Well I have now started saving so I can start dumping money into it.
In just a few months I got it to where it is now and still have under $3600 into it all together including the purchase price of the car.

I picked it up for $2500 and it had 62,000 miles on it. It was being stored outdoors for a few months and someone kicked the front fender and put a hole in it, stole the center caps and the previous owner also backed into something and chipped a bunch of paint off the rear bumper.

This is the car when it first caught my attention:


After finalizing the deal this is when I started to clean the car up:
(camera phone pics)





Here it is after getting the front fender replaced, center caps and back bumper repainted. Oh and many hours of cleaning:



And finally this is where im at right now. 17x9.5/17x11 zr1's w 275/40 Conti xtremes up front and 315/35 GSD3's in the rear, 15% tint, Flowmaster muffler with chrome tips (they will be replaced when I get headers but I love the sound), QTP electric cutout, chrome Halo Headlights (replaced the white Halo bulbs with red ones), clear corner lenses, Autometer gauges and so far for performance I havent really done much except for an SLP lid, Iridium plugs and new wires, free ram air mod and of course an LS1Tech.com sticker on the rear window which adds a **** load of HP.


Updated pics as of 10/9/07:


Update 10/21/08
Not much else done as of right now due to living paycheck to paycheck and not having good credit lol.
I did the Whistler mod on the headlights, ported and polished TB, Mac mids that I had jet hot coated, Slp ORY, rebuilt rear with 3:73 gears, billet grill, lowered, suede on the seats/doors, Aeroforce interceptor gauge in place of the Autometer gauges, HU-mount for the stereo OH and a kick *** tune from a local Named Clint at A.I.R.
I also purchased a polished Vortech V-9 aftercooled kit that I just had rebuilt but am now waiting for about another $900 worth of upgrades before installing.
The plans for it are endless and I wish I had more money but oh well I will just piece it together little by little.




Update 3/13/10
Now up to 111.000 miles and still going strong, will need a repaint here very soon.
Ditched the Vortech kit and bought a TNT dual bottle nitrous kit with everything (still waiting for some 243 heads and will install).
3500 TCI SS stall with cooler, AEM wideband gauge, FP and installed my Interceptor gauge in a 3 gauge pillar pod, added an SS spoiler, installed some chrome inserts in rear panel, installed a Dynomax muffler in place of the Loudmouth, UMI SFC, UMI Adjustable PHB, UMI lower control arms, Wolfe bolt in roll bar and bought a new black top but still need to install it.
Only new pics I have right now until I get everything else done.
This is kind of cool to have pictures saved on here so I can see how the cars coming along.




I have alot more plans so I will update this as I go. I just wanted something that I could look back on and to remind me of the progress.
What do you guys think so far?

Update 12/10/11
Almost forgot about this but yea now I am at 128,000 miles and ditched the Nitrous kit, had a rear mount turbo kit and ditched that as well... Wife is going to kill me since I cannot decide what I want to do anymore.
Since the last update I got the new top installed this summer, new DD C5 rims, Sunoco style hood waiting to get painted, SLP grill, BBK SSi intake, Eibach prokit, Brakemotive rotor package and practiced some airbrushing under the hood.





Next on the list is a CME if everything works out... but we will see.




Update 7/12:
Up to 133,000 miles and finally got the CME I have always wanted along with the 6le 2.5 tips. Removed the grill and filled the holes and decided to go with some 295 BFG KDW's on the rear instead of the 335's. Other than that modding has slowed down a lot for the time being.






Damn time flys but this is where I am at on 8/13 and 140,022 miles.
I repainted my lid this time incorporating skulls.
I also installed a JVC headunit with a rear view camera that I mounted in the keyhole... This is a must have on a convertible!
I mounted an Autometer fuel pressure gauge on the cowl, installed a norris catch can and put .5" spacers and installed arp studs on the rear.

 

nice work

 

I have always thought red and tan looks sharp. Great job bringing it back.

 

WOW, you got a great deal on that!!! Looks good.

 

Hey thanks alot guys I appreciate it.
Still have alot left to do but it will get there soon enough.

 

Why was he selling it so cheap? That's a heck of a deal. You've really made the car look good too. Very nice.

 

Thanks.
The reason he sold it so cheap is because he said it would not start even with a jump and he was having electrical problems. So when I offered him $2500 he thought I was going to pay way too much for a car that doesnt run.
He originally wanted to have an appraiser come out and I pay whatever the appraiser said, he actually thought I would pay a hell of alot less than $2500 that way.
Im no idiot and knew with 62,000 miles and being a convertible I was not going to get it for less than $2500 lol.
It booked over $9000 with it being in the shittiest condition.

In the end I didnt have the heart to tell him that all it needed was a battery and his electrical problem was a crimped tail light wire

I was just in the right place at the right time, if I wasnt working that day I would have never talked to the guy and never would have knew about it being for sale.

 

You wanna make a quick $1500? I'll buy it from you for 5k. lol

 

Actually tempting but I have to pass right now.
I am getting married next year and everybody tells me I will have to sell my car, hell with that...the Fiancee will go before this car does.

Good thing she doesnt come on here.

 

Amen to that. (good thing my wife isn't on here either, j/k love you hun)

What reason would there be to sell the car when you get married. I didn't get my Z until I got married. Then when we had a baby we sold our grand am and got another camaro. Convertible this time. Camaro's work great for 1 baby.

 

I say Keep it... she's more valuable that a wife right? Hell I had to get rid of mine do to other reason, but if my boyfriend told me it was him or the car, I'd choose the car. Luckily, he's an LS1 freak too...

Car looks great though, good luck on the future work and congrats on the marraige.

 

Thanks alot.

Marriage is so damn expensive and for $15000.00 that we have saved it wont get us much

I could drop an LS7 into my car and be happier lol...

But yea my Fiancee loves my car and accepts that I spend alot of time working on it on my days off, she is more of a Mustang person so she cant wait to drive my Cobra once its done

 

Wow, good work and even better deal!

I think a Sunoco hood and SS spoiler would make that car totally bad ***.

 

Heckuva deal! Dang!

 

I actually picked up an OEM SS hood and spoiler for $200 but they need repaired. I cant wait to get them on after they are finished.

 

Tell me more about that gauge setup in the console, it looks good!

 

Honestly I didn't spend too much time to do it so it really needs some help.
I used aluminum and I should have just used plastic it would have been easier to cut I think.

The only problem with a convertible is I had to relocate the top switch next to the fog light switch (this is where I took my time to make sure the wiring was done right).
I got rid of the cigarette lighter since I dont smoke, once that was taken out I started cutting the aluminum to fit and just had to cut one hole in the console where the lighter was so the gauge would fit through.
I used the existing lighter plug to get power to the gauges and then wired up the temp gauge and A/F gauge.

I am going to go back and cut some plastic and redo the gauges but for now at least it works.

It was an easy job but if you do it just take your time and dont rush it otherwise it will look like ***...like mine lol

 

Looks great, congrats on finding the great deal.

 

Thanks.

I guess I was just in the right place at the right time.
Same thing with my Cobra but it just doesnt look as good right now lol

 

Only $3600 invested? Thats awesome!

You could easily sell it for 3 times that, I would.