Appraise this Turd

[HalfDozIN]

Not an ad, so I didn't know if for sale was the right section. What's this steaming pile worth these days? It embodies the 1-2 punch of devaluation; extensive modifications, and less than spectacular condition. I assume very little for this reason.

What's bad:

Rust- got some. Door bottom, quarter bottom at wheel arches, edge of deck lid is getting there, some on rocker.

Dents- you betcha.

Paint- write it off as a total loss. It needs it.

Misc other issues: headliner saggage, ac doesn't work, needs a passenger window motor. Has the wrong header and grill, came to me that way. I think a deer made that happen.

What's good? Depends on your perspective:

ARP head bolts
212 flat tappet
60 lb injectors
Turbonetics 6165bb, .82 ar housing
3" THDP
Hooker cat back
4" maf pipe, lt1 maf, translator, cone filter
Cotton's fmic
Champion aluminum rad+external trans cooler
Tr6 ignition
The usual TT 5.7, powerlogger, AEM wideband, scanmaster, typical gauges
4l80e built locally, dual fed direct and accumulator delete. Vac mod line pressure control, currently manual shift. NOT manual valve body, just needs a real controller. I did this anticipating either holley or ecu-gn in the future.
Circle D 245mm billet 3 disc lockup, ordered specifically for this combo. Makes 8-9 psi against the brakes at 3100.
Bmr tubular rear control arms, stock 8.5.

The car ran 7.80's/12.40's at 16 psi with the 200-4r and a tighter converter. I haven't been back to compare results yet, but I think this converter is a better match for it.

Well, I thought I was gonna make that brief and easy to read. Oops lol

 

[HalfDozIN]

Here's the spid, not that options would mean much on a car as cobbled as this. Worth mentioning, I know those times are slow for so many cool guy parts. I have only ran it on pump gas to this point. Having just got the 4l80e swap done, and getting the powerlogger it didn't have when I bought it, some real passes on race gas are in order now.

 

[TexasT]

early build Black unit might be something someone might value. It runs n drives, also a big plus. As you state or at least imply, original stuff brings more in general unless you can find that one or few that want your mods and are willing to drop the coin on your price.

To me it is a HARD pass but that doesn't mean there isn't a buyer out there at five digits. Butt for every seat as it were. I think it would go pretty fast at $7500. Decent G body stuff isn't cheap, but with the rust depending on your location decent is a moving target. It is a real Turbo Regal, it has turbo regal parts.

Was an original bench car AM6, also pretty cool to me but it would have to be a chrome car to get me to part with the coin.

I would hang a $12500 negotiable on it and see what kind of riff raff shows up. No test drives without cash on hand, but we can go for a ride. Too much can and will go wrong with these "test pilots" in a low twelve car on the street.

Who else has two cents, I love a good conversation.

 

[HalfDozIN]

early build Black unit might be something someone might value. It runs n drives, also a big plus. As you state or at least imply, original stuff brings more in general unless you can find that one or few that want your mods and are willing to drop the coin on your price.

To me it is a HARD pass but that doesn't mean there isn't a buyer out there at five digits. Butt for every seat as it were. I think it would go pretty fast at $7500. Decent G body stuff isn't cheap, but with the rust depending on your location decent is a moving target. It is a real Turbo Regal, it has turbo regal parts.

Was an original bench car AM6, also pretty cool to me but it would have to be a chrome car to get me to part with the coin.

I would hang a $12500 negotiable on it and see what kind of riff raff shows up. No test drives without cash on hand, but we can go for a ride. Too much can and will go wrong with these "test pilots" in a low twelve car on the street.

Who else has two cents, I love a good conversation.

Midwest, so everything sheetmetal sucks more than down there, but your point remains. Yes, it was a power split bench when I got it. The buckets came from a board member, because the bench is all kinds of torn on the drivers side, although it does move still. The split bench cars have the inner brackets needed to bolt the buckets down, so I didn't have to change the floor any for that.

You're roughly around where I was guessing. I haven't sold it because, well, I think I'll regret not having one. Admired them for a lot of years before I had my own. I'm just at a stage in life where a nicer, albeit slower one, would serve me better. I have 3 kids to take for ice cream, and raising them while running one of these cars hard is the sworn enemy of my wallet.

 

[TexasT]

as a guy who raised four children I have to say, the more beatup the better as those kids don't care and it will get some new memories with them no matter the condition. they will also add to the scars and such. as long as it is safe and reliable you will be fine with it. door bottom and fender rust isn't a safety concern to me if the frame is solid.
looks like a nifty ride you don't have to worry about. nicks, scratches and ice cream spilled in the back seat won't be the end of the world. enjoy it with them and when they are grown you can reassess and see if you want to fix this one, ride it until you can't or get another nicer unit. trust me the grow up fast.

 

[HalfDozIN]

as a guy who raised four children I have to say, the more beatup the better as those kids don't care and it will get some new memories with them no matter the condition. they will also add to the scars and such. as long as it is safe and reliable you will be fine with it. door bottom and fender rust isn't a safety concern to me if the frame is solid.
looks like a nifty ride you don't have to worry about. nicks, scratches and ice cream spilled in the back seat won't be the end of the world. enjoy it with them and when they are grown you can reassess and see if you want to fix this one, ride it until you can't or get another nicer unit. trust me the grow up fast.

They sure do. You make good points, and it's still good enough it'll survive a few more years before my "I can save it" -itis gets the better of me. Perhaps it'd be wise to dig out my grille and bezels, and find a header and marker lights to fix the age crisis on the front, and not worry so much about all the little things. I have it's rightful chrome bumpers stowed away somewhere, too.

 

[TexasT]

hey, as a side I spent the last decade or so repairing and getting stuff roadworthy for my offspring . I don't regret it but I could have been doing the cars I wanted to instead but I knew from past experience I couldn't let em loose in my hot rods. even though my first car was a gs455 it was way too much car for a 17yr old me. I knew they could get by with a cavalier, or Sundance or little Malibu and we did plenty to those including rebuilding a top end and an engine swap . fuel pumps and chasing electrical gremlins. but I'm pretty sure my son learned a lot. the girls not near as much. they are all out adulting now so I get to make bad decisions like picking up a turbo limited someone took apart and sold the drivetrain but I think I didn't give too much and I wanted a limited to join the original we4 that got rear-ended and an 86 roller we picked up. just time and money stand in the way of us driving one of them again.

 

[Marty Fairchild]

Keep it , you won't find another "driver" at that price point.
Memories with your kids are priceless, especially from their perspective.

 

[HalfDozIN]

hey, as a side I spent the last decade or so repairing and getting stuff roadworthy for my offspring . I don't regret it but I could have been doing the cars I wanted to instead but I knew from past experience I couldn't let em loose in my hot rods. even though my first car was a gs455 it was way too much car for a 17yr old me. I knew they could get by with a cavalier, or Sundance or little Malibu and we did plenty to those including rebuilding a top end and an engine swap . fuel pumps and chasing electrical gremlins. but I'm pretty sure my son learned a lot. the girls not near as much. they are all out adulting now so I get to make bad decisions like picking up a turbo limited someone took apart and sold the drivetrain but I think I didn't give too much and I wanted a limited to join the original we4 that got rear-ended and an 86 roller we picked up. just time and money stand in the way of us driving one of them again.

My first car was a 92 hp s10 and I drove it like it was 492 hp, so I agree completely with that assessment. Kids are kids, no way around it. Have a couple big block buicks as well, because I chose to latch on to the expensive to build and hard to find parts for brand, instead of being a boring Chevy guy.

I love the turbo limiteds for what they aren't.

 

[salvageV6]

Keep it, low production, it's a lot nicer than mine and I got offered $10K at a gas station this spring, I probably should have taken it, but most gas station people are crazy anyway that I meet.
I'd start fixing one small thing at a time when you can, window motor etc. you may get inspired to do more.
I just got mine back on the road been up on jack stands all summer, first ride was AWESOME, just my .02.
PS: If anybody knows why Pypes sends 2.5" hardware with a 3" exhaust system let me know.

 

[HalfDozIN]

Keep it, low production, it's a lot nicer than mine and I got offered $10K at a gas station this spring, I probably should have taken it, but most gas station people are crazy anyway that I meet.
I'd start fixing one small thing at a time when you can, window motor etc. you may get inspired to do more.
I just got mine back on the road been up on jack stands all summer, first ride was AWESOME, just my .02.
PS: If anybody knows why Pypes sends 2.5" hardware with a 3" exhaust system let me know.

It's just photogenic LOL
It shows well in pictures from 20 feet out, because you don't notice the bubbles.
Yeah, first ride for almost a year was last month for me. It's hard to cough up 4 grand on a Lonnie or Dave 200, and nobody locally will touch them, hence why I went the 80e route. Even still, I'm in it all of 3 grand at the end of the swap. It seems to be working well so far, though. The way it's set up I can leave in whatever gear I choose. It will still leave 100 foot black marks launching in 2nd, but it does get down the road better than bothering with 1st on the road tires. We make so much torque we don't need those silly gears

 

[TexasT]

Keep it, low production, it's a lot nicer than mine and I got offered $10K at a gas station this spring, I probably should have taken it, but most gas station people are crazy anyway that I meet.
I'd start fixing one small thing at a time when you can, window motor etc. you may get inspired to do more.
I just got mine back on the road been up on jack stands all summer, first ride was AWESOME, just my .02.
PS: If anybody knows why Pypes sends 2.5" hardware with a 3" exhaust system let me know.

They send those fasteners because the warehouse person/people can barely read and don't bother with such when filling an order. Just throw something in the box to get it out the door.

I get all kinds of "enthusiasts" that want to buy. We all know it would be driveway art in a month or two as they couldn't keep it rolling and no one else could either when they took it somewhere.

You already convinced me you need to keep it.

I assembled my own 2004r. But with parts availability this 4l80e is looking pretty good. I plan on some type of fancy ecu so I can flex some e85. We have been studying up on hp tuners for my son's little projects(fiero with a sc 3800 and 4t65e and a ls3 grand prix also 4t65e so it looks like I'm going to learn that one too.)

Do some little things as suggested above. Have some inside door latch handles on hand as I know mine let go. I see nothing wrong with the nose as is. but collecting up some parts to go back to stock is a good plan if that is where you want to be. No hurry, its a hobby ya know.

 

[salvageV6]

Where you have bubbles I have holes, pick some projects and work on them, it will be worth $20K before you know it.

 

[HalfDozIN]

Where you have bubbles I have holes, pick some projects and work on them, it will be worth $20K before you know it.

Oh there's holes LMAO. Point received, nonetheless.

They send those fasteners because the warehouse person/people can barely read and don't bother with such when filling an order. Just throw something in the box to get it out the door.

I get all kinds of "enthusiasts" that want to buy. We all know it would be driveway art in a month or two as they couldn't keep it rolling and no one else could either when they took it somewhere.

You already convinced me you need to keep it.

I assembled my own 2004r. But with parts availability this 4l80e is looking pretty good. I plan on some type of fancy ecu so I can flex some e85. We have been studying up on hp tuners for my son's little projects(fiero with a sc 3800 and 4t65e and a ls3 grand prix also 4t65e so it looks like I'm going to learn that one too.)

Do some little things as suggested above. Have some inside door latch handles on hand as I know mine let go. I see nothing wrong with the nose as is. but collecting up some parts to go back to stock is a good plan if that is where you want to be. No hurry, its a hobby ya know.

I have liked the idea of a 3800sc fiero swap for a long time. They're neat little cars, gm just forgot about the sporty part.

I grew brave enough to run some errands with it this morning. I think a stock cam, a .63 exhaust housing, and a tighter converter would be just as quick without alky or e85, but it is what it is. I got the car with the turbo, fmic, cam, etc already done. They just left the stock elbow and downpipe, which eludes me. Talk about the slowest spooling car on the road. I've just added the dp and the converter it really needs to work well, because that's easier and less expensive than changing the whole combo. It's a little loose to drive around town, but just fine on the highway locked. I never got the chance to put race gas in it and really see what it can do before the last 200 went, and I'm getting pretty comfortable that all is okay with the swap, so we'll find out soon enough. First thing in the spring if I can't make the track any this fall. I don't see why it shouldn't be pretty close to 11 flat capable, with the octane to support it at 24-25 psi.

 

[TexasT]

sounds like it is ready for a drag n drive. experience and meeting people can't be discounted.