1984 Parisienne (no wood), 305 EFI engine, $1200, Lima Ohio

There is a non-wood Parisienne wagon close to me for $1200 but it has a 305 TBI engine instead. Thinking that might work especially if I can get him down to 800-900 range.

How difficult is it to replace the fuel tank in one of these? They don't reproduce them for wagons IIRC, just sedans. Would a newer 91-96 tank work or does it have to be 77-90? Would a radiator shop be able to reseal it somehow?

I'm also wondering how he got an electric fuel pump working.

Only one picture, it's not gorgeous but it does look straight and at least not rusted completely out on the left side.

http://limaohio.craigslist.org/cto/5063140523.html

 

Are those pidgen droppings all over the wagon? The body is not bad. He didn't say what the mileage is now. $1000 may be fair if it runs and handles decent.
Depends on the tank leak whether it can be repaired. I used fibreglas cloth and resin on top of a 1975 Mustang tank and it worked.

 

I'm getting close to crunch time as far as getting a vehicle. This one is a little far (about an hour and a half from Columbus) but it's the best 77-90 B-body wagon I've seen for sale within Ohio in the past couple of months. I'm sure I missed some somewhere. But other than a 91+ Roadmaster (I have three bookmarked...see below) this may be the one. I'm sure my wife would much rather I get something less "me" like one of these three Roadmasters:

1991 Roadmaster, maroon&wood/maroon, $850


1992 Roadmaster, white&wood/blue, $1000


1991 Roadmaster, white&wood/tan, $1500


Then again for short money I can get an LT1 Caprice instead...but it's up in Cleveland...

1994 Caprice, green&wood/tan, $911


Or there is this wood-free Custom Cruiser down by Cincinnati, but it's $1500 like the one nice Roadmaster and the owner can't be bothered to get out of his car to take a picture of it...

1992 Custom Cruiser, white, no wood, $1500


And then there is the opposite end of the spectrum, a very rough looking but still running and cheap Pontiac

1979 Pontiac Safari, blue&wood/blue, $600


Most of the cars I've bookmarked (not the ones above) are late 90s-early 00s Centurys, Sables/Tauruses, Impalas, and other such generic midsize sedans. They're under a grand, they'll get 20-25mpg, and they'll seat 5 or 6 people. They have no soul, though...

A soul of a car, how life-like it is to me, is a tough thing to explain to a wife-like person. But she tries to understand. Maybe wagon time isn't upon me yet. Maybe I need to suffer through a few more non wagons before the right one comes along. Or maybe I'll find it next week when it's time to hand someone cash and drive home in something.

 

That 103,000 mile Road smasher looks like a decent car, been for sale a month, I believe he would be open to offers. Just my

 

"Has remote start" is code for "sector gear\ignition cylinder broke and I wired up a push button rather than fix it right"

 

I'd be flipping cart wheels if my 87 had a 305 TBI compared to the slug 307, witch this car you posted most likely had.

As for the gas tank, the swap isn't really that big of a deal, my only suggestion would be to )no matter what) bring the old straps to a sheet metal shop and have new ones made from 16 gage....but the condition of the tank repairable or not is another story until you remove the old one..........

Good luck with what you decide on wagon wise

 

Thanks, luck is one of the criteria for getting this right this time. At least I don't have to rush it. Got fired from the day job so I have my weekdays free.

Anyway, the seller claims it has an EFI 305 engine and transmission from a Camaro, and the 307 was never offered in a Camaro (nor with fuel injection). I'm assuming he means a TBI one and not a TPI or LT1 or some sort. That would be even sweeter of course.

I actually like the 307 paired with the 200-4R. It just suits the wagons since it's all I'm used to with them. The '78 Impala wagon I had close to 20 years ago was a 305 two barrel with a TH350. It moved nice but I think that's because it had no AC and was a barebones base model.

 

Ummmm,,,,welllll,,,,uhhhhhhh,,,,NO! It moved well because it had a 305 rather than a 307. My mid size 82 Olds has the 305, and althoung a smaller car I KNOW if I swapped engines my big Buick would do circles around the smaller with the 307. Don't get me wrong though, the 307 in my 87 has been a very reliable trust worthy engine....just slower.


All in fun, but yeah I'm serious

 

Sometime around five or six years ago we swapped the sick 307 another owner used from my 55 Chevy wagon to a low mileage 305 and Edelbrock carb. Also used the better Camaro heads.
Also swapped out the Powerglide for a 200R4. Much better engine, better response, and decent fuel economy.
I'd still rather have the 350 and BW 4-speed it had when I sold the wagon once. At that time it had a dual point distributor which the new owner removed for some stupid reason. When he replaced it he failed to drop it fully in. Most GM small blocks don't last long without an oil pump!

The moral of this story is don't get rid of your favorite toys. Someone will mess them up.

A 307 is a decent engine when built right. It's a 283 with a 327 crank built for torque and fuel economy. It's a grocery getter if you are in no hurry to shop.