Hey everybody, I really need some advice. This is a long post and I apologize, but it's been weighing on my mind for a while. I swear I get too attached to these cars WAY too quickly lol

I've gotten myself into a bit of a pickle. My car is a 1986 IROC-Z and it's my dream car. 86 with T-tops, black and gold exterior, and it's what I've wanted since a kid. The problem is that this car needs work. A LOT of work. Previous owner cracked the block and destroyed the motor that was in it. He traded it to a dealership that my great uncle works at and they took the engine out to replace. The work stopped suddenly and now the car sits in pieces with wiring hanging everywhere and the transmission just dangling. The car is beginning to develop surface rust on the subframe, torque convertor, and driveshaft. The accessories for the engine are toast, but the TPI system is still good. The interior is not to my taste, and there are some options I wanted my dream IROC to have that this one does not. All of that is easily changed, but my biggest concern is whether or not this car is too far gone.

I want serious advice so I'm going to be 100% honest. I got the car because my Great Uncle sold his tow truck to MY Uncle. My Uncle then traded to a buddy of mine for another truck. My buddy ditched on some bills (we were roommates at the time) and left the truck. Several months later, I take the truck as payment. I trade the truck back to my Great Uncle who originally had it in exchange for this car that's been sitting for a year and he was considering selling. So, I have NOTHING into this car, it was a free car minus some gas.

HOWEVER, some longtime family friends are selling me a 1991-1992 RS that I have to go pickup in Virginia. The car is in amazing shape, garage kept for the past 2 years after it was taken off the road. It was in an accident that damaged some parts behind the passenger door, and it being a unibody car, it's structural. It is repairable, and from the pictures it looks mint. But it's an RS and not my dream IROC.

Here's the short of it. I have a free IROC-Z sitting in my yard that I don't know what to do with because I hate seeing it rot away, but I also know it needs A LOT of work. Should I part the car out/sell it and move on to another car, or is it still worth being saved? Please let me know what you think about it and thank you if you read this far. I'm sure I could find another 86 IROC, but I get so attached so quickly to these cars. Don't want to see it rot away or crushed after being stripped. Am I insane, or is it not too late for saving?

 

 

Here are some pictures of the car in VA I'm going to get...

 

restore it solely because of the Dale Earnhardt #3 on the dash, gotta do it for Dale man.

I'd give the IROC a thorough cleaning and detailing inside and out, and underneath to get a real opinion on it. Every car looks rough when its grimy and covered in pine needles in a backyard. This might sound backwards and wrong to many people on here but I'd almost be tempted to use the RS as a parts car and bring the Z back to life as long as its body isnt severely rotting

 

Keep it 350s are cheap and plentiful.

 

Make a race car out of it.

 

I'd fix the 86 iroc-z as long as its straight and not rusted out. I also would say maybe use the rs as parts for it. That way you save time and money of having to find parts and get to have the iroc you always wanted.

 

That 86 isn't close to being too far gone. I've seen much worse. The body looks solid, I imagine it has some rust holes in the floor but the surface rust on the subframe/etc isn't anything to worry about. That happens when cars sit.

If you're getting the RS for sure then I'd pull the motor and interior out of the RS and put it in the 86. (assuming the RS is a V8).

You'd be amazed how much difference a good cleaning would make to that 86.

 

 

 

I would assess what the present condition of the car is , especially if there is severe rot, and take it from there. There is one member on this forum that took his car completely apart to fix all the rot and eaten away areas that were hidden beneath. If yours is in the condition where you have to do this, consider the work and $$ if you are not capable of this. It can be very time consuming and expensive.

 

Can you keep both? The RS as a driver and the IROC as the "fun" project to bring back and then maybe sell the RS once the IROC is completed?