ok guys, i've come to a crossroads of a sort. 2 years ago my dad bought a '66 impala as our project car. we didn't get far. it's a 2 door hardtop, black, all original, 283, 3 on the tree, the only body work it needs to smoothing things out, the interior is all there, but everything needs to be redone in there, no rust, even the headlights are original, the bumpers are still perfect from '66, even the original exhaust is still there. it's from Texas, you get the story. we got it for $600, and it's worth 3000-3500. ya know, one of those diamonds in the rough, one in a million for the price yada yada cars... it's not an SS though. ok fast forward to now.
I have an '88 sport coupe in great condition with the beginnings of rust, it's red/silver has some good options in it etc. only 59,000 on her, rebuilt tranny (transkit, 3200 stall TC), motor is a 2.8 mpfi. it's worth about $4000.
now i don't want my camaro anymore, too slow, getting rust, etc..... now what should I do, sell the camaro and get a better one, or dump the $3500 that I'll prolly get for it into the impala. that's enough for a new interior, rebuild the motor and tranny, and freshen up other aspects of the car, etc. However, I'll only have enough for a cheap paint job. the car dosn't need much, and it's gonna be my 3-season driver, just like the camaro. it's not going to be a show car or a hot rod, as a 3 on the tree, a 283 and an open diff. aren't gonna do much. HELP ME. what should I do!?

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Red 1988 Chevy Camaro RS/SC. Rare Spoiler
2.8, 3.23 LSD Rear
Cut Airboxes
Performance Plugs
BFG Radial T\A's
235/60/15 Front
275/60/15 Rear
GT Styling Tail Covers
Le Bra
Bent Hood
Custom Pedals

 

Hate to tell you this, but you are going to have a real hard time trying to get 4k for a car with a 2.8 motor.... It is only worth what someone would pay....

 

i know that. i realize that. I figured I'd get 3500 @ the most. and there doesn't seem to be many 3rd gens at all much less third gens that aren't POS's in SE Wisconsin. i see third gens every once in a while but they are kinda junky.

 

Hate to put a negative spin on this but,... if the Camaro rusted-out in short order because you used it daily, how long will the Imp last before it develops cancer. I'd say drive the Camaro into the ground or at least until you can afford to do a frame-off on the Imp.

Take your time,
Do it right,
Make it last.

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He who hesitates,... is lost!

 

camaro, no doubt about it. no need to hot rod a tank.

 

From where I sit, havin' a third-gen is less than unique. Even in this small burg(pop. <5000), by last count there were more than 5 IROC's and countless SC's and Berl's. Not to mention a couple of Berl's dolled up to look like IROC's. But how often do ya see a cherry '66 Imp? Do it right, give it some zoot and a little more scoot. You'll never worry 'bout seein' your double at a stoplight.

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He who hesitates,... is lost!

 

well... the camaro has abviously been a rare driver before i got her. 51,000 on her last nov. I drived her like 4-5 times last winter. that's prolly where the rust came from. it's all surface, and it's around the wheel wells. it's still covered by paint. so it's all "bubbles" not bad yet @ all. I dunno, a third-gen it still an "eighties" car. ya know what I mean? the imp is already a classic it's like this see.. take a PERFECT impala. stick in out in the sun for 34 years , use it a little (since you are an elderly dentist---- original plates read DDS-911) and see what happens, the paint is oxidixed. well wax it. oh look it's black, and still very good looking. except the roof, it's been stripped there. (second owner did that.) all the chrome & bumpers are perfect, just needs paint where paint is supposed to go.
let's move to the interior. oh jeez, looks like sh*t. but look closer, everything that came with the ca, is there. the back seat has duck tape on it, and the front isn't even bolted down. it's sad looking. then I realize, it all just needs to be re-upholstered. damn car ain't looking too bad now. let's move to the body.....
no rust, no rust whatsoever. 2 dents. very small. a few "hailspots" remember this car has been out in the sun for 34 years. It also was in the other elements. looks ****ty though. after a wash, wax, and putting on a set of old period correct vette rally's (15x7 front 15x8 rear) this car looks fuc*in' awesome. If I want a fast impala, I can put a fat motor in it. haha, no electronics to worry about. take the NUMBERS matching 283 out, and put a 427 in there.
did I mention it's all original meaning it's a number's matching car??? who say's I can get alot of power out of that 283? 190 horse stock. hmmm add 34/35 years of technology, I bet I can make her strong....
just trying to clear things up a bit.
no flame intended.

 

Rust is like termites. If you see one, you've got fifty.

You could sink a few bucks into the '88 and sell it before the quarters fall off, then buy what you need for the '66.

A couple more things - If all you see are trashed-out ThirdGens you obviously aren't looking out the window when I cruise up 41 on my way to Oshkosh. Second, if you decide to "dump" the '66, send me an email first.

Later,
Vader

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"Stop it - or we'll go blind!"

 

Vader,

I agree that there's a lot of very nice 3G's out there, and I'll always admire any vehicle that displays pride of ownership(well mebbe not if it's a Trabant). But it seems like every car magazine has run at least 2 3G articles in the last 6 month's. That doesn't decrease my enjoyment of my IROC's, but it does lower the cachet somewhat for me(same thing happened in the late eighties, when I was into my '78 Malibu).

Slow,
btw, if ya decide to "dump" the Imp, don't send Vader an email,... until after you've sold it to me.
I don't see the price of 3G's going up anytime in the next ten years, but you'll be kickin' yerself a lot longer if ya don't keep and fix-up that Imp(imho anyways).

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He who hesitates,... is lost!

 

vader... i know there are some like 3rdgens out there. but where I live in Washington Co. (25 min. N of Milwaukee) in my town there are plenty, the best are the rarely driven never actually had fun cars owned by women in their late 40's, who are far too ugly to be driving such beautiful cars. but of the younger crowd I can think of a 83' maro w/ a LS1, but it looks like ****. An '84 that was good when the kid was in H.S. in '95. 5 years have changed. the '84 kid also has a '67 ss, but that went into a pond last year. (parking brake broke or somethin') and those are the first that come to mind. I dunno, my dad was the kid on the block who was a gearhead and worked his butt off to get his brand-new '69 maro in '69. he was also one of those drag racers that got their camaros into the low 13's and drove it to work the next mornin' so cuz of him I respect my car more and wanna make it the best I can, and actually do it, unlike the rest of the young crowd w/ third gen's in my area. vader, I've seen the good ones, but the ones that look like h*ll really stick out in my mind.
the impala will always be in the garage waiting for me, but I wanna get it going while I'm still young (17) and be able to have fun w/ it before I get all the new responsibilities next year. I know I'm only 17, but it's been right there in the garage staring back @ me for 2 years, and I wanna do something. I just don't know.

Maybe I should sell the maro, get my TPI 5.0 and 5-speed, and just sit on the impala till it gets to be even more of a classic.

 

SC,

NOW you've got a plan. As long as you can keep the '66 in the barn and out of the wonderful Wisconsin winters, it will only get more valuable. Just make sure you store it properly so it doesn't deteriorate while just sitting there.

Make your '88 look pretty enough to sell then find a "better" car to drive. When you get back to the '66, you'll have more experience, money to invest, and a more valuable car to start with.

Later,
Vader

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"Make Me Bad"

 

If you can get $3500 for your car, I'd yank his (or her) arm off. I can put you in a number of rust free/dent free third gens from Alabama with no motor for less than a grand. You'd have enough left over to build motors for both the Camaro and the Impala.

 

i dunno. I don't like the maro lately. the speedo's off, the tranny's fresh, so I gotta take her easy, my shifter is ****, and my tires rub. i wish there was a way to recalibrate the speedo so it isn't off.
rear tires went from:
215/65/15 to 275/60/15

 

ttt