Greetings, all...

Due to unemployment and financial pressures, I was recently forced to relieve myself of a mint-condition '96 Camaro RS that I had just purchased less than a year ago. (*snif*) The Camaro replaced a 1986 Trans Am that had been wrecked, modded to death by incompetent kids, raided by Indians, infested by swarms of lucusts, and driven off a thousand-foot cliff in Elgin, Illinois... And yet still managed to keep running. Don't ask me how... These cars seem almost bulletproof.

Now I once again find myself in the market for a car (something dirt-cheap, as I'm still unemployed), and my thoughts naturally turned back to maybe getting another ThirdGen T/A to fix up.

Today I came across an ad for a 1986 Trans Am with LG4 engine, Auto, T-tops, and pretty well loaded with features. In fact, it's got almost identical specs as my old "Day Rider."

The asking price is $350, and the owner is upfront in saying the car needs a lot of work, but it still runs pretty well. I haven't seen the car firsthand yet, but in talking with the owner, here are the issues:

• There's a minor oil leak somewhere, possibly the main seal
• Minor accident damage to the hood and one fender (bumper is good)
• Brake pads and possibly the rotors will need to be replaced soon
• Needs a new exhaust system to pass emissions, probably including a new cat
• Exterior paint (bright red) is faded
• Tranny was rebuilt, but apparently has problems going into overdrive
• Some smoke from the exhaust, but he wasn't specific about what color it is or when it happens. (This would be my biggest concern... I once owned a 1995 Saturn SL2 that consumed a quart of oil per every hundred miles before finally having a meltdown... That was no fun at all.)

$500 is about the most I can afford for a car right now, so I'm obviously going to end up with a beater of some sort or another... I figure it may as well be something that's fun to drive and possibly even be worth fixing up over time. I don't mind putting some money into fixing the car up each month, as long as I can space out the repairs and not end up stranded somewhere with a catastrophic breakdown (see reference to Saturn SL2 above). I figure for only $350, I will still have gotten my money's worth even if the car totally craps out after a couple months, but I still wouldn't mind the opportunity to make a project car out of it while using it as my daily driver.

As I mentioned earlier, my last T/A was almost identical and probably needed twice as much work, but I still managed to get a solid year's worth of use from it without ever getting stranded.

So... Based on what little information I've provided, does this car sound like it might be worth taking a gamble on, or would I be throwing my money away?

Thanks in advance...

-- David
Philadelphia, PA

 

Sounds like a good deal if for around 500. I mean its not an EXCELLENT deal but you can learn things by fixing it yourself and also you can try to clean it up a little bit as you go along. If it does die, strip the body and keep whats good for a new restoration project. I might look into something like this for myself as well.

 

True enough... Worst case scenario, I could probably part the car out and at least break even on the deal.

By the way... Anybody care to take a stab at guessing how much some of the repairs mentioned above will set me back? I had the rotors and pads replaced on my old T/A for about $300 per axle back in Chicago, so that's the only repair that I really have an idea of the cost.

Also: If anybody has any reccomendations for any good mechanics and/or "you-pull-it"-type junkyards in the Philly or South Jersey area, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks....

-- David
Philadelphia, PA

 

One mans $350.00 is another mans $3500.00 !! If you think you can work with the problems on the T/A........Why not ?? I got my 87 T/A for $400.00 and never batted an eye !! Besides....a 350 was swapped in place of the 305, so that was an extra bonus for me. If your fairly good with your wrenches and have an open, mechanically inclined mind.........I say GO FOR IT !! Can't think of a better way to spend cheap money than purchasing an F-body that needs alittle TLC. Good Luck !!

 

I bought my third gen for $300. ONly survace rust, 2.8L and a tire rubbing on the outside. I love it. It'll be even better when I get the new starter in.....

I say go for it. Finding a used tranny and engine for these cars are really cheap and a swap is pretty easy. - if it comes down to that. If the body is straight and solid - it'll be worth it

 

Thanks, everybody....

Assuming the car is still available later this week, and that the unibody is straight and there's not much rust, I'll probably go for it. Wish me luck...

I'm actually pretty excited about having another thirdgen T/A.... As much as I loved my '96 Camaro, there's something about the chiseled lines of the thirdgen T/A's that I absolutely love... Visually, I think they're among the best-looking cars ever created, not to mention dependable, easy to fix, and of course, fun to drive.

Of course, it also helps that I've got a forum like this to ask all my stupid questions on!

By the way, here's a photo of my interim "daily driver" for the past few weeks... Acceleration sucks and I can only use it once every half-hour, but it has more horsepower than all your thirdgens combined, and never uses a drop of gas.

My interim "daily driver"

Peace,

-- David
Philadelphia, PA

 

Oh well, it appears to be a moot point now... My check still hasn't come in the mail yet (dammit), and I just found out the car has already been sold (dammit dammit).

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise.... That car probably needed a ton of work, and maybe this will give me a chance to save up my money and get something that's in better condition a couple months from now, possibly even a GTA (*drool*).

In the meaintime, I guess I should go buy myself another monthly pass for the train.

Wish me luck....

-- David
Philadelphia, PA

 

good luck man. things happen for a reason - well, that's what they tell me.