1969 Z/28 RS 124379N603722 GM Corporate Car?

[Oldtimer]

I bought a 1979 Pontiac Grand Am that was a company car from one of the unclassified employees at Van Nuys and got it at a good price.  When I ordered a 1985 Corvette, back in those days, GM employees paid less than it cost a dealer.  Those were the days!

Mark,
Yep those were the days. When I bought the Grand Prix from Livingston Pontiac on Topanga Blvd. all of them were priced to sell. IF I remember, it was 10,998. That WAS over half off of a new one. I do remember the sticker on mine was nearly 26K!!

I bought one of the first edition Turbo Grand Prix's from a dealer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of their lot.  Had 9 miles on the odometer.  If memory serves me right, paid close to sticker, but based on the initial reviews (including an engine that McLaren had breathed on), I had to have one.

Kept it until 2003 or so, had 150K miles on it.  Never touched the engine, but screwed up and put an aftermarket torque converter in it from a sketchy source and paid for it twice.

Really innovative car, with the heads up display and all.

[crossboss]

I bought a 1979 Pontiac Grand Am that was a company car from one of the unclassified employees at Van Nuys and got it at a good price.  When I ordered a 1985 Corvette, back in those days, GM employees paid less than it cost a dealer.  Those were the days!

Mark,
Yep those were the days. When I bought the Grand Prix from Livingston Pontiac on Topanga Blvd. all of them were priced to sell. IF I remember, it was 10,998. That WAS over half off of a new one. I do remember the sticker on mine was nearly 26K!!

I bought one of the first edition Turbo Grand Prix's from a dealer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of their lot.  Had 9 miles on the odometer.  If memory serves me right, paid close to sticker, but based on the initial reviews (including an engine that McLaren had breathed on), I had to have one.

Kept it until 2003 or so, had 150K miles on it.  Never touched the engine, but screwed up and put an aftermarket torque converter in it from a sketchy source and paid for it twice.

Really innovative car, with the heads up display and all.

I agree. Should have never sold it also. Mine was a 1990 model, metallic black, tan (Camel) cloth interior. About 6 months after I bought it, I adjusted the boost control, removed the cat with a 'bypass' convertor pipe, replaced the thermostat with a restrictor ring, and K&N air filter. Boy, did it really wake up! Stone stock it went mid 15s, and after the mods it was 1.2 seconds quicker @ LACR. Launching it on the street from a standstill or hard accelerating out of a turn it was a handful with all the torque steer. People loved it, and always asked "What kinda car IS that?".

[69Z28-RS]

Hey!   you didn't buy a 'bypass pipe' (to eliminate the catalytic converter - that would be illegal!)...

Instead you bought a TEST PIPE....         (so you could make sure your catalytic wasn't plugged up!   
(I had to do that a few times myself!)...

[Oldtimer]

Hey!   you didn't buy a 'bypass pipe' (to eliminate the catalytic converter - that would be illegal!)...

Instead you bought a TEST PIPE....         (so you could make sure your catalytic wasn't plugged up!   
(I had to do that a few times myself!)...

It has been a few years (decades), but my recollection is that I had everything removed and had straight pipes back to the dual exhaust outlets.

Was interesting that it was louder at idle than under acceleration due to the turbocharger.

Had a local shop that would pass it for state inspection, and then I sold it.  Had to refund the buyer something like $600 to make it legal again.

[crossboss]

Hey!   you didn't buy a 'bypass pipe' (to eliminate the catalytic converter - that would be illegal!)...

Instead you bought a TEST PIPE....         (so you could make sure your catalytic wasn't plugged up!   
(I had to do that a few times myself!)...

It has been a few years (decades), but my recollection is that I had everything removed and had straight pipes back to the dual exhaust outlets.

Was interesting that it was louder at idle than under acceleration due to the turbocharger.

Had a local shop that would pass it for state inspection, and then I sold it.  Had to refund the buyer something like $600 to make it legal again.

Well boys,
My bypass pipe, oops sorry 'Test Pipe' was a bolt on deal. So, when I sold the car the cat was re-installed, and all of my mods were also put back to stock. Never failed an emission test, even in California!

[MO]

 Had a local shop that would pass it for state inspection, and then I sold it.  Had to refund the buyer something like $600 to make it legal again.
[/quote]

A friend with a Mustang had a similar issue when he sold it. Nearly cost him as much as he sold the car for to get to pass a smog test. His issue was more than just the exhaust though.

[crossboss]

Had a local shop that would pass it for state inspection, and then I sold it.  Had to refund the buyer something like $600 to make it legal again.

A friend with a Mustang had a similar issue when he sold it. Nearly cost him as much as he sold the car for to get to pass a smog test. His issue was more than just the exhaust though.
[/quote]




Thats insane. 'I' would have sold the car as a non running 'parts car' to avoid any of the smog garbage.

[MO]

Had a local shop that would pass it for state inspection, and then I sold it.  Had to refund the buyer something like $600 to make it legal again.

A friend with a Mustang had a similar issue when he sold it. Nearly cost him as much as he sold the car for to get to pass a smog test. His issue was more than just the exhaust though.

Thats insane. 'I' would have sold the car as a non running 'parts car' to avoid any of the smog garbage.
[/quote]

Unfortunately he sold it and the buyer finding out what it would cost him, came after him threatening legal action. Didn't matter that they agreed that it was sold as-is. My friend asked to void the deal and take the car back, but the guy wouldn't do it. He decided it was better to take the hit rather than fight it. In some states this would not have been an issue, but not CA.

[crossboss]

Had a local shop that would pass it for state inspection, and then I sold it.  Had to refund the buyer something like $600 to make it legal again.

A friend with a Mustang had a similar issue when he sold it. Nearly cost him as much as he sold the car for to get to pass a smog test. His issue was more than just the exhaust though.

Thats insane. 'I' would have sold the car as a non running 'parts car' to avoid any of the smog garbage.

Unfortunately he sold it and the buyer finding out what it would cost him, came after him threatening legal action. Didn't matter that they agreed that it was sold as-is. My friend asked to void the deal and take the car back, but the guy wouldn't do it. He decided it was better to take the hit rather than fight it. In some states this would not have been an issue, but not CA.
[/quote]




Interesting. IF your friend did not commit fraud, and IF the car was registered as 'Non-Op', 'I' would have told the buyer to pound sand. Non Operational registrations in CA. means the car is not running, drivable or qualifies smog on a sale/transfer. How do I know this? I used to live in Ca. and sold cars in that condition without any issues/problems. Remember, full disclosure is the key to success and piece of mind.

[KurtS]

When I ordered a 1985 Corvette, back in those days, GM employees paid less than it cost a dealer.  Those were the days!

A-plan has always been less than the dealer. The dealer gets the holdback, which is how they make a profit.

[MO]

Interesting. IF your friend did not commit fraud, and IF the car was registered as 'Non-Op', 'I' would have told the buyer to pound sand. Non Operational registrations in CA. means the car is not running, drivable or qualifies smog on a sale/transfer. How do I know this? I used to live in Ca. and sold cars in that condition without any issues/problems. Remember, full disclosure is the key to success and piece of mind.
[/quote]

He and the rest of us that knew about it learned a valuable lesson.

[GMAD_Van Nuys]

I bought a 1979 Trans Am with the Pontiac 400 engine from someone who lived in Santa Barbara County, which at the time did not require the bi-annual smog test.  The owner had bought the Trans Am for his son, who had removed the converter and put in a dual exhaust system.  Fortunately, the son had kept the converter and the owner reimbursed me for the cost to buy a replacement exhaust system, which I bought from Sears and was manufactured by Arvin.  I put the Trans Am on ramps and got out my hacksaw and replaced the exhaust system, which fit perfectly.  Years later, I did have to replace the original converter as it got to the point where the Trans Am wasn't going to pass the smog test.

[MO]

I bought a 1979 Trans Am with the Pontiac 400 engine from someone who lived in Santa Barbara County, which at the time did not require the bi-annual smog test.  The owner had bought the Trans Am for his son, who had removed the converter and put in a dual exhaust system.  Fortunately, the son had kept the converter and the owner reimbursed me for the cost to buy a replacement exhaust system, which I bought from Sears and was manufactured by Arvin.  I put the Trans Am on ramps and got out my hacksaw and replaced the exhaust system, which fit perfectly.  Years later, I did have to replace the original converter as it got to the point where the Trans Am wasn't going to pass the smog test.

That was a popular mod back then. I installed a test pipe and a few other parts that I got from the Macho T/A guys on my 79 Formula Firebird. I SO'd the car to get the WS6 package so I could autocross it. Would have bought a Z instead if they had offered that option. When it was time to replace the car I had a heck of a time removing the pipe to reinstall the converter due to rust/corrosion. I didn't want to burden someone else with that. Interestingly enough, it never failed a smog test without the converter.