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View Full Version : 86 GLHS - Soon to have new owner



jckrieger
06-10-2008, 12:11 AM
So, after waiting for 2 years, a friend of mine from work is selling his 86 GLHS. He bought the car from the original owner with the original Goodyear Gatorbacks on it. He drove the car for a few months and had the shifter rod pop off, so he parked it in the garage where it sat for the last 4 years.

The car is 100% complete, with the exception of the original tires. The paint is rough, and the bottoms of the front doors are rusty. The headliner is junk and the driver's seat bottom is torn a little. The car has no rust on the underside and all the door handles are original. The sheet metal is all straight and original.

I've been searching the forums and it looks like a lot of these cars aren't around, or at least for sale in this condition. How rare of a car is this? I thought 87 CSX's were rare, but I see them for sale all the time complete for $1500. I'm thinking about keeping this as my original car, since it might be worth something in the future since it is a low miles car (30K). What do you guys think? I'm buying it for half the price of his new mountain bike (not as cheap as you might think).

BadAssPerformance
06-10-2008, 12:25 AM
Sounds like a killer deal! What number is it?

Turbodave
06-10-2008, 12:25 AM
Sounds like good one Clark, I would say if you are going to keep one of your cars stock the GLHS would be the smartest one to do it with, they hold their value.

DC Turismo
06-10-2008, 12:28 AM
Definitely keep it stock, and please do post pics. It's always exciting hearing news of a low mileage 86 GLHS come out here on the forum since they were the first official 'S' car produced!

cordes
06-10-2008, 12:30 AM
I would agree. If you can get a GLHS that is all original with low miles for a good price it is a good idea to snap it up. They only made 500 and most were beat pretty hard from what I have heard and read.

jckrieger
06-10-2008, 12:55 AM
Sounds like a killer deal! What number is it?

I didn't write down the number, but I think the dash plaque read #203 or somewhere in there.

As far as pictures go, I'll have wait until I get the car home. There are pictures of the car on the web somewhere, but they're all of the underside showing that it's not rusted out... none really of the car as a whole.

I really didn't expect to buy this car, but I kinda knew the guy wanted me to have the car since he wouldn't list the car for sale, even though it had to go by the end of June. It'll be stored indoors, and probably be another fair weather driver. At this point I won't have a winter beater because I'm planning to be down to my 87 CSX, 86 GLHS, and my nice 91 R/T. I guess it'll be back to driving the V10 around in the winter again.

jckrieger
06-10-2008, 12:56 AM
Is Dave Salamone still around making decal sets? I plan on repainting the car this year, but I'd really like to get a decal set since the car just isn't the same without the stickers!

DC Turismo
06-10-2008, 01:03 AM
Yep, he's still doing decal sets:
www.unleashedbyshelby.com

WickedShelby88
06-10-2008, 01:17 AM
You can't hardly find any kind of collector car for that money from the way it sounds let alone a numbered car. IMO the S cars will only appreciate hence why I'm kinda looking to get one myself. I think I will be selling the lancer in the not too distant future.

Marcus86GLHS
06-10-2008, 04:26 AM
"........He drove the car for a few months and had the shifter rod pop off, so he parked it in the garage where it sat for the last 4 years. ............"


well that guy sure gives up easily (thats like a 1 minute $5 repair) but good fortune for you. rust w/ only 30k original miles is sorta unusual but i guess the Illinois winters are tough on metal.

Those Positive Impressions 86S decal sets are great and a very good idea to re-appy them, so the car doesnt have any original decals? i wonder why. maybe prior owners just didnt like the looks so scraped them off?

one quick thing to do before you grab it: pull off the airbox and look at the 6-digit number stamped on the drivers-side of the engine block, just below the head gasket line, and compare it to the VIN's last 6 digits to be sure it is the original block.

jckrieger
06-10-2008, 11:18 AM
Pics are below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/utess.courtney/DodgeOmniGLHS4508928AM?authkey=Ncmih1vWO-Y

As far as rust goes, around here everything falls apart. I had an 88 Dodge Shadow that was completely rusted out with only 23K on the car (and it was definitely a 23K car).

The car has all its original decals, but it needs repainted in a bad way. The car sat outside the first many years of its life, so the body has been baked. The car also has some goofy white decals/stripes on the bottoms of the doors and lower part of the car. The original owner said the white vinyl was installed at the dealer when the car was purchased. The car number from the pictures is #207.

omni_840
06-10-2008, 01:03 PM
Congrats on your new ride! I really want one of those

jckrieger
06-10-2008, 03:25 PM
Congrats on your new ride! I really want one of those

I've wanted one of these for a long time as well. My first L body was a 79 Omni with a 4sp and the VW motor. I'm hoping the GLHS is a bit more fun to drive... :)

WickedShelby88
06-10-2008, 04:05 PM
I'd still like to have one with the old vw engine and a 4 speed in the 024 variety. They weren't race cars but they were fun and got great gas mileage.

jckrieger
06-10-2008, 06:48 PM
I'd still like to have one with the old vw engine and a 4 speed in the 024 variety. They weren't race cars but they were fun and got great gas mileage.

I agree, and the 2 door L body styling is priceless. The 4 door just doesn't have the same appeal to me.

black86glhs
06-11-2008, 02:19 AM
Hey, that looks similar to mine....except a lot lower miles.:thumb:
I'm lucky like you, mine isn't rotten underneath either. The pic of the drivers rear wheel well opening looks just like mine. Nice find.

jckrieger
06-11-2008, 05:47 PM
Hey, that looks similar to mine....except a lot lower miles.:thumb:
I'm lucky like you, mine isn't rotten underneath either. The pic of the drivers rear wheel well opening looks just like mine. Nice find.

There definitely aren't too many L bodies around that still have floors in this area. Hell, my G bodies and P bodies were all rusted beyond repair. I think the only way to keep the cars alive is to park them in the winter.

How many 86 GLHS's out there have nice, clean original paint? I'm betting the number is less than 50.

turbokid
06-11-2008, 07:18 PM
I am sure! THese cars are getting rarer. I know of 3 people who have parted out 87's in the last month and 86's never got any love being an omni so I am sure there are very VERY few left!

jckrieger
06-21-2008, 07:03 PM
The car is home and in the shed...

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210051.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210048.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210047.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210046.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210045.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210043.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210042.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210041.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210052.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa44/jckrieger/86%20GLHS%20207/P6210040.jpg

Note the shifter rod... this is the reason the car was parked for the last 4 years. Any idea if there is a replacement bushing available for this?

Marcus86GLHS
06-22-2008, 05:30 AM
great pix and congrats. that engine bay is a time capsule. whats your plan for this car?

call your local dodge dealer on that broken part first, he may be able to locate one in national stock. i'd replace all the rod joints, or better yet, convert these to heim joints.

can you post a pix of the negative battery cable for me? i want to see if it has the yellow tag still taped to it. thanx.

jckrieger
06-25-2008, 04:55 PM
Marcus,

I looked at the negative battery cable and it appears the yellow tag is gone. I saw what tag you're talking about on the just-for-sale 20K mile GLHS on this site. Sadly, it appears my car isn't 100% :(. Oh well, I'm not sure if missing that sticker will make the car not worth restoring.

I plan on collecting parts for the car, such as a spare rod shifter setup so I can do the heim joint conversion, along with a good paint job and interior repair. I would like to reupolster the front seats and headliner, and possibly replace some of the foam in the front seats since these have some sun damage. I have some low miles 82 Omni seats, so I might be able to steal the foam from those and make a good solid seat.

I'm not sure when I'll have time to work on the car, but I'm hoping it will be soon. My CSX-T needs to go away, so if it doesn't sell in the next month I'm going to list it locally as a commuter car. I really need to focus on the cars I have, and I'd like to make this 86 a head-turner. I think the GLHS should be a fun car when it is restored, as it should grab a little more attention than my 91 R/T.

-Clark

jckrieger
07-23-2008, 10:09 PM
Just wanted to provide an update. I purchased a new shifter rod (the one that's still available for $15) and installed that, along with a 10mm rod end to replace the ball joint on the shifter that now sells for $37. I charged the battery and the car started right up... for the first time in 4 years. I'm going to pump the gas out, refill the tank, tweak the shifter adjustment, and see if it makes it to work tomorrow.

BadAssPerformance
07-24-2008, 12:57 AM
Kickass! :thumb:

WickedShelby88
07-24-2008, 01:15 AM
Its always nice when they fire right up.

cordes
07-24-2008, 03:02 PM
That's great. Make sure to keep us up to date on the progress.

jckrieger
07-24-2008, 07:39 PM
Well, I drove the car to work today, and took some people for a ride during lunch. Even with 3 people in the car, the thing is still fast and handles great! After the test drive we came up with the following work that needs to be done:
1. Fix/Remove headliner
2. Fix headlight (adjusting screw came out of place, headlight fell out of position during test drive)
3. Stop surface rust/clear coat existing rust to retain the car's beauty
4. Make exhaust louder
5. Paint

I'm not sure about clearcoating the rust, but I definitely plan on removing the old vinyl stickers, primering the panels, and eventually painting the body. I do have to say the car runs smooth, has good power, and the transmission/shifter are GREAT. I know the A525 is a ticking time bomb, but I'm no longer against the rod shifter anymore. I'll take some pics after it's slightly less hideous.

BadAssPerformance
07-25-2008, 12:27 AM
Sounds like a good test drive Clark! :thumb:

black86glhs
07-25-2008, 12:38 AM
Well, I drove the car to work today, and took some people for a ride during lunch. Even with 3 people in the car, the thing is still fast and handles great! After the test drive we came up with the following work that needs to be done:
1. Fix/Remove headliner
2. Fix headlight (adjusting screw came out of place, headlight fell out of position during test drive)
3. Stop surface rust/clear coat existing rust to retain the car's beauty
4. Make exhaust louder
5. Paint

I'm not sure about clearcoating the rust, but I definitely plan on removing the old vinyl stickers, primering the panels, and eventually painting the body. I do have to say the car runs smooth, has good power, and the transmission/shifter are GREAT. I know the A525 is a ticking time bomb, but I'm no longer against the rod shifter anymore. I'll take some pics after it's slightly less hideous.
Stop it Clark, your making me jealous!
Hoping that I'll be able to drive mine soon. Glad to hear it wasn't as much of a basket case as mine.:D

jckrieger
07-25-2008, 01:10 AM
This car really turned out to be a strange one. It looks like it has 200K+ miles on it, but it definitely drives like a 30K original mile car. I just can't imagine how somebody would let a car with such few miles get beat to death in the sun!

black86glhs
07-25-2008, 01:13 AM
My car has 170K+ and looks like it.

BadAssPerformance
07-25-2008, 01:17 AM
Thats kinda crazy for sure... Meisner just picked up that similar mileage/condition '87 S down by him.

WickedShelby88
07-28-2008, 02:35 PM
This car really turned out to be a strange one. It looks like it has 200K+ miles on it, but it definitely drives like a 30K original mile car. I just can't imagine how somebody would let a car with such few miles get beat to death in the sun!

My former employer in Indiana bought an ultra low mile buick T-type back in the 80's when it was very very nice. It got drove daily for a little while but only during nice weather than when he got tired of fixing it this 33k original car got parked in the back yard. It literally sunk down in the mud and the underside became a pit of surface rust. The paint was baked and cracked and faded. The interior was so sun beat the fabric would crumble in your fingers. Yes this car that was purchased for over 10k then(wow) sat to rot and I think sold for 2500 if not even that much a year or so ago. Trust me a lot of people out there have no idea how being a do do bird in terms of their car care can make them lose their A-- even more when they try to sell it as well as waste something they just had to have then... We are just foolish by nature I guess. but not all of us ;)