sharpear

Hello all,

I am looking for a place to buy parts and the names of what they would be called. Further down will explain more detail.

I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I have a 1981 Camero (looks like a muscle car(big front end)) that I am currently working on. I don't really know much about cars, but figure working on this would help me learn every detail. The body frame is in great condition - 1 rust spot on the body (in front before the door had to clean sand out of it). I am actually looking to replace everything in the car as it seems through out this cars life everything was getto rigged when things broke. containers tied up with rope to other wires and such, so much ducktape I feel like its metal rods with ducktape for wires. The car starts up and drives (blows out white smoke from the muffler, guy said it has a blown piston ring). The engine is the lowest V8 (267 or something along that lines).

Currently working on replacing the inside dash. The speedometer does not work. I took the screws out of the dash and removed all the covers, Wires are all crazy like, and I wanted to simplify this with just buying everything new (the full gauge piece with wires that will be plugged into the connectors is first priority). I think this will solve the entire driver inside dash. It has no radio, so don't know if there would be something to replace this piece as well for a more modern radio. The passenger side has the glove compartment cover, but when you open it, it's just a hole to the floor at your feet.

I have already purchased a lot of new replacement parts for the motor because like stated the windshield wiper fluid it stringed onto some other parts; the radiator overflow is broken from being screwed into the chasis. The cyloniod is from a Ford and I purchased the correct one that was originally with the car, etc. Over all I want to replace the entire motor with either a 350 or LT1 engine, but unsure how that will affect the pieces that I have already purchased. The car has a lot of room under the hood so I don't think a bigger motor would affect me having to buy different containers; just moving where they are screwed in.

Any help on my new hobby would be greatly appreciated. I have my little brother who works on Hondas and car maitenance, but would also like other peoples feedback who deal with Chevy cars.

Sharpear@ymail.com < My email
I will post up pictures if anyone wants more details and visuals to help me get this car looking nice again for end of the 2010 summer. When the snow starts it goes into the storage unit where I will be working on things like interior if I don't get enough done in the next couple of months.

If you have pictures of your 81 camero I would like to view them and compare to have an idea for what I will be doing with mine. I have not read through any of the other posts, but will spend more time reading through and seeing what I can find picture wise as well.

Thanks in advance for all your opinions, suggestions, and help

maxxman04

first, welcome to the forum. you'll find alot of info and informative people here who will do their best to help you.

as for your camaro, it sound like you've got quite alot to do. no worries tho, nothing is hard. with patience, the right info and parts, you'll be able to get your car back to top shape and running great.

the speedo not working could be a bad gauge or could be a bad cable. there is a cable running from the transmission to the gauge. over time, this cable can become worn, even break. it's an easy enough job to replace.

as for another motor, that too is not a hard task. a common 350 is an easy swap. 350 motors can be had for cheap, and parts are cheap as well.

i caution against throwing too much money at the current motor, especially if it seems to have bad parts. you stated a white smoke from the exhaust. is this smoke actually white, or a bluish color? both aren't a good thing. thicker, white smoke usually indicates that coolant is getting into where it shouldn't. this could be due to bad head gasket, cracked block, cracked head, bad intake gaskets. if it is more of a bluish smoke, then what you've heard about bad piston rings MAY be true. bluish smoke is oil burning, which could be due to bad rings, valve seals, clogged pcv valve. you may want to try to figure out exactly what is causing the smoke and determine if it's worth trying to fix, or just get that 350 now.
post pics of the car, and if you have any questions about something but not sure what it's called, post pics of that as well, we will help best we can.

good luck, and again, welcome.

camarocrazy76

ok I got a 350 as well an it pours the white smoke like a freight train. How is a good way to tell if you have a cracked block without starting it?