New Member from Central NJ (Union County)
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm really New to the Camaro community. I have always loved the Camaro since I was little. My father owned a 1987 Camaro RS with T-Top. I loved that car. I wish he would have kept it for me. He passed away in 2009.

Just recently I bought a 1986 Camaro Berlinetta to turn into a project car.
the car runs but needs work.

I really need help working on this Camaro. If anyone can help me out I would appreciate It. because I have no clue what I am doing and I am willing to learn.

I'm not sure If I should restore it to a 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta with the 305 v8 or change it to a 350, LSX ...

Welcome to the club.

Sounds like a great project. Choosing an engine is a big step, really have to go through the whole nickel and dime list of things you need to build a similar V8 that will slide right in vs going to the newer style engine or the middle ground of using the earlier style engine and adding a fuel injection system.

To get started you need three things, a budget(A target spending amount and an absolute cap), a performance goal(quick street, occasional track day, autocross, country roads, or straight line performance), and an honest view of how you are going to end up using the car the bulk of the time(if you plan to drive it every where you want a livable cam and air conditioning). Obviously the costs involved in a solid cruiser that can run 12's are far different than a 9 second trailered race car.

Start scribbling down ideas for yourself and our community will be glad to help.

Once again, welcome to the club.

Thanks NJSPEEDER,

I plan to make it a street car/occasional track car. So it has to be street league. Right now I'm working on a very tight budget. I would like to know what kind of shape the 305 V8 engine is in.

Since it does drive. My friend drove it from Howell NJ to Old Bridge NJ and it had no issues that we noticed. I found out it is missing some hoses. I found some in the trunk but I have no Idea where they go or if I need new ones.

The car did stall out on my friend and me a few times on a different night. But it started back up. So we where thinking it could have been to cold out. Or it could have to do with the missing hoses or the Carburetor.

The only other things I noticed that need to be fixed are some body work, also the electrical and maybe some wiring, and some interior work.

But right now the most important things to focus on are the Engine and the Electrical of the car. I really don't want to drive it not knowing what the shape the engine is in. And also knowing the electrical needs to be fixed. I'm also lucky that the T-Top doesn't leak.

Also does it matter if it's carb. or fuel injected?

So since I'm working on a tight budget right now. I would like to find out what condition of the engine is in first. If it is in good shape and I might just keep it for now.

Carb or fuel injected matter for what?

87 was a change over year, it included carb, TBI, and TPI 305's. They all fit in the same spot the exact way on the same mounts.

If you can get some pics posted up in the technical forums of the hoses that are missing I am sure someone will be able to guide you through getting them reconnected.



If your budget is tight I would suggest just starting with the basics. A fresh tune up, clean up the carb, and make sure the computer isn't showing any fault codes.

I own a 86 Camaro Berlinetta with the carb 305 V8. So would that still apply and would it add HP if I did switch the it carb to a TBI or TPI 305?

is it a real carb or the ccc quadrajet. I think that's what the were around 86/87.

Real Carb

http://i.imgur.com/XkCmddR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MJS2Uk0.jpg

Welcome, Is the Camaro your only wheels or do you have another way to get around. The best way to find out whether or not the motor is any good is to do a compression test.

Hi Transampete,

I own 2 cars My 09 Honda Accord 2 door coupe and now my new project car my 86 Camaro. My friend and me took her out tonight and she didn't stall at all. She was purring like at like a kitten.

Even though I know she will need to be looked at before I decide what I want to do. since there is no point of throwing money away In to parts if the v8 305 engine is going to go. I would rather swap it out for a 350 or a LSX engine. But It doesn't help I know nothing about fixing Camaro's.

Lots of people here willing to lend a hand or offer advice. I'd help but you're a bit of a ride. If it was my vote I'd say go with a LS swap.

Cool, I was looking at the car tonight the 305 did stall on me tonight for no real reason but hoses and carb. need parts. but it's definitely needs to be looked at. Lets say its not street legal in the shape it's in I has been on rt 9 and rt 18. It didn't have a issues those time it only stalled the day after both of those longer drives. But the only electrical that work in car is dash, head lights High beams and low beams and tail and break lights and locks windows need switches so I can test them out as well.

So if the engine is no good and I do swap to a LS engine I know there is wiring that has to be done for that. Plus isn't it expensive to swap a LS engine in for a 305?

Depends on your definition or expensive. Probably, besides the obvious, you need a motor with all the accessories and conversion motor mounts. You will also need a computer and wiring harness. Your best bet is to buy a complete pull out from a wrecked car or a part out. If you can score a good deal maybe even a trans too. You should really assess the condition of the car to see if it's really worth the effort. The electrical stuff can be fixed. Does the car need any body work? Does it have any rust? How's the interior? and so on.

I haven't really had a chance to look over the car in full yet the interior is in ok shape but that's one of the last thing I would worry about. The T-top doesn't leak. I ether need a new door since the exterior rust ate through bottom very little or welded back on. the car seems to have no rust on it. haven't looked under car yet. but it doesn't seem to have any water damage or rust. this Camaro is a 86 Berlinetta and it was built in CA. It was odd to find it on the east cost it has a clean title also the car has 223511 miles on it. the dash and digital gages still work. this car seem like it just needs some TLC and to be fixed up. I knew it would be a project when I bought it the car 29 years old. I plan to make it a street/track car. It's not going to be a everyday driver. That is why I have my Honda but I'm considering maybe going to the track with my Honda accord and see what I can do in that.

That picture does not show anything, other than its not TPI.

It could be an older conventional carb OR which it should be is a Rochester Computer Controlled quadrajet.
The cc quadrajet works in conjunction with a computer and a specific distributor. If you swap in a basic carb, the distributor will not work 100% correctly. You'd have to swap to a basic distributor too.

If you remove the large round air filter housing and actually look at the top of the carb, and you see wiring connectors going to the actual carb, it is a CC quadrajet. If there are no wires at all going to it, or just a single wire to one side for the choke, its a standard carb.

I will try to take some pictures with my canon 7D and I will post them maybe video

V is correct on the Carb. The only reason I say assess the car is you don't want to start sinking money in a car if the rest of it isn't worth it. When you get a chance look under the car and look under the carpet for tin worm. AKA rust. If the body is solid then you have a descent project car.

This is great advice. Before you spend any money, crawl under the car with a flashlight and take a look at the floor and frame.

So I had a chance to look at it a little today a little with my friend. he looked under car and noticed very little rust on body of car. Only rust is on lower parts of doors in wheel wells on exhaust and pipes going to engine we didn't jack it up but from what he noticed it's not bad on body and tonight when I started it I am honestly feeling that the engine is in good shape the only reason its stalling has to do with the carb. Since when I go to start it I have to pump the gas to get it to start sometime to keep engine from stalling. So it looks like it needs to keep the RPMs up so it won't stall. So the missing hoses and something to do with a part on carb. might be the issue. Does that help any at all?

Ok here is some pictures and video I took yesterday of car. I noticed some things missing cords unplugged also hoses missing. I hope this can help someone tell me what's wrong.

https://youtu.be/JwDS3-wDivQ

http://i.imgur.com/9Q0FoL4h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aCHWhhfh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ErNrIBoh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8TyqLBch.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0NTlp93h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/K79NmNkh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ubjo8fnh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oytddrHh.jpg

(Downsized these pics a bit for you - Admin)

Can you downsize the pics a bit?

They are so huge it's tough to see it all- and I'm on a 23" monitor.

Offhand I'd say the carb needs some attention. It looks like there's a fuel leak.

Also, some of the disconnected hoses may be causing a vacuum leak.

Ehh, that's a CCQ the connector on the left side of the carb. is for the electric choke, the one on the top modulates air fuel off idle and the one in the front is a throttle position sensor. Some of the pictures are so close up that I'm having trouble with point of reference. Anyway your missing a ton of vacuum lines. I would start there. Here's a diagram of the vacuum lines I found with a quick Google search. http://i37.tinypic.com/35koa5e.jpg
Also there is a guy on YouTube that has a 3 part video that helps explain how a CCQ works. Very informative although long. Here's the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC6CVcPz2ss One more thing does your ventilation controls work because I think I know why it doesn't. I think the vacuum line in the 3rd picture supplies vacuum to the vent controls in the car.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, it looks like you have a small coolant leak at the t-stat housing.

ok here are some smaller ones

http://i.imgur.com/77SXnqul.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NI44yAAl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6Uo1eOpl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dWKAHXWl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UWwYn0fl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/itgaL7Zl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pJGr61Ll.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/H8gS50Zl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/amWuHZHh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TajOaeeh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3tVs0vgh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/loNBbVlh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/S602INgh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jDc0dqzh.jpg

have more pictures I will post