1996 Z26, born in a barn!
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 11:38 pm
So a while back I came across this this Z26.
It needs some serious help. I finally have most of the pieces of what it needs to be put back together. The pictures should speak for themselves.
Doesn't look to bad here. But it gets worse.


Somethings wrong here. I guess they hit something lol. The control arm is wasted, and the axle has wholes in both boots. Knuckle is bent, strut is bent, sway bar is bent, lol. OUCH. Car wouldnt be able to be move without the doughnut on it.

The entire kit is wasted. Some minor front end damage, nothing serious. Need a new hood latch assembly, its bent.





The "new" fender was trash, but it can probably be fixed. The piece of junk welds on the hood hinge bolt let loose. Hard to tell if it happend before or after it got smashed.

There were a few critters living in the unit. lol


Pretty much the only rust on the unit. Unfortunately, it goes all the way through, and the bottom of the rocker is mostly gone. This is going to be my new winter car, but I will probably cut the cancer out and replace. But that will come much later.

Extra parts? lol Its missing some interior stuff, (passenger seat comes to mind) and Im not a fan of the painted crap inside the cockpit.


So far I have the front of the car torn off. I'm kinda stuck now, as it didnt come with a wheel lock key (that ive found so far lol). Also, the car doesn't run atm. I have NO idea how long its been since it was started, but the oil looked good, and the gas tasted ok. (yes I said tasted). I dont hear the pump turn on, so I either need a new pump (they are 300 dollars, I was shocked) or a relay. Haven't tested it yet.
I got a hood, fenders, full Z kit, trunk lid, spoiler, air dam, all the fog lights, fog light harness, headlights, turn signals from a near mint 95 Z at a yard near me for a cool 160 dollars. They have some rock chips and cracked paint here and there, but the rest of the car is no cream puff. A little TLC here and there and Ill have a good runner.
Wish me luck! Hoping to be done before the 20th, I wanna take it to the WI GM Tuners gathering to make my friend Morgan jealous. He wants a white Beretta, and I got this one for free, lol.
Realized I forgot to include WHY it was born in a barn. I got the car for free! I was driving by a house and I saw a beretta sitting in an out building. Went to check it out to see if it was for sale and it was. Apparently it was his sons car, who I guess was in the service and didn't make it home. He was planning on junking it or turning it into a field car, but after talking to him, his son loved the car, and wanted to see it put back together. I towed it home later that day.
It needs some serious help. I finally have most of the pieces of what it needs to be put back together. The pictures should speak for themselves.
Doesn't look to bad here. But it gets worse.


Somethings wrong here. I guess they hit something lol. The control arm is wasted, and the axle has wholes in both boots. Knuckle is bent, strut is bent, sway bar is bent, lol. OUCH. Car wouldnt be able to be move without the doughnut on it.

The entire kit is wasted. Some minor front end damage, nothing serious. Need a new hood latch assembly, its bent.





The "new" fender was trash, but it can probably be fixed. The piece of junk welds on the hood hinge bolt let loose. Hard to tell if it happend before or after it got smashed.

There were a few critters living in the unit. lol


Pretty much the only rust on the unit. Unfortunately, it goes all the way through, and the bottom of the rocker is mostly gone. This is going to be my new winter car, but I will probably cut the cancer out and replace. But that will come much later.

Extra parts? lol Its missing some interior stuff, (passenger seat comes to mind) and Im not a fan of the painted crap inside the cockpit.


So far I have the front of the car torn off. I'm kinda stuck now, as it didnt come with a wheel lock key (that ive found so far lol). Also, the car doesn't run atm. I have NO idea how long its been since it was started, but the oil looked good, and the gas tasted ok. (yes I said tasted). I dont hear the pump turn on, so I either need a new pump (they are 300 dollars, I was shocked) or a relay. Haven't tested it yet.
I got a hood, fenders, full Z kit, trunk lid, spoiler, air dam, all the fog lights, fog light harness, headlights, turn signals from a near mint 95 Z at a yard near me for a cool 160 dollars. They have some rock chips and cracked paint here and there, but the rest of the car is no cream puff. A little TLC here and there and Ill have a good runner.
Wish me luck! Hoping to be done before the 20th, I wanna take it to the WI GM Tuners gathering to make my friend Morgan jealous. He wants a white Beretta, and I got this one for free, lol.
Realized I forgot to include WHY it was born in a barn. I got the car for free! I was driving by a house and I saw a beretta sitting in an out building. Went to check it out to see if it was for sale and it was. Apparently it was his sons car, who I guess was in the service and didn't make it home. He was planning on junking it or turning it into a field car, but after talking to him, his son loved the car, and wanted to see it put back together. I towed it home later that day.