RayJHT

Ok I have been looking for a project, purchased projects, then sold them. In this constant rotation I keep thinking about buying a 3rd gen Camaro. Long story short my neighbor has one in his garage that he was going to work on. He is moving soon and can not take it with him. It is an 86 Z28 with a very straight body. Here is the good:

Straight body
New rear end
No motor or trans to remove.

The bad:

It is disassembled partially inside
It has two rust spots that are pictured.

I don't mind a project but he says the guy before him converted it to a manual. Also I am going to have to really checkout wiring diagrams because besides the front seats and doors it is in pieces. Every thing is there but hell if I know where it goes. The good part is I can build it back from insulation up how I want it. Now the car will be $500 bucks so it is dirt cheap. I am willing to put about 4K into it to get it up and running and decently put together. What do you all think? Should I get it from him or let him junk it. I was about to buy a new car in a couple months and it would be great to avoid doing so if I can get it up and running good. I can keep my truck and work on the Camaro. I value your input so please chime in.


Passenger side floor board. The driver side front is fine.


Rear driver side floor board.

BrutalGTA

iTrader: (2)

Not to be rude, but seems like a dumb question.. Jump on it and build to you're taste! If it's got a new rear, no motor/Trans and is disassembled but complete, seems like a perfect scenario if you have the space/want to do it right!

RayJHT

Well you guys know what to look out for that is why I asked. Also it only has the rust in the two spots which don't bother me but I didn't know if it was near a structural element or not.

Edit: You know I left something out that popped into my mind. He removed the dash and center console because both were cracked, but he has the replacements. Both t-tops are missing(not a big deal) and you have to lift the door a bit to open it. Could this imply that someone was racing it and it was twisting? Sorry if I sound crazy.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Thirdgen doors sag, and ttops are easy to steal or forget to latch (so I've been told). What I'd be worried about is the rust. Looks like water was sitting on the inside. It's not all that hard to fix but you can bet on it being time consuming. Unless the paint and body is perfect, $4k isnt going to go very far. If you have an Engine and trans just laying around, maybe...

The brutal truth of thirdgens is you'll never build one for less than the same car would cost. Meaning, if you took the $4k and just bought a running car, you'd be further ahead.

RayJHT

Thanks for the input. The body is perfect with zero dents and the paint is ok. Also the rest of the interior has no rust just those two spots. If I upgrade I will just buy a donor car. Cadillacs and Buicks with the LT1 are cheap and easy to find. Also I thought about buying a more expensive car but it also would be nice to know certain were done as I restore it. 4k is just to get the car up and running with interior put together.

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Like Drew said, it is always best to buy the most complete, best car you can for the money - you will be way ahead in the end.

kirkcomer

If it had ethanol gas in the tank its gonna have to be jerked out and probably replaced. I've just wen't through dealing with this old gas on 3 different vehicles. The f-body gas tank is a pain in the butt to drop. It could honestly turn into a expensive project very quick. Would make a good candidate for drag car at the strip... carb motor setup... strip the inside.