ok. im here because im losing my mind trying to choose a camaro here! need opinions and help and whatnot

first, me. 16 years old. steady though miniscule income. obviously, make more $ in the summer. Mechanic father helping me when i need it. decent connections with local scrap yards and SOME bodymen. Also have a suprisingly nice 160k mi L98 in the garage (swear this thing was rebuilt. looks like 60k easy miles at its worst)

The car. Basically have 4 choices, and this is where its getting me all turned around.

1. 1989 Iroc-Z. Black/Black, 305 TPI with some kind of electrical issue. WCT5. Hardtop, perfectly clean car rust wise. not a spot of even surface rust. Big ol' dent in the left rear. we're talking the entire quarter panel is caved in. Hit it with a quad...... 116k miles, needs paint, looks like it was boinked in the front, but nothing insane. no frame damage, the original hoods still there so it couldnt be that bad. Also needs a mirror, shifter, and SOME interior work. $2000. maybe work down to $1800

2. 1985 Iroc-Z. Yellow/Black. 305 TPI T-tops auto car.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/cama...roc-tpi-t.html

smokes if i remember right. needs front fenders on both sides. Paint. right rear spoiler chunk, window, and a radio. interior is fair. flowmaster exhausts on this one too, and the G92 is nice, though i prefere hardtops

3. 1989 Camaro RS. T-tops White/black. No engine/trans. needs some small dents and touch up work but looks pretty good. supposedly has no/little rust, though this is the only car ive only seen PICTURES of. other 2 ive examined in person. iroc wheels and POSSIBLE Big block hood included??? V8 motor mounts and 2 extra T-tops included. $800

4. you're 16 you idiot. you dont need a V8 monster. go drive your grand am (yes i already have a car, this would be my 4th in my young automotive life)



Plans: autocross/drag multi-purpose weekend warrior. Lets say.. a road course car that goes down the straights really really fast . itll look good when its done, but nothing outragious. I'm very partial to the design on Sinister Z's yellow 85 iroc. Plans in store will require a 350 at the least, so the 305 cars would need the swap to the L98 at the very least. Looking into maybe a mild beef up on a T56 just to add some extra bullit-proofing. all round discs (C5 probably) and suspension upgrades. All over the next 2-4 years (so im in no hurry, want to make sure its done right).


So will someone pleaaaase help me pick a car! i want to try and get an F-body in my grasp before summer comes so that i waste no cruise/race time and can do all necessary work over the winter.

Thanks ALOT ~LMSkyliner

 

#1 or #2

I wouldn't really consider the third or fourth a option compared to the other two....it basically comes down to which year you would prefer...whether you like t-tops or not...whether you like body work better than engine work or not...how big your budget is...etc...

I don't have enough details/pictures to really make up my mind...but as it is right now...I'm leaning towards #1.

 

I bought my 89 for 500$, needed a fuel pump and smoked due to #1 having bad ring. Is a T5 car, had a 350 in it. Needed a fender, hood and GFX, all of which i had laying around. Just buy whichever speaks to you, the one that you look at and see what it will be after you put 7 days of love and labor into it.


Thats just me.

 

#2 is the one that i speaks most to me. when i saw that car i was seriously like. "babe.. why has no one bought you yet.. your a diamond in the rough". It just SEEMED like it wanted to live. to rumble to live and freaking kick some Ford a$$. unfortunatly, it needs $. the engine may or may not be trash, its an auto car, and its T-tops, which really isnt my style. Im a stick/hardtop guy. which leads to #1. HOWEVER, #1 has some kind of issue and is down on power, and shuts off when shifting down. tranny seems perfect, and i cant figure what would be wrong with the engine, which leads me to think electrical.

never seen #3, no real opinions, and although the guy is nice enough, he has an inflated idea of value.


and I dont like #4 either lol.


Between 1 and 2, it comes down to the hardtop basically. both need paint, some fairly significant body work (1 more) and random interior work, along with not runnign well (though both run and move) and some minor front end damage sometime in the past. I plan on having more then enough power to tweak a WCT5 (or so ive heard. not positive though) and just wanted to go T56 for the extra gear anyways, so tranny is a moot point more than a year down the road. So it comes down to...am i willing to pay $1200 for a hardtop car???? meh.. i'm not sure really.. it does have a bit less rust.. but still, thats alot of $. i'd be 3/4 the way to fresh paint (with my contacts) on the 85 at that point...

 

Keep looking in people's backyards. You're 16; when I was 16 I had lots more time than money. You WILL find a Camaro for less than 500 bucks somewhere close. It may be wrecked, it may have a blown engine (hopefully this is the case as it always brings the price down!) or some other malady. So what.

Set your budget limit, save the cash, and then hunt. Your cash in hand will seal the deal and you will have a Camaro. Then you can take your time and get it up and running while you're still driving your Grand Am.

 

there inlines the problem. I have no time. i have about an hour every weekend, maybe 2 or 3 if i push it to look at this stuff. the rest of the time im out of commission due to school. 4.0 Highest Honors Member in 3 honors and 2 AP classes, along with sports, and the president of 3 clubs (including car club magically enough. co-founder with my friend who is building a 32 ford). I have no time lol

~LMSkyliner

 

May I be the one to hit you with the reality check, then. If you are that stretched for time, then you do not have time for a project car. Even a 2000 dollar car will require work.

Better to drive your current beater, save your money, and when you're not time constrained anymore you will have the resources to get something nice.

Good luck!

 

ha. thats half the reason that i put #4 in there lol. Thank you for your input. It is definitly a fall back option though. I'm too in love with these cars to stop trying to get one. If it doesnt work out, then thats fine. Ill get one in spring.

lets just say times not an issue then shall we

 

number 2. i wouldnt want to fix a rear quarter. and id stay away from t-top because they will probly leak. i wish my car was a hardtop

 

#2 is a T-Top car


but there is no signs that they ever leaked, so we'll see.

 

I say keep what you have. If you have no time then it will sit and drive you nuts because you have no time to fix it.

 

this is true. still, i want one lol. Going to take a second, judgement day look at #2 on Saturday morning at the crack of dawn.

 

Lemme get the contact info for #1.

 

I'd sell mine to ya for the right price so i could get a 85+

 

whoops

 

went out to #2 today. agreed on a price. just need for him to find the title and ill give him the $ (in hand). I'm really happy with my soon-to-be purchase. I think i chose the right one!



Who wanted contact info for #1 btw? its not listed anywhere on any site or ad, so you'd get first and ONLY crack at it.

 

congrats on the purchase. #1 sounds like it may be the 'better' car in the end (thats if you just fixed it up and left it stock, again it is suggestive)

#2 does look like a diamond in the rough and it could become quite the gem. good luck on your purchase!

 

hehehe.. my new baby wont stay stock for long.

first, trying to get it runnign perfect

THEN, PULLING the 305.

next stop, my garage, where it will be prepped meticulously for paint

then, to the paint shop!

upon return, will have my 88 GTA rebuilt L98 more then ready to drop in.

and on my way ill go!

 

I'm glad that the one you got came from our site. This place is really a great resource.

I've bought a set of aluminum wheels with tires, a transmission, and a complete T5 swap kit with tranny here. All of it was good stuff.

This is the first place I look to get the really good deals. Ebay runs a distant second place..

The picture doesn't look too bad. Looks like you did well. Don't forget to take lots of pictures and post on your progress!!

 

don't worry. I'll get tons of pictures once i get her here. Im just waiting for the guy to sort out the title so i can bring her home . She has some issues, but the picture doesn't do her justice (in my opinion).

now i just needa name her

 

Welcome to the yellow camaro club

 

ha. thanks alot. I don't plan on keeping it that dull yellow for TOO long though. ive very near decided doing a budget version of SinisterZ's Z28. I love that thing

 

Good pick, that's what I would have chose. Actually, If I had the room, that car WOULD have been mine a while ago

 

ah! so your the 3rd. I found the other guy a month or so ago. Apparently the 3 of us caused quite a riot for the poor seller. and after all that the car wasnt sold until saturday.

 

Nah, I knew I didn't have the room for another car right now (eight is a lot to fit on my property) so I didn't bother the seller. I'll have a yellow one someday though

 

go with the 89 IROC it has more power. If your not looking for power than disregard my statement

 

I think you made the right choice. The money you will have saved not getting the #1 will get you pretty far. Since you already have the 350, might as well buy a T-56.

Also, t-tops arent as bad as some people make them out to be. Sure, they squeak a little. You will learn to ignore it. At worst, they will need new weatherstripping, "flappers" and maybe a pin adjustment. But in the summer, they are sweet! And mine have never leaked a drop, unless I take the garden hose up under the flapper at full blast.

 

Drivetrains are much cheaper than bodywork and rust-repair. Keep that in mind when searching or a car.

When I was looking for a cheap 'maro number 1 on my priority list was a car that was straight with original paint. Even if the original paint was in bad condition, it was worth knowing they didnt repaint over some rust/accident/crappy bondo job/whatever. The key to me was NO RUST, and straight body.

Of course, Im in the south, rust-free cars arent hard to find.

 

if the only thing wrong with number 1 was a bent up 1/4 panel id say go with it..........you can always bypass the electrical BS and make it run.....plus if the auto car is to be a standard thats gonna be fun swap.....have you seen the prices on a t56?

 

It is a hard choice, but I think you chose right. When i bought my car, i got it for $750. Ran and drove, had an uneven rotor in the front.. Nothing else wrong mechanically. No way I went wrong.. I thought you wouldve had the car by now haha. Just wanted to say good luck, give it some good TLC. thats what i did with mine and you wouldnt believe how much washing/waxing it helped the paint. Good luck bro.

 

I had kinda hoped that i'd have her by now too.. unfortunatly the guy is really giving me the run around and im having to do all the legwork myself, which is extremely annoying on my tight schedule. He lists right in the ad that it is a "clean title" car. which is great. IF he had the title. of course he doesn't. And then he expected me to give him the money before we transfered/were transfering the title. Which i will never go for. sorry. I don't know. Apparently its still in the name of some friend of his or somthing. Of course he doesn't know how to get ahold of this guy, etc etc etc. So while he's taking his sweet time, i've had to do a fair amount of leg work and searching. Finally ive gotten ahold of his "friend" but now he still hasnt called me back, though he was supposed to over the weekend so we could set somthing up and transfere the title so i can get my car already....

basically, i'm really at the end of my rope and very fed up with this. Hopefully i can get the car soon, otherwise there might be some angry phone calls

 

if your trying to get your parents off your back camaros years 90-92 have air bags

 

my parents are fine with it. My mom has a mustang that she bought when she was 16. 82 GT. it wasnt exactly new but i think it was only a year or 2 old. We've decided shed be hypocritical if she wouldnt let me buy a camaro. And my dad is all ready to jump in with 2 feet. He hasnt had a fun project since his 540+ HP GTO (still got the dyno sheet. unfortunatly that car got stolen and stripped bare.. shame.. I can onyl remember it alittle, was only 4 ). So the parents are fine.. i just need to work through all the nut jobs and get my car!

 

go with what YOU want. as Suggestions go i say the 89 IROC. the 87+ engines are better engines anyways. I have an 89 Iroc. i searched everywhere for that year because that was the year i was born. 350 TPI Hard Top. i avoid T-Tops from now on after owning a TTop GTA. was nice when it wasnt raining. Weatherstripping is to expensive and doesnt work some of the time.

 

the guy wants too much money for the 89 in that kind of condition.. #2 doesn't look so bad, how do you know it needs fenders? Can't really see much from the picture... Are you good at body work? Personally when looking for the 3rd gen I look for the best possible body I can find. With a solid body everything else is just a bolt on.. at least thats how I look at it..

 

Is that Iroc in Shippensburg PA? If so it belongs to the son of the person I got my car from. IT needed a tranny then and to quote the dudes dad it is a POS.

 

Don't worry man, you'll get your camaro. That is one thing that definitely sucks, when the owner isnt organized. Thank the lord mine was, bought it same day i saw it. Just show them your not kidding around and your tired of the runaround.

 

i feel your pain man i have been doing that for about the last 6 months and should be comming to the end of all my struggles but at least it has the correct VIN # mine didn't so count some blessings. Good Luck -Matt

 

i think we've come to an understanding about me wanting the car already and that should be dealt with promptly


in the meantime.no that 89 wasnt in shippensburg. although i do believe i have looked at an 89 in shippensburg lol.. it was indeed a "POS" lol!

and as far as the 85 engine goes. Its being pulled before the first week is out. Once we get it running right, its coming out, and going up for sale. Possibly with the tranny. The L98 will be a quick drop in,and i'm going to try for the T56 at the same time, funds/deals permitting.

 

t-tops are cool if they seal perfectly. which most dont. notice how virtually every hard top third gen in existance has stress cracks at the top of the doors?

ya our chassis flexes a lot, and if that t-top has ever been pushed through a corner hard with the tops out then youre probably going to be dealing with leaky t-top issues. also check under the carpet for floor damage before buying the car, a good indication of if it leaks, also obviously around the T piece between the windshield and hatch.

if it leaks at all youll never fix it, if somehow its still mint then the problem can easily be alleviated with sub frame connectors.

i wanted a t-top car when i bought my car at 16 (5 years ago) but ended up buying a very nice hard top that came up. in retrospect for the hassle that its saved i would probably buy hard top again in the future.

 

i'd hold off until you graduate. focus all your time on your studies. it will be worth it in the end. even if you got a camaro now, it doesnt seem like you would have time to finish it unless you did a LOT of work during the summer. are you going away for college or commuting? if you are going away, you wont have time to work on it either. its hard for young people to do projects, it takes a long time.

the longer you wait, the more money you can save, and then you can buy a car that is clean and doesnt need body work.

im sure u just gotta have one now though...i know how you feel i remeber when i first wanted a 3rd gen, i almost bought this crappy repainted copper RS with rust everywhere and a "rebuilt" motor and over 150k miles on it. i wouldve totally regretted that later

PS- T-tops are lame, i really wanted them and after having them, it sucks after about 2 weeks. mine never even leaked either. FYI: the tops do NOT add any structure or rigidity to the body! doesnt matter if u take a hard turn with them out, the damage was done the first time the car took an incline at an angle

 

If the deal fall through,

I would go with option #1
although the WCT5 is not the strongest trans, If you are looking for a autocross/drag - weekend warrior, the auto trans will not IMO fulfill your needs. Shifting gears on the weekend will be more fun than any auto trans shift kit.
If the car is as solid as you mention, the minor body work is a small set back.

If you choose to in the future - you can always pull the 305cid in favour of a 350cid, and pulling the WCT5 in favour of a Tremec or a T56 will be easier if you are starting with a manual trans car in the first place.
Someone here can correct me, but I believe the '89 TPI system did away with the extra cold start injector, and by '89, the power rating on the 305cid TPI set-up was a bit higher - not really relevant to you as you intend to pull the original engine out...

DO you want a T-Top car? Are you after the open air feeling? Do YOU like the look of a T-top car? Some people do.
T-top car more prone to body twist, water leaks if the gaskets are gone, creaks and other noises etc... Can you tell I'm not a big fan of the t-tops.
In the end, just as been mentioned - Do what YOU want, and what you will be happy with
just my
-Andrew

 

trust me. I know all this! I really wanted a hardtop.But i've decided a SFC T-top will suit me just fine. At least for the price lol. And ive passed at least 30 cars because of leaky T-tops and rusted floors due to said leaky T-tops. I dont believe these ones leak, as i cant find any sign of leaking.

also, I know the fenders "need" replaced because ive seen teh car 3 times now. However, they dont NEED replaced. THey have a bit of rust in points where they were kinked and not fixed from the car being boinked in the front. Nothing really catastrophic, I just have checked the scrap yards and at about $50 total if i pull em myself, ill just replace them both. i mean cmon. for $25 a fender, rust isnt worth bothering with. especially because the kinks are still there.


also, the car is undercoated. only one spot shows surface rust where the undercoating has worn off, along with places where it wasnt sprayed to begin with., Honestly nothing at all to complain about though. Already have the worst part it needs in my garage (door). got the whole thing off a 50k mile car that had the left side torn off. Luckly, the right side was prestine and i ran off with a perfect door, Iroc Decal (in the right spot. thank you 85!) window, entire mirror, and the door panel for roughly $25 at the U-pull-it. THat fixes the missing window, and the only rust, which was on the bottom of the right door. door is the wrong color of course, but choose your battles! lol

 

just so you know, brand new fenders are only like 160 bucks for both

 

any idea where you got this from? ive never found anything close though i havnt looked REAL hard

 

Just saw this on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEVY...mZ260172058626

 

well.. thats a great price if i could pick it up lol. but with $60 shipping. and i need 2 of them... well you get the picture.

id just as rather go to the local u-pull-it and grab both for $50 if i remember right. There are clean ones out there, i just never have the $ for them when i see them.

besides.. then i feel im doing my part to giving the camaro value in its life! and a little bit of it's soul can live on forever in my car now!!

or somthing like that

 

LOL... kinda cheesy but ok.....oem fenders are better really...b/c they line up just like the one you took off did....

 

i was lookin for my camaro for about 2 years, im 16 now..... i finally found one cheap...... 500 bucks, body perfect, engine runs good and doesn't leak anything, ttops that don't leak, it is a lo3 auto but o well, it was 500 bucks, im planin on puttin in a 350 ram jet crate motor, and a t 56 and 373 posi, freshman paint, 18 inch irocs.. i can't wait till i get to drive it..... and the interior is perfect (except the always present ripee in the drivers seat).....

 

Don't buy the electrical issue car unless you are sure it can be fixed. I had electrical issue with my car and they are really stubborn and hard to find. I may have to do a full car rewire yet. Make sure your mechanic can fix it before u buy it.