Car is originally a 305 tbi, currently has some body parts and possibly the engine/tranny from a '91 z28. Has new tires/water pump/shifter/timing chain/ performance clutch/etc and was registered until last month/inspected till later this year. The problems are twofold though. First, the car supposedly overheated and that's why it was being sold. Possibly has the wrong water pump installed considering it's a non stock engine? How can i ID the engine, keeping in mind certain parts are/may be non stock. It also turned over when jumped by his (s10) blazer, but wouldn't start. Hopefully the mini starter is fine and i just need to run out the old gas. Sounds like it's worth the $500 asking price anyway.

Oh, and how much will new t-top gaskets run me? ;P

 

Most overheating comes from simple issues - like a fan switch, a fan relay, or missing the cooling air dam under the car. Find out if it overheated at a stand still, or while at highway speeds - at highway speeds means no air dam, at idle means no fans. You can connect a good battery and turn on the A/C while key is on - if fans run, then the fans are fine it's probably the fan switch on pass side head. If it is waterpump, they aren't expensive either.

T-top seals on the car side run about $200, for the door side another $180, and for the tops themselves another $200 I think (ebay prices I've seen lately).

Driver side, top of block, at the firewall end there will be a casting number on the block - that number will tell you engine - it's a real PITA to see, but it's there - might need some degreaser, a small brush, and a flashlight to see it. Pop a valve cover off and get head casting number in top of head too - check these at www.mortec.com to see what it's got.

 

$500? I'd be all over it.
Looks like a TBI motor in there, so I don't think it's the '91 Z-28 motor. Just a hunch though, I might be wrong - check casting #.

If it overheated, the block might be toast, or the heads. If someone is selling a car right after it overheated, I'd be betting the motor is shot.
But for $500 you can't really lose - I'd jump on it either way.

 

i would expect that the motor is the stock L03
if it has a 5 speed then that is stock also if it is an automatic then it could be stock or from a bunch of different 3rdgens non are any better than the stock tranny as for the over heating i think you should hear it run before you buy it because that motor might be cooked is there a smell of antifreeze in the cabin? or does it smell like he sprayed collogne or some other crap in there to mask it?

 

Car didn't smell of anti-freeze and he claims it runs well besides him being incapable of curing the heating issue. Since he couldn't get it fired up with his battery charger, he lowered his price to $450. I may just have it towed.