grumpyt

I recently purchased a 1986 Camaro and it is rather rough shape however!
I could not get in the garage to look at it "to narrow" but for junk price I took the chance?
I was told it ran when it was put in there ok?
I was told it was a 5spd and sure enough it is
I was told it was a 5.7 and when I got it out the emission sticker said 5.7 and motor is carburated.
Looked under the rear end and I see Disc Brakes.
145 mph speedo and guages
No Radio
Must have come without a console because the Vin # under the lid does not match the car Vin #.
Crank windows.
Found no build sheet so far.
Have a relay under the hood I cannot find anywhere,who ever lost the top and no number!
SO is it possible I have a 1LE?
I realize I need to check the number on the block when I can get to it but.....................
Any ideas?

LeonardS

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

Welcome to TGO!!!!! Sounds like a cool project.

As for 1LE.....it wasn't an option in 86, so unfortunately.....no go.

To my knowledge, every car had a center console. Swapping out the lid is common since they often tear and crack. Mine did, lol! ...check the drivers side storage box in the rear hatch area. They often have the SPID/RPO sheets there too.

-Also, definitely sounds like a mixture of a few different cars. There was never a carbed 350 in a thirdgen. There were no 350's at all in 86....and no 350 car ever came with a 5 speed. Dang, I feel like I just crapped on you on your first day!!!!! -Sorry about that!

We're still glad you're here though.

navy02ws6

Emissions sticker is off a different car if it says 5.7, no 5.7s in '86.

AFAIK, no third gens were built without a console, but console lids on these cars are very prone to cracking, so chances are good that it's been swapped from a different car.

No 1LEs until 1989.

Build sheets can occasionally be found on the undersides of seats, but IIRC they weren't put in all of the cars.

RKeats

If it's in rough shape then who cares about originality. Now you can rip the whole thing apart without feeling guilty, and go whatever route you'd like with it. Any pics of the car? By rough do you mean rusty?

grumpyt

Just a thought if the car had no radio you would not need a console?
When I researched "carpet" for the car they asked console or no?
It also has no air?
According to another Camaro site "facts and figures" they said that in LATE 1986 they produced the 1LE but said GM had no Idea how many they made?
I called GM and was told "WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY WE PRODUCED" No help!
When I can get under it I will also check for an aluminum drive shaft.
But I thank all for the help I think I am 8/10 of the way there.
I guess I am trying to use common sense.
GM did not put disc brakes in the rear in 86
But any info is helpful at this stage because I am starting from scratch!

I know you could order a 305 that year with a TPI or Carb. 87 TPI only
But why would you change a car to that extent,take out the air,power windows add disc brakes and change engines?

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

You could get TPI in 86. 85 too actually. -but only a 305. No 350 TPI until 87.

The carpet/console question is simply with regard to a hole in the carpet or no hole. -doesn't have anything to do with how the car was sold originally. As I mentioned, I'm 99% sure there was never a console delete option. ....and in Camaro's, the radio/hvac pod was molded in the console, so you couldn't really delete part of it. (Firebird was two seperate pieces I think).

Definitely no 1LE in 86. Through the years I've found far more sources with wrong information than with correct info. As for what year it was first introduced, Navy02WS6 said '89. I thought there were a very few 88 cars, BUT.....I don't claim that to be fact. We've got guys here who own them, love them, race them, collect them, HATE them etc, etc,....in fact DREW is rumored to be the guy who invented the letter "E" specically for GM, so they could offer a 1LE, which sounds much cooler than a 1LA.

zman1969

iTrader: (9)

FWIW my 87 Trans am was a LG4 305 4 barrel, its still has its original Q-jet on it
Oh and welcome to TGO

grumpyt

This also has a qjet and when I can see the block # I can determine the year and displacement.
All I can say is at my age I have seen a lot of odd things "from the factory" for instance a buddy of mine purchased a 1966 ford galaxy station wagon with a 390 4 speed,he had kids and wanted a sports car also!
So what I understand from the previous owner was " this car was a persuit car for some law enforcement agency"
Of course with the hippa laws try find out all the original owners!
When I can figure out how to upload photos I will!

irvan

iTrader: (1)

Can we see pictures?

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

Agreed. ...-but not this car. No way it came like that.

427seven

Welcome to TGO! You can have a lot of fun with a third gen. I'm guessing you never had one before, but sounds like you know sbc's a bit. NO 1LE's in 86, NO 5.7's with a five speed - EVER (from the factory). You mentioned that it had rear discs, but that you thought the factory did not put those on in 86? Rear discs were available on third gens in 82 when they came out. They were upgraded over time, but you could always get them. If you have an 86, and you're sure about that, I'm quite sure that what you have is not a 1LE.

dagwood

iTrader: (5)

Welcome! Post some pics of your car! Sounds like you have a cool project. Like everyone else said, they all came with consoles, you could get 4 wheel disc brakes in 86, NO 5.7, 5 speed cars were ever built, no 5.7cars built for 86 model year, they could be ordered without air, and no 1LE cars in 86. Your hood could have been swapped, as well as the console lid. The 8th digit of the VIN number will tell you the engine that the car came with. If the 8th digit is the number 8=350, F=TPI 305, H=non tpi 305.

You will find a TON of very knowledgeable people on here who are more than willing to help you out with any questions. Welcome again to the board, and let's see pics of that Camaro!

vinny R

When I can figure out how to upload photos I will![/QUOTE]

Click on the square box with the mountain in it and follow the path to your device or photo host.

grumpyt

Tried to download download stops at 90%?

grumpyt

Photos to large?

427seven

If you got to the part where it was 90% loaded, you are probably doing what you need to, do you know what size the pics are? Try resizing them to a max of 1000pix wide and try again. Also, if you have multiples, just 3 or 4 at a time....

scottmoyer

Just to clear some things up on what I read here.

You could get 4 wheel discs since 1982 on the 3rd gen models.
There was no 350 in 1986. Not even the rumored 50 were ever sold to the public.
There was never a 350/5 speed combo in the 3rd gen cars.
All 3rd gens came with a center console.
Carbureted LG4 engines were last used in 1987. 1988 was the 1st year for 100% fuel injection.
1988 was the 1st year for the 1LE and there were only 4 produced.

IMissMy86TA

excellent information for the unwashed.
also, I would like to add for FYI that for GTAs you could only get 5.7 with T-tops in 1989 or if you have a Canadian car any year.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
I know this is about a camaro but...

grumpyt

All I know is I have what appears to be a 1986 Camaro,center brake light on the top of the hatch
5 speed Transmission, looks like factory
Crank windows
No air
Rear disc brakes
Emission sticker that says 5.7
Up here in Wisconsin it is outside for now hard to access with the snow so..............................................................
Just something I found elsewhere ----1986 facts and figures
The 5.7 was available with a 5 speed transmission as RPO 1LE beginning late in 1986 through 1990 model year.
Chevrolet has no record of how many were made.They were essentially hidden from the public.
They had the AC delete radio delete and no power options as well as the 1LE options everyone knows about.
No fog lights,baffled gas tank,larger brakes.
The car could only be ordered and very few people knew about it and therefor very few were made.
The Dealer actually had to contact the Manufacturer to obtain instructions on how to order this car because it
was not ordered through normal ordering process.
the ordering secrecy was the reason very few were made.
This car was offered as a model that more closely resembled the cars that raced under the iroc racing series.
This information comes from two published sources from my library on these cars and is repeated only for your information.
So knowing this my research continues because if the engine is a 5.7 "and it does look factory".
Now my research is just beginning!
The real horror is it could of ended up in the Salvage yard after all I bought it just to buy it!
At $200.00 well just pocket change really!

LeonardS

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I've been on this forum for over twenty years. Regardless of whatever big-fish stories you read in magazines, books, other websites, Craigslist or Ebay, there were zero 350cu Camaros or Firebirds for the 1986 model year. There were zero carbed 350s in Camaro or Firebird 82-92. There were zero 86 Camaros or Firebirds with a 5spd and TPI. Strange things didn't happen in the 80's.

Emissions stickers were a few bucks at the dealership. Emblems and decals were cheap and popular too. Changing hoods has always been popular. Trust the VIN #. I'm going to assume the 8th digit of the VIN is an H or maybe a G, aka a 305.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

The thing that no one ever mentions about the engine combos whether it be a 350/5 speed or an 86/350 car.....so on and so forth, is that GM has to certify these engine combinations to sell. If GM wanted to make a 1 of 1 with giant pink unicorns painted on the side, it could legally do that on a whim. They can NOT just decide to sell an few 350/5 speed cars or throw in a few 350 at the end of 86. No matter who you know, or high up the ladder you are, it's not legal to sell. ....now are there back channel workings where people bought 305 cars and had dealers swap in other engines? Absolutely. -but then for the record, it's still a 305 car on paper.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

And...it's illegal to sell without the supporting service parts and procedures. If the combo is not described in the service manuals, owner manuals, and parts manuals, it's mega federal fines for The General, and recalls (with penalties for the manufacturer) to correct all those publications.

dagwood

iTrader: (5)

Tell us the VIN# ......

And we will decode it for you....it will say what engine it left the factory with

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Getting good.....

dagwood

iTrader: (5)

I have also read SEVERAL publications that said the earth is flat, we didnt walk on the moon, and Elvis is still alive. Just sayin... You have come to the right place for the CORRECT info.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Elvis is still alive.....?! I KNEW IT!😁

GASPEDDLER

iTrader: (2)

This post seems to be going down a certain path....

427seven

Snow or no snow, the VIN can be seen.....

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

vinny R

:

LeonardS

He is new to this site and Third Gens, so don’t be too hard on him. We want him to stay around as a member.

Mikes86SC

Sounds to me he's got an '86 LG4 5 speed, that someone maybe swapped a carb 350 into, or just trying to say the stock LG4 is a 350. Probably swapped hoods from a 350 car.

Check that emissions sticker closely. I bet it doesn't say something to the effect of, "This vehicle conforms to U.S. EPA regulations applicable to 1986 model year new passenger cars." I'd be willing to bet there's a different year on the sticker. Does the emissions sticker indicate manual transmission?

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Could be someone did the GMPP ZZ swap, but more likely someone just cobbled a frankenstein from the junkyard

1986BANDIT

grumpyt

as was mentioned before there never have been any 350(5.7) 5 speed third gens that came from the factory that way ,period(1LE or otherwise )
there never have been any carbed 350's ever produced in a third gen(factory).if anyone like "leonards" "drew" "abubabca" or any of the moderators tell
you this is fact,the information is 100% indisputably true.there are no "one of one 350/5 speed cars" if there were we would already know about it.

many of these guys are what i would consider the "worlds leading third gen experts" and own some of the nicest,rarest third gen examples in existence .
they know the history,they know the people that built them,one of these gentleman own the last third gen ever produced and it has 500 km.these guys know!!

427seven

C'mon grumpyt, I gots to know..... Tell us the VIN.....

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Meh, he's probably long gone off to some Facebook group to declare how we're a bunch of a-holes that don't know anything.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

To be fair to this guy, his attitude was totally fine. I don't blame him believing what he had read. Many of these threads turn into the OP gettin' all bent outta shape and defensive. That didn't happen.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

True. But it was a powder keg dangerously close to the point where things get silly. I'm a bit shocked it didn't blow.

427seven

This made it all worthwhile.....

87 player bird

Welcome, t-5 transmission wouldn’t hold torque of the 350- never made 350 5 speed. 1988 was 1st year of 1le 4 were built. 1le came about as an rpo code for cars that were for showroom stock racing series players challenge series (Canada) Firehawk (USA). Originally you had to prove you were a racer to get one. These are the facts my friend, no 1of 1 million dollar barn find, but enjoy the car and again welcome aboard 👍 p.s I currently own a pre 1le players race car hence my handle🍻