New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Hey Guys,

Looking for some guidance and input on looking to buy this car from a Division 2 race Jamie Hairrington. Not sure if he is ever on this site but has anyone seen this car and know what it is capable of, legal for NHRA? etc. He has told me up front that he has not entered in an NHRA event because they have 2 other cars and time is spent on those cars which I fully believe him, just want to get some input on what this car would run or what it would take to run G/SA?
Engine is a 307 block sleeved

Thanks in advance, Dustin Vassar
http://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.racingjun...Camaro-GHI.jpg

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

A. Time slip would help

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

^^ Agreed. Dont think it has made a full pass at full potential because of the wrong piston rings being in it.


"I pulled motor and found wrong ring combo. Could use "better" pistons and ring combo. Has latest bullet cam, Sherman style lifters, roller rockers. Comes with fresh Boburka carb. Also has fresh th350 and converter.
Fresh wiring, arc switch panel, cheetah shifter, new gauges, and brand new camlock belts. Car will pass tech.

12 bolt 5.13 gear
All S&W torque arm and frame connectors
Strange SA rear shocks
Fresh th350 trans and converter

Engine is a 307 block sleeved
Everything is fresh but has older TRW pistons and wrong ring combo. Motor is currently out of car with 1 piston out for inspection. I have access to a set of Jim Lewis heads and intake that have a few passes(will include phone number with purchase) With right piston/ring combo and those heads and intake it should run .7-.8 under

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Dustin. I looked at the ad myself and without a doubt it looks like a good base car with a motor that needs someone who knows what they doing to update and refresh. To get someone that can build a top shelf motor from carb to pan will take you a little more that $10k. Fixing the one with the car probably will save you a lot of money. It still won't be cheap. Not sure how sorted out the car is but it should be a pretty good car to start. Just realize it will take a lot of work and some money to get it competitive.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Ron,

Thanks alot for the input and noted to be competitive will take $10k or more to get the right person to build the right motor.

It would probaly be a good idea to see what cars in division 4 run G/H/I and go from there.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Pick a race track that both of you can get to relatively easily. You take an empty trailer.
Ask him to bring the car and meet you at a track and make a pass. If it runs what he says it will run, then after the run, have him pull it up on your trailer and make the deal.
That's about the only way I would buy a race car. The pistons and rings aren't going to keep it from running that well.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

He is not selling a running car.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

I would think with the stuff he has in place already you could make this car competitive for a lot less than 10k.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Agreed -

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Give Allen Sherman a call at Trumble Racing. He can get that motor freshened up and competitive.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

This......

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Then I would take a pass on it until the seller gets it running. It sounds to me like they buyer is trying to get into stock eliminator. Its too easy for someone to take all the "good stuff" out of or off a the car to sell especially when its not running. What about the brakes, line lock, fuel pump, rear end? It the buyer buys a pig in a poke, then that might discourage him from continuing as it is a challenge as it is.

I stand by my original statement. Buy the car after you see it make a pass so you know what you are getting. If you don't believe me, look at the I/SA chasing the dream thread in the build section.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Thanks guys I appreciate the input.

Hidalgo, I will give him a call and see what he says.

If the motor that comes with it is capable of running 11.30 - 11.50 in the heat I would be good with that for now.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Hell, I would be good with that in our running car lol! :o

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

I ran one of these cars for several years. The 305's don't like hot weather, I would count on spending the 10k on the motor to run those et's.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

I agree...if you're willing to spend the going rate for a fast car.
Jamie is asking 9 grand. A decent 305 that might survive a heads up run in G,H,I will be 20 grand anyway..Big difference

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

20 grand for a 305?!?!? Damn I tell you what give 30 and I'll sell you my car! 350 can run H I J and K depending on what year you claim.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

The fact that the engine is out of the car with a piston removed likely will preclude the car for running well!

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

As the owner of a once supposedly competitive car that was going to run .25-.30 under as it stood, and never ran under but that's a long story. The previous owner took me for sure. He made some restitution after some bickering. The car is still apart but going back together better than it ever was but the bottom line is...buy a running car that checks out unless you really know what you're getting into and have a good support team in place. I was fortunate that my friends and all have pitched in but I had very good connections and still got taken. Unless you're willing to take the time, money and time, and money and time to sort it out. Good luck either way.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Dustin if you decide on the car give me a call, with the parts he has in place we can definitely make you competitive for $10,000 or less, I ran 11.0's with one of these in the late 90's with WAY stiffer rules than we have now and not nearly as good of parts as there are available now. I suggested this car as a good buy for someone and I think at $9,000 it's a good deal. You can't put one of these cars together rolling chassis for under $15,000 with what he has for parts so I don't think you could go wrong buying this car...just my 2 cents...my number is (225) 717-1461 or my shop number is (713) 477-4430

Allen

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Oh and in response to some other posts on this topic, from carb to pan for a 1.00 second under 305 with the absolute best parts available today all brand new there's no way you can build one for under $20,000...I'm talking dart block, top notch heads and intake, roller rockers, tool steel lifters, manley pro I beam rods, good pistons, the right ring set, etc...just being honest, the parts alone are over $15,000

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

X2 Ask Rod Butcher how much he's $pent to put son Chris in orbit?

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

It's funny how things escalate on here! The man asked how much to be competitive and all the sudden he's building a 20 grand bullet to go hunt down Chris Butcher with.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

James, does that $30,000.00 price for your car include ALL of the Beer
in your Motorhome and Trailer?? J.R.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Dustin
Do not buy it yet.

Check your private messages first.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Mine seems to run pretty good in the heat.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Allen is correct in his pricing. I think if I was offered $25000. for my motor I would pass.

Rod Butcher

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

[QUOTE=J.R. Haddad;475944]James, does that $30,000.00 price for your car include ALL of the Beer
in your Motorhome and Trailer?? J.R.
No! But I'll throw an all access pass to Mickey Whaley's cabinet in.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

That motor would probably run 1.00 under on Mars!

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

My comment was in regard to several USED ,good running 3rd Gen cars on here in the 20 Grand price range.
I'm sure a new engine alone would run 20 Grand at least.
$ 9,000 sounds like a good deal to me .Either you pay now or you pay later for a competitive G,H,I car.
I've known the Hairringtons for decades. You can trust them to be straight with you, if that helps.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

I wasn't insinuating he needed to build a $20,000 motor, I was simply stating a fact in response to a post made on this thread that said you don't have to spend that much to have a 305 that's fast.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Your car runs good everywhere! What I meant by that was that the smaller ci motors fall off a little bit more in the heat than bigger ci motors.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Oh well, there goes my offer...(lol)

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

If I were you, I would read all the posts from "jaime2370"

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

I wasn't going to respond to this post but I will just to clear the air. If it doesn't sell by the end of next week I will send the motor to Greg Rowe with Jim Lewis heads and intake, reinstall with a th200 2.90 low and ask around $20,000 for it. You could spend about $1500 on the shortblock for pistons and rings and go run 60 under. So lets see??
$9000
+$1500
=$10,500 for a decent stocker............or.............$20,000 for one that probably still won't out run Butcher's car, mainly because there is not another 305 that can.......
So for all you people that want to bad mouth the car, especially the ones that haven't even read the ad...........I honestly could care less if the car sells. My brother and I are going to get Dad's stocker back going so he can do it one more time, so this car is going to sit until that happens. Ok enough, I will go now.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Wow !!!!!!!!!! is all I can say. You guy's are a bunch of negative jerk off's . This is why we don't have any new racers in our class . I read all the posts It would scare anyone away. That's not how to build our class. My advise!!!! Buy the car looks like a great deal . And surround your self with positive racers and have fun. And stop asking advice from keyboard racers .

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

I would also encourage you to buy the car as is. You could send the motor you have to any number of engine builders and get it fixed up for less than the 10k price I'm seeing on here. For example if you have a good block crank and rods and the heads aren't butchered up, you should be able to get someone to put Pistons in it and get it going for 5-7k easy. Maybe have someone look at the trans for you also. Go ahead and get your feet wet.

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Amen Greg!!!

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

Hey Jamie if any of the responses I made came off negatively I sure didn't intend them that way, in fact I talked to Dustin about your car and told him what a good deal I thought it was and that the potential is definitely there. My only response I made in reference to the $20000 engine cost was a basis of starting from scratch, I think you can take the pieces you have, buy the Jim Lewis heads, put the right rings and pistons in it and make it extremely competitive for under $10,000. Hopefully you and Dustin make a deal because I truly believe any new blood we get in the stock and super stock ranks is a great thing for our sports future.

Allen

Re: New to Stock - Buying an 85 Camaro G/H/I??
 

it's amazing how far off a thread can get from it's origin. I too think it's a good price and with some effort could be a very competitive car at a reasonable cost. It will not be cheap but other than some dime rocket cars I don't think any stocker is cheap any more.