Yor

Hi folks,
I'm a tad new around there parts but I've come to this site many times
for information on 3rd Generation Camaros since I've been dying to get
one since I was 14. Anyways back to the real point of this thread.
I've found a white 1988 Camaro sport coupe convertible with:
black top (no holes)
305 v8 (LO3)
61k original miles
Made in July of '88
Black Z28 caps on the 15" rims(I think), but it is the sport coupe.
On top of this being the only year the sport was made to look like the old Z28.
If I remember right it's the model made early in the year since it has the wing and not the spoiler (I believe.)
1 of 1,859 convert sport coupes made in '88, and 1 of 2122 sport coupe convertibles made in the 2 years that the sports had convertible tops before they were discontinued.
It's been sitting for 3 years however, as the old man who owned it simply
stopped driving it due to his age and health. I'll get pictures of it up tomorrow,
but he wants 3,000 dollars for this car. I'll get some more info on the car but
this fellow seems to have really kept this car in good shape besides the last 3 years of sitting in the driveway.
I'm hoping to talk him down to 2,500 just because 3,000 is quite a lot of money for my budget.

Any information or advice on this I'd really appreciate, thanks guys/gals!

camaro1185

Im thinking 3K or even 2.5k is high considering what will need to be done/replaced after 3 years of sitting. Also keep in mind the car is a base model sport coupe. Does it run? Its a 21 Year old car to start and second it was sitting for 3 years. I say go to the guys house with 2k cash say this the max your willing to spend take it or leave it. A lot of times money talks. Anyway, good luck and keep us posted.

Yor

Yeah the camaro runs, he's just left it sitting for so long due to health and age. I've yet to get under it but the exterior and interior are both in marvelous shape aside from the white paint being a little dull.

I was hoping to just be able to give him like 2200 or so for it once he knows how well I'm going to take care of it, seeing as he said I can come by any time to work on it and I plan on doing so on any days off from work I get.

My main concern is how quickly this camaro may have rusted out in those 3 years.

In all honesty I can get my hands on quite a lot of things that may need to be replaced. I've rebuilt rocker panels and have fairly ready access to sheet metal and other equipment needed due to where my dad works.

Hell, my Z24 didn't run and was falling apart when we first bought it for 150 bucks and now it's on the road and running fine. That car was beat to **** though and this one looks very promising, it's just I'm hoping he will lower the price tag on her. I'll get pictures soon.

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

post some pics so that those on the boards can give you some suggestions.

Yor

I'm heading to his house in an hour or two to do some little cleaning and changing of basic things soon, I'll get some pics and have my gf put them on photobucket so I can show you all the condition of the car.

camaro1185

Making and educated guess here, at 61K miles/21years that comes out to about 2900 miles a year. Theres probably a good chance this car wasnt drivin in the winter then at that little mileage. Salt is what kills the metal on a car. So if there was no rust before sat in the driveway for 3 years, its still probably pretty solid. chances are you will probaly have surface rust in some places. If it is only surface rust and not rotted through, thats no prob.

When you look at it, look at a few key places. The wheel wells (like the lips and down by the GFX, rocker panels, inside on the door lips, and check out the floors under the car. if they all check out and have only a little surface rust, and you feel good paying 2200, go for it!

Yor

Okay sooo... =[
Basically I finally got to check her our, the outside was in fair enough shape, it needs an alternator and starter solenoid to run appropriately.
However, while I was tapping along the floorboards with my hammer to find any softspots eh..
I found that about a half square foot of the driver's floor had been patched before and was gone, the driver's side rear floor was also the same, annnnd the passenger's side rear floor as getting bad too. The first two I could touch the carpet through them, and the last I couldn't really. Upon hearing that he dropped the price down to 1800, but knowing that those 3 need to be patched and replaced makes me want to either tell him no dice or 1,100 dollars.

What do you guys think? I'll get some pics up soon. some of the paint as bubbling a little and edges of 2 of the wheel wells had quarter sized rust spots. =/ The interior is mint, however, and the engine is pretty clean too, the frame was solid but those floor boards worry me now about this vehicle.

camaro1185

I would be suspicious about all that rot on the car with only 61K on it. Its possible that it may be infact 161K. You said you wanted one since 14. I wanted one when i was young too, i must have looked at 30 camaro before i settled on one. The fact is, these cars are out there, and if you look long and hard enough you will find a wicked deal on a solid car the way i did. It did take me a long time to find one, but i now have a solid car to restore. Personally i wouldnt buy the car, but thats because i dont want to deal with a rotted out car, i would never feel safe in them. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Yor

I personally don't mind dealing with rot and rust, simply because my Z24 was in almost the same shape. The rocker panels were completely gone, as was the fuel tank, brake lines, fuel pump, and more.

It's just I got that car for 150 bucks, and I personally wouldn't want to spend more than 1,000 on this car if it's this aged.

I blame the rot spots on this car due to it being parked and dirt for 3 or 4 years, this fellow has a lot of receipts and paperwork on this car to show what SHOULD be the right mileage.

If he lowers it down even more than I'll take it regardless of floorboards, simply because my first car was a bondo/putty/poprivet queen, so I don't
see why I can't make this one the bondy/putty/poprivet king.

okfoz

you will have to take a picture of the spoiler, in your first post you mention that it had a wing and not the regular spoiler...

Youi have peaked my interest, nonetheless.

Thanks

John

Yor

My apologies, I may have been mistaken.

This picture is not of the camaro I saw, but the one I saw has the opposite of this one.