry this morning half an hour before it opened and it was lined up around the building. I got inside almost an hour and a half later just to find out that everything would be fine to get a trip permit... except that "Quebec's system was down" and I would have to come back on Monday morning. FML - 2 more hours gone. Additionally, getting leave and traveling during the pandemic is also a huge problem for Natasha and I - so now we need special permission to do another day trip early this week (load the kids up and make another trek to Quebec City). I suppose I could have driven the car home illegally... but, that would have been irresponsible. Once we get the car home we need to get it certified and appraised (for taxation purposes)... and then find a way to shelter it.

We didn't think that far ahead.
 
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Cauterize

Floater of Valves
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Feb 9, 2019
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Mike, My first car was a 1982 Z28 and I too was looking for a replacement for it when I ended up with my essentially free Regal. You are absolutely right about trying to find a clean thirgen that isn't an astronomical amount of money. Good call on a hard top also. My old Z28 had typical leaky t tops and roof cancer.

Also my god the red tape out east. When I want to leave Alberta and go to BC for a biking trip I just leave. But I'm sure tightened restrictions could happen this way at anytime. What a decade these last few months have been.

You could always use my mantra to get the car home sooner. Everything is legal... so long as you don't get caught ;)
 

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motorheadmike

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Nov 18, 2009
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Pretty freaking sweet. I have a strange soft spot for 3rd generation. Odd that it had such a thorough color change. Where do you see the red?

The only place I could find traces of the original colour where deep under the car in the seams of the body and on the underside of the floor where the rock guard was chipped. They went so far to change the colour that the inside, THE INSIDE, of the ground effects were white. Who does that? I looked hard and came up empty for anything obvious about the colour change to the naked eye doing a walk around. They blew this car a-p-a-r-t!
 
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Oct 14, 2008
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I also like the 3rd gen but did some stupid things, this car is a good example. The peanut cam in the auto cars put them behind the 5L Mustang's 225 hp especially weighing more, made them even slower, gave them a dog reputation. Also GM not putting real dual exhaust on anything crippled what otherwise could have been much more potent motors. The Mustang had shorty headers and dual exhaust from 85 up. Of course the Mustang was an ugly box for those years. Good luck, I assume LS in the future?
 
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motorheadmike

Geezer
Nov 18, 2009
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Saskatchewan, Truckistan
I also like the 3rd gen but did some stupid things, this car is a good example. The peanut cam in the auto cars put them behind the 5L Mustang's 225 hp especially weighing more, made them even slower, gave them a dog reputation. Also GM not putting real dual exhaust on anything crippled what otherwise could have been much more potent motors. The Mustang had shorty headers and dual exhaust from 85 up. Of course the Mustang was an ugly box for those years. Good luck, I assume LS in the future?

Yeah, it is very likely going to get an LS - eventually. I just need to source the right brackets to keep the AC and other amenities in place before moving forward. I cannot risk making the car undriveable and ruining it. Good thing I know how to wire up GM cars.

With some work the 305 in my old car was less of a dog, but still a dog (especially by modern standards). For entertainment purposes here are some threads where I take a dump all over ThirdGen.org (includes pics of my old Z28):




 
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pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
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there was some 3rd gen circle track cars in our superstock division but their achilles heal was the strut suspension that didn't like getting banged or laid on in the corners....the other problems the guys had was to get the mullet tucked in under their helmets....
 
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Gwarren79

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Oct 29, 2018
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I have been looking at a 1990 hardtop V6/T5, and consider getting it and going with a 5.3L with 4.8L pistons, a 224/230 cam and a t56, 3.73


 
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Supercharged111

Comic Book Super Hero
Oct 25, 2019
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Much like. Good stuff. FWIW I got my MI (red state) leave approved and my *ss is happily there now. :p Go go 'Murica military! And my super down to earth commander. I'm in a county with like 6 confirmed cases since this kicked off so wasn't a hard sell, especially with a green route.
 
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carnutjw

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Sep 17, 2017
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Yeah, it is very likely going to get an LS - eventually. I just need to source the right brackets to keep the AC and other amenities in place before moving forward. I cannot risk making the car undriveable and ruining it. Good thing I know how to wire up GM cars.

With some work the 305 in my old car was less of a dog, but still a dog (especially by modern standards). For entertainment purposes here are some threads where I take a dump all over ThirdGen.org (includes pics of my old Z28):




I assume you've seen the third gen that Detroit Speed built? OMG
 
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