I have just purchased (Free) the 1994 Gen 4 – Camaro...
The car has 90,000 miles on the clock and is original on the inside.

The car had been sitting for 8yrs, started and used occasionally but NO service work done.
Before it was parked up the car had a perfect service record.
I used a trailer to collect the car, it starts and drives ok, even with 8yr old fuel. Lucky the fuel is good quality fuel with NO Ethanol.
Once the car was at home, I have unplugged the fuel filter and jumped the fuel pump relay and pumped all the old fuel out of the car.

Added some new fuel, flush some out, then connected the fuel hose, started the car. Took it for a drive and it is going well.
I will change all the fluids – engine oil, coolant, brake fluid etc…during winter

First up is the rusty undercarriage – there is surface rust on the suspension parts and I need to remove the back end, clean everything and paint.
The bottom of the car shell is in great condition.

Jack up car and remove wheels
Drop the diff and suspension components
Drop the fuel tank – make sure there is NO rust inside and out…
Anyone got any suggestions where to start and what to do?

I would like to strip, paint, replace worn parts - new shocks, lower slightly.
clean up everything so it looks nice.

Wheels are off, it is jacked up... nxt is to start removing the rear suspension / diff - where do I start?


1994 - 90k miles -



Blocks to support the seam Weld for supporting the car when I remove the axle / diff




Axle stands are just sitting there... no weight is on them.. before I put the car on the ramps.

 

You’re a Lucky guy, get that for free. It looks like it will be easily restored. Plenty of lurkers on this site that will happily follow your progress so keep us posted.

 

Thanks - yes it was a good score.
Father Inlaw is to old to look after it and it is sitting rusting away.

Found the fuel pump relay under the dash and made a jumper wire for pins 87 & 30



Start pulling out the Rear Axle tonight... having trouble following the manual.


This UTube video helps - I will follow what this dude is doing...

 

LOL, "rusting away". Not sure what climate this car is from, but you should see the undercarriage of one from the rust belt of the USA; at 90k miles and three decades of winters, it would be 100% scale and corrosion underneath unless the car was stored during all winters. That one looks like new compared to an average Midwestern car.

Nice project! Love the color.

 

RPM - your post made me laugh.
I am in NZ - we do not have salt on the roads, and we don't see a lot of rust these days with Jap cars that make up most of the road fleet.

My goal with this car is to have a nice street car.
- Rims - 17/18inch combo looks good, but it seems 18inch are easier to get.
- Exhaust - nice rumble but still suitable for long drives.
- Stereo upgrade - Kees Audio are on the job.
- Nice street car - in NZ 90% of the roads are 2 lane, windy, hilly roads... So I want the car to handle nice but with a comfortable ride.
- Personal touch, like steering wheel - Momo and other stuff to make the car more sporty - black out the lights... etc etc ... 1994 style mods.

This is not a race car - but a stylish street car...

What parts would you recommend?
Part availability is terrible in NZ - parts may need to be imported so I need to take that in to consideration.

I am starting with the rear end ....

Bushing?
Shocks?
Springs?
Discs?

 

There’s plenty to start with back there. Repairs are always a money thing, if you can afford it do it all. It’s easy for people to respond with “replace this” but that could be universally said about every single part of a 25+ year old car. Logically, it’s financially irresponsible to parts cannon a car based on recommendations, however on the other hand if you can afford it sure can be a lot of fun.

If money is tight; start by replacing the brake hoses. They deteriorate internally with no external signs. Next clean up the calipers, remove the slides and grease the **** out of them. Do a brake flush, people like the pressure method, I use the suction method. Sure replace the rotors and pads but you might not have to. If the rotors are glazed by all means, replace them.

All the bushings will be dry rotted. Start where you want or it do it all at once. I like the do it all at once method.

the rear shocks will be soft. Replace them if you want but ya might not have to. Same could be said about the springs, after all these years, they will have developed some droop.

The rear diff could use some fresh fluid

check the ujoints
check the pinion seal
check the axle seals
check for exhaust leaks

I noticed the bump stops looked good 👍 that’s a commonly replaced part.

And perhaps replace the fuel filter.

 

Great advice, exactly what I am after.

This car was driven by the father in-law for 30yrs and my bet is he never broke traction in it, it was driven carefully for 90,000 miles.

This will be a Sunday car, used for cruising with the wife, and a bit of spirited driving on my own.
We have just had 6yrs of a lefty government and they have lowered all the speed limits - it terrible now.
We live in the country, just on the edge of town, and all the roads have been lowered from 100km/hr to 60km and 80km..... WTF.
So what I am trying to say, this car will not see to much hard out driving, it a Sunday / show car / cruising car... and my wife is allergic to speed, completely different topic.

Had to say I enjoyed driving it before I put it up on the ramps, it was breaking traction everywhere with 16yr old tires on it... very easy to end up in a ditch sideways.

In contact with the following:

Sam Stano - Suspention
Kees Audio - Stereo Upgrade - looking at spekes, head unit, sub and AMP.

I am in contact with Sam Stano Parts.com - for shocks and sprigs
- Koni off car adjustable sorts -
-Strano Performance Lowering Springs - SP141

 

Progress:

Removed the Diff - oil - looked dirty but not to bad.
Drive shaft unbolted
Rear sway bar removed.


Replace the diff cover with a version with a drain, also will look better.








Oil leak from input seal on DIFF I would expect?


Sway bar bushes... Do the plastic bushes need to be replaced - they have warn . but what do they do?




The bushes looked ok, worth replacing? They look cheap enough to replace. There was cloth or some sort of tape inside the bushes on to the sway bar. What is it and is it normal?




What is this tape, is it meant to be there and what would you replace these with?


Questions...
- Sway bar bushes - replace? If so with what? what is the cloth in the rubber bushes?
- Need to disconnect the brake line, how do you stop it leaking, do you use a fitting to screw in to the rear brake line to stop the brake fluid flow?
- Diff Oil leak, what needs doing here?
- Koni Shocks look OK?
- Strano Spring.. OK?

Rims and Tires will be 18in - 9.5 & 10.5 possible.
Sam said all the same... but I like the 17/18inch combo .. but tires could be an issue.
Rims - Machined lip / Deep Dish....

 

Looking at Rims....
This video has helped a lot, I really like the deep dish style.
Looking at the Kansei KNP ET38 - Im not sure the ET22 can work with a standard car, I'm not wanting to roll fenders.
ET22 looks real good, but ET38 maybe more practical.

18 x 9.5 all round.
275 x 35 x R18

These ET22 - are +55mm stick out further.. which is a lot.
ET38 = +39mm - big difference



Not sure I can use these... +22 off set. They maybe a little to wide and they dont seem to make ET38 in the KNP style.
https://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Whee...et-Calculator#

 

Might as well start with a picture of where we are at...
The input seal on the differential must be stuffed as there is a lot of oil around the place.

Questions -
How hard is it to change this seal?
Should the output (2) seals be done at the same time?
Any thing else need t be done while I am at this stage?

[img alt="Oil has sprayed around the tunnel - my guess it is the seal.

Should i do the output seal also?"]https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech.com-vbulletin/2000x2000/20250405_091548_827fb9c53ec4baffc57dc3dc2121c04b8d 294138.jpg[/img]
Oil has sprayed around the tunnel - my guess it is the seal. Should I do the output seal also?

Brake Calipers are off - and I am stripping them and giving them a tickle up, the key at this stage is not to spend to much on things that maybe upgraded at a later date.
Calipers removed and stripped - these will be cleaned and painted.
I will Re - Use the rotors and pads - The rotor are like new, no visible wear or lip, I might have the rotors skipped and new pads.... not sure if its worth it.
Original rotors after 90k miles... Rear pads where replaced at 86k miles so on 10k miles on the rear pads.

This is a Weekend car that will not see many miles.... wife is a complete Nana as is her Father... the car has never been driven hard... I plan to put my foot in when the Nana is not in the car.


Need some cleaning and loving....

I will purchase seal kits

A little but of polish and some touch up paint, be like new!

Everything is disconnected except the shocks - the Diff is sitting on axle stands.
Much easier to handle without the calipers etc....





Yea - Diff out ready for some paint... and seal and and and .... what do I need to do to this?


With the diff out, I need to have it blasted, sand blasted?
I am worried about **** getting in to the diff - any one have experience have their diff blasted... otherwise its wire brush..

Question - Sand blasting... go idea?

 

Oh - and while I am here - I plan to drop the tank and clean up some visible rust, I might as well look at the exhaust....
The back end anyway.

 

Looking at videos of the pillion seal replacement, I noticed the diff cover is missing a top cover.
Should this car have this top cover on the diff cover?
I am not sure as it is missing.....

[img alt="Diff Cover & Diff Cover - Cover...
Should a 1994 car have this cover?"]https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech.com-vbulletin/1108x637/screenshot_2025_04_21_194417_f379e0ec372315b476e6d 12e457f87c18a95ab76.png[/img]
Diff Cover & Diff Cover - Cover... Should a 1994 car have this cover?

 

Great color choice ... but you get the idea of the top cover...

 

The pinion seal isn’t hard to replace. Once you get the cover off pull the axle tabs with a magnet, pull the axle shafts, pull the carrier, pinion yoke comes out and you got access to the seal.

never seen that upper metal bracket but I haven’t worked on the 93-97 fbodys

looks like your making quick progress

 

Thanks - I have never worked on an American car before, I am enjoying the process.
I am saving for Strano springs and Koni shocks - so I am doing low cost stuff at the moment.

Started cleaning up caliper one... not even sure which side I am doing first.
Plan is to paint them and re kit...

Also decided not to bead / media blast the DIFF - not worth the risk of getting crap inside.
So I will be doing it by hand with wire stuff attached to everything I can attach a wire thing too..


Soaked in Degreaser and scrubbed with a stiff brush. Then a wire wheel on the large areas and finally after a hot water wash - sand blast in my home cabinet half way though the sand blast. Its not aggressive like a commercial job..

[img alt="Once it finished, degrease and hit it with some primer and high temp paint...

Now what colour?"]https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech.com-vbulletin/2000x2000/20250422_212336_1__88e25c9611990e304c58069376a3a84 90ed4b992.jpg[/img]
Once it finished, degrease and hit it with some primer and high temp paint... Now what colour?

 

Looking good..

 

Work has continued.. cleaning Oh and more cleaning, then some cleaning...
It does not seem like much is done, but I have spent quite a bit of time doing it...

Diff has been wire brushed, degreased and I am waiting on parts to rebuild, once these parts are here and have been installed.
I will paint the diff. So I have removed the Axles, seals and bearings.
One of the bearing shells was not moving, I had to resort to the old arc weld method, this always works and the bearing shell just falls out.
Lay some weld on the shell and it shrinks. Job done.


Lay some weld down, and the shells just fall out. Great trick.

Looking cleaner after a wire brush, time to pull the axles, seals and bearings

Pinion seal leak, while the axles are out I will change the seal, I am thinking of doing it the proper way, when I work out what that is. But new crush washers.. I have a DTI to measure backlash etc. This will be work in progress.

Mint in here, Father in-law never drove it hard... I look forward to it!

There is a mark where the seal runs, but not enough to worry about, I can sort of feel it with my finger nail... it maybe a mind thing, thinking I can feel it... but my guess it will be ok, for standard seals, not a seal saver ... unless I am wrong?

Waiting for parts...

Not sure if the Universal joints need changing. They don't look good. And I actually never felt them to see how they feel.. Yea I know. I just decided to change them.

In the bin...

In the bin...

Cleaning up the discs...

Rotors are off to be plated, to stop rust, then painted...

 

Koni Sport Shocks for the rear, will be here tomorrow...
Need to order the Starno Springs..

Lots of parts on order, the under body of the car is very clean, and not much rust.
A few spots here and there, plan to spray in the cavities once the tank is out. I can see rush around the edge seam.
I will cut a trap door for the fuel pump, while it is easy to do.
All the bolts and bits are off being plated, after being wire wheel cleaned.

 

[img alt="
A better picture of the axle and the seal wear."]https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech.com-vbulletin/2000x2000/20250509_180927_8ea3ce9bf8317887af4b604356d1959198 5e2db9.jpg[/img]
A better picture of the axle and the seal wear.

 

The stripping continues - as does the purchasing of parts.
I have plated one of the discs to stop rust, now I will paint it and it will be good to go for a while.
The plating will come off with the brake pads - it will be interesting to see how long the rust protection lasts...

Long term plan will be bigger brakes, why? Bigger is better correct!
This will be down the road.

Have wire brushed Nut & Bolts - them sent them off for plating..

Look Like New ...

Need to paint the Disc now...


Painted a caliper and started the assembly... only done one so I can copy the other one...





Just need BITS... love new BITs...



Right moved on to removing the exhaust and fuel tank and everything in the way.
Started by mixing up ATF and Acetone in a glass jar, this is the best stuff for rusty bolts. Mix it well - it stink like hell, the acetone carries the ATF in to the microscopic gaps to pernitrate and then evaporates increasable !
I did this on all the bolts and everything came undone with out much effort.