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This car is sort of special to me. Its the same year I was born and my first real "classic" muscle car. I'm not really sure if you would consider it classic yet but its probably the closest Ill ever get. You would probably also laugh at me even calling it a MUSCLE car because it has one of the smallest 6 cylinders known to man...but people driving by dont know that

I have a kid on the way in 6 months so this project is to get this car running like brand new so Its the last thing I need to worry about when baby pops out. This is also a learning experience for me and will help me land a job in a garage. Ive done misc things on my last car which was a 4th gen camaro so I feel right at home with this third gen.

Im doing a lot of cheap tricks to make it look great. I dont have a ton of money right now. I expect everything to cost me about $600 by the time im done which for everything im doing is dirt cheap.

Im going to spray paint the body because i cant afford a real paint job. Im also spraying some engine parts and polishing others. But before you go booing im somewhat of an artist and i think youll be suprised what i can do with $40 of paint and ive done a lot of spraying before. With plenty of prep and the right paint I think i can give it a good 20/20 paint job. If you dont know that means it looks good going 20 miles an hour from 20 feet away I already painted the bumper and top part of the quarter panel for fun just to test out the white paint to see if id like it. So if you can imagine this on the rest of the car. I did a very quick job but it cured perfectly and the surface is nice and smooth and i havnt even wet sanded it.







It was necessary for me to rip out the interior so that I can take care of the rust. This gives me the opportunity to really get my hands on ever nut and bolt in this car. It also will make it easier to paint.







As for the motor it had burnt valve seals and a bad exhaust leak at the manifold and god knows what else wrong with it so im tearing it down to the block and replacing ever gasket seal and o ring. On top of the exhaust leak I have a hold from the engine compartment right underneath the dash inside the car which means ive been breathing in fumes for the past 4 months. Definitely not good for baby!









Lastly it needs a new rear end because the pinion bearings are completely shot and loud as ***** when driving over 20. I would rebuild it myself but id rather just swap it out and then take apart the old one for the sake of learning. I already know what one looks like inside and how it works.

88camaroscv6

iTrader: (1)

just grab a 350 and toss it in, you will enjoy the car so much more

W.E.G.

Ugh.

Why do people ALWAYS say this???

Well, as an 88 V6 owner myself, I say DON'T do it.

Plus if you do, you'll need to swap to a V8 capable transmission, and move around god-knows-what else under the hood, and you'll destroy the superior balance of the vehicle. And before somebody posts the "claimed" fuel economy comparisons of the V6 and the V8, I don't believe ANY 300+ cubic inch V8 in the REAL WORLD gets anything close to the fuel economy of the 174 cubic inch V6 in the 88 Camaro.

I get 24 mpg for real in mine, and its not had a tune up since Bill Clinton was president.

Kudos to you for bringing your 88 back to life.

Make sure BOTH SIDES of the cowl drains are clear.
The one sharp-stick-in-the-eye I got with mine was the hidden rust from where the PO's has allowed the cowl drains to fill with tree litter, and caused the drains to plug, and then rust though the firewall behind the dash.

I see you have your carpet completely out.
I had to do that too, because I had a lake in my floorboards every time there was so much as a heavy dew overnight.
That problem is just about solved for me, and I then I can set about getting that long-overdue tune up and beautification.
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Coolwheels84

iTrader: (5)

Looks like a clean car to start with. Since the body is straight, why not take it to Maaco and get it re-shot in single stage? You'll be much happier than spray painting it no matter how good your skills are with the can. It's just not a durable paint that will stay looking good. You know what I mean? Why go through all the trouble of spraypainting it when 6 months from now you'll regret it. Maaco can use your factory paint as a primer and spray over it. Just do all the prep work like you'd do if you were painting it and then drop it off. They painted mine last year, all though I went with their best paint....

2007xl50

This is good advice.

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Well I actually did decide to put a 350 in it. Its becoming expensive to rebuild this motor. Its just not popular and hard to find parts for. Im getting a good deal on a 350. Will have pics of it as soon as i get it! Im also going with a carbureted not fuel injection. Some slight modifications like a mechanical fuel pump but mostly ill be eliminating a lot like wires etc.

I also like the idea of bringing it to macco. Im going to do the prep work myself. I will however spray paint the engine bay.

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Richboll

Let us know how it goes. Good Luck with the car and the new baby!