New Guy + Pictures

My cousins boyfriends dad owns a 86 camaro and they live in a bad neighborhood and someone messed with it, they popped the lock and stole the headunit and the box they had. So its been sitting there and I finally had it towed to my house yesterday and finally worked on it all day today. The problem was that there are 3 push rods missing causing a knock so we had to rip apart the heads trying to find them. Check the pictures .

Its an 86, slap shift auto, t-tops, 350 race ready. The paint was faded and the clear was gone so I sanded it real quick till I get primer tomrrow.

Pictures:

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/2896/dsci00012jx.opt.jpg
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/8858/dsci00024il.opt.jpg
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/7158/dsci00031xy.opt.jpg
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/5130/dsci00044sp.opt.jpg
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/5296/dsci00068lq.opt.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2056/dsci00074vq.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/97/dsci00084aq.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/9180/dsci00096sr.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6686/dsci00108eg.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5381/dsci00112wq.jpg

As you can see the pistons are not lubbed, also show metal shavings, the shavings came from the missing barings for the rods. Right now we are debating weather to do a swap or take it apart and clean it all out... B)

We also have a bunch of new parts, front clip, side skirts, back bumper and maybe a bigger cowl hood.

3 missing pushrods... I've never heard of that before. I would assume someone used it as a parts engine. With the condition that motor is in, I would probably go with a crate engine myself. A good rebuild would probably work, but you don't really know if the damage can be fixed. Monetarily, the car is probably not worth fixing, however if it holds any sentimental value (or you just like a good challenge) then by all means go for it.

didn't look at all the pics but it looked like you have coolant in the heads on a few of the pics. i liked most of wut i seen with the pics do u no how the trans is? u can get a new motor for nothing. esecially if its carbed or your going carbed (from the look off that glass fuel filter) it was carbed. go 4 it

lol kinda off subject but is that a dog camping out under the car in the 4th pic hahaha

jus looked at the rest of the pics that thing looks great dunno wut exactly 91-z28 is smokin but that body looks rust free making it pretty valuble to any one that desires 3rd gens. swaping that motors easy looks like alot of little **** has been done 4 u already. where you from? good luck with that beast

Thanks guys, Im from Milford Connecticut.

The engine came out of a Chevy C-10, The engine was fine before the summer then it broke and they had friends working on it and they think they ***ed them over and messed with the engine. Push rods dont just come lose.. they think they messed with it. The trans is brand new and fine.

Everything was dry in there and yes there is coolent in the heads along with metal shavings from the busted bearings that go with the push rods. The dad thinks we can take everything out clean it and find the rods and replace them but I think the rods are in the oil pan..

Yes that is my dog under the car :) You dont know how many damn times I stepped on her tail or droped a wrench on her :p

The body is rust free but like I said the paint and clear was crap, it will soon be candy apple red. I need to sand till bear metal and primer it till the paint gets here.

Thanks guy.

~ Jim

Its always a shame to see the aftermath of what vandals do. Good luck with the project.

what trans is it. you might find...like me and alot of other peeps on here found its eaiser to buy a complete motor then buy a bunch of individual parts and build it your self, i'm a big fan of the 355 personally, there cheaper and have great power if you work them rite. Why are you gonna strip it to bear metal. i made that mistake on my mustang... its a pain in the ass to do and the due that lands on the car alone will cause rust. theres other ways or preping the car

If you're going to do it....do it right!

Good luck!

The body is rust free but like I said the paint and clear was crap, it will soon be candy apple red. I need to sand till bear metal and primer it till the paint gets here.

Thanks guy.

~ Jim

wiring from hell, you have alot of work ahead of you, it looks like it would be cheaper to start off with another car, reguadless good choice with the candy red!

;)

good luck.

pull the engine and tear it down , might be better to start with a new engine, depending on what you find

did you guys remove the missing lifters as well? if not, cam might be trashed

Everything was dry in there and yes there is coolent in the heads along with metal shavings from the busted bearings that go with the push rods. The dad thinks we can take everything out clean it and find the rods and replace them but I think the rods are in the oil pan..
~ Jim

Yeah those pushrod bearings can be the dickens...jk.

I dropped a couple pushrods last november in a brand new built 350, same shortblock I'm running now, but anyway if you can't see the missing pushrods in that lifter valley then you gotta pull the motor and get the pan off. Those things can go anywhere, I had one behind the timing cover.

here's what I would do...it's already got a 350 so the possiblites are limited only by your budget and will to do something

Pull it out
Take it apart
send the block out to be decked, magnafluxed, retapped, and bored .030 over for a nice starting point

get some .030 pistons, don't have to be forged

rering it, new bearings, have the crank turned and look into getting some rods

have the heads rebuilt, magnafluxed, new springs, seals, cleaned up

replace the oil pump and get a gasket set

from there you have a very clean 355 to start working on. It wouldn't hurt to get some nice aftermarket heads that don't break the bank or some vortecs, they flow pretty well and you can get a nice rebuilt set for around 600, pick up a vic jr to match those vortec heads and you have a really nice 355 that packs a nice punch. That's just my $.02 :thumb:

Good luck!

thanks for all your help guys I appreciate it very much.

The wheather has been sh** here in the last week so I havnt down much work on it. I guess the best bet is to pull it all out and start all over :) Thanks again guys.