Female Needs Your Help!!!

Yes, flush it is all! Oil, coolant, brake fluid (I'd rebuild the brake calipers while all it,) differential oil. You'll need a new battery, new tires (dry rot,) the 4BBL will need a rebuild. There's also the matter of bushings. The front stabilizer bar bushings and rear differential "stopper" are probably dried, but should be okay. If you've got time and money then I'd swap out the bushings for some new polyurethane. I dunno what to tell you about o-rings and rod bearings. They should be okay, but it's a crap shoot really.

It looks like a lot to do, but it's really not.

If you plan to keep it, I'd do all of the above. If not, then save yourself some heartache and some cash, and sell to a collector who will lovingly restore it.

Martin '01 Formula - MTI Air Box Lid, K&N Filter, Hurst-6, SLP Cold Air Induction & Smooth Intake Bellow Corsa Catback w/Premium Tips '83 V45 Magna

Might want to consider weather stripping as well while you're at it.

First of all, thank you for your response, I really do appreciate it!!! But I do have one more question, is a 1981 Camaro considered a collectable car because it is the last year of the second generation Camaro, and the last year of the "big body" style. Because in 1982 the third generation Camaros and Firebirds went to the smaller body style. So is 1981 a collectable???

The early 80's American V-8s were pieces of crap.

The '79 was the end of an era.

>

Yes an 1981 Camaro is collectible. It is not as valuable as a 70 to 73 Camaro. If priced reasonably for year and condition a 1981 Camaro with a V8 should be very easy to sell.

Most buyers will try to play tricks on you, assuming you won't know anything. I would suggest getting it running first, and getting a good look at things. Have the compression checked in all cylinders, have the body checked for rust on the underside. Don't warrantee the car. If someone comes and looks at it and says any of the following:

It's all rusted out The engine's shot This thing is junk It needs xyz number of repairs This or that is going out

Send them on their way. They are just trying to talk you out of a car for a low price. Once you have it checked out by competent people you set your price in a fair range and stick to it.

Charles

I completely agree with Charles.

Listen not to the Tarver Bot. He is a troll of the worst order. In fact, his logic and deductive reasoning skills and plain old engineering and mechanical skills are so poor, he doesn't even realize he is a troll. He is a thing to be pitied. He is dumber than a tree and frankly, a tree at least provides oxygen to the environment whereas Tarver simply wastes our O2. Even a rock has more worth because you don't expect a rock to be a complete waste of space. At lest with a rock, you can build something with it. Sure, it's not very nice of me to point out, but he just won't go away. He's like a bad case of whatever the penicillin won't fix.

In any case, you will find people who will purchase the '81, but like Charles said, 71-73 for the win! (If I can just find a reasonably priced 73-74 SD, I'd be a happy man!)

Martin '01 Formula - MTI Air Box Lid, K&N Filter, Hurst-6, SLP Cold Air Induction & Smooth Intake Bellow Corsa Catback w/Premium Tips '83 V45 Magna

If you do sell the car, please post the details here. If I had the extra cash I would probably be interested. Charles

yes and no...

They are getting rarer now and it is a 23 year old car, but an

81 Camaro 305 doesn't rank that high on the "gotta have" list for most people. Maybe in another 20 years... but they did make a ton of them back in the day.

Is it a Z28? TTops? Those options make it worth more.

If you like the car and want to keep it, the value is irrelevant - I have an 80 Trans Am that is a long term project car because I like the body style - the 301 engine that came in it sucked so it's gone - the car is now "non-original" but as I'm not selling ... who cares.

If you're selling it... a 305 81 Camaro just doesn't strike me as special - maybe a 81 Z28 loaded maybe, but not a base Camaro.

But please don't let it go to the crusher. :)

Ray

80 Trans Am 01 Trans Am *new* 76 Camaro Pure Stock Race Car...

Tarver Engineering spilled my beer when they jumped on the table and proclaimed in

Michelle, Tarver is an idiot. Charles Bendig has the best advice on this anyone can offer. Get it running, and checked out. Then beware of the warning signs he posted. If you decide to sell it then, YOU control the price and situation. Do not be bullied.

NOI

Thanks for ALL of your GREAT responses, I really do appreciate it. For those of you wondering about the details of the car, it is just a base Camaro. It is NOT a Z28 and there are NO T-tops. It is just a base 81 Chevy Camaro. Everything on the car is original though. It has the original engine, tranny, wheels, interior, even the paint job is original!!! No lie, the thing has almost always been garaged, and so it still has its original paint. It does have some undercarriage rust under the rear bumper area, but the rest of the undercarriage is okay.

One thing that worries me though, is that the garage that the car is currently in, is a garage that is separated from our house, and the car is covered in dust because there is no car cover on it, and so I can see mice poop and mice footprints all over the car. I have read that mice are capable of chewing up your wiring and destroying your engine by building nests in there. Does anybody know if this is true??? HELP!!!!!

If it releases the "magical electrical smoke" when you connect the new battery then worry about it. Unless you find nesting materials under the hood, or on the floorboards under the dash you should be ok. :)

MICHELLE H. spilled my beer when they jumped on the table and proclaimed in

They can to the wiring, but if you pop the hood, you will see any mice nests...

NOI

On the rust, have the rear spring mount area's looked at. These are known for rusting out and the springs going thru in to the trunk.

As for mice, they will eat wires. What they do is to chew on the insulation. It usually kills them in a few days. Yet at the cost of electrical shorts that show up at the worst of times. I have had it happen before. I even bought a car that had sat in a field and had to replace entire harnesses due to mice & rats.

Mice will also nest in the car, usually there will be a smell that accompany it. Rats will nest in cars, and leave a very pungent smell. Rats you can smell from a distance. I have even popped a hood and had a ground hog dart out around an engine.

Best advice there is to determine what sort of critters inhabit the garage and set the proper traps for them. After they get bored with the car they will goon to ruin other items. Like Mice & Rats will go for your electric and phone wires. Charles

1979, 1980, 1981 Chevy V8's.

All the same. Most parts interchange. All small block Chevy. 1981 would have computer command control on the engine management system.

Have the car checked out by a GOOD old time mechanic who will go through it soup to nuts.

1) 1981 is what it is. You have a 1981 Camaro. If it's not a Z-28, it's not "collectable", but it has sentimental value. Never buy a car like this for an investment. You will lose. All the time, every time. Keep it because you like it. Period.

2) If the car is solid and just needs some TLC to bring it back to life, it is probably "worth it". I was given a 1991 Chevy S10 Blazer that was stored for 2 years. If I farmed everything out, the truck wouldn't be worth it. Since it's just time and parts for me, it's not a big deal---I can find what I need for it reasonably and it has had a lot done to it already.

3) Just have it checked out, get an estimate to see what it needs. Decide what you can do yourself and what has to be farmed out.

Warning: If you cannot do anything yourself, you will be paying a LOT of money to get this thing going again. Half the battle with old stuff is having the tools, service literature and know-how to do it yourself and save some money.

Start there and see where it nets you. Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 26k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... '80 T/A project car...

True base model late 870's cars are not collector items. Yet their are buyers for them. Speaking for my Self, if I had the cash for a decent shape

1981 V8 F-body that could be put back to driver status with out a complete rebuild, I would go for it.

The car in Question is one a someone who likes F-bodies would buy. Actually 2nd gen cars in this area are still being used for allot of stock car racing. They are also desirable by Drag Racers.

A car like that won't fetch Z-28 prices, but selling it shouldn't be a problem. If she keeps it finding a Mechanic who is trust worthy, and will service the car for a reasonable rate may be. We both have heard the horror stories from customers, and we both know how many dishonest people their are in the auto repair & parts businesses.

As for a 91 S-10 Blazer. Around here they still sell very well. A dead

91 2 door with a 2.8 V6 and a rusty body shell with a bad dog house will still command over $700. If it's 4WD add another $150 to that. At the Dealer Only Auctions running examples go for over $700 on a regular basis. The 4.3 V6 4WD S-10 Blazers in 2 or 4 door go for over $1000 at those auctions.

One must remember when it comes to vehicle value, your location does matter unless you have a collector item. What's low buck where you are may be high buck here and vice versa.

I go atleast once a month to the following Dealer Only Auctions: Manheim's Ohio Auto Auction Indiana Auto Auction I occasionally go to: Manheim's Cincinnati Auto Auction Dayton Auto Auction Adessa Auto Auction (Franklin OH) as well as the Cincinnati Police Impound Auto Auction.

I have pick up cars at all of these for far less then their value. A few examples: a 1995 Buick Regal Limited 4 door with a 3.8V6. It had a minor wiring fire, and was impounded. I purchased it for $300 form the Cincinnati Police Impound Auction. I sold the rear clip for $300, to a customer that desperately needed one. parts wise the car will make me a good $1000 or better.

From IAA I picked up a 1991 Toyota Pick up for a mere $100. I have yet to get it in to diagnose the ignition problems. I could quick sell it under whole sale for $500, put it on eBay at whole sale value of $1000 or fix it, paint it and put it on the Dealer lot sticker at $2,500. Charles