Need some info before buying a camaro?

(2010-12-07 15:05:15) 1. Christian Castro Says: I am looking to buy a 1988 z28. Just want to know what are some of the pros and cons of these models. Some things i should look for before buying it. What would the average asking price be for one.2. Gone Says: Have owned 4 of these and were surprisingly reliable until the snow came and then forget it.

Pros:

Fun to drive
Cheap entry into classic car world
Easy to work on
Always loved the car visually
T-tops in the summer
The low-end grunt of TPI

Cons:

Age, abuse and hackjob repairs/mods.
Squeaky / rattly
MOST T-tops leak, (neither my 88 or 87 leaked)
Sub-par braking
Weak driveline
Body sag/twist
TBI doggishness

The biggest hurdle you're going to face is 23 years of use, potential abuse, and neglect. Nobody drives a Camaro like an old lady. Half the fun is romping on the car. However this leads to all the sorted problems that come with engaging in such things. Next is the wiring nightmare that is common with 23 years of stereo installs, alarms, kill switches, custom gauges, etc. This can create a rats nest and result in any number of quirks and/or problems.

Body. Rust. Any car in the North is going to have a higher potential for rust damage or repairs to rust damage. If repairs were made, you'll want to know what and how well the repairs were done. A rust-free car in the North is going to cost a premium, where they'll be more common in the southern states. Crash damage, ensure that the car is straight, etc. You won't see a ton of info on carfax about older cars, it's hit or miss depending on what was reported at the time. Steer clear of anything that has a salvage or repair title. They'll be cheap as all hell but most states will not allow you to register the vehicle for road use, and those that do will require piles of paper work and special inspections, typically performed by state police.

H-o-r-r-i-b-l-e in the snow with a capital H.

Modifications. it's common to rip out the fuel injection and replace it with a carb or replace the catalytic converter with a straight pipe, etc. Be sure that the car will meet any safety / emissions requirements mandated by your state. Removing emissions equipment is illegal and could prevent you from being able to get your car inspected.

Prices vary widely but a good range is $1500 - $3500 in the off season and $2500 - $5000 in the spring & summer.

All-in-all, you really have to thoroughly look at whatever it is you're going to buy. The absolute ideal case is to find a car that hasn't been extensively modified and has relatively low miles (50-100k). Lower than that and things start to get pricey. Have it checked out by a tech.

Do your due diligence and you'll find something decent.

Good luck3. chevyraceman_383 Says: The third gen (1982-92) camaro was a pretty good line of cars. They do get a bad rep sometimes. I have had some type of third gen F body for the last 12 years. I like them myself. Over the 12 years I have owned.
2) 1984 sport couple with v8 swapped in
1) 1984 Z28, 305 HO, 5 speed
1) 1982 firebird rolling body that I sold to my dad and he built
1) 1986 sport coupe with V8 swapped in
1) 1988 RS 2.8L, 5 speed that I put a 350 in. This is the car I have owned and drove for the last 7 years. Now has 600 HP, roll cage, ford 9" rear end, etc. Still a daily driven car

Pros for the third gen camaros...
: Best handling camaro out of all of them. In fact out handles corvettes of the same year range.
: Less weight, most of these are in the 3300-3400 lbs range
: Easy to mod, swap parts, swap engines,
: Easy to find parts for as any of the third gen year parts will interchange and even alot of the 82-92 firebird parts will fit
: Good aero design with less aero drag

Cons for the third gen...
: Engine power was pretty weak stock, but thats easy to change
: Poor weatherstripping that cracks pretty easy. This is where some of the rattles comes from. Mostly the door's window strips dry rott, break off, etc and lets the window rattle in door.
: All of the T tops will leak, I don't care what the owner says, unless he replaced the T top weather stripping ($500) then they will leak
: Weakest rear ends GM ever used. Its the 7.5"/7.625" 10 bolt rear ends. Stick some sticky tires on it and 300 HP or so may break the rear end
: True full unibody frame, where the floor pan, and B pillars of car make the chassis/frame of car. This is weak and will twist with power, also the flexing of uni body is a source of more of the commom rattles.. Good thing though is weld in sub frame connetors are less than $200 and will fix all those probs, plus make car handle even better to boot

Then of course, its a used 22 year old car so check out the car for other common probs of one of such age.4. Jimmy B Says: In my personal opinion. The Car has a Very Nice Style to it. But after being a Mechanic for 8 years I would Say the Cars are built Very Poorly. If this is a 2nd car you are buying to build as a Racecar it is a Cheap Car to Mod and work on. Parts are plentiful and can be easilty found all over the WWW. I would never Choose a Z28 as a Daily Driver and Remember this is My Opinion. Please take a Close look at the Interior as most of them these days are very worn out and rattle very badly. They are plagued with Electrical Issues as well and most certainly have Door Alignment problems and Window problems. Thanks i hope this helps,5. justin plainold Says: as with any used car, some are better than others, ultimately you are the one who decides, that said, its time to do some research. I took a quick look by typing in z 28 car clubs just to see whats available, and there are a number of forums where you can ask questions.
I read the one answer honestly, any car you find now twenty two years later is likely to be a pretty good one, (its all about who owned the car, the reality is this, for any manufacturer, some years are better than others, The key to any old classic, is the mileage, and who owned it and how good did they care for it?
I know from experience the early years late 60s, early 70s pre 78 (no emissions, or very little) have kept thier value, Take a look at hemmings motor news this is a magazine for gear heads www.hemmings.com has a free section where you can look at last months cars for sale, if I were looking for a car, or selling a car, or finding parts, I would go here first. You can pay a few bucks for the online magazine, or pay a few more for the hard copy mailed to your door, or play around on the web site and check out the nice cars. there were not too many z28 this month, but over at auto trader classics.com between 67 and mid 90s there were a lot of z cars for sale, I guess it all depends on whats in your pocket. www.nada.com has a classics section, somebody asked a z28 question yesterday, and while researching that I ran across auto traders z28s I would love to have a 68 z286. wolfwagon2002 Says: pro = looks good
con = it's over 22 YEARS OLD .. you be best with a talented wrench, and a bunch of cash7. Billy Says: Here's some more info: DON'T BUY IT!!!
Camaro is a crappy car. I love Chevrolet, but a Camaro is a horrible car. You better love working on cars and spending lots of money. Search for something else. Tag: Need some info before buying a camaro?