1991 Firebird V6 3.1L and 1988 Toyota Supra

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FrequencyX

Senior member
Oct 22, 2004
327
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Came across a 1991 Firebird and was wondering if it be worth buying. Here is the excerpt from the listing ...

"1991 Pontiac firebird. Needs work. Has 3.1L v6 in it that needs head work. These cars are very easy to put a v8 in. However, the v6 would run with minimal work.( a head gasket and rear main i think) Interior is decent for its age, and the body is straigh but needs paint badly. If you are an f-body fan, this one would be a good project. the car has 114,000 miles. I put about $1,200 into new sensors, seals, and other miscellaneous stuff about 2.5 years ago when I parked it. An idiot I know pulled the distributor and put it back in the wrong position. this is why it sits. however i discovered a few weeks ago trying to get it to run, that there is ZERO compression in piston 1. "

It is 500 obo. Well, what do you guys think? If I don't hang on to it and fall in love, would it at least be worth flipping(after the work is done of course)?
 
A

acemcmac

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
13,712
1
0
It's a garuenteed money looser trying to "flip it". I'd only do it if you really need the transportation.
 
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imported_LoKe

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
19,723
1
0
"Needs work". Always a bad sign. While Pontiacs are fun cars, they have quite a few problems. I wouldn't waste the time on it unless it's just a project for something to do.
 
F

FrequencyX

Senior member
Oct 22, 2004
327
0
0
Alright thanks for the input on the Firebird. How about this ad for a 1988 Toyota Supra ..

"1988 Toyota Supra, rebuilt 7mge engine with less than 3,000 miles. The engine was rebuilt to be turbo'd and has the gte pistons. It has also been oil tapped for the turbo cooling. It has brand new Tokico High performance shocks that have never been used, the rear ones have not even been installed yet.

The shocks alone retail at 450.00. The rest of the car is in ok shape but needs work. There is very little body damage but paint is fading. It will also come with a manual tranmission that i was planning on installing but never got around to it. Everything runs good with the exception to the speedometer cable is not hooked up properly so it will not shift out of first. This is a fairly easy fix with the parts that will come with the car. I am selling it because I will no longer have a garage to work on it."

Asking 750 for the car
 
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imported_LoKe

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
19,723
1
0
$750 for the car? Spend a bit of money to get it checked out by a certified mechanic. Remember, they're not required to put everything in the ad.
 
Scarpozzi

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,391
1,780
126
One more point about Firebirds from that era.... The engines were made in Brazil by cheap labor and the headgaskets usually blew around 120k. Moreover, the trannies were custom to go out at 140k+, so you'd be making that repair most-likely unless it's a stick.

I don't think it's a bargain because the interiors on those cars are also pretty cheap and will start to wear before you can really enjoy the car.

The Supra may be a better buy if it runs good. But it makes me wonder why they were going to install a new transmission. Also, keep in mind that anything that needs paint won't be cheap. You can get a $400 paint job, but to do it right so it doesn't chip or peel shortly after, you have to pay another $1000 or so for them to strip it and that's just not feasible on an older car. Good luck on finding a decent ride.
 
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imported_LoKe

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
19,723
1
0
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
One more point about Firebirds from that era.... The engines were made in Brazil by cheap labor and the headgaskets usually blew around 120k. Moreover, the trannies were custom to go out at 140k+, so you'd be making that repair most-likely unless it's a stick.

I don't think it's a bargain because the interiors on those cars are also pretty cheap and will start to wear before you can really enjoy the car.

The Supra may be a better buy if it runs good. But it makes me wonder why they were going to install a new transmission. Also, keep in mind that anything that needs paint won't be cheap. You can get a $400 paint job, but to do it right so it doesn't chip or peel shortly after, you have to pay another $1000 or so for them to strip it and that's just not feasible on an older car. Good luck on finding a decent ride.
Click to expand...

If he's getting a rebuilt supra for $750 that runs as well as they claim, a $1200 paint job is well worth it.

Originally posted by: probzy
Don't buy it. The cars will be a blackhole for your wallet.
Click to expand...

How is that different from any other car?
 
thirdeye

thirdeye

Platinum Member
Jun 19, 2001
2,610
0
76
www.davewalter.net
Originally posted by: FrequencyX
Alright thanks for the input on the Firebird. How about this ad for a 1988 Toyota Supra ..

"1988 Toyota Supra, rebuilt 7mge engine with less than 3,000 miles. The engine was rebuilt to be turbo'd and has the gte pistons. It has also been oil tapped for the turbo cooling. It has brand new Tokico High performance shocks that have never been used, the rear ones have not even been installed yet.

The shocks alone retail at 450.00. The rest of the car is in ok shape but needs work. There is very little body damage but paint is fading. It will also come with a manual tranmission that i was planning on installing but never got around to it. Everything runs good with the exception to the speedometer cable is not hooked up properly so it will not shift out of first. This is a fairly easy fix with the parts that will come with the car. I am selling it because I will no longer have a garage to work on it."

Asking 750 for the car
Click to expand...

Unless you want to spend a LOT of time with this car in the garage, I wouldn't buy someone elses unfinished (possibly failed) project. The price is nice, and if you wanted it as a project car, sure go for it, but for any other reason, I wouldn't consider it.

 
L

Lucky

Lifer
Nov 26, 2000
13,126
1
0
what exactly are you looking to do? find a cheap ride or spend time on a project?
 
F

FrequencyX

Senior member
Oct 22, 2004
327
0
0
Alittle bit of both actually. I am mainly looking for good deals in the price range that will require not a whole lot of mechanical work I suppose. Mainly I think I am looking for a mean project car to fix up. Need a car that will be reliable after fixing up and would be a good secondary or spare vehicle.
 
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FrequencyX

Senior member
Oct 22, 2004
327
0
0
And what impressed me about the Supra is the amount that has been put into it. 450 dollar shocks and turbo rated pistons? Sure the body might not be in the best of shape, but I think it would be a fun car.
From what I understand it does run, but will not engage second gear due to the speedometer cable. Is that what everybody else is gathering from that post?
 
M

Maxspeed996

Senior member
Dec 9, 2005
848
0
0
get the supra...more style , and TONS of quality aftermarket parts are readily available for it.
 
V

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
You can not do a EASY swap to a V8 from a V6 in the 3rd Gen F-bodies. The V6 has a metric bolt pattern trans while the V8 still had the SAE. My first car was a 1985 V6 firebird. I pulled the motor and did a stroke and bore to a 3.2L. But even then it was not really strong. If you want a daily driver and maybe do some mods to make it handle better then the V6 will be ok. But for raw power... NO!!


The Supra sounds like a pile of parts that MAY work or not. Sounds to risky unless you have another supra and need the parts car as a backup.
 
AdamK47

AdamK47

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,692
3,534
136
I'll sell you a completly running 1986 Firebird Trans AM for $1100. It has a MASSIVE V8 engine and a manual transmission. Eh? Eh?
 
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