RStein

Bought the car for $200. She doesn't run (yet) and needs a lot of body work (rust, hail damage, wing pulling away) but couldn't pass up the deal.

TPI
SAM_0638.jpg?t=1394657047
Heres some pics of the rust
SAM_0640.jpg?t=1394657060
SAM_0642.jpg?t=1394657061
SAM_0643.jpg?t=1394657062
More things to fix


Had trouble getting the hail damage to show up on camera

New dash?
SAM_0647.jpg?t=1394657075
What should be here?

The back seat
SAM_0652.jpg?t=1394657099




But for $200 I'm not complaining

maks10

great buy....looks good....hope to see more, good luck with it

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

good deal, the wheels alone could sell for $200

Edwardgp

Snapped my neck out of place trying to look at your pictures. Might have to go to the chiropractor.

jrhaus76

You're welcome.

The car is worth more than $200 in scrap. You did good. Seller... not so much.

Van Nuys born

Funny !!

Great deal ... and looks pretty nice.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

200 bucks?!?! I've dropped more at Chuck E. Cheese.

I'd say you did great!

Restrorob

iTrader: (7)

Twist your monitor on end next time !


Great Score.....

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Nice, what motor ya got in there?

jrhaus76

Lmao!!!!

RStein

I think it has a 350 tpi

90camaro355rs

good looking car, good luck with your rebuild, keep us updated on your progress

jrhaus76

Look under the hood.....











There should be a sticker on the bottom of the hood that will say. I think. Can't exactly remember. Or check the SPID list.

Caveman305

iTrader: (8)

post the 8th digit of the vin, it will tell you what motor was in the car from the factory

if it has been changed your going to have to look at the block id numbers

RStein

Posted some new pics. Let me know what you think

jrhaus76

Looks pretty solid, especially for $200

Chad85T/A

iTrader: (1)

In pic #10. That's where the fog light switch is in my 85.

Linson

whether or not you got a good deal is entirely dependent on what you want out of that car. looking at all the rust, body damage, ratty interior etc., for $200 bucks, i'd say somebody was looking to get rid of their headache/hopeless money pit.

if you just want a nice car that runs and drives, then you probably were a penny wise and a pound foolish as the saying goes, because it will cost thousands to get that car into any kind of "presentable" condition. if you want to build a badass supercar from scratch (what i would do with it) then you did okay.

dont be offended. i like the car, and i love Formulas. i'm only trying to help. this is what i would do:

1. get mentally ready for a very long (possibly years long project) unless you've got plenty of disposable cash.
2. procure garage/covered storage space for the car if you dont already have it.
3. yank everything off of and out of the car (engine, tranny, wiring, every bit of interior including carpet - everything.)
4. get the body straight.
5. acquire an LS powerplant and matching transmission.
6. repaint/refurbish/replace all interior components.
7. address the wheel/tire/brake/rear-end/suspension set-up in its entirety.
8. install all wiring and interior - stereo included.
9. install powerplant and transmission, get car running.
10. apply gloss black paint.

Linson

if it has an automatic transmission, then the 140 MPH speedo, to me, indicates that it has a 350. i think the 305 TPI cars with autos had 120 MPH speedos. someone please correct me if i'm wrong.

RStein

I know what this car is going to take. That's why I did not buy it as a daily driver. My current goal is to get the car running. I know this car will take me a long time to complete, I knew that before I bought the car. I have already accepted that 10 years from now this car still may not be the way I want it be. I did not buy a $200 car expecting it to be anywhere near show quality. I bought the knowing I had a project that I could do what I wanted with when I have the funds in the future.

Just because I'm young, doesn't mean I'm stupid

90camaro355rs

RStien don't sweat what anyone says about your car, if your happy with what you bought, that's all that matters. Looking at the rust, most looks like surface stuff, seats and interior you can get in a junk yard some of that stuff is in really good shape, some not so good, if you have a plan of attack on your car, I say good luck to you. I bought a 90rs with no engine or trans wrecked in the front end dash removed all wiring removed a hatch full of parts for 200.00, it now has a 355 full roller engine changed it to a 5 speed, had to buy all the wiring harness for the car rewire the entire inside, I still need to change the left front fender, had to change the nose shampoo the interior a lot.

If I knew how to load pics and videos I would put all them up from day one to now, don't know how to though. if you take your time and don't get frustrated it will be fun.

Linson

good. just because i'm in my late 30's doesnt mean i'm smart. i was just saying what I would do if i had your car.

personally, i think worrying about getting the car running, with all the other issues that it has, is putting the cart before the horse. all the damage and rust, etc., is a perfect reason to build it from the ground up. but, on the other hand, whenever i buy a car or take on a project, my goal is always to have something super slick. you may have a different philosophy/different goals. i built up my L98 in my 89 Formula 350, but if i had it to do over again, i would have sought out an LS2 or LS3, since i was starting from scratch anyway. i think the fact that there was only 29K miles on the car, conciensely or sub-conciensely persuaded me to keep the oringinal engine.

i'z only trying to help.

RStein

Tried replacing the starter today. 2 hours later its cold and dark and the old one is still stuck in

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Odd that it has a non-cruise control turn stalk but has a cruise control unit under the hood. (im sure it was swapped in because its cheaper or it was free)
The panel that's hacked up and has a red switch in it either has a block of panel (yours should) or it would have a fog light switch if it was a T/A or base bird with ground FX.
The black cover that's on the AC should be on the front of the air diverter solenoid.

Get it running and find out what all is wrong with it (b4 teardown) and for gods sake, go leave some 11s on the road..

Edwardgp

Welcome to the forum, know all about the cold wet and dark auto repair. Try again when it gets light out.

QUICKCHICKEN

iTrader: (12)

I disagree with this

and agree with this.

on my sons 83 T/A were going to get it running and shake the car down to find all the issues from its sitting up and then work on the rest.

when doing a resto on a house you don't put up the sheet rock and paint it before tending the bad plumbing and electrical.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

I agree. Get it running and see what's what.....

jrhaus76

Agreed. Get it running.

Linson

really kind of surprised that no one else sees where i'm coming from on my advise to RStein. judging by the pictures, it looks to me like EVERYTHING needs to be refurbished or replaced (that is, in order for this to be a "nice" car.) i'm not being disrespectful to RStein or his car - to the contrary - i'm being respectful enough to assume that he realizes that that car is TRASHED and is able to acknowledge that fact and still carry on a conversation. in the somewhat unlikely event (50/50 proposition at best) that this Formula can be made drivable for very little time/money investment, then it will still be a very TRASHED Formula driving down the road. I wouldn't want to drive a trashed 3rd Gen like that nor would I prefer seeing one in that condition being driven around rather than in a garage being restored. I do realize that this may not be everyone's philosophy.

maybe some of you are saying to find out if the engine/car will run, as a baseline of information in order to determine if an overhaul/engine replacement (which I would do anyway) need$ to be an initial concern.

someone posted something about [not tearing down a house until you know what's wrong with it...] well, I think that in many cases, you can safely assume that everything is wrong. car seems to have been sitting outdoors for a very long time. clearly, the previous owner gave less than a FUUUUUUUQ about this car. obviously the body needs to be fixed. for best results, the engine, trans, and interior (at least) should be stripped from the car before doing the body work. then is the perfect opportunity (no matter how long it take$) to refurbish (which can mean something as simple as a rattle-can treatment) or replace (with new, used, stock, or better components to have a truly nice car.

maybe the pictures appear worse to me than they do to the rest of you. but, by the looks of things, it seems like everything's gonna have to come out anyway. seems like the easiest thing to do would be to take everything out, fix the body, then put new/refurbished everything back in. this also seems more efficient and less aggravating than chasing down no doubt a million little problems one by one.

RStein

Trust me I know this car is trashed. I would love to tear this car down tomorrow, rebuild the engine, new transmission, ect. BUT.... I need everyone to realize that at this point I do not have the resources to do so. I don't have a garage to keep it in (it's currently under a car cover) nor do I have an engine lift, paint gun, or anything else I would need to properly restore this car the way I want it. I'm only 18 and come from a poor family, I hope to make it through college and get a job where I can afford the things I need for this car and afford to spend my weekends working on it. I can't do that right now. My only time to work on this car is maybe a few hours each week after school when I don't have to work. Trust me when I say I REALLY REALLY would love to have this car torn apart and stripped of paint, rust, interior and everything else. My goal to get it running is to drive it to my senior prom (in the dark). If I still have the car (hopefully I do) after college and have a good job, I Will restore this car properly. If I find I cannot do this I will either sell it or save up and buy another third gen in good condition and use this one as a donor car. I hope this helped clear up why I am doing what I'm doing with this car.

TEDSgrad

iTrader: (4)

You picked a great model year! (I'm biased)
Don't be afraid to ask for advice, and do grow thick skin. It's not always possible to interpret intent, and good advice can always be misinterpreted or taken out of context - the web is difficult, sometimes, and sometimes it is a great help and wealth of information.
Put a battery in: check electrical, fuses, get that starter to turn over - replace fluids before attempting (gas & crankcase oil for now) - see if fuel pump will pump out was is in tank (open line at fuel filter), replace with good gas, verify fuel pressure at rail. Post up your results. We're here to help. We can talk spark after we know you have fuel pressure and its turning over.
Where in WI are you?

RStein

Rice Lake

frankinmaro

iTrader: (4)

She's a diamond in the rough. Slow and steady, nickel and dime, and she'll be done in no time. Great find for $200 congratulations.

Buggy Disaster

iTrader: (1)

Nice Find!

Dude I say get the thing running. Then, assuming that it runs great,

1. Clean it up real good. Interior and exterior.

2
Take a trip to autozone. Grab some degreaser. Then two cans of high temp spray paint, such as silver and black. Thats $20 bucks out the door. Use the silver for majority of the engine parts, and the black for the firewall and strut towers. A few hours of work, and your bay would look TONS better.

I did this with my 1991, this cost me just shy of 20 bucks, and about 2-3 hours. Most of that time was waiting for paint to dry in between coats.



After,




3.
As far as the exterior, take some sand paper ($8), sand down the exposed rust, and grab some etching primer($7), and some black paint, spray paint will even do($5). And paint the areas. It wont look perfect, but will look TONS better than having exposed rust.


4.
Then take a trip to the junkyard. Have a field day. Find some seats that look good. They dont even have to be from an Fbody, as guys are retrofitting all types of seats in these cars. You can find other misc items you need too. Remember that a junkyard works similar to a yard sale. The prices are often not set in stone, and there is wiggle room. Especially when you find a nice car guy, that is willing to help you out.

4B. If you dont find seats at the junkyard, just get some seat covers. Guessing here, around $50

I was able to find brand new racing seats, that weren't ever used on CL, for 100 bucks. I thought it was a steal.
This was in the IROC that I owned.
Before,


After,







So for around 40 bucks in paint, and between 50-150 in seats, your motor looks great, exterior looks alot better, and interior looks good. Now the car is at the point where you can really enjoy the car. And once your a little more settled and have some money to play with, restore it properly.

Thats just some advice/input coming from another college student.

Buggy Disaster

iTrader: (1)

I do agree with Linson in most cases. If you want a nice car, just jump right in and replace things that SHOULD be replaced. Yeah, it can be considered over kill, and pricey, but, you know what you have, and you know it is done right. It saves you time and money in the future, by not having to do things twice, maybe three times. However, budgets are budgets. If the budget doesn't allow, its hard to do it.

chazman

iTrader: (4)

Great post! Once the car is running, you can cheaply improve it's appearance. It won't be a show car, but it can look much better than it does now. Never underestimate what lots of elbow grease and some spray cans can do for you.

RStein

Finally got the starter out. Had to break one of the wires off to get it out but that's an easy enough fix. Too bad its rain/snow scheduled for my next two days off.

RStein

-UPDATE- Got the starter in and hooked up, power lead to the starter was dead. Jumped the starter and got the car to turn over and fire. Still has a few small problems. The engine has a knock, leaks a little gas, brights are stuck on, and the breaks are terrible. got to drive it for about 2 minutes before it died down the street. installing a push button start later this week hopefully to by pass the power lead.

TEDSgrad

iTrader: (4)

There's an in-line fuse-able link. Check that out!
Great to hear it's running.

RStein

Got to really drive it today. Got a new battery and wired the push button start. It leaks gas really bad from a hose on the rear end, going to replace this later this week. I do need some help with something though. After I drove it for about 5 miles when I got home I noticed smoke coming from under the passenger seat. The floor got soo hot that the carpet started smoldering. Dumped some water under there to keep it from catching. What can I do to stop this?

Chad85T/A

iTrader: (1)

It would just about have to be the cat being too close to the floor and getting too hot.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Clogged Cat. Or rodents packed nuts and acorns in the exhaust system

formula forever

drop the exhaust take a look. Its prob the cat or pluged up exhaust

RStein

Cats haven't been getting as hot any more. I think whatever was clogging them came out of the tail pipes as black smoke. On a side note, might have a different 350 lined up for free to replace this one.

TEDSgrad

iTrader: (4)

Incremental goals achieved along the way are priceless. When is/was your Prom?

Free Motor - well....you certainly are keeping within your budget! Remember to spend a little on the lady along the way, too.

RStein

The car didn't make it to prom, that was the first day I had it running but not ready by any means. The free motor will be a huge help since i can not seem to find where this knock is coming from. Next project for the car is stopping the gas leak.

RStein

UPDATE
Car runs and drives. Have ran into a few issues but got them all fixed. Parked the car for the winter and wont get to drive it again until the snows gone. Took the rotted out spoiler off and i am looking for a new one to replace it.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Cool. Is it running WITH the new motor or the old one that knocks? And if its the old motor, did you fix the knock? Just curious

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

A motor knocking can be as easy as a broken flywheel or as bad a s spun bearing.

RStein

The new engine isnt in yet. The knocking was a combination of a bad spark plug and an exhaust manifold leak. I want to get the new engine in the car in the spring/ summer. Want to get the engine painted first and might even try to swap in a manual transmission. I dont know if im being too ambitious with that. Want to make everything under the hood look good when i do the engine swap.