'86 owners-----please help
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 490
Likes: 0
From: Methuen Ma
'86 owners-----please help
On sunday I'm going to possibly trade in my '84 for a '86. What I was looking for was any thing special on a '86 that I should look for. Any problems with that manufacturing year, or any little quirks out of the ordinary.
Also was wondering if there is any way to visually tell if the car has cast iron heads, or aluminum ones. What was the manufacturing date cut off, and how can I tell in the vin #.
Thanks for your help!!!
This vette is a real beauty :D and I just don't want to over look anything
Also was wondering if there is any way to visually tell if the car has cast iron heads, or aluminum ones. What was the manufacturing date cut off, and how can I tell in the vin #.
Thanks for your help!!!
This vette is a real beauty :D and I just don't want to over look anything
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 51,504
Likes: 6
From: Sacramento CA
Re: '86 owners-----please help (MyC-4)
These are the valve covers for the iron heads.
Aluminum head valve covers will have bolts in the middle of them.
As you can barely see, the bolts on the iron head valve covers are on the outer lip.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 421
Likes: 0
From: Simi Valley CA
Re: '86 owners-----please help (MyC-4)
ABS was standard for the first time on 86s. Make sure you check it over and it works. Mine didn't :( but it does now :)
Other than that, check the usual stuff - look for leaks, make sure it's nice and straight etc.
Other than that, check the usual stuff - look for leaks, make sure it's nice and straight etc.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Columbus oh
Re: '86 owners-----please help (November Soul)
If you might want to add custom wheels you wont find any later model that will fit correctly prior to 88. I also have an 86 and cant find any nice looking wheels that will fit without adapters (which I refuse to use at any cost) The ABS in 86 anyway sucks. I disabled mine completely. About checking the heads, just take a small magnet with you, if it sticks its cast iron.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 5,297
Likes: 0
From: Stamford VT
Re: '86 owners-----please help (black86targa)
Why would you refuse to use the spacers? Have you seen how they are made? You make no sacrifices in terms of strength or safety by using those spacers.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 843
Likes: 2
From: Nashua New Hampshire
Re: '86 owners-----please help (MyC-4)
I once found a web site that listed the VIN# cutoff for iron heads, but can't find it anymore. Easiest way is as said above to look at the valve covers. Center bolts on the valve covers means aluminum heads.
But either are fine. The Al-head engine was rated at 5 more hp (235 vs. 230), but that's not enough to notice. And my cast iron early '86 (with Power Effects exhaust) dyno'd virtually identically to Scorp's Al-head '87 with Flowmasters. With some basic mods, but no major engine work, I'm expecting it to dyno at around 280 hp next month. My car was in poor shape, but I bought it because it was cheap and the engine just seemed rock solid. When I had the valve covers off at 102k, everything looked clean and almost new inside. Don't be afraid of the cast iron car - it's solid and reliable, and 5hp difference can be made up in other ways.
But either are fine. The Al-head engine was rated at 5 more hp (235 vs. 230), but that's not enough to notice. And my cast iron early '86 (with Power Effects exhaust) dyno'd virtually identically to Scorp's Al-head '87 with Flowmasters. With some basic mods, but no major engine work, I'm expecting it to dyno at around 280 hp next month. My car was in poor shape, but I bought it because it was cheap and the engine just seemed rock solid. When I had the valve covers off at 102k, everything looked clean and almost new inside. Don't be afraid of the cast iron car - it's solid and reliable, and 5hp difference can be made up in other ways.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,320
Likes: 4
From: Kyle TX (Because Mojo Made me fill it in)
Re: '86 owners-----please help (gh86E)
If the valve covers are bolted down the center and not along the sides like Smash's pic, they should be aluminum heads. I think everything else is common sense.
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Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Columbus oh
Re: '86 owners-----please help (Jim85IROC)
i would use spacers if i had too, but only with longer new studs. adapter/spacers are out of the question. Just to name a few, I had to use torch to get 2 wheels off my car with adapters (studs spinning) and 2 friends totalled cars after adapters broke, one going down an 100' embankment into trees. They found a rear wheel a couple hundred yards down the road on the other side, a big gash in pavement where rear end drug. still had all the studs with nuts in wheel, car still had most of adapter on the hub. :smash: