cmcz450

Well I have been looking for a camaro for a year or 2 now that needs a little work because I want to be gain knowledge on cars in general. I picked the camaro because my dad had one and I like the body and that they are pretty light weight. Lately I have been wondering is a third gen considerably fun/easy to work on? Things that would kill that would be price and parts availability(don't think there's a problem there) and actually working on it(installs and space). So what's your opinion? Is a third gen a good choice to start learning the in and outs of a car?
Thanks for your opinion-Corey

Ron U.S.M.C.

Thats just about exactly what each and every one of us are doing here.With the help of this site and a friend or two I took a five hundred dollar ( first ever project car) and turned it into this. Granted its not the same style as most but fits me perfectly for a daily driver. The Third Gen has a huge following with after market and stock parts. There getting a little harder to find at my local Pic-n-Pull but nothing that has slowed me down during my build. My only advice is START with a "350". I love my 5.0 but if I had to do it over I would have started with that.

jac113

iTrader: (4)

Well I certainly hope so,j/k, i have two project camaros in the queue, an 89 Iroc and a 92 B4C. As mentioned above the parts are widely available and if like me, the budget is limited, the classifieds here are better than my local junk yards could ever be. I'm in parts gathering mode and have no trouble finding new or like new parts at sometimes half the cost, just be careful its addicting.
The choice is your but I always like to start with a good base....I like to think that i'm mechanically savvy so I prefer to have better body and interior over a good engine. I also like to start with a car that would bring something close to the $ invested in case I ever had to part with it. And yeah you can't put a price on a passion but my wife sure can, lol.
So i'd suggest you get lost on this web site, browse the tech articles, the members pics pages, the classifieds, etc, etc, etc. Review thirdgen year by year, select a make and model.....find it.....buy it...build it......enjoy it(and keep us posted while your at it).
welcome aboard, from just another enthusiast.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Same here: it takes me an afternoon to swap an engine, but MONTHS or YEARS to do a complete body & paint job; and, engines don't rust through in places you can't see and turn into swiss cheese. The paint doesn't have to be "good", just, find a car with no rust, all the parts there, no significant damage, no prior hack jobs done by shysters trying to tart it up a little bit to conceal underlying problems and deceive would-be buyers, etc. ... which if you buy a "freshly painted" one, is almost certainly what you'll get, is a giant POS that somebody just squirted a bunch of thick colored goo all over to hide whatever was ugly.

Atilla the Fun

They beat the heck out of the second-gens. A gen 2 F-car is for show / touring / cruising. But they're too heavy for performance, and everything costs more. Fourth gens have plenty of advantages, but the initial price is still unfairly high.

cmcz450

Yes 2nd gens are pricey, but I am partial to those as well. Here is my dad's 73 LT(my red truck in the back) has a 327, small cam and sounds nice.


I blame him for me even wanting a camaro. I have had a truck for my entire(7 year) driving career and have decided one I would like to get a gas car and two I want a "toy" so that my Daily Driver can remain a daily driver. My mom has a chrysler 300c hemi and it gives me the itch because the throttle response is so crisp compared to a turbo charged diesel. Love my truck, but I need a gas car in my life.

Sounds like a 3rd gen is right for me. My dad doesn't want to work on cars anymore because he was forced to when he was younger due to not having much money. I on the other hand feel it is something important to know your vehicle in case problems arise and I want to be more savvy.

I have been watching craigslist like a hawk for 2 years and passed on a 87' iroc-z with an original 5.7(needed a fuel pump and cleaning) should of bought it, but I was still in school and not working. Right now I have been talking to a guy with an 85 that he dropped a 350 in...sort of. He decided not to finish it because he wanted to focus on his 01 TA and he wants 800 for it. Body is clean from the pictures and grey primered, but isn't a crap primer job. He also painted the engine bay while he pulled the engine and it looks excellent. My only concern is it ending up being a hack job with stuff missing everywhere nickel and dimeing me to death. I'll post photos tomorrow after work and school. Thanks for your opinions(sorry to be long winded lol)

tyrell418

It's not that, its just just their sp damn ugly hah, thats why i bought a third gen, i like to looks better, prices are about the same from what i've researched.

eseibel67

Lots of advantages with a third gen for a project. They are cheap to buy initially, light, handle very well when set up properly, are easy to hot rod because they came stock with a SBC, and both used and speed parts are plentiful and cheap because millions were manufactured. These are the reasons I have a always been a fan of not only third gens, but F-bodies in general. I only change preference of which generation I like best depending on which model year happens to be 20 years old at any particular given date.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Other than a mustang fox body, thirdgens I think are among the best for project cars. Old enough that just about everything needs replaced at some point so you learn to do everything possible to do to a car Fairly light, good handling when setup right, good drag cars if set up right, plenty of engine bay room for some serious builds, lots of aftermarket parts, factory EFI potential if you wanna stick EFI. All around good stuff.

Bought mine in 03, in good condition all original....9 years later theres not much left thats original Distributor and some wiring harness thats about it...

LilSki

iTrader: (1)

I'm a 2nd gen guy but I will tell you I have had more fun wrenching on my 85 than any other vehicle I have owned.

cmcz450

I was talking in an earlier post about an 85 and here are some pictures of it. Engine is a reman 350 with a cam, the guy is a bit vague on details, but I probably need to see it in person so I can see what all needs done. He is only wanting 800 which isn't a bad initial price, but I am a bit nervous on it nickel and dimeing me to death.

DeltaElite121

You should be expecting that if you're looking at a project. Projects that "just come together" are extremely rare, and usually it's someone who really knows their way around finding good stuff for cheap.

Personally, I think foxbodies are the best project to build. They have great rearends in them to begin with, whereas these cars don't.. they're lighter than these cars on average (particularly if you get a notch) and parts are plentiful. I still love these cars, though. These cars have tons of options, and they're simple. Lots of these to be found in scrapyards also, which is nice.

Ultimately, price will end up being about the same though.. Ford parts are generally twice as much in price on the "nickel and dime" stuff you're referring to.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Yep just about any old car is gonna have things that will nickel/dime you. Even my 99 LS1 car is starting to get to that point. AC went out, rear end was on its way out, suspension was out and needed replaced, some electrical issues since it was a R title car But I got it for a steal and it is mechanically strong

jbenge

iTrader: (2)

Thirdgens make great project cars, they are one of the last affordable rwd V8 cars made. The 80's mustangs, monte carlos and malibus also make good projects too but I've always prefered the looks and handling of the thirdgens to the other cars.

When looking for a car I prefer to start with one that is together and running(preferablly stock or close to stock) even if it costs more intitially. You never know what you are getting into when you buy a project that someone else has started. All the small parts you are missing add up quickly and many times you end up redoing what has already been done by the previous owner. Fresh paint or primer on a cheap car is always a concern to me, you don't know what is hiding under the paint/primer. I would want to know more specifics about the engine. If its recently rebuilt I would hope to see some receipts..if it really is rebuilt it would have to be a super cheap rebuild to be selling the entire car for only $800.

If it were me I would probably pass on this one and find another that is complete. Its much easier to stay modivated and its more fun to have a running car that you can gradually fix and modify. Its easy to get bored and discouraged with a non-running project. The good part about the car you are looking at is the intial price is very low, so as long as the body is solid and rust free it's a good deal just be aware of the amount of time and money it will take to make it what you want it to be. Good luck and keep us posted on what you decide to do.