I just found a 1992 Z28 350,auto,new paint needs hood blisters and side markers and I can get it for less than $2k. So should I buy the car or go ahead with my swap??? This is driving me nuts! Here are pics of the car.

 

So what do you think? Buy this or do the swap?

 

Depends. Ask them to pull out all the carpet and look for rust. Has it been in an accident? Miles? What are your plans for the car if you buy it?

 

all depends on you sir.how good of shape is your current car compared to this one? does this car run and drive..and how long has it sit there in that spot because i see a flat tire and lots of nice grass under the car.if you are interested in buying it then have the car prepped to be looked at more in depth especially the frame/suspension.if it runs and drives..test her out and see if its worth sinking a swap into.New paint can hide lots of old mistakes ..learn that lesson early.

dont be hasty..do your homework before the wallet comes out

 

My take;
350 no comparison to LS.....
Unless you current car is on the sad side, stay the course....
Mind you, swap is going to be WORK... but when you drive the result, all that time just melts away.
Good Luck.

 

I have found a local shop that specializes in the 6.0 swap and they will do everything turnkey for $6000. That includes motor,tranny all swap parts ,harness,ecm,cam swap,intake swap etc. I may go this route. I have $5000 put up for the swap so I would just need $1000 to get it finished. Does this sound like a reasonable cost?

 

If they are a reputable shop and use decent parts, id say $6000 doesn't sound crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if they went over-budget.

 

Save the Z and then go find yourself a wrecked fourth gen and do your swap too. Problem solved! But if you can only do one, I say buy the Z.

 

I see it is missing the fog lights, and has a broken hood release cable, so most likely was in a front end collison.

 

It has been in a front end collision. Has anyone ever seen a gray 1992 Z28?

 

That's not a factory color for a '92 Z28

 

ALWAYS be very cautious about a wrecked vehicle, especially older vehicles such as these. Parts are difficult to find to make these repairs, and the relatively low value of thirdgens, usually dictates these repairs not being made correctly. to do it right simply costs more than the car is usually worth. A fresh painted 92 Z/28 for 2K sounds too good to be true, and is probably because it was fixed and painted cheaply. Good deals do come along, if you seriously entertain the idea of buying the 92, atleast take somebody with you who knows body work to look for rust and improper structural repair. This stuff isn't as easy to find as you think when you are not familiar with the body/frame repair aspects of cars.

 

I have actually restored several 3rd gens. The car has been through a lot of owners. The title shows 96000 miles when last titled and the odometer shows 95000. The car has been painted several times. All of the rpo stickers are gone. It just had several issues that looked as if someone was being deceitful so I had to pass. I am continuing with my swap.

 

Car is on it's way to TN for the swap. Gonna look for a drivetrain from a GTO,Vette or a trailblazer SS. If I can't find something at a reasonable price then going with the LQ4 setup. Hopefully I will have it back together in a month or so. I looked at the guys work and he does some nice stuff. If everything goes well I will let you know. I will post pics along the way.

 

Ls2 swaps are likely 5-7 thousand alone, unless your hellbent on an aluminum block, lq4 would be a better option in my opinion.

 

That is the same thing my builder told me today. Guess we are going with the LQ4.