Ok, here's the deal.

A friend of mine is coming in on Friday to price out an '01 Formula WS6...but, they don't make an '01 Formula WS6...that's another problem

Anyway, his current ride is the third gen I've been waiting for (at least in a lot of ways). It's a '91 Z28 350, bright red, t-tops, all power, and may even have the G92 package (not sure though). It's got about 90k miles on it, and supposedly runs and drives perfect.

Here's the problem though...its been smacked hard enough at some point to earn it a salvage title. The front end was hit, and the rear was hit too...although not nearly as bad, just enough to earn it an IROC bumper Now, I haven't driven yet, nor have I thrown it up on a lift. The dealer is gonna do it on Friday, because he wanted to get a trade-in value for the car, should I decide not to buy it. A likely trade in value, because of the salvage title, is $1,000-1,500, according to my manager.

What I will do is Friday after work, take it for a spin with him, and see how it drives. Should the undercarriage appear to be fixed correctly, I'd like to offer him something over the trade-in value (how much depends on how well it drives.) He's doesn't seem to want to sell it on his own (to someone other than me at least) because of the salvage title, and probably because he'd have to warranty it...and we've all heard the horror stories of an idiot blowing up a good motor and then demanding the previous owner to pay for it!! That's why trading it in is so much easier...or if I bought it, I'd take it as is from him.

Bottom line: '91 Z28 fairly cheap. What it needs: paint (hood/front fenders/nose shiny because repainted after accident, rest faded), carpet, correct rear bumper, fix hole in driver's seat bolster, other nickle and dime stuff.

If it drives fine and the unibody is ok, and everything checks out, do I buy? Do I run because of the title? If this wasn't the car I've always wanted, if I didn't trust my friend about what it has for new parts, and if I couldn't get it relatively cheap, I wouldn't consider it. But I probably can, so I want to consider it at least.

Ideas? Sorry for this being so long, but HELP!!!

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Jason E
'89 Camaro RS 2.8
Hypertech chip/K&N filters/Accel 8.8 wires,coil/RapidFires
Eclipse CD and 100x4 amp/Boston plates and 6x9s
JasonEE98 on AOL IM

"I feed my car plenty of rice...keeps it healthy!!"

 

i personally would buy one in cherry shape especially it being a 92 the last year of the thirdgen.

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Flowmaster 80 series, Random Technologies Cat, 3" intermediate pipe, SS
Hand Made Tips, 3 1/4" out, Accel 8.8 wires, MSD Coil, MSD Ignition Module,MSD 6A Box
Currently Working On:
T5 swap
Next to buy:
Slp dual cold air intake!

1982 z28..
350 4bbl black leather inside and black outside...no mods yet except for maybe the exhaust from my firebird

 

I haven't seen a '92 350 Z in over a year for sale...they made under 5,000 or so total '92 Zs...not all were 350s, and all the ones I saw were like 8 grand mint....this one I can get for far less probably. I can take what I save and make it mint for less than 8 grand.

Other ideas?

[This message has been edited by Jason E (edited December 03, 2000).]

 

If ya offer him over trade in only offer him a 100 bucks more.. It soudns like it was hit hard and who knows what might show up 1 week or 1 year from now.. If I bought it I would add sub frame connectors and urethane bushings ASAP...

 

I think you and everybody has missed the REAL question! Will ya keep the V6?!?!

I say go for it

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91 RS Camaro
3.1L
Cat Back System, K&N filter,modified air box, Fastchip Stage 2, 160 thermo, Rapidfires and Bosch Wires 5 Air Horns

Kills: 89' 302 Thunderbird, 88' 305 Cutless Supreme, 90' 3.8 Bonneville

My Car

 

Garmer,

LOL...well here's the deal. I may be almost 21, but I still live at home. That means my parents expect to have a say in crap, and my mom doesn't want me to have 2 Camaros. She IS however happy the '91 has an airbag LOL.

But they know that car means a lot to me, and I don't THINK they'd force me to sell it. But I would have to find year-round, indoor storage to store whichever one I wouldn't be driving.

But if push comes to shove, and the '91 is sweet and I can't keep both, I think the RS may go down the road

More ideas? Opinions?

 

I say go for it real quick. My reason: How many 91-92 Z-28's have you seen with 350's and t-tops? Not many (as long as the engine is original). On other sites, people have told me the reason the cars are so rare is because sometimes under hard driving, the torque of the 350 would pop a t-top, or two, out and they would shatter. Now I believe this is true because I have heard it from about 6 different people and 3 different web sites. Also, I was trying to find a 91-92 Z with a 350 and t's, but I couldn't find one, so they have to be rare. As I stated earlier, go for it!!!
Vman

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1969 Camaro
383, Corvette heads, 700R4
Resto is in progress

1988 Toyota 4-Runner
aka the Parts Hauler

 

It depends on how well the repair was done. My car was totalled in the rear before I bought it; a body-man fixed it up for his son. (My dad and I figured if he fixed it up for his son, he wouldn't have given his son a death-trap!) We had a mech (all around kind-of-guy) check it out, he said the repair looked good. In fact when I was doing the bodywork, I found that the right rear had red paint under there!

Hey if you can get it cheap enough, go for it! Seems like the other problems are minor enough to overlook, especially for the price.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

You wrote exactly what I was thinking!! If everything lines up right, and it drives fine, I'll go for it...the problem is convincing the parents. My mom wants me to get a new car, not "another old thing." My dad has said nothing yet...so far this is going well.

Any more comments??

 

Explain to your mom how you won't be broke if you buy that car. I have a few friends that complain about their new car payments, even tho they got rid of their perfectly fine used cars.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Ok here's the latest....

Apparently the goddamned car was cut in 1/2!!!! Thats right...Ryan told me there was a seam behind the front seats where the car was welded back together.

This would explain why it has the IROC rear bumper with blue paint showing through the peeling red paint. Here's the new theory I have on the car and the crash:

The front of the car, rather than being hit and repainted, is the original paint. The rear from an IROC smacked in the front was ripped off another car, welded on, and all of the trim pieces within the car were picked to match. This explains the IROC rear bumper, and also why the rear of the car is faded...it was repainted red, but probably not well, and it faded through time.

I still have yet to drive the car. It has 97k miles on it, the t-tops leak, and its been welded in the middle....ARGH!!!! Ryan says it drives fine though, but it does need a lot of nickle and dime stuff, plus paint

Hmmm...MAYBE I could buy it as a parts car rather than a restoration? I always hate parting a 3rd gen out, but the nice 16" Z28 rims, grille with foglights, sway bars, rear end with disc brakes, and other little pieces would go well on my car

Is it sacrilige on the V6 board to mention I'd take the 350 and 700R4 out of it for my car too???

Still wanna hear everyone's ideas on the car though, whether I fix it up or use it for parts (which I doubt I'd do).

 

IN MY OWN OPINION, I think you should not use it to fix up, but the donor car sounds like a really good deal! Just remember once a V6 always a V6,,right? LOL

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91 RS Camaro
3.1L
Cat Back System, K&N filter,modified air box, Fastchip Stage 2, 160 thermo, Rapidfires and Bosch Wires 5 Air Horns

Kills: 89' 302 Thunderbird, 88' 305 Cutless Supreme, 90' 3.8 Bonneville

My Car

 

The whole back was welded on?? At first thought, that sounds damn scary... and illegal...

At second thought, did your friend witness the weld job? Could he have mistaken a normal body seam for a body shop's weld job? Will he let you scratch off some undercoating from each inner-rear-wheelwell to check for the paint color?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

If you want to see if the rear is original or not, just look at the VIN stickers on the various body parts. I know there is one on the PS 1/4 panel, just take out the spare tire to see it, and there is one on the back bumper cover. I think it is on the bottom flat space where the hammer rivets attach the cover to the body. If I remember correctly, they have pink holographic lettering and a whole bunch of "GM"'s all over, too. Let me know if you can't find them.

Vman

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1969 Camaro
383, Corvette heads, 700R4
Resto is in progress

1988 Toyota 4-Runner
aka the Parts Hauler

 

Oh, there is one on the rear hatch, too, just take that trim piece off and it will be right there.

Vman

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1969 Camaro
383, Corvette heads, 700R4
Resto is in progress

1988 Toyota 4-Runner
aka the Parts Hauler

 

Thanks for the info Vortex...I'll be checking tomorrow. 1st I'll look for the VIN in the spare tire well...that should be easier to find in a suit and tie

Tom, he wasn't there when any work was done. He bought the car as is, and knows he got ripped off (paid $4,700 with 86k miles). When he had an exhaust (I think...) put on, the tech called him out to the serivce bay to show him a supposed weld line where it appeared the body had been welded back together...not merely a seam.

Well, I am driving it tomorrow, but I have decided against buying it. This car has many things mine doesn't, but doesn't have the one thing that makes mine special...all original, and never hit. If I'm gonna invest 7-8000 in restoring a 3rd gen, I think I should wait for a more soild example to start with.

Thanks to all the responses!

 

I'd take it for the parts. You could get a couple of nice parts of of that thing as well as a perfectly good 350/700R4 for your car or a project car. Plus you could get that posi rear end in your car.


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1991 Firebird Formula, 305, TPI, Auto...stock till I get some money!!!
Former owner of an 88 2.8 Firebird....RIP