A friend of mine is wanting to sell his 86 camaro base car. Its got the manual windows and its the berlinetta style body. 2.8 automatic the interior is in good condition, dash isn't cracked or anything, the car runs out great and from what they tell me I can drive it home. The car is one color (silver) but its faded so it'll need to be painted. Its got a old set of cragers on it and I'm not sure about the tires. It comes with a 350 engine thats suppose to be good, 4 bolt main, 3970010 casting, and crappy 882 heads. A Th350 transmission (suppose to be good) and a Z28 rear bumper cover for 400 bucks. I've got alot of projects all ready but to me it seems like a steal for something I can drive home that looks pretty decent. Should I buy it or not?

 

Switching a v-6 to a v-8 car is a lot of work and money. You're going to need new cluster instruments,ecm, run a new wiring harness, front end accessories find a 700r4 instead of the predecessor th-350 and a new exhaust system. I'd pass unless you would rather keep it a v6 and switch to a 3.4 v6 with a neat little cam and putt putt around in it.

 

u do not need a new cluster , u do hpowever need to switch the tach if u want it to work right

the front end only needs v8 springs and engine mounts , if the th350 is a 9inch tailshaft version it goes in with a simple tq arm kit form b&m

 

$400.00 for a complete running car, and a new engine/trans combo? Grab it up! As long as the body is solid it would be a great project car! Where are these deals when I need them?

 

I don't have any intentions on swapping it over to a V8. I planned on buying it and using a few misc parts, maybe ride it a little while and sell it. I figured I could get a couple hundred bucks out of the engine and get the car running and clean it up and sell it for 700-800 bucks. I just seemed like a good deal and he was gonna have it crushed if I didn't buy it.

 

I'd buy it. Hell, you could swap what you need off it for what you have, make it look decent and run alright, and sell it for a grand.

 

I'd buy it, if I were in the OP's shoes.

 

I agree with the above

 

If you don't take it, you're nuts. You get 2 engines with a WHOLE CAR for half of what I paid for my 88 roller with an interior full of half junk parts!

 

Take it!!!!!!! Use it as a put around car and then sell it if you don't like it for more than you paid, plus sell the extra engine and trans. Seems to me you could make an easy $600 or more and still get some use out of the car.

 

^ what he said. nothing wrong with cruising a v6 3rdgen at that price.

 

Well I bought it. When I went to get it, it was running just a smooth as could be, we revved it up and it done fine. Turned on the headlights and the engine died. Well first thought was bad alternator, no big deal. We boosted it off and couldn't get it to start for some reason so I went home got a dolly and towed it home. Next day it fired right up but it sounded like someone was in the oil pan with a claw hammer trying to get out. Rod knock wasn't the word for it. I've decided to make a drag car out of it and use the interior parts in my 86 Trans Am.

 

So your selling the V6 stuff?? Making it a V8 race car?

 

Yep, getting rid of the V6 stuff and going small block.

 

gen1 carb small blocks isn't worth it, to many cheap LS-- FI V8s to be had.

gotta go right to carb BB if you don't want to feel like you still have a V6 as everyone will still be faster then you.

least with a 6 when you keep it, it feels good.

 

Meh, you can make the SBC fast, but it takes more than a LS. If you are doing a V8, the 5.3 LM7 is your best choice, 10 HP less than a LS1 and can be had for under $500.

 

That sucks man,but as long as you have a plan for the car then no big deal I guess. I know you can make a SCB run real good in a 3rd gen so all should be good.