Well, I brought another project car home last weekend. This one will probably just be a driver, fun car. It's an 88 IROC-Z, TPI 305, auto, drum rear brakes, 2.73 gears. It is a factory Bose car too, so It's kind of optioned weird.. The car fires right up, and runs perfectly for like 5 seconds, then dies. Hit the key again, fires right up...for like 5 seconds and dies again. I'm not sure what the deal is there. The car was about 45 min from home, and I heard about it from a friend who is buddies with the previous owner. This car will not get any major paint work or anything. I wasn't LOOKING for another one, but it kind of fell in my lap. And for $1,350 I was absolutely not going to pass it up.

 

Lucky day for that car because you'll save it and give it new life.

 

$1,350!!! What a deal and it looks pretty solid.

 

Yep, I was absolutely NOT going to pass it up. It's all there and nothing has been jerry rigged anywhere. The factory radio is the only thing that's gone

 

I couldn't pass up a deal like that either, especially in that condition. Will make a great driver to flip down the road someday. Maybe take a look at the MAF with that start and die as well.

 

I got the car to our dealership, and they're in the process of replacing the fuel pump. Hopefully she'll be up and running today. The next order of business will be to get my spare set of IROC taillights put in. My OCD can barely handle walking past it with those wrong taillights in it lol

 

Let us know if that takes care of the problem.

 

It runs! It runs like crap, but it runs! Might have to throw some injectors in it. I put some Sea Foam in the fuel tank, so maybe after sitting overnight it might clean some gunk out. We ran it for probably 15 min.

 

Looks like the Field of Dreams up there, Camaros coming out of the corn.

 

 

awesome find! good job!

 

UPDATE...

I had them put an injector cleaning machine on the fuel rail. It took like 2 minutes to drain the cleaner tank. They reinstalled the fuel pump fuse and the car fired up and runs absolutely PERFECTLY. Super throttle response, runs smooth, no funny noises, etc. I'm super pumped!!

Gonna work on the brakes, next!

 

And my OCD is letting me relax a little. I swapped out the taillights today

 

She's going to get a good bath and engine decreasing once the brakes are working. Replaced a leaking brake line today, but still have to bleed them

 

Turning into a nice little car, Darin!

 

And it runs, shifts, stops, all that good stuff

 

that's a great deal i wouldn't pass that up too

 

That is the nicest $1400 car I have ever seen!

 

I'll say!

 

Looks great!

 

I learned from Craigslist ads that if you want your beater to look beautiful, you take pictures of it wet

For the money, it's pretty awesome, but she's definitely not going to win any trophies at car shows LOL. How's that saying go??....She's good from far, but far from good

 

The thing sure sounds tough. All the egr tubes are gone, no catalytic converter, and it has an Edelbrock cat back. It almost has a.......don't hang me for saying it......5 liter Mustang with exhaust, sound.

 

I threw a couple cans of R134 in it, (it was already converted) and the AC works awesome, too!

 

I'm not gonna lie, I actually LOVE driving this old girl! And I did find a dome light cover for it in my spare parts She runs pretty darn good!

 

That sounds pretty good and it runs strong, still can’t believe you got that for under 2k!

 

Dude what a great find!

 

Thanks fellas! I'm having a blast with this thing. I don't have to worry about door dings, putting miles on the odometer, etc. I just climb in, hit the key and smile the entire time I'm in it, LOL. I've been driving it everywhere!

 

Would be very fun as a driver. I'm glad you save dit.

Unfortunately, if congress gets its way with a new cash for clunkers deal, that car would be worth $5k or more on trade toward an electric vehicle. (That's not counting the $7500 they kick in toward the purchase or lease). With that kind of money on the table, cars like this will get traded in and crushed. A lot of good drivers and parts cars will be gone.

 

There is no way I wouldn't have bought that car if I had the chance! Love it!

 

Oh boy Dave, don't get me started!!!

 

I installed a new black stripe around the car. Made a huge difference, IMO for something so minor

Here's a before and after...

 

It's sad but very, very true. Glad this one got SAVED!

 

Well my lunch break sucked yesterday...



I accidentally bumped the top edge of the window with a blow gun on an air hose and the damn window exploded. Luckily, I have parts and I had a new window installed an hour and a half later.


I've been driving the car absolutely everywhere I go. And I've been working on my black 87 at my brother's shop an hour away, so this morning I decided to put my gold 85-87 wheels on the car since they have good tires. What a difference that made, the car drives a million times better with good rubber!

 

Personally I like the gold wheels on the maroon! Sorry to hear about the window though.

 

How do you do it, find these amazing good deals on good cars? Impressed as always, and glad you are saving some nice third gems.

 

Nice pickup. Phoenix has become a cesspool on idiots trying to sell absolute junk like its concours restoration.

 

Darin, whatever happened to this one?

 

I sold it to a dude from Colorado, that came out here to Iowa, and drove it all the way home. It made it there with zero problems! He's in the process of having the car painted. Here it is now....

 

If you can, keep us updated on the car or have the new owner join TGO? Id love to see it with its new paint