I checked out an 84 z28 yesterday and it seemed to be in great condition for its age. it has 96k original miles, little spots of rust on the edge of body parts in a few places, but other than that its mint. the interior is a 9/10 also. the asking price is 3500obo, what do you guys think its worth? and when I go to look it over again, what things should I be looking for? thanks!

 

Its hard to say what its worth without actually being able to see it. Its pretty hard to find one with only 96k miles on it so I would say its worth what he is asking as long as it does not have any major problems.

Take a look at the underside and make sure there is no heavy rust. Also check the bottoms of the door for rust. If there is a fair amount of rust on the bottom of the car and doors, it was probably driven in the winter, which is never a good thing.

When you test drive it, check if it will go down the road strait and if its suspension is still stiff and that it drives right. If it has t-tops, you want to make sure they do not leak. Poor some water on them if you have to. If they do leak, you are looking at about $300 for a new set of seals and possible damage to the interior of the car such as discoloring and floor pan rusting.

A lot of these cars have problems with the hatch pull down and lift hydraulics on the rear hatch. Check all that out and figure out how much it will cost you to repair it all and see where your budget is. If the car is in good shape and you can afford to fix the small things that it will almost certainly need, I would say go for it.

 

Rust and bent frame damage...

 

Okay you've told us of the rust you can see, what about what you can't? These cars like to corrode under the ground effects and in the fender lips. I know there's no easy way of seeing it but if you mentioned there is rust spots on the edges of body panels, I'd be concerned.

 

If the car is available, request to take it to a mechanic of your choice for a quick going over (walk away if he refuses). Even if a quick inspection cost a few $$$, it could save huge $$$ down the road. Maybe get it up on a hoist. Inspect the exhaust, body and frame for corrosion and repairs, the front end suspension and steering components, around the fuel tank, brakes, any leaks, etc.
Possibly do a compression or leak-down test on the engine. Does it smoke when started? Does it keep smoking? What colour is the smoke?
How's the tranny. If standard does it shift well to all gears (including reverse)? How does the clutch feel? Does to engage near the top of the pedal stroke? May be worn. If it's an auto, again does it shift OK to all gears (including reverse)? How does the tranny oil look and smell? Is it red with an oily smell or is it brown and burnt smelling (not good)?
Try all the lights, HVAC system, horn, wipers, gauges, etc, to see that they all work.

Also inspect . . .
- Do the doors line-up with the body and do they close nicely? If not could be 2 possibilites, the hinges/bushings are worn (most likely) and/or the body has flexed or twisted slightly. Possibly due to abusive driving, F-body's are not known for their stiffeness.
- Look for cracks in the lower rear corner of the door frame. Also a sign of severe body flexing and twisting.
- Power door locks and windows tend to get "tired" and wear out. Check if they still work.
- Check all the weatherstripping for cracks and tears. They can become very weathered and worn out if not taken care of. This results in leaks and wind noise. If they are in rough shape look for any areas where water may have entered the interior. Possible rust and corrosion under the trim and carpet.

These are just a few things off the top of my head. Good luck.