What is an LM7... Assuming 5.3 Truck engine?

 

Spot on. I hear people saying all the time "I'm getting tired of putting money in that old car", then they go out and buy a new one with a $400 a month payment. I want to ask them if they were putting $400 a month into that old car? Bottom line is, people have wandering eyes, and want something new. The money angle is just a convenient excuse, unless you're totally helpless or disinterested on doing any work at all to a car.

 

okfoz...assumed correctly. LM7 was planted into the trucks... '99 into the early '00s. my '99 has this RPO. I am getting around 18mpg w/3.73 ratio.

 

Yup, sorry forgot to specify. And that is if I get it. lol

The tpi set up is reliable and its powerful, but when you have a transplanted engine with every problem in the book and mismatched parts.... well

In my case a swap is inevitable simply because it is easier to put together a newer motor with newer technology and getting it to run correctly. (MYine hasn't run correctly since .....well, since the stock 5.0 was swapped out.

This is why when you look for a car for a daily driver, you have to be aware of modifications, specifically these cars, because that is what has happened to them in the last 20-30 years.
Mine for instance, I regret most of everything that has been done to it except for the BCM from a newer f-body and that was purely to clean up the butchered wiring.
I can trace back every expenditure from when it was brought back to life and I really want to cry when I see how much money was wasted (starting with $500 for a tranny that failed two months later). Excuse the rant, but I find that it is better to share a bad experience than to watch someone go through a similar one.

 

That Trans-Am GTA looks like a great daily driver — it’s rare to see classics that are both usable and fun without needing constant work. Keeping something like that on the road everyday says a lot about how well it’s cared for and how enjoyable it must be to drive. Do you find yourself doing much maintenance yourself, or has it been pretty reliable as is?

 

I have owned and drivin, 2 3rd Gen's as daily drivers over 25 plus years. I did most of the repairs myself until recently. They are great drivers and very reliable. I can no longer work on much as my age and health make that difficult. This will be my last year of ownership. Getting in and out of the car is not easy for me and my wife. I have a few minor things to fix and will sell it later this year. I will miss it, but its time for the next caretaker to take over!

 

Shouldn't be a problem as daily driving was the intended purpose for these vehicles.
Just take the age / milage into consideration with respect to maintenance and the possible breakdown (not unlike a new car).