1977 camaro or wait?

Hi there, ok so please dont flame me but this is gonna be a long one, also i know that it is ulitmately my decision what i do but just please give me your guy's opinion if you were in my shoes. OK so here goes, i started off liking older cars, but then my mom convinced me out of them, sionce i was obsessed with the firebird, i still had my mind set on an 02 ws6. I was saving up for it for about 5 months now but my dad brought my attention to another oppurtunity. Its a 77 camaro...not sure which sub model but heres the details...350 nothing too crazy, just aftermarket carb and n ewer exhaust, rebuilt tranny, overall good condition, underneath not too rusty, body has a bit of surface rust and is currently primed. motor currently not running but sapparently just need stune up and starter (been sitting for 4 years). the guy wants 1500 firm. ok so here comes my questions

1. im not looking to street race that much, but i do want to get some speed out of my first car, now obviously the 02 ws6 would beat the 77 camaro stock but will the camaro feel like a v8? will it be faster than your average new V6 car? will i not be able to flooor it because the engine is too tired?

2. In your opinion, would you wait and save up some more for 02 ws6 or go for the camaro?

3. Ok so about the camaro...its primed gray right now and it has a an aftermarket cowl induction. How much would it cost to have the rust repaired assuming theres the genereal amount of rust in t he usual areas. how much will the paint job be after that...i want a decent one, not a crappy one.

4. If the original nteripur is tan and does not need replacing, would it be ok to paint the car black still? or would i have to go with a color that suits the tan interiour more?

5. Is it stupid to buy a not running car? I mean i dont wanna buy it then realize it has a blown engine or seized or anything. Also, its only 1500 dollars so i cant really ask to take it to a mechanic or anthything, so do you think theres a great possibility that the frame is cracked/...or something else major like that?

6. how much wuld it cost (approximate) for
-some minor body work and decent paint job
-getting the thing started assuming it only needs to be tuned up and a starter
-safetied.......
-all this will be done by a mechanic (im still learning)


ok thanks a lot for all you rguy's help

In my opinion, I'd save up for the 02' ws6. I think overall you would be much more happy with the car and would have less headaches. Buying a "non running but just needs a couple of things" car is always risky, even if you know the owner. I've heard a lot of bad storys when it comes to that subject. Another thing you should put into consideration is gas mileage. It sounds like you are younger and that might have an impact on how much you can actually drive the car. If you get a manual ws6 they have been known to get into the 30mpg range on the highway. You are going to pay a lot more for the ws6 but I think you will be a lot more pleased in the end.

Price is too high on that car. Three years ago I bought a 91 Formula Firebird (350 TPI) for $1200. It needed a bit of work but it did run and the guy was driving it to work every day. An engine that has sat around for 4 years without running is going to be a mess on the inside. The car sitting in the elements in primer is also going to spell trouble. Primer is NOT good protection for a vehicle, it is porous and will let moisture and crap through it.
I'd vote on a PASS on this one.

Pass on the second gen. You may want to look into a lt1. Deffinatly cheaper than a ls1 and you will have similairy styling and performance. In my opinon a lt1 would take you alot more about them if you got a car with a dizzy. Though a ls1 is my next step up

wait

None running 77 with some minor rust ... I' wouldn't pay anymore than $250-$300, unless the interior is in excellent condition, as well with the body and electronics. No V6 on this earth is going to feel like a 350, unless is is HEAVILY modified: NOS, turbo charged, superchargedm, etc... and a 350 will probably not get anywhere near the gas mileage a V6 will... your looking at opposite ends of the spectrum there.

01 ws6 - Going to be expensive to get, and insurance is going to be expensive too. BUT you will probably be able to buy and drive the car right away, and have functioning AC, etc.

If you're looking for cheap, and you like old, there are PLENTY of running 2gen camaros out there that will be close enough to what you are looking for so that you won't have a lot of work to do. Older camaros are not known to be maintenance free so be warned that you're going to have to learn how to fix it, or make enough money to pay someone else to do it, and it will be expensive.

I paid 2 mechanics to work on my camaro when I first bought it... I will NEVER do that again.

wait:popcorn: