Well guys I need to make a decision on my 96 Firebird. Its been down now for 4.5 years. After the last rebuild the car went 200 miles then popped a head gasket on a pull. After limping it home the 3 blocks I cut it off as it was late at night. Go a few days later to start the car as it felt like a maf vacuum leak. Mad had sifted. Anyways motor hydro locked. Dont know how bad the damage is I have not torn it down. I did open the valve cover today and found this.



So now I am in a delima. The car will need a clutch as the rear main oil leak took the clutch disc out. Also as the car sits it will need a rebuild. Could be anything from a few rods to a whole motor rebuild. So mods are in signature. I still have a ws6 box and hood to go on the car. Along with c5 vette rims and a corsa muffler.

However I don't have a place to pull the engine anymore or the time to do it. Car has sat all summer at the parents for sale. I have a standing offer on the car for a $800 plus a miata hardtop that is worth $1000. Offer will be going away soon. Guy wants my stage 2 trans out of it for a 68 Firebird. I run a miata on the track and have been looking for a hardtop as I need it to run the car at track days.

So if all goes well at this job I could maybe rebuild it next summer. But that leaves the car out in the elements with the rust under the t-tops growing along with the rocker panel rusting. T-top rust is from a bad windsheild install 10 years or so ago. Before I had the car. The rocker is from me jumping a curb 5 years ago. Its not as bad as the t-tops but uncovered metal will rust.

So what would yall guys do. Take the money and top and let the trouble maker car go. Would you find a place to store it inside to fix it. Current housing situation sucks. I may be able to find a garage and then could store the car. Having 3 cars at the moment sucks as only 1 is reliable to go anywhere. So what would you do.


Side note of current cars

-2001 Mazda Miata- Has a loan and current Daily Driver,autocross,track day car.
-1987 BMW 325is- The $700 Lets make it into a Daily driver with 4 seats. Now sitting in the yard with needing a gas tank. Which I have.
-1996 Pontiac Firebird Formula- Been sitting around for 4.5 years. Seen some rebuilds,bad parts that then blow rebuilds up,Junk yard motors that later fail on oil pressure. Just a night mare of a car that never seems to run right. Kinda wish it was still stock cam. Supposed to be the daily driver. Now a good lawn ornament.

 

sell it while you can. Buy something with less problems. Selling my lt1 z28 for my ls2 ws6 was the best mod ive done. I had to get rid of my z28 for less then half of what youre selling yours for. Sell it and dont look back.

 

Depends on if you the car has any sentimental value or not. If you want to take the time and money to rebuild it then let it sit under a car cover (wash it periodically). Take care of the rust by sanding it off and covering it with a primer of some sort. It's easy for others to say bail on it when we have no emotional attachment to it. If this is just another car to you then bail on it. Get rid of it because from the looks of it you'll be doing a complete rebuild if you want it done right.

 

You could find a used long block for $400 and get it running again, sell the valvetrain and whatever else is salvageable and then make a decision. That's what I would do.

 

at the moment, its sounds like you are in no place for a rebuild for now. You already said its been sitting for 4.5 years. How much longer is it gonna sit before you start on it?

 

i understand this dilemna, with school and family matters i haven't had much time to get to my running lt1, yet alone if it was down. I haven't even washed it in 2 months, which makes me cringe on the inside. Only reason i still have the car is because its somewhat sentimetal to me, if this car has no sentimental meaning to you, get rid of it while you can.

 

I have been thinking for the last few months. I left the plugs out for a month so the cylinders should be dry. Plugs are back in it.

The car does have some sentimental value as it was my first car I bought with my own money. That is the only thing that really made me think of keeping it.

 

don't sell it then, because when it's gone you won't be getting another chance to reconsider. I held onto my car, and I'm glad I did. Look at it this way - you KNOW what issues your car has. Buy something else and you'll run into more problems, just.. different ones.

So the question really comes down to - are you a gambling man?