I got a free car...now what?

"Plastic-Innovations" (Plastic-Innovations)
11/30/2016 at 18:23 • Filed to: None

I got a free car on craigslist. 1996 Monte Carlo z34. Well not entirely free, I traded a 12 pack of Coors light for it. With the beer and the gas in the tow vehicle I’m $42 in this car. It runs off the battery but the alternator is shot. Transmission is iffy but moves it down the road. 295000 Miles! The black leather interior is actually in really decent shape minus a tear in the top of the back seat from sun damage. It even has decent paint. With this many miles no one wants it, but its so nice it seems a shame to scrap it, I mean with an alternator it would run and drive. So what should i do with it?

DISCUSSION (37)

RotaryLover > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:25

Drive it across AMERICA!

S65 > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:27

Kinja'd!!!

sideways LS

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:28

Uhhhh.... lemons car

Plastic-Innovations > S65
11/30/2016 at 18:28

I like the way you think.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:28

Jump it!

Frank W. Doom > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:29

crazy how few of these I see around any more. they used to be everywhere.

TheHondaBro > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:29

1ZZ-FE swap then turbo.

LongbowMkII > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:29

Take the dude’s car and give him coor’s? Insult to injury...

LongbowMkII > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:31

NP. Too bad it’s not the 5 spd.

theloudmouth > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:33

I knew a guy back in the day with a supercharged 3800 swapped Grand Am GT with cam, pulley, and bolt ons and it was shocking how well that thing hauled in a straight line. I bet it’d be a fairly easy swap from that gen of Grand Prix W body (it’s W body right? I don’t really know GM that well) and you could get one cheap as hell from a junk yard.

Urambo Tauro > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:34

I’ve gotten into the habit of raising my minimum price on Craigslist searches to block out all the “$1” cars.

Maybe I should stop doing that.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:35

Part out. Make a good ROI.

Tristan > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:37

I had no idea a 3.4 DOHC could make it that far. They’re a pretty peppy little engine. I’d say autocross, track day, rallycross, etc until it dies.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:37

Put the engine where the back seats are.

Takuro Spirit > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:39

Lemons it. NASCAR livery, of course.

and 100 more > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:41

I can’t offer any suggestions about what to do with it, as I’m having difficulty getting over how centered the engine is in the bay.

I’ve only ever seen Hondas that have an FWD layout with an engine that close to the centerline of the car.

Plastic-Innovations > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
11/30/2016 at 18:42

That was my first thought but i dont have the time or money for a roll cage, fire suit, etc. If anybody is local to charlotte nc and wants it for lemons i would cut them a hell of a deal.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:42

Ironically shitty Tokyo Drift replica?

Kinja'd!!!

Plastic-Innovations > Tristan
11/30/2016 at 18:44

Me either, and it runs perfectly. Like showroom perfect. The mind, it boggles

Your boy, BJR > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:46

Lol “just” an alternator.

You gotta drop the subframe to do that in these cars, dude.

Plastic-Innovations > Takuro Spirit
11/30/2016 at 18:47

Just like this:

Kinja'd!!!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:49

You’re only allowed to spend $500...

Takuro Spirit > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:51

YASS

Bonus points for having Rowdy Burns on your team missing a hand.

Call it.. Days of The Walking Dead

BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 18:58

The alternator is a BITCH to get to unless you have a lift. I had a 1994 Cutlass Supreme convertible that had the LQ1. I gave it to my brother with 184k miles on it. The transmission was slipping but the car was solid otherwise.

fhrblig > LongbowMkII
11/30/2016 at 18:59

“Those mountains should turn brown.”

Plastic-Innovations > LongbowMkII
11/30/2016 at 19:03

did these ever come with a 5 spd? i know the lumina z34's did. wonder what all that trans is in and if the local pull a part has one

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 19:05

Did you ever see the Mythbusters where they blew up the cement truck with so much C4 that it became dust?

Do that.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 19:07

Put in alternator sell for 600 bucks. 400 dollar profit. Or fix and drive until the repairs are too costly, i.e. When the trans gives up the ghost. The. Scrap it or sell for parts. That’ll give you back your 200 bucks.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 19:11

Kinja'd!!!

First thing I would do is try to find a set of the Impala SS-style wheels that these came with.

dogisbadob > Plastic-Innovations
11/30/2016 at 19:14

That’s the sporty Monte Carlo with the bucket seats! White cars with white wheels are cool, but too bad that 3.4 DOHC is such a POS!!! (in fact, it’s so bad they eventually replaced it with the 3800 in 1998)

But LeMons is probably the best place for it, as has been already mentioned