drabina

I have found an 87 Z28 for sale. The owner states that the car has an original 5.7 carbureted engine. Was that even an option in 87? I thought all carb engines for this year were the 305s and 350s had the newly introduced fuel injection. Just doing some research before I drive 1.5 hours to take a look at the car.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

If its an original 87-350 then they took the TPI off and placed a carb. No carb 350s came on these cars stock.

drabina

Thank you. That's what I thought. Most likely the car has the 305 with carb if all is original.

indy82z

iTrader: (5)

Probably an original LG4 car. 87 was the last year for the carburetor.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Look at the VIN. If the 8th character is H, it originally was the carbed LG4. If it's 8, it was the 350 TPI.

Look at the block casting number; conveniently located on top of the bell housing flange, behind the driver's side head, sort of straight down from the wiper motor. That will tell you whether it has a 305 or a 350 block in it.



Look at the top of the block right behind the alternator, in front of the pass side head. There's a section of deck that sticks out maybe an inch or so there, with some numbers stamped on it. The first line is the engine build code; not really useful for much of anything in a 30-some-odd-yr-old ANTIQUE car. The 2nd line is the sequence number part of the VIN of the car it was installed into at the factory. If that line matches the last however many digits of the car's VIN (I think it's about 7 or 8 at that time) then it's the original engine.

If I was the betting kind, my money would be on it still having the original LG4 in it. The SINGLE MOST FREQUENT used car seller LIE about these cars is that they have a 350 in them. "Runs too good to be a 305"; "guy I got it from said"; "doesn't look like a 305"; ALL LIES. Don't fall for it. If I may paraphrase Ronald Reagan CORRECTLY for used-car-seller diarrhea of the mouth: verify first, THEN trust.

drabina

Thank you.

I know that the 87 was the "in between" year when they still had some carb engines and also were introducing FI systems. Is carbed 305 a bad engine? I am not looking for getting performance out of the car. Just trying to get a decent cruiser for the weekends.

randyhummel

get a copy of the RPO sticker that will tell you what the car came with

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Nothing wrong with a clean good running LG4 carbed car as long as you realize its not a race car. Those Quadrajets were pretty hassle-free and the cars got decent on gas for what they were. Same as a TBI L03 car.

1MeanZ

iTrader: (9)

They aren't bad, they are just gutless. But then even TPI cars are gutless by today's standards.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Zackly. Nothing "wrong" with it, as such; just, it's the bottom of the barrel V8. But as long as your expectations aren't too high for motorsports-related activity, sanctioned or otherwise, it's perfectly fine. It's just a 160 HP motor in a 3500-ish lb car though.

drabina

Thanks guys. I know that 160HP is nothing by today's standards. Honestly, if I buy it, it will be the lowest HP car I have owned in more than a decade. Even my wife's N/A four banger Chevy is rated at 168HP and my two V6 cars make double what the Camaro is rated for. I just like how the Camaro looks. That's all. :-)