Yep, I think I'm finally gonna get rid of my Camaro. I've thought about it a couple times before but I think I'm finally going through with it this time. She's served me well for the better part of the last 3 years but since December she's been nothing but trouble. Its one thing after another and I can't afford to have a broken down car or one that halfway runs like it does now. What is a fair asking price for an 86 with a decent, but not perfect body and interior and an engine that runs but hesitates and backfires like crazy and lacks the power it should have. I figure if the engine ran right I might could get $1000-$1200 out of it but the way it runs I don't know. She just turned 180k today as well. Any ideas on what I should sell for. I have no clue what car I'll buy next but I need something to get back and forth to college 5 days a week that I can depend on and not worry everytime that I get in the car that I won't make it to where I'm going or that it won't crank.

 

You cant get much for any car that isnt running right. If I were you I would maybe purchase another car ,if you can , and hold on to the Camaro, and maybe drop something in it later on.
With the way it is running and from what you described $500 would be the max.

By the way have you ever replaced the timing chain?

 

From what you described, it does not sound good. I cant Drive 55 is right I would say 500 tops if it isn't working 100%. Why don't you check your timing, or do as Camaro_hunter_D says and advance it 3-4 degrees sometimes that solves the problem.

The only way you might get more is if you part the car out which can be tedious.

 

Have you had a tune up lately?The car backfires and has hesiatition so i'd would do what Joe_l said and advance your timing while your at it.Check things before letting her go.

 

Your problem could be something as simple as plug wires. Or, as mentioned above, your timing chain could be streched.

Whatever you decide to do, I agree that you wont get much for a motor that's out of tune. I think there comes a point where you can either keep it....or junk it. Selling really isn't an option. :shrug:

 

They're right. The body/interior on my car is pretty solid, just needed engine work (read engine) when I got it. But then, they didn't keep up routine maintenance either.

 

I cannot speak for others, but my car likes, no loves to be set at 12-13* NOT 10, IT HATES 10*. When is the last time you changed plugs? cap&rotor? wires? I know it sounds like more money but if this 15-30 bucks fixes the prob....
I would also check the timing I bets its WAY TOO high. REMEMBER TO DISSCONNECT THE EST PLUG BEFORE SETTING TIMING OR IT WILL THROW IT OFF BIG TIME.
Oh mine is a manual too.

 

Timming chain... I ahve 180K and I just did it.. It was toast, ran like crap under 3000 rpms and still ran crappy but better above that. The timming chain is like a new car... Worth every penny for my coyles double roller and the labor...

 

It may be cheaper to buy the 2.8 to 3.1 kit since it comes with a chain and rebuild it now and have fun...

 

Bummer to hear about you getting rid of the car... too bad. I'd say keep it and try to make it work better- especially since you probably can't get more than $500 for one that "barely runs". I bought my barely running '84 2.8 Firebird parts car for $250.

What's wrong with it? What have you changed/checked?

 

Well I got some good news. About an hour after I posted this me and my dad were messing around on my car and we fixed the problem. Story behind all this is that the car started missing back in Dec so we did a tune up and it ran like a dream for 3 days and started missing again. It missed bad until I cleaned my K&N's and then it went away again. Then the fuel pump went out and when the shop called for me to pick it up they said it was missing bad and it did for about a week and a half. Well the other night my dad and I were looking under the hood trying to figure it out and you know those metal things that go over the end of the plug wires where they connect to the plugs. Well 2 of the wires were arcing thru those metal things off the motor. We took all 6 of them off and took it down the road and she runs like a dream. My gas milage has gotten better, but I still don't think its back to where it was and it still backfires a little when its cold. But all in all I'm pretty happy with it b/c I actually have power back. I still might sell it, I don't know. I really do want something else, but don't really know what I want. Deep down I don't wanna sell the car, but that is the only way for me to get anything else at the moment. If things were better financially right now, I'd take out a loan and get something nice but I can't right now. But at least now if I still wanna sell it I might could since it runs decent again. I'd like to check my timing sometime soon and see if it's off causing that backfire. I know I need a MAF sensor and I've needed an O2 sensor for forever now, I just always forget about it or put it off. Maybe if I get all of that done she'll run perfect again.

 

I bet you it's the timing!

My had a simlar problem. I crected my timing and most of it went a way. The I also noticed that those dam metal things were causing the rest of the problem. Why in the hell do they put them on there if they are just going to arc???

 

I would still try to advance the timing a few degree's. My car likes to be set around 12 to 13* at 10* it backfires.

 

they put them on as heat shields. They work, but if the wire boot is not pushed all the way on it will arc. Personally I yanked mine off a long time ago.

 

Hey jason/86 2.8, if you drive it to lower Michigan, I'll give you my 4x4 Chevy truck for it...seriously!
See here: https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=86229