Over the past few months, I've been thinking about selling my 240sx and getting a F-body - a cheap one that I could modify and enjoy.

However, I think I have come across a very good deal. I bought that 1981 Z28 I've seen on a local classifieds website. The previous owner has had it for 13 years and obviously treated it very well. It's been on blocks for 3 years now, and he decided to sell it for cheap in the hope someone would save the car before it turns to a pile of rust. So I went to see the car, bought it and had it towed back home (300$ cdn for the towing + 1,300$ for the car...)

It's a 99% original 1981 Z28. Only the bumper has been changed 7 years ago (the bumper was hit by another car - but no other damage than the bumper). The engine is still the Canadian 350 (ie: no CCC, just like the 1980 US 350). The interior is in very good condition, the exterior looks very good, considering its still the original paint and stripes. There's no rust, only a few spots here and there. The car has been treated and is still very greasy.

The guy told me the Camaro needed new brakes, a new exhaust and that the carburetor had to be changed or at least, cleaned. So, when I got home, I changed the battery and tried to start the car. Incredibly, the engine started and, after 2-3 minutes, was idling perfectly! No strange sound, no strange smell or anything...

So, I decided to try it on the street. It drives like a new car! The engine is still peppy, the suspension seems in very good condition and I've even seen the hood scoop open its two "doors"...

There's more. Not only is the car almost perfect, the owner also gave me all the original documentation that came with the car, and also that funny piece of paper he found under the rear seat - YES, it's the Build Sheet!!! I've also verified all the numbers on the car, the VIN, the cowl tag, the build sheet, and everything matches. I haven't looked at the engine though.

Now, I don't want to look stupid, but I believe it's almost a collector's car. Am I right or wrong? Was that a good deal?

Other questions I have... I want to keep it stock as much as possible, but I don't want to let the paint fade even more. I think it needs some restoration (some under-carpet rust), but I'm scared to screw something up and to do something I shouldn't. Any advices?

Pictures:
http://pages.infinit.net/ellvyra/dscf59.jpg
http://pages.infinit.net/ellvyra/dscf20.jpg
http://pages.infinit.net/ellvyra/dscf37.jpg

 

Wow, that is one nice Z28. Late 70's Camaros are getting popular, especially Z28's. And that looks like a very good original example. As far as the undercarpet rust, if it isn't too bad, consider treating it with POR-15. Stuff covers rust and stops it cold. Dries hard as a rock and is very tough. A little goes a long way. A quart will do your whole floor. If it's really bad (doubt it from the looks of the pics), patch panels are available from Camaro suppliers. But it's not a job the average guy can do.

Welcome to the V8 world.

 

$1300 sounds like a fantastic deal to me! No rust, and the paint looks pretty good. A great car for a frame on restification!

If you're looking to make it original, you'll need a new dash section where the previous owner installed an aftermarket radio. It was cut to make it fit.

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If you don't like the 140km/h speedo, a 79 or earlier speedo will work perfectly and read up to 200km/h. Just put your original odometer in the 'new' speedo and everything will appear to be original to the untrained eye

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If your clock is broken, you can mount an aftermarket oil pressure gauge there. It'll look almost original. (I hate not having an oil pressure gauge)

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Redo the interior and drop in a crate engine. GM's fastburn 385 + H.O.T. cam and 1.6 rr's comes to mind . You'd have a beautiful eye catching cruiser capable of running very low 13's.

Or you could pull the engine out and go over it with some chevy blue paint from your local Canadian Tire. The valve covers aren't original, but should be easy to come by. I bet most late 70's small block chevs had the same valve covers.

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It's interesting that your car has chrome headlight 'buckets'. I thought those only came on Berlinetta's.

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Finding the build sheet in these car's is not uncommon at all.

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If you haven't already, take a look at http://www.nastyz28.com/camaro/camaro81.html

 

Well he said the bumper was changed, so maybe there was little more damage than that and the hole nose was changed? (Would explain the chrome buckets.)

Its a fairly clean original car. Collector? Not really. Yes, it is the last year for the 2nd gens, but other than that, you can still find fairly clean fully documented late 2nd gen automatic Z/28's. Now had it been a 4spd... maybe a little more "collectible."

One question... does the cowl induction still work? My buddy in h.s. had a '80 Z/28 and that little cowl flap was my favorite part on the car at wide open throttle.

B&M makes a console mounted ratchet shifter for the late 2nd gen automatics, I'd suggest that and a shift improver kit.

And get to work under that hood! Yuck!

 

Thanks for all the info!

Yes the flaps of the induction still work. I've had the chance to see them open, and I love it!

I don't know exactly what the difference would be between the "front bumper" and "the whole nose", but what was changed is what's under the leather cover, ie: the bumper with the lights. The replacement bumper is a black one. The grilles were painted red so it looks almost stock. I still have the original Z28 emblem.

The chrome around the lights was installed with the new bumper. But the guy gave me the original plastic pieces. Only one of them is slightly damaged, the others are perfect.

Now, about keeping it original... Am I wasting my time leaving everything the way it should be? I mean, I prefer black interiors - if I change it and keep the original one somewhere in the garage, will this affect the car's value? And what about a new paint? Do I have to go for a complete, professional, 10k$ paint-job? Can I change the color (and maybe have it painted factory-red in a few years?)

I mean, I do not want to be extreme about keeping it all original, but I fear I might regret something in a few years? What is acceptable? If it can be undone later, is it ok to do it?

 

Do you ever intend to show the car at a high level? Or do you want timeslips?

Unless you're going for a strict resto, change whatever you want. Different color interior, paint won't decrease the value to anyone except a gung-ho collector. Personally, I like black or grey interiors as well, and going to that color *might* help the price out a little by making a potential buyer more interested in the car. Then again someone might like brown interiors, so...

In the end, it's your car. IF it were mine, I'd be going for a rebuild with performance in mind, screw being "all original". Interior might get changed, might not, would depend heavily on $$$. those interior parts can get PRICEY, and they don't help the car go any faster
Paint? Looks fine, except that Red draws cops like flies! I like the primer look, personally. But if you're happy with the paint for now, well, leave it be.

 

I totaly agree with you: interior parts do not help the car perform any better. What's strange with this particular car is that I've always been "all go, no show", except now. I've always criticized people who invested more money in the looks than in the performances of their car.

But now, I face a different situation: an old, original car that looks... well, brown and that is way faster than what I had before (ie: the colors are ugly, and it's already fast enough, until I can control it properly).

So I wonder what I should do. I definately LOVE the black Z28's, with a black interior and super-large rear tires, there's no doubt about that, and that's what I wanted to do with the Camaro I was looking for. The problem is I found one that has something more than the average z28 we see in the classifieds here...

From what I've read, keeping the appearance stock and modifiying the engine would be ok. But the car is in serious need of a new paint, and some work must be done to the engine and the car in general. So do I go 100% factory in the hope it could be worth more later, or I go my way? Major dilemma... I need more input!!!

One thing's sure though, whatever I do, I'll cherish that baby as long as I own it!

BTW, was the original engine color blue? Mine's rusted and I can't realy tell...

 

Yup, the engine was originally blue. The grille was black originally.

Considering that there were over 43 000 Z28's built in 81, I wouldn't be too concerned about altering a fairly original car.

Were it my car, and I preferred a different colour, I'd yank the engine, interior and trim and get it painted. Then I'd rebuild the engine for 300-400hp, or buy a crate, paint/replace the interior and go cruising

 

So its Chevy blue in Canada?? lol thats the Ford color down here. Its Chevy red down here though it looks more orange than red

Here is my take on it. If you had got a deal on a Yenko or Baldwin Motion car, or an original stock 302 Z/28 then I would say keep it stock but the 81 Z sales were pretty high. In the end, its your car, do what will make you happy with it . That interior looks like its in great shape. To me, swapping the whole interior to black sounds great except I don't even want to think about what the new dash stuff, center consol, seats, door panels, rear panels, headliner, carpets etc might cost all at one time.

Clean up that engine, thats what most people ask to see anyway

 

Thanks again for the input!

When you paint an engine, what do you use to remove the rust first?

 

It was blue here in the US too. Chevrolet stopped using the Chevy "orange" in the mid 70's (sorry, don't remember the year).

 

wierd

I guess I haven't seen many engines from the late 70s