Ok I am in the near future selling my 'bird. I am interested in a low miles 87-89 GTA to build up. There are a few in my area. But i want to be sure that those cars are as good shape as their owner says. For example one car supposedly only has 46000 miles -its an '89. What kinds of things can I look for to help me determine if those miles are correctand the guy is not trying to con me?

 

just look for signs of wear. check brakes, suspension, interior, exhaust etc. make sure the odometer works by taking it for a test drive. of course just because it works doesnt mean it has always worked. the cluster could have been replaced as well.

pretty much use your own good judgement. if you arent sure still, dont buy it from him.

you could aslo get a history report on the internet. this may be able to help you out too.

 

Just remenber you are buying a 14+ year old car with who knows how many owners. The best thing would be to take a good look how its was maintained over the years and how it looks now. If it looks beat up now it may have had rough use. Check the VIN and RPO's if available and a Carfax report. Just keep looking until you find the right car.

 

take a good look underneath the car especially the floor boards

 

You could do a leakdown test on a couple of the cylinders, and check how the compression is. If there are no RPO's I would think seriously about buying it. I would also do a carfax report just to be safe.