went to look at a 97 z38 donor car but it overheats.

JeffP1167

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Location
Yucaipa, CA.
Found it for 1,000 and it is complete.runs good but overheats in about 16 minutes. and ideas on this? I am not overly familliar with this engine. It has121k miles on it and isa perfect donor car for my v8 conversion.
 
It overheats while driving? I mean, when you let it sit at idle the fans come on and it doesn't overheat?

If the water pump is bad I would think it oveheats in less than 16 minutes.....

My z28 would run too hot when the front air dam got damaged....
 
It overheats while driving? I mean, when you let it sit at idle the fans come on and it doesn't overheat?

If the water pump is bad I would think it oveheats in less than 16 minutes.....

My z28 would run too hot when the front air dam got damaged....

idling and gets hottereven faster when driving. Oh and I meant z28 not z38.

no waterin oil, fans come on but only somewhat control faster overheating. Owner sats it was checked and they said block cracked.

this is a good donor car since it is a lt1/4l60e, bunch of good parts on it that wont be used in my conversion.

he says he drives it to work and it always starts right up. No smoke from exhaust, he says it runs strong.
 
run....away.......

why? it has every possible thing to convert my 97 camaro to a v-8. Z28's here sell usually for 2500-3500 for one in sad shape. Can't touch just some of the parts for a grand considering I need the big enchilada not a 49 cent taco to do this conversion to where the car looks like it had a v8 originally.

was just curious if maybe it was a simple fix on the engine since it will be pulled anywaysand everything will be easily accessible.

really hate the thought of spend around 2k to rebuild my 3.8 rather spend that on converting it to a v8.
 
Going to look at the z28 today, will let you all know what I find out. But from pics he sent the upper radiator cover is missing so I am wondering if this gone and possible air dam gone is why car overheats on highway but wont around town and idling.
 
I know money doesn't grow on trees..... I know we're all trying to save a dime .....

That said, fix up that 3.8 on the cheap if you can.....or try to find a cheap 3.8 to get you by for another year or so .... Save some more cash and keep looking for a LS donor, maybe a wrecked/totalled car..... You will be happier with that engine....

That said, if that LT1 runs so hot how do you know how many times it overheated?? That guy might be thinking that it's a miracle that crap still runs, let's sell it quick .....

Wait a second, your current Camaro is a 3.4, right ??
 
I know money doesn't grow on trees..... I know we're all trying to save a dime .....

That said, fix up that 3.8 on the cheap if you can.....or try to find a cheap 3.8 to get you by for another year or so .... Save some more cash and keep looking for a LS donor, maybe a wrecked/totalled car..... You will be happier with that engine....

That said, if that LT1 runs so hot how do you know how many times it overheated?? That guy might be thinking that it's a miracle that crap still runs, let's sell it quick .....

Wait a second, your current Camaro is a 3.4, right ??

I bought the z28, runs extremely strong and shifts great. No smoke out the pipes. Driving it 70 miles home up hills/freeway etc it never got past the 3rd line on the temp gauge. Around town it runs at right about 210.

Has no air dam, fans rarely sound like they come on if they even do, missing upper radiator cover.

Never smells hot, motor makes no unusual noises, body is pretty nice, interior nice as well.

fuel gauge dont work
low oil pressure reading

car is 100% complete and drives nice

this is it, perfect v8 donor car ... My girlfriend who has a 2003 ford taurus loves it's muscle

00u0u_1HI9oWPo0a_600x450_zpse23dc500.jpg
 
I know money doesn't grow on trees..... I know we're all trying to save a dime .....

That said, fix up that 3.8 on the cheap if you can.....or try to find a cheap 3.8 to get you by for another year or so .... Save some more cash and keep looking for a LS donor, maybe a wrecked/totalled car..... You will be happier with that engine....

That said, if that LT1 runs so hot how do you know how many times it overheated?? That guy might be thinking that it's a miracle that crap still runs, let's sell it quick .....

Wait a second, your current Camaro is a 3.4, right ??

No, my camaro isn't a 3.4 it has the 3800 series II engine and 4l60e.
 
I bought the z28, runs extremely strong and shifts great. No smoke out the pipes. Driving it 70 miles home up hills/freeway etc it never got past the 3rd line on the temp gauge. Around town it runs at right about 210.

looks great, but why did the guy say it's overheating ?? Apparently it did not overheat when you drove it home....
 
I bought the z28, runs extremely strong and shifts great. No smoke out the pipes. Driving it 70 miles home up hills/freeway etc it never got past the 3rd line on the temp gauge. Around town it runs at right about 210.

looks great, but why did the guy say it's overheating ?? Apparently it did not overheat when you drove it home....

he didn't seem to mechanically inclined. No it did not overheat, ran hotter then normal but that is it. Actually never even went over the third mark on the gauge on the freeway but the as soon has I drove it in town temp dropped and stayed at about 210.

My girlfriend drove my firebird home (has a 3.8 and 5speed) and this camaro just annihilated it hard every chance we had. It never losses power like a car that is overheating. Always has a check engine light on, never stumbles or misses, fires up first turn of the key, trans shifts very good,

I am wondering if it has dash cluster issues since when you sometimes press on the brake pedal a couple of it's warning lights dimly light up. Perhaps the cluster is giving false readings.

The car is actually pretty nice and we are thinking about just fixing it up for my girlfriend and getting her out her mom car (taurus) This on seems to have every option but leather.
 
You're lucky it doesn't have the "leather" option, what GM put in these cars is not leather..... here's what my Z28 seats looked like after maybe 100K miles..... I finally broke down and bought new leather seat covers.....

IM004360ssss.jpg

IM004350.jpg

IM004353.jpg
 
Looks like it might have had the 200 watt stereo in it since it has speaker openings in the plastic in the trunk. Seats in it are like what my 97 camaro has with the 30th embroidery on the head rests.

Missing the headliner, sun visors but other then that everything else is there.

has some funky stripe on the hood that looks like paint but then at same time peels kind of like a decal. Rims are painted with what looks like what this stripe is done with. Has 93-96 rims on it, tires are decent.

New radiator, water pump, fresh tune-up.
 
Scanned codes today, p1441 and p1641. p1641 seems to have two meanings, one MIL circuit malfunction (but check engine light does work) second reference to fan control relays (have never heard fans come on) prior owner said firestone jumped the fans and they worked.

Oil pressure was at a little over 40psi cold start
 
Well replaced fan relays and fans still will not come on. Evac'ed the a/c system and it held vacuum for 45 minutes so going to charge it and see if that will trigger the fans to come on.

Actually seems like a fixable car so may not even do engine swap and give this z28 to my girlfriend.
 
Charged the a/c and fans immediately came on. Blows ice cold and let idle for a hour in 90 degree heat with a/c on and highest temp would go on the car was the first mark.

Now just need to figure out why with a/c off the fans won't work.
 
are you going to part that car out? I would just drive it, why all the work when you have a complete running car?????
 
WOW - That much WORKS?!
Too bad you didn't beat him down to $500! It would make a great CHUMPS or LE-Mons race car!
Drive it like you STOLE IT!


Cheers - Jim
 
Hc @ 15mph max 51ppm tested 23ppm
@ 25mph max 35ppm tested 19ppm

NO @ 15mph max 419pp tested 153ppm
@ 25mph max 706ppm tested 147ppm

Smog guy said it just needs to be driven to perform it's self tests and it will pass.
 
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