I'm thinking about getting a project car

[Kaido]

Since I was a kid I've always wanted an 80's Camaro. I like the blocky design for some reason. Next year I will be moving into a place that will have a garage so that I can have a shop. I thought it would be fun to pick up an old project car. Before I go any further, I will say that I'm not very mechanically inclined and I'm not really that much into performance. I drive a Saturn as my daily driver, if that tells you anything. I'd get the Camaro more for looks and for fun. I'm into painting and other aesthetic stuff like rims and whatnot, plus stereo equipment.

I found an 86 Camaro on Car Domain I really like...the hood scoops are bit over-the-top but I like them. I know I want a T-Top and stick shift. The engine I don't really care about, V-6 or V-8 is fine. Anyone know how many MPG each gets by any chance? Or how the ride is? I'm more interested in a comfortable, smooth ride than extreme performance.

At any rate, it's just an idea I'm kicking around. Have any of your restored a car? Any tips for fixing up old cars, painting, rebuilding things, even stuff like buffing/polishing I'd be interested in. btw my wife said no mullet

 

[thedarkwolf]

Just get one with the best body you can find. Everything else is easy and cheap to fix compared to rust and body damage. The 350 was never offered during those years with a stick shift so you will either be stuck with a 305 or a v6 unless you do some swapping. They had several fuel injection methods over the years and I can't remember which years got which but the newer the better unless you just want a carb. I'd start reading around on the f-body forums. Should be lots of those and they will know a hell of a lot more about them then us. Gas mileage atleast with the v8s is probably in the mid teens city and mid 20s highway, little better little worse depending on mods and gearing.

 

[melchoir]

#1 Thing with cars, give yourself time. Plenty of time to complete tasks. When you rush though a project often you forget simple things, and you run into unexpected problems.

#2 A 350 swap would not be difficult into one of those cars. Infact, if you wanted to make a real project out of it, you could put a newer LS1/2/6 engine into it. There are carb kits for LS1 motors if you didn't want to deal with the mess of the computer wiring.

 

[Kaido]

Nice, thanks for the tips! It'd just be a project car, definitely no rush. If I did it, I'd probably take the car to a shop to get a new engine and clean up the aging stuff inside. I'm mostly interested in the cosmetic stuff; I really want to try my hand at painting an entire car.

I am a bit concerned about safety; how hard/expensive would it be to add airbags aftermarket? Near impossible?

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Nice, thanks for the tips! It'd just be a project car, definitely no rush. If I did it, I'd probably take the car to a shop to get a new engine and clean up the aging stuff inside. I'm mostly interested in the cosmetic stuff; I really want to try my hand at painting an entire car.

I am a bit concerned about safety; how hard/expensive would it be to add airbags aftermarket? Near impossible?

unless they are an option, its not worth trying put them in.

concentrate on the regular safety equipment: brakes, suspension, steering, etc.

whatever you do, make sure don't get a car with mysterious wiring issues.

restifying an older car can be a very rewarding endeavor.

he is my project car (pic is from 1999): http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/IronWoode/1979_lebaron_01.JPG

I still need to get a better rear axle in there and some more engine mods. It should be ready for the street again this spring.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: Kaido
Nice, thanks for the tips! It'd just be a project car, definitely no rush. If I did it, I'd probably take the car to a shop to get a new engine and clean up the aging stuff inside. I'm mostly interested in the cosmetic stuff; I really want to try my hand at painting an entire car.

I am a bit concerned about safety; how hard/expensive would it be to add airbags aftermarket? Near impossible?

unless they are an option, its not worth trying put them in.

concentrate on the regular safety equipment: brakes, suspension, steering, etc.

whatever you do, make sure don't get a car with mysterious wiring issues.

restifying an older car can be a very rewarding endeavor.

he is my project car (pic is from 1999): http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/IronWoode/1979_lebaron_01.JPG

I still need to get a better rear axle in there and some more engine mods. It should be ready for the street again this spring.

Nice! Would be interested to see a writeup or pics when it's done! I'm really interested in the cosmetics...painting, putting on rims, exhausts, and other trim accessories, aftermarket seats, custom fiberglass interior parts, stereo system, etc. I'm not too familiar with the Camaro line aside from seeing them on the road, so I need to do some more research into them, but I think it would be a fun project.

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Iron Woode

Originally posted by: Kaido
Nice, thanks for the tips! It'd just be a project car, definitely no rush. If I did it, I'd probably take the car to a shop to get a new engine and clean up the aging stuff inside. I'm mostly interested in the cosmetic stuff; I really want to try my hand at painting an entire car.

I am a bit concerned about safety; how hard/expensive would it be to add airbags aftermarket? Near impossible?

unless they are an option, its not worth trying put them in.

concentrate on the regular safety equipment: brakes, suspension, steering, etc.

whatever you do, make sure don't get a car with mysterious wiring issues.

restifying an older car can be a very rewarding endeavor.

he is my project car (pic is from 1999): http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/IronWoode/1979_lebaron_01.JPG

I still need to get a better rear axle in there and some more engine mods. It should be ready for the street again this spring.

Nice! Would be interested to see a writeup or pics when it's done! I'm really interested in the cosmetics...painting, putting on rims, exhausts, and other trim accessories, aftermarket seats, custom fiberglass interior parts, stereo system, etc. I'm not too familiar with the Camaro line aside from seeing them on the road, so I need to do some more research into them, but I think it would be a fun project.

I will have a website about my car up soon.

The best thing to do is to study the type of car you want, inside and out. This way you will know what to expect when looking for a car.

Another good idea is to decide on a look or image you want for your ride. Paint, body mods, options, rims and tires, etc.

All this takes time and that is the best way to go about it; take your time with this project.

 

[Ronstang]

The first thing you need to do before you buy a car is do your research into how easy parts are to get and how expensive they are. The hardest parts to find are the soft parts like trim and interior. Buying a basket case cheap and then finding out that it will cost a fortune to replace all the bad or missing parts can really leave you with an expensive piece of lawn art. Some parts for certain cars are simply not available new. Know the car before you even buy one so you can make a good assessment of the condition of the car and what it is going to take to resurrect it before you even buy it. Buying a car is a VERY emotional event. People know this and disguise problems that those who do no know what to look at or what they are looking at will not even notice until it is home in their driveway. It is critical that you know all the most common problems and the cost to fix them of any type of car you are making a possible project. Make sure you buy a car that is going to satisfy your wants/needs and will be a good foundation to build on. Do that and then come back and we can help you once the project begins. I have been restoring Mustangs and other cars for almost 30 years.

 

[SuperSix]

T-tops will leak, and be a general PITA.

The V8's a are underpowered, the V6's are even worse.

Smooth comfortable ride? Don't get a Camaro.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
T-tops will leak, and be a general PITA.

The V8's a are underpowered, the V6's are even worse.

Smooth comfortable ride? Don't get a Camaro.

Hah I'm starting to lean back towards an RX-8. Oh well what's a few more years of waiting

 

[BUTCH1]

I would try to avoid any car wich had an " electronic feedback" carb, a lot of
81-87 had these. They never worked worth a crap and all manufacturers dumped
them as soon has FI became affordable.

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
T-tops will leak, and be a general PITA.

The V8's a are underpowered, the V6's are even worse.

Smooth comfortable ride? Don't get a Camaro.

depends on what he gets.

Z28's with 305 made up to 225hp and nearly 300 lbs of torque. Not too shabby.

Ride is all dependent on what someone prefers. Camaros aren't caddys.