Hi all,

This is my first car, it's an 87 V6 2.8L. I was hoping this forum could help me out because I am by no means a gearhead, though I'm trying to learn (sorry if my blatant ignorance in cars offends anyone ). I got it off a friend and don't know much about it, except it was a wreck salvage. It does have some non stock parts like the sound system and exahust, and i was told the v6's dont come w/ the things on the hood. After I get it running smoothly I really want to get the body touched up & repainted. With gas around $2.50/gal for regular I think ill keep the v6 though .

Problems:

- Rust (how do i get it off?)
- Rattles when driving
- Some cracks on interior
- Apparently a wreck salvage I can't find the spot were the damage was though.
- A few small dings on the body

- Engine ( sorry if this is the wrong forum ill ask in tech if this is out of place) sometimes shuts off after I start the car If I drive slow, like in a parking lot it has 178,000 miles on it, never rebuilt, don't know if anythings been changed on it. Also runs a little rough when just sitting there sometimes. the previous owner changed oil every 10,000 miles, and the check engine light is on (will get that checked out soon).

any input is appreciated

 

Welcome to the forum.

looks like you have some work cut out for you.

 

well...you deffinatly got your work cut out for you...but it looks lowered...am i the only one noticing that?

but welcome to the forums anyhow lol...you got a good start there just take your time

 

- Rust (how do i get it off?)
>Sand paper, grinder, steel wool, BUT! Keep in mind, its just going to rust again if you dont get it painted or sealed in any kind of way.
- Rattles when driving
>Tighten some screws under the dash, if that doesnt work, find what rattles, take the screw out of it, place a sliver of rubber in between where the part meets what ever it may be mounted to. You can find rubber at home depot or something like lows. Look for the kind that insilates pipes and stuff, works great for so many things.
- Some cracks on interior
>Cracks? Like the dash? Go to the junk yard and find you a replacement part.
- Apparently a wreck salvage I can't find the spot were the damage was though.
>Look under the car at the frame, usually if there was a bad wreck the body shop would have had to put it on a machine that would pull the frame straight, this leaves noticable marks on the frame rails, at the holes.
- A few small dings on the body
>Take it to a body shop and try to get them poped, if they cant pop it they will want to sand off the paint there, smear some bondo on the dent, sand it smooth, and repaint what ever part was damaged, that could get very expensive.. hope that they can pop the dent out.

 

its almost like when i started......and now my baby is all done up but yeah man how old are you? mine is also my first car, got it when i was 15.........you picked a good one man, mines white as well

heres the thread i just made showing a before and after.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=262755

 

Looks like you need some lugnuts!

Good project, looks like it was hit in the front at some point. I would repaint the wheels silver if it was me...

 

That car has "nice project" written all over it. Who knows what gremlins the engine has that need to be taken care of, but if you can manage even a low-end paintjob and some cleaning on the interior - you'll have a very sweet ride.

Welcome to the boards.

 

is it just me or does it look like the front tire was pushed back?

 

hmm I notice that too

 

You said it has a salvage title. Just by going off the pics, looks like the front drivers wheel is back a bit further than it should be, just like 82FirebitrdTA and KillerRS had mentioned above. That might be where the car was damaged.

 

If your planning on keeping this car for any amount of time, then check into rebuilding that V6. 178,000 isn't to bad for the age, but it scares me that the owners only changed oil every 10,000 miles.


Scheduled oil changes are suggested at or around 3,000 miles for any automotive engine.

 

It depends on usage, although 10k is too far under any conditions.

I have my ls1's manual here, and it recommends for mostly highway usage 7500 miles between changes.

 

the previous owner changed oil every 10,000 miles

 

A full synthetic could run 10,000 between changes

 

not saying it wouldnt run, just the amount of dirty oil that gets build up over 10thousand miles is scary , i thought my oil got dirty i can imagine 10thousand miles

 

well, i would personally take it to a body shop, and have them put it on a rack and check the frame alignment. i can guarantee it is off looking at that front wheel. this pig will probably eat tires. i would consider selling it and finding a new project. there is probably a reason it was "repaired" and the wheel is still jacked up...

Josh

 

EXACTLY. If it was a lower-mile Z28 or something you might want to fix it. I wouldn't go throwing a lot of money in a V6 RS that's running poorly and has suspension/frame damage. There's too many nicer ones out there cheap. If the previous owner only changed the oil every 10,000 miles, you know he NEVER did any other maintenance on the car.

 

heh good luck with it. But your the only one that can "pimp" your ride. Wait...Wasnt there one pimp my ride show where they couldnt pimp it because of the frame....LOL

Sorry...Good luck with your project.

Nate

 

not to be rude, but since it is your first car, you will probably wreck it (i did it to may camaro but got it fixed). what im trying to say is that i wouldnt spend too much money on body shops for now until you get good at driving (maybe you're better than me when i was 16). i would try to do what i could with the rust myself or go to maako or auto body america. its also a 2.8L. the good thing about 2.8's is that they run forever, the bad thing is the power. what i would do is try to find an 89-90 pontiac grand prix turbo from a junk yard and grab the computer and motor from it. it would fit on the stock motor mounts cause the 2.8 and the 3.1 are essentially the same motors. im not totally sure about the wiring, but i don't think you would have to do much if you got the computer and motor from the grand prix. you would need to find out more about that. i also dont know how much you would be charged to do that. make sure it runs before you do that though. just some suggestions. somebody slap me if im being stupid.

btw, try to get your car on pimp my ride. they had one that wasnt pimpable so the guy got a new car. either way it would be cool. let us know if you enter. ill definitely vote for you. try overhaulin also.

 

UMMMMM isnt the 3.1 in an 89-90 Grand Prix a front wheel drive motor Im pretty sure it is so I guess................................ SLAP!!!!!

 

i just replaced a motor in a 2002 saab aero. the owner didnt change the oil for 9,000 miles and a big hole appeared in the back of the block. the hole was about 5 inches long and 3 inches high.

 

Looks liek a work in progress, but i've also seen alot worse. My experiance is the only way to get rid of rust for good is remove it. My sisters truck had rusted through quarters so before she got it painted i got some patch panels cut off teh cancer area and welded on new ones smoothed it over and gave it a little glaze and it looks liek brand new, granted i'm a certified welder so results may vary but if its jsut surface rust sand it to metal. YOu have to learn sometime, start reading tech articles and talking to guys on this board as most of us have already been through what you are about to do. Hell my entire paint was pretty much cracking and i had surface rust extremely light on the rook and a few other spots. I'm not saying do all the body work yourself but if you just want it decent, hell give it a shot i wanted mine show quality so i had it done by someone with more skill than i have. You dont need to be an automotive genius to enjoy working on it and figuring stuff out. I really had no huge knowledge of thirdgens before i found thirdgen.org but being on the boards for a few years and looking at what other people were doing and working on i got a good idea of how i wanted mine and how to execute the plan. THirdgens are addictive dude and once you start it is real hard to stop playing with em. And make sure to follow any advic kandied gives you, he's a genius i have found.


Its got alot of potential but definately get the frame checked out!

 

Screw rebuilding the 2.8. For less $ you could get a low milege 3.4 short block ad swap it in. Alot more power and less miles. Rebuilding at 178,000 and you have no idea of its history. You would about need to replace everything anyway. Basically the 3.4 is in the same family as the 2.8. Like a 305 is to a 350. The actual 3.4 block will take all of the 2.8 top end and accessories. swap swap that easy.

Now before everyone jumps on my for saying stick to the v-6 family. I'm assuming that you would probably want the car down for the least amount of time and not want to deal with computer, wiring, and fuel system changes. The 3.4 swap can be as easy as a weekend swap.

Go to the V-6 tech board for 3.4 swap info! I have some info on my performance site (check sig). Still trying to get it ironed out though. Ked has done the swap several times...LT1GUY and I did the swap on my 2.8 car. A few others over there as well have sucessfully done the swap.

 

Too add to this...
>rust...make sure you sand it all the way down with a DA. Get some metal etching primer. You have to treat it as soon as you get the rust of. Humidity over a few hours will bring it back. Prime and paint. I would suggest stripping the whole decklid. If some sopots have blow thru I'm sure there are others that are below the paint that have not popped yet.
>Rattles...these cars rattle. Go after the small stuff first. If that is not it...Basically no matter what you do there are a few rattles. Subframe conectors stop the creaking (check my sig look on handling webpage). As far as the rest...sound proofing is about all you can do to get rid of the rattles. I have virtually iliminated mine. (check stereo link in sig for soundproofing!)
>cracks...local bone yard. Or try Hawks third gen parts...thirdgen resource...ebay. Lots of interior parts floating around to replace yours.
>salvage...would carfax say what and who fixed it? Maybe say who owned it and they can say. If a bodyshop or repair shop can't find what was done try looking there.
>dings....check with a dent Dr locally. they will try to push out dents instead of just filling them with bondo like some shops. Try to get the dents pushed or pulled out first, as best they can, then go to bodyshop for futher repairs.

 

oops, double post...

 

As said before, the first thing to do before deciding that this is the car you want to pour your heart, soul, and wallet into is to find out what damage the car suffered and how solid the frame is.

Look in the areas where the front and rear bumper mount to the body and see if the metal looks to be bent/crumpled at all. Most accidents will lead to damage at atleast one corner of the car and cause some crumpling. See if the paint on any of the fenders or bumpers looks newer than the rest of the car. Then bring it to a shop to get their input on the integrity of the frame.

If all goes well, you have a great basis for a project. If not, enjoy driving it for now and keep your eyes out for a car worthy of your time and money.

PS- Yaaay! my 500th post! :rockon:

 

you definetly got something going on there with the driver side front tire. You'll notice that one of the studs on the tire has been broken off... this could have been just from a way too old part, or it could have been lobbed off in an accident. Either way I'd get a new stud welded in (not much if you can drill out the old stud yourself, and provide the new stud to someone who can weld).

I'm fairly sure you get free estimates for the frame...

maybe it's just me, but doesnt the engine sort of look tilted upwards a little bit, and towards the passenger side, and backwards just a little bit? Maybe I havent enough V6's.... or it's the angle though.

you could have a bent crossmember or something to that extent if that's the case.

It seems your air cleaner is new, and I cant really tell, but I bet that your radiator is fairly new as well. If that's the case then it was definetly a front - end accident.

Looking back at the pictures of the car from the side, you can tell where there's newer paint.... it's sorta sun-burnt on the doors - back, and the gfx... but the hood, front qtr panels, and nose look to have a newer or cleaner paint job.

Anyways, take it to see how much the frame is bent. You dont want to drive around in a unsafe car. 10,000 miles is not a good amount to change the oil, and you can bet that he used the cheapest oil at the store too, or at Jiffy Lube... may wanna start using Mobil 1 Synthetic on that things ASAP, and idle your car with ATF and then change the oil, the ATF will loosen up the gunk in the engine that MUST have accumulated from the 10,000 miles.

You've got a great project, I hope that the frame isnt too horrible though