Okay, since this will be my first official post about the project I have undertaken, I will give an explanation of why I am here. Then everytime I have a retarded question, I can refer everyone back to this thread.

Personally, I never was much of a fan of Camaros. Well, truth be known, any four wheel vehicle. So don't hold it against me! I have been a motorcycle man for 14 years. Yes, I own and drive a car. An '02 Trailblazer left to me by my dad. That is what makes this so special.

My wife's father passed away when she was 15. Not long after she was born, he had bought a used '87 Camaro, white, T-top Z28. She grew up in that car. She learned to drive in that car. When he passed away, she inherited that car. Unfortuantely, the woman he had married 6 months prior to his death refuses to let her have anything else of her father's.

She took the car when she was 16, but didn't have her license until she was 18. Soon after turning 18, she was able to get the car in street legal condition. This included replacing head lights, brake lights, tires, etc. Just small stuff. The car ran, but not well. Soon after her 18th birthday, she moved out of her mom's house and into a duplex. About five months later, the car stopped running. The landlord told her, "Get the car running or get rid of it."

She had no where she could take the car other than her duplex, so she sold it. When she told me this story for the first time, that was the point where she started squalling and balling.

A year later, we met. We were laying in our bed the second night in our apartment when she told me this story. I made a solemn promise to her right then and there. I would buy that car back, no matter what it took.

Guess what. I bought the car. The guy that bought the car is the nephew of a VERY good friend of mine, who convinced him that he needed to sell the car to me or I would be a very unhappy person. People don't like making me unhappy (except my wife, but that's a different topic that is probably not appropriate here).

When DH (we'll just leave it at that; no, those aren't his initials, you guys are smart enough to figure that one out) bought the car, he replaced the motor with a crate engine. He refuses to sell me the crate engine with the car. No big deal, I hope.

Right now, I don't know a darn thing about cars. My friend is a mechanic, but I don't want to stress that friendship. So, what am I looking at here? Should I replace the motor with an original spec or should I upgrade? I have no idea what I am doing, if that hasn't been made clear. So I am hoping you guys don't mind me picking your brains.

 

So here is my specific question. I have decided that, FOR NOW, I will be purchasing an engine from U-Pull-It. I will be taking a battery and some fuel to ensure the engine I pick will run. Beyond that, I have NO idea what I am doing.

What do I need to ensure that I can get the motor in the '87 and it actually run and be driveable? This is only the first step of many to come, but I would like to get this car running by January 12th. I will have help installing the engine, but I should pretty much be on my own pulling it.

Please realize, again, that I know absolutely nothing about engines, fuel injection, etc. I need the simple, 5 year old answer here. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

More info would be helpful

What year is the car, what engine, year of the JY donor and what engine are you nabbing

Is the harness/ECM intact on your wife's car still or did "DH" hack it up in order to get the initials?

From personal experience I will suggest pulling the engine/trans together from the bottom along with all the suspension. Leave the harness on the engine when it comes out because its a bear to remove in the car. Unplug the ECM/C207/C221 and pull that lead from behind the fender. Unbolt the C100 near the booster and lay it over the engine. Ready to remove

 

That's where I get lost. Here's what I know. Wife's car is an '87 Z28, auto. That's ALL I know. As I said, I know very little about cars.

As far as a JY donor, I'm not even sure what I should be looking for. All I know it I should be looking for either a 305 or 350. That's why I'm here. To learn! LOL

Talked to my friend (the mechanic) who convinced DH to sell me the car back. He will help me but knows very little about this old of a car. He's 37 and has been a GM mechanic for 15 years. He teaches auto-shop at the local community college concurrent enrollment (votech).

I know that the car needs alot of work. And I am willing to admit that I will likely put way more money in the car than it will ever be worth. But this was her father's car. She deserves that much. As far as the harness /ECM being intact, I have no idea, but I doubt it. DH is pulling everything for the engine.

Hope that sheds new light on the situation...

 

87 auto had 3 V8 engine options. 305 carb (eww) 305 TPI (most likely) and 350 TPI

Check the 8th digit in the VIN to know for sure but if its the 305 TPI, upgrading to a 350 isnt a huge stretch. More info about them can be found on the TGO home page

Hopefully for your sake DH just gets irritated and cuts the harnesses leaving you the important parts, the ends

Your JY donor needs to be 86-87 for a plug and play TPI 305/350 install from either a bird or camaro. Other years will work too, with some repinning. Be sure you get the ECM with the new engine. Hunting down a L98 ECM with a PROM gets challenging

 

He may not consider the harnesses and computer as part of the engine, so you may be better off than you think.

You might go look at the 8th character of the VIN to get an idea what it had from the factory. S = 2.8 V6 (LB8), H = 305 V8 with carburetor (LG4), F = 305 V8 with TPI (LB9), 8 = 350 V8 with TPI (L98).

 

Okay, I talked to DH's wife tonight. 8th digit F in VIN. However, he is pulling the computer and all. He is putting the engine into some truck, so I take it I am far more screwwed than I thought.

Since it was the 305, IF I can find a 350 complete, I will likely go ahead and upgrade. If I can find both engines complete, I may put the 305 in and reuild a 350. I don't know yet. Right now, I just want to get the car to where she can drive it. As it stands, we split an '02 Trailblazer and it's getting hard on us, especially with a kid.

 

Nothing wrong with a 305 for a driver/cruiser

See whats in the JY

 

I have one for sale , running good . comes with everything !!!!!!

 

Knowing what engine came in the car just tells us some things about the car. It should have an in-tank electric fuel pump, unless it's been removed. It would have decent exhaust, if any of that is left in the car.

I can't imagine someone removing the engine to put it in the truck and taking out the computer stuff in the process, but depends what they had planned for the truck. Some people think TPI is a cool, "modern" swap into older trucks.

Take a look at the "parts for sale" forum on this Board. You may find all you're looking for there. Much more likely to have what you want and can use than a JY.

 

How much you asking?

five7kid- I'll give it a try, but I'm also considering holding off just a little longer than I had originally thought. Some issues are forming that might make me want to wait longer than originally anticipated. But either way, I will certainly check out the parts for sale forum when I am ready.