Whats goin on guys. I've been looking around the site for a little while trying to gather some knowledge on the third gen, which I'm looking to purchase. Quick background info..I own a 5th gen SS and love it. I've also always been a huge fan of the third gen and want to get one to go with my new one. I'd like to get your guys experienced opinion on the model that I'm looking at. I've spent way too much time trying to figure it out on my own. Let me know what you think of the price based on condition and the market..heres the link. I've already test drove it, and it seemed to run great considering its age, but I'm not much of a mechanic and I'm looking for a car like this to teach me and therefore still nervous. http://clarksville.craigslist.org/cto/2576471914.html. The windshield is cracked pretty good, the ttops leak which Ive read is common, it has a pretty sizeable rust spot , AC components have been removed, paint is cracking. I appreciate the help, I need it! This decision is driving me crazy lol.

 

Oh and sorry if this wasnt the right place to post. Wasnt sure where would be best.

 

Don't touch it! If you buy that car that rust hole will haunt you and you will regret the purchase. Trust me.

There are lots of rust-free, afforable IROCs available.

Keep on looking, they are easy to find.

 

If it's that bad there, out in the open, there's much more rust you're not seeing.

 

ya I agree with naf, that rust spot is a good indication that there are other problems else where.

 

What I don't understand is why people put so much money ($10k already invested) into a car that still looks like crap and then they want to sell it. The seller is hiding something. He has a problem with the car that he can't figure out and was probably told it could cost a couple grand more to fix it. The car sounds like an expensive project. The $3500 asking price plus $2000 for paint and $1500 to $2000 for interior work and you still have a $7500 car that will require so much more work. I'd keep looking!

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Well I asked him if I could take it to a shop for an inspection and he agreed, which I would think hed be against if there was something to hide. But yea im not a fan of the rust and Im not really sure what it would take to repair, as far as costs are concerned.

 

As others have very wisely pointed out, if you can see that much visible rust, I promise there is TONS more hiding that you can't see. That is how these cars are. Find a nicer one to start with. That looks like a good parts car to me....

 

Those shots of the undercarriage tell me that that it's been painted and most likely, directly over any rust that is there which will make your lift examination more difficult. Also, you mentioned leaking T-tops. Mine came that way too with the problem apparently being so bad that it was sold without a headliner. Under the rug may be some surprises like this (my car by the way - later fixed):

 

Concur with the above. Everyone is dead-on. If you have heavy rust or holes on the underbody, you have to get it fixed asap or else it will start to damage the frame.

 

Yea he did mention a rust hole under the carpet. Based on what he said if I had to imagine it would look just like yours if I lifted up the carpet. These replies are basically confirming what Ive been trying to ignore lol. If any of you actually bought that car, just out of curiosity, what would you offer for it? Guess I'll just be smart about it and pay more and get a better starting point.

 

yes start with a better car. Once a car like this has started to rot, you'll find it in every seam, nook and cranny. These cars are common enough to hold out for a nice one. Save yourself the hassle and heartache and start with a nicer car. I just bought a GTA from Michigan that has never seen a winter in it's life. It is immaculate. There were 2 other GTAs around here in similar shape and thats all I was looking for. I'm sure you can find Camaros in your area that are plenty solid. You may regret buying a rough car, you will never regret getting one that is already solid.

 

Unless you want a total tear down I would look elsewhere, if you look under restoration you will see how far I have had to take my 91 vert. I had minimal rust in my floor pans and I had to tear it down to the bones. Either find a better car or get that one up on a lift and get a bright light to find all the rust. You need to look at the floor pans, iner and out quarter panels, and rear rails. There are alot nicer cars out there for that price, even better ones for around 5 or 6 K, and thats what you will be into this one for (minimum) good luck either way.

 

keep looking, thats not the one

 

Thanks for the insight everyone, even though it means Im going to have to wait longer to have one. But itll be cheaper than having to replace a great deal of the body. The search continues!

 

Do you want a project or do you want a car you can drive right now with minimal work?

If you want a project, there are better prospects. Most people don't enjoy rust-repair projects; the fun is in the drivetrain and setup of the car. There are plenty of shells out there.

If you want a car you can drive now, you're better off going a little more expensive than you'd like. Then wait for the right one to appear.

Any 20+ year old car will need something, but I'd rather buy nicer and have to do basic things like fluids, plugs, and brake lines versus going cheap and find myself patching rust holes on the subframe.

 

I paid 2700 for my 1984 it had a couple rust issues in the regular places such as jack points and spare tire well. It had one hole in the floorpan. I ended up taking the interior out and cleaning and welding the entire thing. The reason i paid 2700 was all the mechanical stuff otherwise I would have only considered 1200

it had


The engine, Trans
Rebuild 355 4 bolt main mild cam 489 lift and rebuilt heads
Poly motor mounts
new small race started
Polished RPM performer manifold
1405 600cfm carb
5 Speed NWC trans poly mounts
New flywheel
New clutch
MSD ignition
MSD distributer
New slave cylinder
Magnaflow exhaust and headers
Comp Cams Roller Rockers


Suspension
New springs intrax
New struts
New various suspension components
Stamp steel rear connectors replaced with box steel

Rear end
GT4 L69 RPO code 3.73 rear with powertrax lockright installed.
Rear disks

Various
All new brakes and calipers
New rear tires
Extra radiator, 5 speed trans, rear quarter panels, headlight motors and electric fan.

 

Do you want a project or do you want a car you can drive right now with minimal work?

I guess I was looking for a little bit of both.. But I was probably rushing into that purchase without any real knowledge of these cars and restoration projects in general, other than knowing that Ive always wanted one lol. This will at least give me sometime to learn em.

 

I'm no expert, but if I were looking for a project I would at least start with a rust-free and straight body. Swapping drivetrains and suspension parts are a little more "fun" if you're into building than chasing down rust and patching body parts. Rust and bodywork is just headache after headache.

You're best bet may be to find a mid-to-high mileage car (75k miles or more) that runs but needs a few easy things here or there. It'll be easier to refresh and a car that will be driveable from the get go; you can have fun driving it while still having a small "project" getting it perfect. Just avoid rust. Bodywork is a drag.

 

I think I'd go with these guys opinion and continue to look around a bit. I bought my car in December 08 for $4100. It was rust free and almost completely original including nice paint so they are out there.

Patience is a virtue when looking for a nice used IROC.

 

I whole heartedly agree with this! It took me over two years searching locally for a rust free IROC project. In Illinois, that's no small task.



This one is missing the engine and trans but, it's what I wanted for an IROC project. Someday I may even start a thread about it's rebirth.