bladerunner2019

So my friend is selling an 86 Camaro which has been in storage for a year. He has been religious with it and keeping it running in that time and has owned as a summer car for 6 years. It has 132k and is a 5spd. This is still pretty preliminary and I haven't got all the details yet, though I'll post stuff later the more I learn. Basically I'm looking for a car that is going to be a project car eventually but I am also in need of some daily transportation. Which isn't to say I'll be driving the car everyday. I am a grad student in Pittsburgh and occasionally need my car to get groceries, etc. because carrying your groceries on public transport is kinda lame. I'm on sabbatical in Maine (where the car is) so I'll need to get it back to PA. It looks pretty rust free as it isn't a Maine car and has never seen winter. I'm taking it in to get a mechanic to look at it. He is asking $2k for it. Its not an IROC or a Z, just a plain ole 'Maro. I've always had a soft spot for the 3rdgen and my current car (a Mitsubishi Eclipse) is getting to0 expensive to fix (the aftermarket for Mitsu parts is plain awful, not to mention the prices!). So my basic questions are:

1) What is the overall reliability of these cars? Should I simply look elsewhere?
2) Whats the average price of parts for the 3rdgen car? What about part availability?
3) What particular problems should I look for with these cars?

I notice the Blue book values for 3rdgen cars seem to vary where KBB says stuff like $1K for a mint car and NADA says 2200. What gives? At this mileage assuming good condition, is this a fair price? I appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks everyone! I love the website!

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

1-2k for a mint thirdgen... i wish..

try 10k plus and that's on a good day with the wind at your back. 4-5k will buy you a good driver that will need work soon.

regardless to answer your question thirdgens that are in good shape are great cars. a 130k car doesn't mean it's bad but there is a good chance you'll need to do some work unless most of it has been done already. first to go is the body obviously but suspension and transmission as many of these cars are passed down to kids who think autos are manuals.

parts can be cheap if you buy used and your only looking to replace factory equipment. parts aftermarket are expensive.

if you want a daily driver buy something else. if you want a fun weekend car that can be built to be a great performer and look good on a budget thirdgens are excellent!

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Reliability is going to come down to how the car has been used and maintained. In general, with the age and mileage you're dealing with, I wouldn't expect to use it as a daily driver.

Some parts are cheap, some parts are expensive. The used parts market has gone downhill the last couple years. Most of these cars are all worn out now and good parts are hard to find.

As for problems... You could get a car that's been well maintained and it might work flawlessly for years, on the other hand you can get a beat up junker that you'll have to fix every two weeks for the next several years.

If you have no desire to be working on the car and spending money making repairs, on a regular basis, then don't buy it. If you plan to use it as your single form of transportation, don't buy it. If you want something to mess with, that can be fun when it works, then go for it.

Price varies from region to region and book values are intended mostly for retail sellers, dealers, etc. Sometimes nice thirdgens sell for nothing, other times they're through the roof.

bladerunner2019

Well like I said it wouldn't be a daily driver. In fact I'll probably store most of my final year at school, tinkering with it when I can. I feel like its a good deal and I enjoy driving it. I hope to do an engine swap after school. But yeah I won't ever rely on it for transportation, save occasionally to keep it running like trips to the store (a scant 5 miles away). I'd like to take it to school as I plan on staying in Pittsburgh, though I've toyed with leaving it at my folks house. Plus I'll still have my other car.

Incidently, what are some recommended first modifications to make? What will give me the greatest boost in terms of performance? I suppose thats vague, but acceleration is what I'm looking for.