We have a 1995 Z28 which needs a lot of work. The interior is trashed, and it needs a new paint job, among other things. What are some suggestions on the best way to go about restoring it? We have a limited budget, but want to fix it up as best we can over time. We had the motor checked out, with a compression test and it is sound. We just had a transmission put in. The car is very fun to drive and it has a lot of power! My 8-year-old son loves it and can't wait until he is 16 to be able to drive it! My other son is 19 and also loves the car. Restoring it is a family project.

As I said in my profile, I am a full time Social Worker. My wife and I also own a business, Lifelong Memories Films where we film and edit sporting events, commercials, music videos, etc. We are excited to be on this site and will be looking for a lot of advise as we go about the project of restoring this car.

 

Welcome to CamaroZ28.com!!!

Good to have another LT1 owner on the site. Probably the best way to go about gaining info on restoring the interior and the exterior would be to post in the "Appearance" forum, keeping the interior and exterior as separate topics.

The first thing I would do, is examine the undercarriage of the vehicle, looking for signs of rust. I don't know if road salt is used extensively in Utah, or whether the car has spent all of it's life in that area. But with these vehicles reaching 20 years old, we are starting to see signs of severe rust on some cars the were exposed to northern winters. My 94 was purchased new, and is still totally rust free, but it has not been driven much in the NJ winters. Fortunately, the extensive use of sheet molded composites has limited the areas susceptible to rust. But the subframes in particular deserve close attention.

Good luck!!!!

 

In addition to continuing to inspect the vehicle for obvious issues, I would be taking a careful look at wiring, rubber components, bump stops, and hoses. Of course since it needs paint plenty of time can be spent doing prep work on the body (filling dings, sanding, smoothing, cleaning and primer) as weather and circumstances permit. Elbow grease is cost effective since you have young lads to help out...

Welcome to the site.

 

Welcome to the forum. You will find a lot of helpful info here. I have joined recently and love it. Spend here few hours a week now.

 

Thanks Fred for the advise. In looking at the undercarriage, it is in great shape. The provisos owners probably did not drive it in the winter, as road salt is used a lot. I will use my Jeep Commander for winter driving. I am hopeful that I can repaint the car this summer and will start to get into the interior next year. I have a few questions, if you don't mind. What is the horse power of this particular Camaro? What I understand it is a little under 300. How does it compare to other vehicles. I know there is no comparison to the new Z28, which is amazing. Is it worth the money to restore? I really enjoy driving the car and it has plenty of pep for me. What do you do with your Camaro? Do you have it more for show or do you still drive it from time to time. Sorry for all the questions as I am new at this but really getting into it.

 

The 93-95 LT1 engine in the F-Body (Camaro/Firebird) was rated at 275 HP (at the flywheel) and 325 LB-FT. 96/97 bumped to 285 HP. Higher HP was available with the Firehawk package on the 93 and up Firebird, and with the Firebird WS6 and Camaro SS options starting in 96.

Here's an interesting read on the 4th Gens:

4th Generation (1993 - Present)

Here's most of the info you need to work on the car:

4th Gen LT1 F-Body Tech Aids

I bought my Formula new in 94, and it was a daily driver through 2002. In 2000 I had the engine bored and stroked, added the ported LT4 heads, bunch of other stuff, and a 300-shot of nitrous, with the intention of using mainly to drag race. NJ had a horrible inspection system, that was not real friendly to aftermarket modifications, and for a while they were setting up roadside emissions checks, complete with a mobile dyno and people who actually knew what the stock parts were supposed to look like. I played around with racing it for a couple years, but not really using it's full potential. Then I got a job that requires 5-1/2 days a week, and Saturdays at the track became impossible. Car sits in the garage a lot. I'd like to at least get it out on the street more.