I just purchased an 86 camaro z28 with the 305 for $800, and it's cheap because it does need some electrical and mechanical work. Plus the mileage is iffy...nobody knows the true mileage, but I'll just say it's 212k if the odometer is correct and the mileage o nthe last title is somewhat accurate.

A couple of things. One is the tach. The tach 0s out (well, nearly 0s, more like 500s out) when the key is set to run. After starting though, the tach pegs to 7k. When shutting the car off, the tach slowly steps down to 0. Is the tach itself bad? Or is it a resistor issue (yes, I've tried searching the best I could before posting this)? I can't imagine a bad wire (from ign to tach) being the issue.

Another thing is the oil pressure gauge. It's built under the tach. A lot of times it'll read 60psi at idle. Sometime's it'll camp out at 60PSI the entire time, other times it'll wiggle a bit, but there's no pattern to it. Is this gauge bad too, or is it the pressure sending unit? If it's the sending unit, where are those located on the 305s?

Let's see...what else.

Oh, the fuel gauge is pegged past E 24/7. Doesn't matter how much gas is in the tank. I'm trying to figure out if it could be a bad sending unit, or a short.

The dimmer switch seems to have dead spots, at least I believe it's the switch. Whenever moving it around to illuminate (the poorly lighted to begin with) cluster, it'llc cut in and out. There doesn't really seem to be much of a change in brightness either.

The wipers...they seem to only work on the hi setting, but randomally they'll turn on/off by themselves.

Is the console gear selector supposed to be illuminated as well?

One more thing that I can think of right now is the trunk. There seems to be some sort of electrical prongs on the trunk lid, and I'm guessing they make contact with a plate below it. What's the purpose of this?

That's all for now...sorry I asked so many questions, but I'm 100% new to the F-body world (I own an A-body as well, and that's the only thing I'm familiar with at this point).

 

"One more thing that I can think of right now is the trunk. There seems to be some sort of electrical prongs on the trunk lid, and I'm guessing they make contact with a plate below it. What's the purpose of this?"

when the prongs make contact with the plate it triggers the electronic pulldown motor if you gently place your trunk lid down it will pull down ans lock automatically

 

Fuel gauge is probably a bad sending unit in the tank. You can check it if you want by pulling it and running through the full to empty position checking the resistance throughout/graphing it, but it is likely smoked and in need of replacement. The dimmer switch is just that...the switch. It has probably over time gotten corroded/bad or burnt spots and is now on or off in spots. Replace the dimmer switch and that will probably rid you of that issue. The gear selector/center console does have a light for the gear selector part...check the bulb...might be burnt out. Could be hacked wiring...see if you have power to the wiring to the bulb with the lights on...but probably a bad bulb.

 

[QUOTE=quick90rs;4334021when the prongs make contact with the plate it triggers the electronic pulldown motor if you gently place your trunk lid down it will pull down ans lock automatically[/QUOTE]

Wrong - the pulldown motor is activated by it's own switch inside the hatch motor - the three prongs operate the third brake light in the spoiler.