What Did You Do To Your Camaro Today?

[family man]

Drove it to work today!

[RayTheRat]

Originally Posted by Normagene

Yeah, it definitely looks like a tough job. I see you're on jack stands and pulled the wheels off. A couple folks recommended I do the same. Sounds like we have similar setups. I'm also putting LEDs, Red, but that's for the grille lighting. I was really thinking of doing a hard wired switch for the show mode on my afterburner taillights then someone suggested just getting a RP100 Remote Switch. $18 on eBay and took less than 5 minutes to install. So right from the drivers seat I can click on/off show mode. How long did it take you, if you didn't have all the interruptions? I think the pictures tell the story, definitely doesn't look like an easy job.

Well, the "gimp tag" hanging from my mirror is because of heart trouble and the results of a bungled quad bypass (ended up as a "single bypass") I can't work as long as I used to.

Having said that, it took me a lot longer than the video implied. But that's understandable, since they were trying to provide instructions, not show an accurate time line. However, in the past, I've built and installed a smallblock Chevy motor (350, .030 over into a 68 Nova) in 14 hours. Extrapolating from that, I'd say 6 to 8 hours...if you've removed the "bumper" and wheel wells before, your learning curve wouldn't be quite as steep.

Here are the portions that I found most time consuming:

1. Those #10 Torx screws on the heat sink. I could have saved time if I didn't have to make a tool run for the long #10 Torx bit and a wobbly extension.

2. Routing the wiring harness, especially the interior LED and installing the switch in the kick panel. But I mounted 3 switches. However, the prep for the extra 2 wasn't that much more time-consuming. Routing wiring from the trunk to the kick panel took longer than it should since I had to chase down extra wire. Finding the hole in the firewall is a bitch. Getting wires thru it is a double bitch. I ended up turning my back on the area so I could use my right hand to feed the wires thru by feel cuz ya can't see it with yer hand in the way.

3. Troubleshooting. I did like you and tested the system before installing. However, the drivers side connector had a coupla issues...like one of the pins bending and preventing the green wire (for the green section of the LED) from working. Once I found the problem, it took 30 minutes to straighten things out...I almost cut the connectors out and hard-wired the connection, but I finally got things lined up and they all worked...eventually.

4. Finding a decent ground. When I first tested it, I tried using one of the throttle body bolts for ground...but it ain't a good ground. I can't remember what I used for a ground for testing, but for the actual install I used one of the sheet metal parts near where the ground wire falls naturally. I drilled a pilot hole for the self-tapping screw, then sanded the surface down to bare metal, installed the screw and the ground wire. Then I sprayed the whole mess with self-etching primer and since I didn't have any more red rattle cans, I grabbed the Plasti-Dip and covered the whole area with that. Bear in mind that I'm gonna run the car on the salt flats in September...so preventing bare metal that can be attacked by the salt is very important if ya don't want rust to start forming.

The rest of the stuff could have been speeded up by eliminating the cleaning/maintenance of parts before re-installing.

Good luck with your install,

[Normagene]

RaytheRat: Wow! I'm impressed! You're really a car guy. I'm a complete novice on top of being a girl. That being said; I won't be very much help to my husband, just had back surgery and still recovering. But I think together we can get it done. My husband said he has a flexible drill extension, around ten inches, so that may work better than a ratchet/wobbly. Once the headlights are out I'll probably take over that part. I can do that sitting at a table. I'm estimating a 6-8 hour window start to finish. Only real concern is the weather, and no neither of us have ever taken the front clip/nose or rear off the car. Will be doing the rear to blackout the exhaust tips and bottom of mufflers. My Noweeds Exhaust has been shipped so I'd like to get these lites done. Like the idea of spraying over the ground connection with the Plasti-dip. Will do the same! Thanks for all your tips. Hope to start this tomorrow or Saturday. Wish me luck!

[GQ4Life]

Originally Posted by Normagene

RaytheRat: Wow! I'm impressed! You're really a car guy. I'm a complete novice on top of being a girl. That being said; I won't be very much help to my husband, just had back surgery and still recovering. But I think together we can get it done. My husband said he has a flexible drill extension, around ten inches, so that may work better than a ratchet/wobbly. Once the headlights are out I'll probably take over that part. I can do that sitting at a table. I'm estimating a 6-8 hour window start to finish. Only real concern is the weather, and no neither of us have ever taken the front clip/nose or rear off the car. Will be doing the rear to blackout the exhaust tips and bottom of mufflers. My Noweeds Exhaust has been shipped so I'd like to get these lites done. Like the idea of spraying over the ground connection with the Plasti-dip. Will do the same! Thanks for all your tips. Hope to start this tomorrow or Saturday. Wish me luck!

Sorry about back injury..
I cant work on car anymore cuz of back injury.

[HaulnSS]

Dropped it off at the shop yesterday to get suspension parts installed. Wanted to do it myself, but don't have time before fest. Going to be at the USWForged tent with my new wheels!!!

[RayTheRat]

Originally Posted by Normagene

RaytheRat: Wow! I'm impressed! You're really a car guy. I'm a complete novice on top of being a girl. That being said; I won't be very much help to my husband, just had back surgery and still recovering. But I think together we can get it done. My husband said he has a flexible drill extension, around ten inches, so that may work better than a ratchet/wobbly. Once the headlights are out I'll probably take over that part. I can do that sitting at a table. I'm estimating a 6-8 hour window start to finish. Only real concern is the weather, and no neither of us have ever taken the front clip/nose or rear off the car. Will be doing the rear to blackout the exhaust tips and bottom of mufflers. My Noweeds Exhaust has been shipped so I'd like to get these lites done. Like the idea of spraying over the ground connection with the Plasti-dip. Will do the same! Thanks for all your tips. Hope to start this tomorrow or Saturday. Wish me luck!

LOL! To state that I'm a car guy is somewhat of an understatement. I see it this way: when I was about 2 weeks old, a scale model of a then-current Indy race car was placed in my crib. That was a little while ago...like 65 years. And it's been downhill since then. 'Course I did the same thing with my grandkids. We'll see if they turn out to be gearheads.

The idea of doing the LED swap while sitting at a table sounds like a good idea.

Here's a link to the "projects" I've done over the last 20 years or so:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/projects.html

Since I've been up in the night since about 3 am, I'm gonna exercise my prerogative as a crazy ol' man and take a nap.

Rotsa Ruck and keep us posted,

[aggieguy13]

Recieved and applied Xpel rear Dark Night kit via Phastek

[aggieguy13]

Lit up lights

[steelersgeek70]

Installed my carbon fiber chevy bowtie on the rear, carbon fiber camaro lettering on sides and door handle protectors.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by steelersgeek70

Installed my carbon fiber chevy bowtie on the rear, carbon fiber camaro lettering on sides and door handle protectors.

Love the wheels! Now that is what I would like to have.

[steelersgeek70]

Originally Posted by Angrybird 12

Love the wheels! Now that is what I would like to have.

Thanks! They are American Racing AR105 M Torq.

[DwRed1LTV6]

Like the accents and the wheels Steelersgeek70 !


Its not what i did to my Camaro today, its
what i got to keep nice even in the garage.
A red with black striped out door car cover.

[steelersgeek70]

Originally Posted by Silver85IrocZ

Like the accents and the wheels Steelersgeek70 !


Its not what i did to my Camaro today, its
what i got to keep nice even in the garage.
A red with black striped out door car cover.

Thanks, Silver85IrocZ! I need to get one of those for mine as well.

[super_sonic]

Put my gauges in today. Got them from camaro2lt here on the forum and couldn't be happier.