Get your small problems fixed before they turn into big ones!!

I bought a 95 z28 for $2000. It had a bad head gasket and was partially tore down (heads/intake/accesories off) but all of the parts were there.

Here is the story. His wife is driving one day and the leaking water pump fails completely dumping coolant all over the opti. She didn't notice a problem until the temp gauge was pegged. They take it in to get a new waterpump. It gets put on but the car won't run and needs a new opti. They pay for a new opti and the car runs fine. 2 days later the head gasket blows (warped head from overheating). He tears it down and runs out of money, then I buy the car.

The rest of the damage:

The starter nose was busted off (cranked over against a cylinder full of fluid and snapped).
The radiator was busted (compression went into the water jacket/radiator throught the bad head gasket)
7 injectors were locked shut (I guess coolant is bad for them?)
both oxygen sensors dead (again coolant is bad for them)
Both heads needed milled.
3 hours of sandblasting to clean the gunk out of the intake manifold (carbon deposits mixed with coolant make a mess)
New opti needed (he bought)
And of course, a new water pump

The car is running great now (kicks my dads C5 around) and turned into a fun project for me but this is stuff to think about if you are letting small problems slide on your car. It can get expensive fast.

Dustin

 

THat's how I got my car too

 

sadly to acknowledge, but I bought a cheap POS and turned it into fast car.