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Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I just started on one a few weeks ago for my 11 year old son. It will be his first car. 1992 z28 hard top 5.7 car. 223k miles on the clock and it's been beat hard. Rod knock bent suspension and crappy wheels. But 400 bucks and the color had me at hello lol. The car is straight and never wrecked. Just needs everything. So we have 5 years to bring him back.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
how I found her.
finished (almost)
found this through a friend, lady who owned it since 1986 - been to Florida, overseas (Dubai) and back to Texas where the engine gave way about 4 years ago and sat in a driveway untouched. All original interior, Ive redone engine, trans, paint, brakes, decals, emblems...you name it. Great project with a great friend, was a very interesting year but I couldn't NOT try to revive her.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Bought my car about 4 years ago. It was a 2.8 auto car, I bought it because the body was straight, mostly rust free, and it was way cheaper and in better physical condition than what Z28's and Iroc's were selling for. After driving it for about a month the 2.8 threw a rod. After sitting for a while I built my first motor, a 350 small block and tossed it in. Unfortunately I cheaped out and didn't have the cylinders professionally honed so the rings didn't seal and she blew smoke like a mf.
After sitting again with a blown motor, I finally started putting together parts for an ls swap little by little, dropped in a 5.3, and the rest is history.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I think I may have saved mine. It had good paint (with four major/medium blemishes) and the interior was very good but the kid didn't know how to work on cars so it sat mostly for two years. Not counting the kid, it was a two owner car with 117,000 miles and not messed with. His boss had given it to him in lieu of some payment. Some/little maintenance done throughout the years. Top was broken, HVAC didn't work, brakes pulled, everything was off. Replaced everything but the big pieces on powertrain. Everything on suspension.
Hatch pulldown, tonneau, tach, everything. And I'm still not close to done. Paint/dents need to be fixed, doors, driver's seat broken, steering play... ugh. I can't believe I drove it from Fresno to LA in February and made it.
Last edited by Tootie Pang; 11-02-2017 at 08:32 AM.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Well, as it turns out just last week...
As it turns out, I was shopping for a "parts" car and came across this 82 Berlinetta Sport Coupe. My guess is that it would have had a date with the crusher had I not hauled it home for the princely sum of $750 CDN (or $577 USD). I wasn't expecting much but when I had it up on the car dolly, a closer look showed an underside that is possibly the cleanest/most rust free that I've come across. I thought my Virginia purchased 86 (about 10 years ago) was good but this thing shines in comparison (but I'll admit the inspection has been superficial to this point). Throw in the new tires and the mint Z28 15" rims and it's almost paid for itself.
The LQ1 has been partially disassembled and the transmission is a Metrimatic 3 speed. The interior is all black and looks to be in decent shape. Sadly the dash pad isn't worth much (but I was hoping).
At some point someone attempted a respray with what looks to be a base/clear with only the red base sprayed. (and a very sub-par job of masking!)
A glass Z28 hood too.
Now the hard part.
I've been considering a dedicated track car. My 86 coupe is a great street car and has the potential to knock down 11's if I diverge from the street trim suspension. That's working with an old school Gen 1 355. All the good bits are there. Or do I strip this latest purchase down to nothing and build something truly track orientated?
Anyway, that's my story. Thanks for listening.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I'm not 100% sure that I saved mine from death, but it was definitely not going to go anywhere anytime soon. When I bought it from a coworker, it had been sitting in his barn for 6 years rotting away. Tires were rotted and shot. It was coated in bird crap and dirt and barely rolled, all of the hoses need to be replaced, battery long dead, no power even when being jump started, but the underside and frame were solid with some minimal surface rust. The interior had the usual mouse pee smell from sitting, but i've smelled worse. Overall the car looked like it was in good shape and I was looking for a project to work on. And, for $2500, I couldn't pass up an 88 IROC Z28 with a 5.7L TPI engine that was painted in 96 Dodge Viper GTS 10 Blue, which is almost my favorite color.
I got it home and gave it a car wash and the car turned out to be beautiful underneath all of the dirt, minus some clearcoat missing/peeling. I cleaned up the engine bay and replaced the battery, did an oil change, and replaced the air filter. I tried to start the car and it turned over real easily but wouldn't start. Which leads me to it's current state of having the gar tank, fuel pump, fuel sending unit, all fuel lines, all brake lines and calipers, and the oil cooler lines are being replaced. I would have done that but I don't have any way to lift the car up well enough to do all of it. I've got some suspension and steering left to do and the full exhaust to get it street legal again.
I haven't quite figured out how to add pictures, but here's a link to my pictures of it starting from where I found the car in the barn, to just after the car wash the day after I got it home. https://www.thirdgen.org/g/album/8518922
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Well IMO if the car doesn't run do to a blown engine and is put away in a barn, garage or left to rot and someone cares to bring it back to life, then it's a save from the grave. Mine I found in a garage stored under stuff for 10 years because of a cracked block. Motor was toast! Got it for $1500 can.
Body and interior in great shape but mechanically destroyed. Everything mechanical needed to be replaced. But now finished and born again.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
just got me an 87 iroc z this is my very first car..... that i will be restoring for probably a year cause i dont have the money but the drivers floor pan and rear trunk area are rusted through and i wanted to know if yall had any idea besides me cutting out the parts of my other 87 parts camaro???? plz help
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
where is the parts list your talking about.....i also need a z28 hood with the louvers cause my hood is to far gone i think and id much rather just get another one thats not rusted
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Originally Posted by 87TCamaro
just got me an 87 iroc z this is my very first car..... that i will be restoring for probably a year cause i dont have the money but the drivers floor pan and rear trunk area are rusted through and i wanted to know if yall had any idea besides me cutting out the parts of my other 87 parts camaro???? plz help
You need to start your own thread with questions to keep from railroading or cluttering up this thread.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Start (front) Start (rear) Done (except it's always something)
Here's mine: Six coats of paint to cover red. No yellow camaro's in 1991 (model change at factory for 4th gens), so '91 yellow for Corvette was used. Won a state prize for best body work.
Last edited by James Sutton; 08-07-2018 at 06:48 PM.
Reason: More
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
My son had a small accident with my 92 RS back in 2015. Almost let it go to the insurance company but it still ran after removing some bent stuff.
I had to remove the radiator support and a part of the upper frame on the drivers side. The lower frame was not hurt.
My son (who wrecked it) welded on the new support and part of the upper frame.
Long story short, I only needs paint now, I plan on a new engine sometime soon too.
It has never been in a shop since the accident. I did all the body work and repairs.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Originally Posted by lprins
My son had a small accident with my 92 RS back in 2015. Almost let it go to the insurance company but it still ran after removing some bent stuff.
I had to remove the radiator support and a part of the upper frame on the drivers side. The lower frame was not hurt.
My son (who wrecked it) welded on the new support and part of the upper frame.
Long story short, I only needs paint now, I plan on a new engine sometime soon too.
It has never been in a shop since the accident. I did all the body work and repairs.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Found this car listed for 1500 as a parts car down the road from me, so I went over and took a look, not expecting much. Got there and it was almost entirely rust free and a hardtop L98! So despite the near decade of filth and not being started, I took the chance and dragged it home. Last few months have been full of replacing tired parts, and bringing the cosmetics back up to snuff. Original paint is now shining, and the car drives almost perfectly! Here are are some pics from day one
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Originally Posted by dagwood
Awwwww man I want to find a car like that!!! And that kind of deal!!!
They almost never come up in my area, which is why I jumped on it so quick! Funny enough, I found the car while waiting for my better half to have her Lasik eye surgery done, and dragged her out 100% blind right from the office .. she wasn't thrilled
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
Originally Posted by thtanner
I found my car in the desert of California about 2 years ago. It was rusting away and probably a few months from a crusher.
Bought it because it ran. Too bad the engine had a bad cyl I didn't detect.
New engine rebuild, paint, suspension, interior bits.. and here we are today.
Wow! My white IROC had a paint job that was almost in the exact same shape as yours. I just dropped it off for new paint. I'll have to share my story when the job is done
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
bought this 85 Camaro stripped of all drivetrain, interior and wiring. Original owner had plans to drag car and figured he didnt need any of it. Most parts came from an 88 GTA w/digital dash and power lumbar seats. Converted car to a T56, C5 brakes, HSR, Mufflex, UMI connectors, Founders suspension w/Eibach pro
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I'll play also!
My wife has been wanting a GTA 5.7 of her own. She has several of mine that she can drive, but wanted this one to be hers.
We found it in a pretty rough shape; a 1988 5.7 GTA, Black Cloth Interior, 95k miles, Arizona car, and NO RUST! We looked it over and she said to me we ought to get it and...In HER words...."Put a couple of grand in it and I'll drive it!" Boy that snowballed!!
The car never left the place that we bought it from. My paint and body guys eventually caved and said they would take on the task of disassembling it and doing it up right. And then IT started.
We bought the new Fiberglass Aero Wing from Hawks and it was worked over prepping for paint. All in all, it formed and fit really well
While I was collecting, buying, and finding all the pieces, Bill Goebel and his entire team at Checker Auto Repair in Huntsville Alabama worked the car over....and over....and over. They removed everything from the car and went to work sanding, filling in some small dents and dings, and prepping it all. It was finally ready for primer and paint. We decided to go with the 2 stage Basecoat/Clearcoat BASF Glasurit Flame Red Metallic. I helped when and where I could, mostly assembling the car once painted.
A new Weatherstripping kit was installed, new door glass for both doors including motors were installed.
A new set of Flame Red Metallic GTA of Emblems from Classic Industries were installed. I searched for a NOS Front GTA nose emblem for months and finally found one in Nevada. As some know, the new nose repro emblem does not have the proper curvature. I paid dearly for this.
It was then hauled to our home for another couple of months for completion.
The interior was removed and sent to my upholster Lynn Henley in Huntsville for a complete make over. I ordered 4 yards of the original black cloth material from SMS Fabrics in Washington state. The seats were repaired where needed with new foam and the turned out fantastic
I installed the new 17" GTA Crosslace Rims from Hawks along with Firestone Indy 500 275/40/17 Tires
New Hawks Fenderliners were installed along with spray undercoating in the other wheel wells.
KilMat Sound deadening was installed throughout the interior except the roof to quiet it down...highly recommended.
New carpet from ACC, headliner, visors, door panels, console lid, and other switches and things the needed replaced due to wear.
Alpine 149BT CD Bluetooth Receiver, Amps,10"Subs, and speakers for tunes!
Engine detail and minor repairs were made.
UMI suspension, shocks/struts and Wonder Bar were installed.
Washer Tank and Radiator Overflow Tanks are new from Classic Industries.
And way too many other things to mention!!!
Clips and Fasteners.com LOVE me and I replaced all the ones needed throughout the assembly process.
A very special Thank You goes out to firebirddude142, AKA Brett Thomas in Michigan for supplying me with everything I ever asked for. I actually helped fund his wedding last year!!!! You ever need parts, Brett is your go to guy.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
OK I'm in, I like this thread to all the others nice job! I have only started mine its kind of a back burner car as I have several projects and others that are pretty well done, I went to get a part for my wife's Tahoe and the newest project was found languishing under a tree and was neglected, poorly repaired and rigged! Its a 1990 Formula 350 that was somebody's baby that was sold to the wrong person! So here's where it started - its a work in progress and it turned out to have a couple nice surprises with it. I paid $780 delivered for her maybe in couple years I can Edit in a completed pic
Absolutely filthy was under trees for a good while
Got it home and I had to wipe it down with a wet towel - still has some shine from original paint but like Elvis the clear coat has left the building
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I'll jump in on this one. In September of 2018 I was going through some files and found an old registration for the Camaro sport coupe I owned from 1989 until I traded the car with some cash for an 87 GN in 2005. For some reason I decided to google the vin and I found the owner was a buy here/pay here lot about 45 minutes from me. It was owned by a commercial entity, so it showed the owner - this is not the case with private owners, at least not in Ohio. A couple days later I went to the lot and described the car to the guy there. He knew the car and where it was. We walked WAY back in a field and there it was. It apparently sat for most of the 12 years I did not have it. They sold it for about 6 months and repo'd it. I paid a few hundred more than what it was worth, but it was the same car I owned, the one my wife and I went on our first date in. You get it....... I worked my way through college doing stereo installs and this car was my rolling display. I had built a bunch of custom panels for the doors and kicks - It was all still there. In fact the only thing missing were the wheels it had when I last saw it.
The pics show where it sat and it's trip back to my house. The second last one is as it sits now. The last one is as it was in 2005.
It needed new drivers side floor and a few misc spots repaired. I just replaced the rear end with a 9 bolt and have all the stuff for the front suspension waiting to be installed. It's getting a 6.0 and a killer stereo system. Have not decided on paint color, but I think I'd like to keep the original scheme. Maybe not, who knows. I'll try to post a build thread at some point.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
This was my '83 Firebird. I asked my Dad to keep an eye out for a clean, straight F-Body. He came home from the auction with a rust-free, but beat down v6 base model Firebird. It was previously female owned and she had painted a bunch of trim purple. Over the next 15 years, I replaced everything except the body shell and one of the front fenders. Here is the before:
Purple louvers and 14" wheels... what a looker.
The 'During': Getting unloaded at the painter.
And the 'After': Corvette Admiral Blue, Harwood cowl hood, 91 Formula bumpers, flush doorhandles, 4th gen wing, C4 brakes, Boze forged wheels. Done.
Engine Before: The 2.8 V6 with a ton of miles and no maintenance. But it did have a purple splatter-painted air cleaner, which is nice.
Engine- During: Empty engine bay 2.0. This is actually after the 383 had been in it for a while and I pulled it back out to paint the engine bay. Apparently the transmission drain pan was loaned out to someone else that day.
Engine- After: Romito Racing Engines-built 383 with a big cam and a hidden vacuum pump to make the power brakes work. Yes, I know the braided upper radiator hose cover is lame. Oh yeah, it had nitrous on it too.
Interior Before: As bad as it looks in this picture-- it was actually worse.
Interior During- At least the floors were spotless. Vice grip window crank for the win.
Interior- After: This interior was sourced from literally about 10-12 cars to get all nice pieces. Only the carpet and headliner were brand new.
I spent 15 years (on & off) building it and once completed, I kept it for less than a year. In good news, I did recover 1/3 of what it cost me to build it when it sold. I took it to one car show-- Thirdgenfest-- where it won Best Firebird Modified, Best Engine, and Best of Show. Most expensive trophies ever.
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I’m almost ready to start a new thread...”cars on the way to the grave!” Been waiting far too long for Amazon to ship me my damn Schumacher battery charger! This Covid-19 nonsense needs to come to an end! Ok...maybe I’m being a little dramatic 😐
Re: Cars SAVED from the GRAVE -- share your story!
I rescued this 1996 Trans Am from its grave where it had been sitting for almost 10 years. The only money I have into it, is what it cost to get it running, and tires/exhaust. I also got 2 other 4th gens with it. I made a deal with a guy that worked at the local parts store.
10-07-2017, 11:01 PM
