ok so when i first got the car it needed new oil lines and radiator soldering, car was running rich oil was dripping behind the intake on to the engine and cooloant was leaking from the upper radiator hose onto engine when stopped car would smoke from the hood. i ended up getting a new radiator and oil lines and thought i would have a problem free car finally exept for a couple minor things tach, gauge etc, after a couple days of driving with new radiator an lines the car has been running reaaaally rich and can be smelled from inside the car while at a light and when the next day i go to drive it i can smell gas when car is off im thinking its to much fuel pressure the fuel pump does sound kind of sick and loud when key turned to on (car still off) car runs like a bat out hell when going through gears so no power loss, but it does move on its on if i dont hit the gas 10-15 mph and i loose about 1/4 of a tank after driving short distances..

as for the radiator, put in a new one and new thermo gasket, car ran alot cooler abut after a couple days sent my temp gauge outta wack. and last night i parked it after driving from annapolis to dc and coolant was boiling and smoking?? wtf sorry for the long post just trying to describe the best i can.. all info gladly appreciated

 

Well, any 25 yo car is probably gonna have at least 20 yrs of neglect by the time you get it. Now you get to fix all that stuff!

At least it run well, more than I could say for mine when I got it. Sounds like the main hole you're throwing money into is the filler neck - I'd sort out all the fuel leaks first before getting into the overheating, for safety's sake.

 

I bought a 95Z, put approx $5-6k dollars into doing most of the work myself

I bought an 89 RS (305) and other than bringing the engine and tranny to shops for rebuild, did all the work myself. I put about $4500 into that

Both run well. I haven't had the 89 finished long but I'd take the 95 cross country in a heartbeat

you can't buy someone else' junk and expect works of art. I'm selling the 89 and the buyer is paying for a restored vehicle. If you pay little, expect little.

 

speaking of projects I have a problem with mine. Its my third-third gen camaro since I was able to reach the pedals. 10th car all together. My first third gen I bought fromt a body shop, it was a sonic blue 1989 RS V6... did that car look nice. No ***** though, my second was a red t-top 1989 IROC-Z 5.7L... unfortunatly thanks bald tires and bad weather it was totaled. Now I got a 1989 RS 5.0 TBI with the original black rs rims. I love this car, and dont want to lose it. I swapped the old beat up motor for a rebuilt one off of a 93 Caprice. After changing out the heads one day I noticed that at the key on position the F/P Fan Fuse busts. It ran before I changed the heads. Any suggestions?

 

yea that is very true i mean that is why i bought it for a project but damn seems like once u fix one thing something else goes wrong hahah but i messed around under the hood today and noticed my air filter or intake was really loose i could move it back and forth and lift it a couple centimeters so i fixed that and drove around the neighborhood and a back road, no more boiling coolant, but i did have boiling eyes after a couple seconds when trying to look for an exhaust leak car still running rich so another day another dollar

 

Any old car will cost $$ to bring back. Try it with a vintage MG, or Triumph etc. Parts are very hard to find, and cost is through the roof! Third gens are much more forgiving, and sbc's are bullet proof, and much less expensive when purchasing parts. If I want a less expensive hobby, I thought electric trains would be it.

 

I LOVE my car, and it was in GREAT condition when I bought it in 98..... ....and it's STILL a hole a throw money into!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the eighties.

 

My car is a money pit but because I chose for it to be thats fine.It's obvious you don't understand what having or building a car is all about.Stop complaining about all the things wrong with your car and start posting about the stuff you have done to it to bring it back to life.No car deserves to rust and die.Sink some money into it,believe me I have very little too but by god get it on the road.The reward is well,so rewarding.80's Muscle.

 

P.S. lets see some damn pics please!!!

 

Pretty much any car is a hole you throw money into, some are just bigger holes than others. My Camaro has sucked up a lot of money but at the same time, I bought the more expensive parts. The other project I have is a 66 El Camino. Some parts for that are just outrageous in costs so it takes a lot of shopping around and/or keeping an eye out for good used parts. Some you can't even buy because no one makes a reproduction of that part and if you do get a repo part, some aren't that great or just made wrong. After a year and a half of throwing money at it, I still haven't driven the car on the street.

 

Frankly, my TA is the biggest pita I have ever owned, and takes vacations from the steet every so often to sit around in the garage and just guzzle money. Lucky she's a looker, and I am such a sucker for hot older women, would not have persisted for ten years with this one if not!

 

Boat = hole you throw money into
Guns = hole you throw money into
Guitar = hole you throw money into
Guitar Amps = hole you throw money into
Computer = hole you throw money into
House = hole you throw money into

Life is full of money holes if you ask me.

 

This is quite the truth. I look at owning my camaros this way: I drive them as I would my winter beater. I would be driving something that needs to be maintained. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. I drive my IROC one day, my RS the other, **** ant's go kart in winter.

 

I think seven mpg is alil upset that he gets well seven mpg, im not complaining i was actually ment to be a funny post its an old saying, i just posted it because this is my first old school im 22 and have owned about 12 cars since i got my license from suvs to coupes to sports sedans (all american cars though ) last car was a 08 charger just sold it a couple weeks ago i love working on cars thats why i bought this i usually finish up my projects to fast then loose intrest, money is no problem plus its summer time nice and hot and i can do most of the work myself.

 

yup cars are money pits. you'll never get what you put in unless its super rare and in thirdgen land thats almost non existent.

 

buy a GM EROD engine and put it inurself, and rebuild the breaks and everything, if you do the work yourself itll be cheaper then a new car and just like one

 

My post was not meant to offend you,chill out man.I was simply saying get it going.Cars are money pits,it's the nature of the beast.Second I am not upset my camaro gets seven mpg because it's not my daily driver,I put a ****-ton of money in it to get that kind of performance,I wasn't going for fuel economy.

 

still,third gens are cheaper AND more fun than a stripper GF

 

i sell acdelco for a living and my 3rd gen is still a money pit.

 

Well having the same women all the time gets old....the same car doesnt..so I understand what your saying