ahankins32984

Well today is definitely a sad day for me 2 days before Christmas my 86 Z28, my dream car, left me stranded on the side of the road. So after having it towed to the shop where my dad works I start thinking about buying a new daily driver and just turning my old gal into a project car. Well the shop called yesterday and informed me she was back up and running and that they added 2 quarts of oil and a 1/2 gallon of coolant as well as cleaned the PCV valve which was clogged, so she is now running like a dream! I told them I would be by on Friday to pick her up and was so happy to not have to sell her. Then this morning I receive a phone call from the shop she wouldn't start this morning and when they finally got her started they decided to do a once over and it turns out I have 3 injectors not firing, and a BLOWN HEAD GASKET.... needless to say my dad called me afterwards and informed me that "it's just best that I cut my losses and move on!!" So in other words, sell her and move on and stop throwing my money away into a hunk of junk according to my dad whom of which is a FORD fan BTW, so now I have to sell my beloved 3rd gen and wait until I have the money somewhere down the road to buy another dream car!!!! So I'm so very sorry to have to say goodbye to my beautiful Z28 but I will own another 3rd gen sooner or later but hoping for sooner!!!!!

82tarecaro

iTrader: (4)

Just my 2 cents - this could be a good learning experience for you. Time to get your hands dirty, save a few bucks, learn a little something and keep the car. The parts aren't much - it is mostly labor.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Couldn't agree more. My son blew a head gasket in his S-10. A shop quoted him $1500. He didn't think the truck itself was worth that much, so with nothing to lose, he set about the repair himself. With no real experience, but with a manual, the net, and advice, he managed the repair for less than $300. Granted, the truck isn't much more than minimum transportation, but he didn't have to sink several thousand into a new vehicle either.

JamesC

ahankins32984

I have already lost her to my dad, he will not let me keep her as he feels she is not a safe enough car for his 28 year old "little girl" as most fathers are over protective of their daughters I really value his advice he isn't just my "daddy" he is also my mechanic ans I trust his judgement when it comes to cars since "even though its a bowtie I can't let my baby girl go rolling around town in a car that could possibly leave her stranded on a back country road somewhere" and he will not let me drive a car that he doesn't feel is safe for me!!! So I must sell my girl and get another one down the road of my life someday!!!!

cIaRmOaCrZo

mabey they did fix it and ran great when they called you the first time. and he may have thought it was a dangerous car for you anyway and could have fibbed a little about the car just to get you out of it...idk kind of a fishy story.

ahankins32984

no it has been looking at by 4 mechanics that I trust they all said the same and my dad didn't care that i drove it in the first place he just doesn't like that she is a BowTie!!! lol

cIaRmOaCrZo

gotcha lol. iv fixed worst considering value bieng the factor

85 ZXX

iTrader: (1)

I like the project idea...for awhile, and see what happens this summer. Your Dad may want to tinker with it some. Does he like challenges?

Birdstheword

Injector cleaning and testing @ $21.00 each. http://witchhunter.com/injectorserv1.php4

I was 17 when i did my first head gasket job , ever since i have applied what i learned from that experience to all other mechanical jobs i have done and have saved me and others hundreds of dollars . It's intimidating the first time you turn a wrench on these cars , after that its all busted knuckles , some swearing and a huge sense of accomplishment ( especially when you crank it over and it starts on the first try ) .

Westech

well if you do ship her... let me know. I need a TPI car and a carb car still.
But if it were me I would fix it... couple hundred bucks in parts is all and a weekend.

ahankins32984

no my dad like i said is a FORD fan...GAG!!!! So he wants me to buy a ford of course I keep getting chevys so my next car is on its way I at least stayed with chevy and camaros im moving up to a 4th gen for now i will have a 3rd gen again soon!!!!

jdawg1276

that's a huge down grade almost everyone I know who has a 4th Gen hates it because they always are breaking down and there mostly plastic so doubt it's going to be safer than a 3rd Gen in a crash?

Jack Roman

i would keep the car. i bought a 91 rs few months back. was running great . i decide to
rebuild the engine granted i bought all the parts and my friend did the labor.
well when i got it 3 weeks later it died on me at work. i was so bummed. i walked across to autozone explained what it was doing. it was the ignition coil. i didnt know exsactly how to change it he just verbaly told me how since they cant touch cars. it took me 2 hours but once i put in new coil it cranked right up like a new car. there is a supreme feeling when u fix something on your own and it works that words alone cant describe. best of luck

Jersey89GTA

iTrader: (1)

Got to agree w/ Dad, 26 YO cars are not good for young ladies as daily drivers. They will breakdown more often - and you will need to keep putting money in it. If you are not handy under the hood then there is a danger of being stranded in an undesirable area. I'm a Dad, my son keeps eyeing up my GTA, just not good as a daily driver even though it has 61K miles, its old and its gonna break, I told him he can use it for the proms ...

I wish I could have kept 69 camaro, 78 Trans, and 84 Trans, I'd be wealthy in cars. But had those cars as a kid and not enough money to start a collection.

I had my first 3rd gen at 22 (1984 car in 1986) - it was a big deal. Now I am 47, finally got another ...LOL.

Keep smiling, start a collection as soon as you can !

rickwise

I think you will like the 4th gen Camaro. I have one along with my 3rd gen. It is a more comfortable driving and riding car, the 3.8 V6 gets decent milage and has some power. Only thing it lacks is the style of the 3rd gen, but still a good looking car. Having worked in a chevy garage for the past dozen years, can't say I've seen any problems with the 4th gen that you won't have with anything else.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

For that same price you could totally replace them with better injectors than even a rebuilt older design injector can ever be.

FireDemonSiC

I'm not sure how close Dinwiddle is to where I am in northern virginia but if you do manage to keep it I can help you with the repairs as I have alot of experience working on TPI motors. All I ask is you pay for the parts and buy me a bottle of Disaronno =P

You'll need a new set of injectors (I got my Bosch IIIs for $200: all 8) and a head gasket SET!

Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

Talk about an easy fix! But I am not one to argue with your father, as I have a daughter myself and wouldn't want to see her running a 3rd gen as her daily driver when she gets older. IMO, if you want to stick with an F-Body, go with a low mileage '98-'02 Firebird V6 convertible, those are sweet looking cars, great on gas, and are very affordable (this is the dad in me talking, of course lol)...

brdofpry85ta

iTrader: (1)

Not trying to be a dick, but didn't you say you were 28 yrs old.......I would think that the decision would be yours........just my

I would keep it and either fix it or keep it for a project and get a 4th gen...

If you sell it you will regret it......

FireDemonSiC

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

At some point you will have to leave the nest.

When my daughter was 22, she traded her pristine 84 K5 Silverado Blazer for a new Subaru. At age 18, she begged for a customized Blazer. I found a one owner low mileage vehicle that had been owned by an older woman, and never taken off road.

I bought the vehicle, brought it home, rebuilt, and customized it for my daughter from the ground up, complete with custom paint, lift kit, 33x10 tires, big stereo, subs, custom interior, and a new 5.7 EFI crate engine.

Needless to say that it ticked me off a lot, as I had invested about 20K and a lot of time into that SUV that she just had to have.

When she started college the Blazer was not cool with her new friends, all tree hugger, vegan, hippie wannabe types.

Now at 32 years-old and a mother of four she mentions that she wishes she had not traded her Blazer, because it cannot be replaced. Decisions good or bad are part of becoming an adult. We still speak to each other, and have a good relationship.

Your father will not disown you for driving a Chevy. He may growl and grumble, but he will get over it.

Charles

ahankins32984

You MIGHT JUST HAVE A DEAL!!!!!!

ahankins32984

I have made a big decision guys and I'm pleased to announce that I bought my 4th gen Camaro yesterday and I am KEEPING my 86 Z28 to fix at a later date!!!! My dad and I had it out and I told him that being that I have dropped so much money into her I will never get what I think she's worth so I'm KEEPING HER and new daily driver is a 94 Camaro 5 spd so I'm a happy girl!!!!!!

jdawg1276

great news

I'M THE BATMAN

Sounds like your dads just trying to protect his little girl , As a dad of two great girls , I like your dad without even knowing him . :-)

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

Congrats! It sounds like you have made a decision that you will not regret. If your thirdgen is as nice as it sounds you will kick yourself for the day you ever decide to sell her. Enjoy your 4th gen. Your Dad will still be your father. Thumbs up to your dad caring so much about his little girl. You are a lucky woman. All daddy's don't all care.

I screwed up and sold my 1983 TA in 2003 that I purchased brand new on New Years Day 83. It was an LG4/auto car with t-tops, but it was my baby. The car had 46K miles on it, and I can't remember it ever sitting outside even one night in the 20 years that I owned it. I sold it because I was only driving it about 500 miles a year. As soon as it rolled down the driveway for the last time, I knew that I had made a big mistake. The second owner loves it also, and will not sell it back to me. Now it has a 383 stroker in it, but is still a nice car.

I am trying to learn from that mistake, and am going to try and not repeat that mistake with the 82 and 86 that I own now.

brdofpry85ta

iTrader: (1)

good for you.....sounds like you made the right decision.

I have owned my car going on 22 yrs, haven't driven it in almost 4 yrs, and still don't see any reason to sell it, even after the bombardment of (sell it, burn it, junk it) comments I get from my jackass friends, some of which have "upgrade" to LS 4th gens or corvettes. Ahh! **** on them.....

The old saying "patients is a virtue", and "Good things come to those who wait" sould be enscribed it the owners manual......at least in mine......

you won't regret it. now you can do what you want and take your time doing it....

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

Forgive me but something is really wrong here:
- car doesn't start, needs 2 quarts of oil, 1/2 gallon of coolant and cleaned PVC and then it's OK. This is your dad's shop, who's supposedly a mechanic. Um, first, no one in their right mind would let it get down 2 quarts and 1/2 a gallon, and nothing in that list will prevent it from starting/running.
- then suddenly needs headgaskets and 3 bad injectors. 3 injectors don't just suddenly go bad at once. Headgaskets could get bad enough to keep it from running, and injectors typically will have it running badly for a long, LONG time before they get bad enough that it would not run.

Honestly, I feel like either the shop and the mechanics that are looking at it are clueless or your dad just doesn't want you to drive the car and is not telling you.

jdawg1276

that's what I was thinking Sounds funny thought I was the only one who was thinking it

cIaRmOaCrZo

thats what i thought and mentioned it earlier. just didnt add up

bigreed91

Glad you were able to keep it, my wife hates my 3rd gen but im hard headed and wont get rid of it. I just hope your 4th gen isnt one of the 3.4L V6's. Not sure about the 3.8's but ive never known a 3.4 that didnt blow a head gasket at some point (just what i've seen)

TNT garage

Worse case is a new engine. $2000.. dont give up on er

kmcn47

dude whole new car can be found for less then 2gs lol

TNT garage

Sorry my friend but you are wrong.. Another well weathered car maybe, but not a new one.

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

yea, I was surprised a couple of years go how hard it was to find a decent one for what I thought was a reasonable price. My only requirements was an '82-90 TA without major rust, straight frame (body panels could have some dents), hard top and in good enough shape that I could get it registered (not even a good driver, just registered so I wouldn't have any issues with parking it in the driveway).

I gave up on the hard top entirely, and ended up paying 2x what I thought i would just to get an OK example with a worn out drivetrain, messed up quarter panels/doors and worn out drivetrain. I suspect that I could get a base model or a camaro/iroc/z28 for significantly less and probably with the hard top, but that's not what i was looking for.

TNT garage

Thats a bummer dude. I purchased a 87 firebird hard top with no rust and very little body damage for scrap weight.. lol No engine or tranny and I had to strip the interior completly, still a great deal and when I'm done a very nice hot rod..

kmcn47

well thirdgens haven't been new in a long time, just saying there are some nice ones around me for pretty cheap, really cheap if you look at ebay prices across the country, and 4th gens (although less pretty, and less likeable) are even cheaper, usually in worse shape