1981 Camaro Z28

[MP81]

I know, finally, right?

Hopefully all goes to plan and I am able to get plenty of work done on it this weekend!

[MP81]

Got the SFC "inserts" for the rear body bushings (since I won't be putting the SFCs in just yet, I need something to replicate that thickness) finished up today. They're not good by any means, but they'll work, which is all I need. 3/16" steel takes a while to drill/cut through! I didn't get to putting in the starter or working on the body bushings today as nobody was able to make it up to my house, and I really wasn't wanting to be under the car while alone at the house.

My brother should be coming up tomorrow, and it should be a little warmer to boot. We'll need to swap his car over to the all-seasons/19s, but aside from that, I can focus on working on the Camaro.

[MP81]

Didn't get nearly as much as I wanted to done this weekend - mainly because of swapping a car over to all-seasons every day, plus the fact nobody came up to make sure the car didn't fall on me until today. More importantly, I have some sort of minor cold which is amplified by my allergies and me daring to be outside for more than five seconds.

I did get my NOS dipstick tube installed (replacing the shitty chrome aftermarket one that just flopped around everywhere), which required pulling plug 6 which looks gross - appears I may need another set of plugs to make sure it's not part of my running issues...
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I got the battery out of the front corner of the car (as it is above the RF body bushing) - made infinitely more annoying by the fact the battery is lacking any kind of handle - and then got a few turns on each body bushing to make sure the bolts would be willing to come out - seems like the should be (aside from the RF bushing since, you know, it isn't attached).

The battery tray also looks pretty crusty, so I'm thinking I'll either POR-15 it, or buy a new one. It looks like I can get a new one for under $30 so I'm pretty sure that's the route I'll be taking. The portion of the core support just ahead of the battery also looks to be slightly rusty too (probably from the battery), so that I may POR-15 that prior to putting the battery back in, just to keep it from getting worse.

[MP81]

Battery area and battery tray being gross:
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After wire-brushing the area, vacuuming all the debris, cleaning everything with POR's Marine Clean and then prepping the whole area with their Metal Ready (hence the white zinc phosphate coating everywhere) - note the lack of RF bushing since I was able just to...lift it out of place:
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And after drying for a couple days, just to be sure everything was dry:
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Couple coats of POR-15, and ready for a new tray - should be good to go now. Minimal paint ended up where I didn't want it, too.
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[DynoDave]

You need a tiny Help Wanted sign to put where that bushing used to be. Good that you noticed it though.

The tray area will clean up fine. Top it off with a little underhood black after the POR15, a repro tray, and life will be good.

Back when I refinished this area on my Cordoba (early to mid '90's) J.C.Whitney sold a spray can paint that finished with am ever so slightly soft rubber finish. It was a great acid-proof coating. I top coated my refinished tray with that, and it has held up great. I also added a Battery Mat (have on in the T/A too). Just an extra barrier in case of a leak, but also a pad that prevents the battery case from abrading the coating on the tray, leaving the exposed steel to corrode again.

J.C. Whitney is gone (merged with another company to form carparts.com), as is the battery tray paint. I think Eastwood used to carry a similar product also, but it too is gone. This is the ONLY paint on coating that I found searching the web.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...lkfloatbtm.php

The Battery Mat is still with us.

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Batt.../dp/B098TRXXW1

[MP81]

I was going back and forth on if I even want to top-coat it. POR is pretty tough stuff unless its going to see a lot of UV exposure, which this really won't - but it's also quite a bit shinier than the flat black paint there from the factory. But also I'm lazy so...we'll see.

I think there's actually some kind of additional tray already - some kind of plastic tray that snaps to the bottom of the battery. I'd like to actually clamp the battery down this time...considering it wasn't.

[MP81]

Interesting - got a reply on NastyZ28 regarding the start with the suggestion that I instead look to go with a later-model truck/SUV starter, which are a PMGR style and replaced the old 10MT that mine uses. They're far lighter (like half the weight), and considerably more powerful and efficient too - as well as smaller, and won't require use of that front bracket, either.

Perhaps this was a happy accident then.

[MP81]

Angles aren't exact, but close enough for size comparison purposes (I resized them to roughly match at the bolts) - PMGR starter on the left and 10MT on the right:
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[DynoDave]

For SBCs, on thirdgen.org, LT1 "Corvette" starters are a very popular upgrade. The Vortec engine being a kissing cousin to the LT1 also uses the smaller gear reduction starter as you now know. I was eyeing the one on my van when I had to change it a few years ago, and it's factory heat shield. I had planned to keep an eye open one (hoping to find a recent replacement) when at the salvage yard, but I just don't get out to the yard very often. Would at least like to have one of those heat shields.

[MP81]

Interesting - the LT1 starters look quite a bit different from the 10MT or PMGR starters I'm seeing for third gens - wonder how that works out. The third gens actually look like they use the style of 10MT Rock Auto thought was right for mine, haha

[DynoDave]

When I re-do the 305 in a year or two, I hope to find out! Headers make a small starter a big plus.

[MP81]

That they do - though mine fit pretty well.

Heavily recommend getting your headers (and Y-pipe, since it runs so close under the footwells) ceramic coated inside and out. They keep the underhood temps down extremely in the Camaro, and you can easily work around them within about 15-20 minutes.

QC does an awesome job, they're local and usually pretty quick on the turnaround (even if they're super backed up)

[DynoDave]

The stainless SLP header I have are freshly JetHot coated just prior to my purchase, from heads all the way to the cats.

I have since picked up another set of header (just the headers, not the mid-pipes). Also stainless SLPs, but with A.I.R. pipes intact. So I'll need to get those coated for sure. Between being stainless, and coated, they are supposed to run a lot cooler. I may talk to QC about coating those when the time comes.

[MP81]

Started tackling the rust on the trunk lid - in a perfect world, I'd just replace it, but due to the patina on the visible side, I'd prefer not to.

Plan is to POR-15 the rust, glass-filled Bondo it to get a smooth surface (so it doesn't destroy my new trunk seal like it already was starting to), and then paint it and call it a day. It's the underside of a trunk lid, so I really don't care - as long as it's functional and the patina is retained.

Got it all cleaned and applied the POR Metal Ready to the surface, so it is now drying (and will be for at least a week, just to make sure anything inside the panel is dry, as well). I also did the same thing to the battery hold-down since the new tray didn't come with that.

How things looked right after I took it off the car. Clearly the driver's side is in better shape than the passenger side.
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After wire brushing it, scraping out rust under the hem (after removing the seam sealer there), and then blowing it all out and vacuuming everything up.
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[DynoDave]

Sounds like a good plan. Preserving the patina paint on the outside is important. You can't recreate / match that.

Might even want to pour a some inside, and rotate it around closely, to coat those seams on the inside.

POR15 also makes a putty. Nut sure if it possesses any anti-corrosive properties Vs other epoxy putties. But it (or something like it) would be good for patching a few of those holes.