🔧 BUILD Gav's 1998 Purple Z28

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[MENTION=3307]IceCreamAssassin[/MENTION] mentioned in my GoPro thread that he didn't know much about my car.
[MENTION=5]Mook[/MENTION] also mentioned it's one of the longest owned cars on the site.

Why not make a thread.

I bought the car on September 13th 2002 ( it was a Friday :s00ls: )
37,642 miles when it was driven away from Grossinger Chevy in Palatine.

I had originally called on a red 99 SS but the dealer sold it before I could get there. The salesman mentioned they took a Z28 in on trade. I asked what color and he said " It's weird, never seen this color before, It's Purple."

I requested they park the car in the back and not to let anyone see it until I got there :rofl:

I drove it a couple days later, and bought it the following week.

I have alot of pictures saved on a flash drive from my old laptop, but here's what it looked like in all of it's STOCK Z28 glory:

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Sub frame connectors and a strut tower brace were the first couple mods.
Followed by a lid, SSRA and smooth bellow.

Long Tube headers and a cut out went in the summer of 2004

To make a long story short, a few friends had SS's and kind of swapped wheels around, so I detailed a friends car and was paid with a set of painted SS 10 spokes ( again more pics on the flash drive ):

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Yank SS3200 stall + B&M cooler followed shortly after in 2005.

another friend had a WS-6, I told him if he ever sold the wheels, I wanted 1st dibs... and those are the ones the car currently rides on:

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with new brakes:
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Cam + pushrods + valve springs etc went in summer of 2008.

Changed the turn signal lenses:

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The rear end was rebuilt in 2011, new axles 3.73 gears and diff cover.
I installed a new TA girdle this past spring.

I just ordered a bunch of suspension parts to freshen up the 20 year old "bones and joints"

:bigthumb:

with a fresh coat of WG Uber Ceramic Coating:

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Gav'sPurpleZ

If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail
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Mar 3, 2008
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Pingree Grove IL
Seeing Bru Bru 's updates inspired me to add to my thread.
Last year, I took the car in for some maintenance repairs. There was a list:
A/C compressor, new A/C belt + the tensioner and pulley
Low coolant sensor + coolant flush.
rear brake calipers, rear brake hoses + EBC slotted rotors and red stuff pads front and rear.
Replace rear diff gasket / fluid service
grease all suspension fittings
replace fuel filter

When I came home from dropping the car off, I noticed 2, quarter sized drops of red fluid. Center of the car. I thought maybe a trans output seal or something like that.
Paul said he could not locate a leak.

Fast forward to this March, I took the garbage cans to the street and as I was walking back to the garage I though, gee, maybe I should look underneath the car.
Bad idea, I found more red fluid on the floor. There was a drip hanging off of the Y pipe.
Upon further inspection and an email to Paul, the slip yoke/splines were leaking.

I replaced the slip yoke, u joint and the rear u joint.
I was going to replace all the mounting hardware on the diff cover because a couple of the bolts looked stripped ( recessed allen/hex ).
I wound up removing the drain plug, re-seating the o ring ( fluid had collected around the drain plug ), removed the one mangled bolt and replaced it.
Filled with new fluid ( 2 diff services within 1700 miles, sweet ).
I drained and filled the T-56. I went with the tremec specific fluid. ATF was drained out of it. The tremec fluid is light gold but does not smell like gear oil.
Lastly, I drained the 0 mile Pennzoil full synthetic and put Royal Purple in. I did this because of the 2 oil analysis reports I have... testing to see if the higher metal content is the same with the Royal purple ( info on this is in the oil analysis thread )

I noticed the EBC brakes squeak/squeal. The red stuff pads are NOT low dust. I went through the bed in process and even did it a 2nd time this spring.
well, I could not take it anymore. I bought Akebono pads front and rear and replaced them tonight.
I also replaced the 1 missing and 1 rotten bump stop:
pics in the next post
 

SleeperLS

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Oct 19, 2008
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I have had them on previous vehicles. I should have gone with my gut.
Live and learn.
I just checked my records, 1,771 miles on the new pads. $200 worth in the garbage
That definitely sucks. I won’t lie to you and say I didn’t do the exact same thing several years back, but you are spot on with live and learn. Akebono just has good stuff that works and holds up with low dust.
 
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SpeedSpeak2me

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Aug 27, 2018
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Jim
I have had them on previous vehicles. I should have gone with my gut.
Live and learn.
I just checked my records, 1,771 miles on the new pads. $200 worth in the garbage
My car came with the Akebono’s, but when it came time to replace them in 2021 no one had them in stock. Went with the basic PowerStop kit and brake dust isn’t bad. Problem is after some hard braking (like triple digit speeds) the rotors start to warp. After they cool down they’re fine.
 

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