i'm not selling my car or advertising or anything
its just that my parents keep getting on my case
i'm "wasting my time" and money on such an old car etc etc

so just to ease my troubled mind, how much would you guys say my third gen is worth

other than whats in the signature
305 4bbl, stock, i havent been able to get it started, ignition problem
there are chips here and there and minor dents and dings
the door panels are trash

if this is in the wrong forum i apologize in advance

 

Hmm, it's hard to say without seeing the actual car, but I will take a shot at $2,500 to $3,000. And I do believe this goes in the general tech/info forum.

Good luck convincing the 'rents, I know how that can be.

 

Sounds to me like you guys are looking at it wrong - the actual monetary value is irrelevant. What matters (or, maybe should matter) is the enjoyment you get out of it, the experience you gain from fixing problems, etc.

Of course, if it's little more than an immobile greasy hulk of steel & plastic, then I can see them being concerned about you putting your hard-earned cash into a vehicle that may or may not be worth your time & effort... I can't answer that for ya (although it looks like you've got a lot of work invested in it already!), best suggestion I can give is to talk to 'em & see where they're coming from.

Good luck.

 

As it sits with a carbed 305 that wont start you probably would get more money from parting it out than from selling it straight up. Thats just my opinion though. Assuming it is an originally carbed engine I would go with a crate engine from somewhere instead of an L98 or LT1. If you insist on going FI then definately stick to the LT1 because it will be about the same difficulty as the L98.

So basically get it running with a good engine and you will drastically increase the car's value.

 

yea, i do all my own work, and after all my upgrades were said and done, i registered and insured the car only to drive it for 2 weeks before i blew the head gasket, i changed that and since then i havent been able to start it, the timing is off, that should be the only problem

at the very least i would like to enjoy the vehicle should i decide eventually to sell it,

thats whats motivating me for the motor swap

i'm about to purchase an lt1 from a caprice, w/ wiring harness and computer
on monday
the motor has been waiting for me, but its difficult for me to arrange pickup so i hope i get it on monday, and then i'll start the swap in april


but yes right now it is a greasy hunk of immobile steel+plastic
covered in a tarp

 

Well, I understand that. I would never sell my car because of the reasons you just listed...there is so much blood, sweat, and tears that have been put into my car. I was just giving him a number to give to his parents because apparently, THEY don't understand the pricelessness of a car that somebody loves.

 

sell it,grab a low mile 4th gen with a ls1 and youll be so happy you sold it youll think"why the heck did i keep it so long"....working on it and fixing it up is one thing but having to constantly work on it just to keep it running doesnt make for much enjoyment

 

why sell it... thirdgens are the best. oh and dont under estimate the L98. The Lt1 is basically the same block except not all L98s are 4bolt mains and the Lt1 is just reverse cooling. Hell put a stroker in that thing. Carb is cool. if you wana to FI go holley stealth ram.

 

Yeah, definitely keep your Thirdgen, and keep pressing on with what you're doing to it. Thirdgens were good cars, but underpowered - such a shame. By the way, in reference to the above - L98's were actually 2 bolt mains, none ever came from the factory with 4 bolt mains.

 

not even the corvette blocks?
i thought those were 4 bolt

i also heard corvette lt1's are 4 bolt mains

i know the differences in the block and that my crappy motor isnt making much power if i can get it running anyway

i'm getting an lt1 hopefully later today
i'll be dropping it in come april

i'm not gonna sell the car, i just wanted an idea of what everyone else thinks

 

Yup, all L98's were 2 bolt mains - Corvette or F-body. The Corvette L98's were basically the same thing except aluminum heads instead of cast, plus a few other small things. The LT1 however, all the ones that were in the Vettes were 4-bolts. The F-bod LT1 was 2-bolt.

Congrats on the LT1, that'll be a fun swap. I'm doin the same thing myself. If you got everything running right and your car's in good condition with the LT1, I'd say your car would be worth something in the $4000 range.

 

I have more than $7K in my 88' TPI 388 stroker, doubt anybody would give more than half of that.

 

third gen values are lowest. you can find them anywhere for under $1000. 1974-93 are the cheapest camaros. 67-69 are the highest, 98+ 2nd highest, 70-73 third, 94-97 fourth, then 74-93.

 

i've owned a camaro from every generation so i know a little. the late 70's and 80's are tough to sell. if you love your car, then its all irrelavant. money doesnt matter.

 

I could probably get $500 for my car and that's because the motor is bad, but with 237k miles it's no surprise... Hopefully it'll last til I get my LT1 swap. Some people say it's stupid to take a car that is worth $500 and then spend $3,000 on a motor/trans swap, but it's what I want to do..... And besides the motor nothing else is wrong with the car. The body is in good condition, most of the suspension parts have been replaced, good interior, all power windows and locks work, etc.

I don't care about the money I may be wasting in someone elses eyes... I'll have a car that is paid for with insurance that is $40 a month lol. I plan to keep this car forever. I can see myself when I'm 40 still driving it on the weekends as my play toy thinking I'm 18 again.