Hi, I just wanted to start my first post with a quick story of me...

I am 33 and have always drooled at the IROC's and z28s of my youth 84-90. As a high school kid I didnt have the money for a beautiful car like these but I did get to to drive one once and I was hooked.

Years later I am now a dad and husband and have become the one thing I swore I would never become...a productive member of society!

I recently visited a repo sale in Twin Falls Idaho where I saw a muddy old camaro sitting in the back of the lot amidst an ocean of Colts, Pintos, and Geos. "Why havent you sold this one yet?" I asked..."Oh that car is by far the baddest car on this lot, and I get lotsa kids in here everyday to look at it, but none of them have the money to buy, and their parents wont help em buy a car like this" (This only made me want it more hehe)...

Long story short, I am purchasing my first Camaro ever and I wanted to be amongst other owners of this awesome peice of machinery, so that I can learn about it inside and out.

I will be asking alot of questions and I am sure alot of people here will be irratated with me, but I never was shown how to fix a car or anything else for that matter. Most other guys I knew were tuning their dad's car while I watched. I am serious, I just learned how to jump a car without blowing it up.

So understand, I love this car, and I want nothing more then to make it into something I can be proud of. Just please be patient with me and give me a chance to learn what I can about upgrades and chips, and all the techie jargon I have read on here. Beleive me, I wouldn't have come here if I didnt think I could find help here. I figured who better to share my experince with then all of you = )

I dont have a pic of her yet but she is black...and this is what I know so far:

1989 Camaro RS Coupe
5.0L V8 TBI OHV 16V

If anyone else can help me out with info on it and just give me the basics, I would very much appreciate the help. Thanks for listening. I feel like a giddy llittle kid getting his first red ryder bb gun...only this car is mine now.

 

Congratulations on your purchase.. Tell us more about the car! I've had my Z28 Camaro for 3 years, and I'm still giddy!

 

Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to the board.

 

Congrats on the new car. I really doubt that you have to worry about people getting sick of you. Everyone has to start somewhere. First thing that you are going to need to do is clean, clean, and clean some more. Then give that thing a really nice tune up with some good plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, and air filter. I am sure others will chime in with some other stuff but those are some good basics. Good luck and happy motoring.

 

If you devote a little time to it you will pick up fast. Ive only really been serious about engines and everything for about a year lol and now I give other people advice. Also the more you learn the more you will realize that people you used to think new what they were talking about when they mentioned cars are utterly full of $hit. Ive got a pretty high performance 5.0 so if you have any specific questions drop me an e-mail. First thing you should look into is getting rid of the TBI either buy yourself a TPI ram of some kind (stealth, mini, or super) or consider going carb.

And pick up a Summit Catalog!!

 

xDarksunx: I know exactly how you feel about your car! I just got my first Camaro almost a month ago! Tho I'm a little over 10 years younger than you, I have always wanted something "older" than what I see in car lots. while I don't have my 32 chopped top Ford yet, I'm totaly in love with my Camaro!!

Congrats guy! I'm happy for you living out the American dream! "grow up, get the girl, get the car!"

 

first thing you ought to do is pick up the book called "how to tune and modify your camaro 1982-1998" the book is a great place to start and its filled with an awesome amount of information. the ISBN # is 0-7603-0436-x. all you have to do is take that number to a bookstore and they can order it for you. highly recommended!

 

WOW...thanks for all the positive feedback guys and gals...

I forgot to mention, I have $200 left on the down before I take it home. I have got to testdrive it, and yes it passes the 90 degree right turn at 45 mph test hehe...I mean it stick to the damn ground. The tires are almost new but I will prolly get some new low profiles (I got a friend in tires )

I will definately check into the books and manuals. Remember, I have never done any car work higher then checking the oil and putting more in. But from what I have read, I still have a lot to learn.,,,like, what is third gen? and why do the cars have chips? whats the diff between tbi and tpi?

Thanks again for all the welcomes, just treat me like I am a 16 yr old first timer. Use the little easy words hehe.

 

Go to ThirdGen.org. It will be your best friend for as long as you own your car. I've learned so much baout these cars from that website, and I'm on my 2nd thirdgen. Trust me, every question you could think of will have and answer or be answered over there. A lot of the guys from camaroz28.com frequent over there.

 

whoa, thanks very much Aklaim, this site was exactly what I was looking for woohoo...Now I wont feel like an idiot lmao.

I appreciate the help guys

 

To answer a few of your questions that you have the third gen is the third body style that chevy put out. So in turn it is a third generation Camaro. They were from years 82-92.

There will probably someone with a much more indepth answer for the chip question but basically it has a chip to run the vital sensors for the car. For example if you go in to modify your own chip you will change things like the rev limiter (so the motor wont over rev and blow up), if you have electric cooling fans you can change the main one to turn on at a colder temp, you can change the spark curve, you turn off the VATS (which is the chip in the key, that allows you to start the car), you can change the speed governor, etc., etc. Now if you do not have a TBI or TPI you will not need the computer to control things.

Now onto the TBI and TPI again there is probably someone that will have a bigger answer but the basic jist is that TBI is throttle body injected and TPI is tune port injected. In its simplest terms the TBI is fuel injected but kind of looks like a carb. There are 2 fuel injectors that fire into the throttle body (or the part that takes in air to make the motor run) and the TPI has mulitple fuel injectors (8) that fire directly into the intake. I am not very up on TBI since I dont own one and ma much better with TPI. Right off the bat the TPI will yield you more power but the TBI can be made to run as well. Hopefully that is close enough for you. Anything else just ask.

 

xDarksunx, My condolences go out to you!!! You have been bitten & will forever be a changed man. You will now be in the never ending quest for more power, speed, expensive mods, greater cornering ability etc......, etc...
I too waited until I was in my 40s to buy my pet. Now after 5 years of ownership & 10 times more time under it than driving it, but how I love it so!
This is a Great Board, It happens to be more 4th generation than 3rd, but since I like & have both I spend a great deal of time here "reading more than posting"
Aklaim, Is right & there is more info @ ThirdGen.org than here dedicated to the third generation. I have found both sites extremely valuable as well as humorus over the past few years. I am at the present swaping my 89 Iroc from The 350 TPI to a carb fed 427 Smallblock & the information as well as needed parts that I have gained from these sites have saved me many headaches as well as money. Pretty much anything that you can dream of has been tried or any problem encountered has been solved & posted here.
But at any rate, welcome aboard & the best of luck with your Camaro


Sincerely, Bruce (70GTO)

 

Hmm I know Im off topic but Im looking for an interesting motor to build, how exactly did you make a sbc into a 427?

 

Aftermarket Block.

I bought a new Dart Little "M" bare block , had it bored it to the diameter of 4.125", Cola forged steel crank w/ a 4" stroke. Thats how I got it to 427. I think it can be done with a stock GM block, but things get pretty darn thim & it takes a bunch of clearancing to get it to 427. The Dart block needed very little grinding for clearance for the crank & they are mfg. with very good metal quality and extra meat vs a regular GM 4 bolt bloc, plus the first two used 4 bolt main blocks I got ahold of were either core shifted or the cyl. wall thickness was to thin to to bore. Thats pretty much why most people who go the stroker route with any common since pretty much limit the crank to the 3.75" stroke and build the 383 or 406 "which would have been plenty for me & my application, but I wanted to be different than most , but I'd say this 427 more than likely cost me double at the least over what I could have built a screaming 383 or 406 for, But being out of the ordinary has it's price. Hope this answers your ???, if not get back with me!

Bruce (70GTO)

 

I got a question...I have been told by the dealer that this 89 Camaro RS is an IROC...although when I looked up the VIN it didnt say anything about it being an IROC. If there is a particular way to tell by looking at it or something could someone post it here? Because, actually an IROC was my dream car, and this car looks exactly like an IROC a buddy of mine bought back in 90.

Was just wondering if there was any differences. Thanks