So I decided a while back that I wanted a third gen. This decision was made years ago, but I never had the money to afford one. Finally I'm at the point in my life where I'm doing well and have the funds to buy one.
First off let me thank you for reading this, and if you plan to reply or give me any advice I really really appreciate it.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's get to it.

I'm looking for a third gen that can be my daily driver. I'm not looking for anything insanely fast or a track car, just something with t tops that has a nice sound to it and something I can do a few basic modifications to.

I've read over some other posts and have an idea of what to look for, but I need more specifics/advice.
Here are some cars for sale around my area:
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4093117532.html
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4097059957.html
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4107290305.html http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4063047929.html
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4022811124.html http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4077174969.html http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4076225484.html

Those are just a few of the third gens around my price range that are on my area. Any of them worth buying? Should I buy one of the cheaper ones and fix it up? Or spend a few more bucks and get a better condition one?
Of course I'm gonna look at them before buying, but I want people's opinions who have more experience with these cars than myself.
Again I thank you for any help in advance.

 

It depends what you want. Most of those listed are fairly well used up. If you can, I would buy the best one possible because these cars were plentiful, and they are still stuck at the bottom of the depreciation cycle - for now. Really nice ones can still be had for $10k. But if you just want to get around, one for $4k might do it for you. Just don't spend a lot trying to restore it because it would cost big $ and a ton of agrivation to get it to the quality of that $10k car in the first place.

 

If you want a third gen that can be a daily driver, buy the best one you can afford. And when I mean "best", I am referring to one that is the most mechanically sound.

 

Get the best condition one you can find with all the options you want. It's a lot easier and cheaper to just buy a good condition one than to restore one. It's a lot easier to buy a 5 speed car than convert an automatic to 5 speed. It's a lot easier to buy a car with tan interior rather than convert it to tan... I'm sure you see what I'm saying. Get exactly what you want or as close to it as you can.

Also, although it will cost more in the long run, try to buy a stock car. You don't want some hillbilly's junkyard 350 swap where he deleted AC, cut every wire in the harness, etc... You'd be much better off doing any mods you want yourself that way you know what was done and what problems you ran into. Don't buy a basket case. The other thing I found when I was looking for a second car was the cars that have been swapped from TPI to carb typically were pretty rough when I looked at them but that could have just been a thing around here.

 

My advice goes right along with everyone else. Keep it in your price range, make sure you like the look of it, and don't settle. I mean if you want a 5 speed find a 5 speed don't settle on an automatic just be patient and it will happen. One other thing everyone selling their car has a fresh rebuild engine. Assume they are lying and go off the odometer. Good luck with it and hope you find what your looking for.

 

Grow your hair out and buy some heavy metal music.

 

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/4077174969.html

this seems like a pretty good deal. body looks good, interior looks good and its a TPI. i wouldnt want a carb for a DD. every other link i saw didnt jump out at me they all seemed overpriced. the only thing that is weird is im not sure they came t-tops with 5.7 in 1987, i dont think it was until '88 or '89? he also doesnt show under the hood so it may be a sloppy 305 to 350 swap. gotta go check it out

 

Seems decent, it looks like it needs a respray which will probably run you a couple grand. You could get a 350 in 87 but run the numbers, many people manage to pass 305s off as 350s.

 

yea they def came with 350 in 87 (first year) but i dont think they came 350 with t-tops for the first few years. but ryan is right, first thing first is to figure out if its even a 350.. dipstick location (passenger side), harmonic balancer size (8in) are both easy ways to tell but arent always accurate. the definite answer is stamped on the back of the block by the starter

 

I have bought and sold a lot of third gens over the last 15 years and my advise goes along with everyone else. If you want a project DD then find one with the things you can redo yourself. I'm a big fan of original cars since there are a lot of yahoos with a socket wrench out there messing up a good thing. Also do your research on the subtleties of what makes an IROC an IROC and a RS an RS etc.. There are a lot of sellers trying to pass these cars off as something they are not. Have a question ask the group before you buy or take someone along who knows what to look for. You really don't have to worry about rust where you're at, but still look out for those problem areas.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'm definitely gonna go check out that red one.
What's better tpi or tbi?
Why no carb on a dd?

 

Injection systems are more efficient than carbs and carbs require constant adjustment. I'd always go with TPI although it has its performance drawbacks due to its longtube runners.

 

My dd is a 1965 Buick with a carbed engine. Tune it right and it does not require constant adjustment. I'm actually more concerned about my 87 IROC than the Buick... I can do most repairs on the Buick and yet know next to nothing about all the computer stuff on the TPI.

On the other hand, a carbed engine will take awhile to 'warm-up' vs FI where you can pretty much just get in and go.

Jeff ~

 

Sounds like a lot of GOOD advice here. Buy the best mechanically sound car you can like Zane said. Wait for what you want. Stay close to stock. Don't be impulsive. I am restoring and it is expensive, but I bought the car new in 84 and my motivation is different.
I think you can use one that has a carb as a daily driver. Well it was a daily driver for me for many years. Be aware that many new mechanics do not have a clue on how to adjust a carb or a choke. Lots of good advice on here for that or you can find someone after searching I'm sure. I just found a mechanic that has worked for a chevy dealer from 78 to 92 and knows 3rd gens inside and out. My 84 runs great and he did such a nice job I could use it as a daily driver......but I like my fuel injection in my Tacoma as I am off to work around the city. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

Especially since one of those ads said "original IROC rims powder coated" and the rims on the car are Z28 rims. People are really shady sometimes.

I once negotiated a trade giving up my 82 Trans Am for an 89 "IROC" I pointed out in the pictures that the front grill was wrong, but the owner said it had been broken and replaced. I drove 3 hours only to point out that the dash emblem read Camaro, not IROC-Z like it should, and the IROC-Z RPO code was missing from the list of codes. The PO pretended to be all pissed off about trading a 5.0 Stang for what they though was in IROC. It had IROC decals and a louvered hood, so it sort of looked the part, but that was it.

I learned 2 very important things that day. Never take face value on anything and never try to visually inspect a car in January in Northern Vermont when it's buried in the snow.

 

best advice is this...

buy the car you want with the options
buy the car you want with as much paper work/receipts showing PROOF of what has been done and replaced.. an owner who has these also means he took good care of it in general.. so it should be a better car than a lot you will come by
always take it for a test drive.. don't be afraid to step on it all the way from a stop.. you need to know what you might be looking at.. stalls.. hesitations etc..
drive it 60+ MPH if you can.. does it rattle like it's going to fall apart.. RUN FOREST.. RUN!!
check the body in and out.. check the engine compartment.. is it a rats nest?
how does it sound in general?
what "mods" have been done? if they claim it's rebuilt.. make them PROVE it with paper work.. otherwise.. 99.9% of the time.. they are full of B.S!!!!!!!!

be patient.. find.. buy.. enjoy for life!

 

If you buy a car with low mileage, make sure it was stored properly. Look for rust, evidence of rodents/ wiring issues, hardened or cracked rubber parts, OEM shocks and struts, or ancient tires. If these are present, be prepared to replace or freshen up ANY mechanical component on the car, as the previous owner could have just yanked the car out of storage and put it on the market with all of the 21+ year old OEM crap wear parts still on it, old tranny fluid, etc. A good owner will have the car freshened up with tight steering, a smooth shifting transmission, and a good running engine, as well as fresh fluids and rubber and the receipts or work orders to prove it.
If you don't mind doing a little work, a well-stored but unfreshened low mileage car can be a fun experience, and it'll still have the options you want and a good, original rust free paint job and body.

I wouldn't shy away from a higher mileage thirdgen though, as long as the receipts or maintenance records are there. A car that has been driven by someone that loves it and takes pride in it will probably be well kept, with most normal problems and annoyances addressed.

700R4's tend to need rebuilt or replaced between 100-150k, small block Chevy's can go between 175 and 300k if maintained and not totally ragged on, 10 bolts last a long time when they're not beat on by hard launches and burnouts and the fluid level is maintained. Ball joints and steering components generally go 50-100k, less if they aren't greased regularly. If the car has A/C, find out if it was converted from R12 freon to r134a, and if so, how long since the seals on the system were last replaced. Look for cracks around where the steering box mounts, and rust in the rear quarter panels, floor pans, spare tire well, and battery box area. If the car has the electronic hatch pulldown, make sure it's still functional. Make sure the radio/ tape/CD deck works and that the speakers don't rattle at your normal listening volume since factory speaker cones may be dust by now. Paint tends to crack around the rear and top of the window sill near the hatch, and headliners tend to sag. Make sure the window and t-top seals are soft and seal properly, otherwise they may drip a tiny bit in heavy downpours. As has been stated, make sure that the vacuum lines and wiring harness are still routed as they were from the factory. TPI, TBI, and factory feedback carbs need proper vacuum and sensor feedback to run right, so if some dummy tried to delete the emissions or a/c or otherwise hack and splice stuff, it may have some issues and make it harder to diagnose vacuum leaks or electrical problems.

Most of the problems are really just general old car problems; replacing wear items in the suspension, alternators, starters, batteries, tune-up parts, etc. Good quality parts are readily available for pretty cheap at almost any auto parts place (something you dont get with imported cars from that era... Ask me how i know haha). Thirdgens are very reliable as far as old cars go- keep it tuned up, fluids fresh, replace problematic parts, and it'll run well for a long time. For the fun and reliability per buck, I'd say third gens are the best from their era... reliability of an 80's-90's Chevy full sized truck, handling on par with a lot of imports, and the later TPI cars had power on par with the foxbody Mustang. Get a good one, treat it well and watch out for the common problems, and it should give you a lifetime of fun.

 

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Well I finally bought a third gen!!! It's a 1988 IROC Z28. It seems to be in decent shape and runs pretty well.
I just posted another thread on here about the few problems it has. Any advice on how to fix these problems would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

I gained 50 horsepower when I grew a M u l let