Hi all...

I'm about to purchase a 1983 Trans Am with either 76,000 miles, or 176,000....I havn't seen the title, or asked the seller specifically if he knows (i havn't seen him in several weeks).

Anyway...

I was wondering if these cars are fairly reliable, engine-wise?
Anything specific that I could expect to break on me? Anything that is fairly common to go bye-bye? And, if there are a few things to expect, are they cheap to fix?

Ummm...It's got the crossfire injection, if that makes a difference here...

Any other details I need to include, let me know.

TIA

 

The maintenance of the car will be the biggest factor here.

Test drive the car and make sure it shifts fine. Ask when the last tranny filter/fluid change was, this is often overlooked.

Check the oil, and look to see the condition of it.

 

A lot of people hate the cross-fire, but having no experience with it, I can't say either way.

I would expect that if you did have any trouble, that is very possibly where you'll run into it.

The cars are very reliable. I'd do like Mark suggested, and maybe a step further.

When ever I get a new - used car, I always go through it assuming that nothing had ever been maintained.

PCV, Fuel filter, air filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, check condition of coil and battery and brakes.

The only time my 3rd gen has ever broken is because I broke it.

Welcome to the message board. This is a great site!

 

Weren't there LG4s in '83?

 

Who's this directed towards?

I don't know a lot about third gens yet

 

Not you, the previous guy said it had crossfire, I thought there were LG4s available, too but i'm not sure.

 

don't worry too much about the mileage as long as the price is right. just make sure that the owner maintained the car over the years and that there are no major mechanical problems at the time of purchase.

if you purchase the 20year old car in question, i'm suspecting that you're going to be posting on this forum very frequently asking for advice.

if you want a car that all you have to do is put gas in and change the oil once in a while, purchase a late model fourthgen instead.

 

well i had a 1988 iroc-z 5.7 camaro run great even up to the night i rear ended a car racing didnt take much money to get on the road, feedind 350 v8 cost money.

also i had my 1988 formula 350 run great also, and also did not take much money to get on the road, however, couldnt take a 35 mph hit in the rear end from a dead stop


and of coarse the same goes for my newest car, didnt take that much money to get on the road and it has stayed on the road over a year...



so with my experince 350 tpi thirdgens have not been bad to me at all.. very reliable i think.. if taken care of.

 

Yeah they had LG4's in 83 but he doesn't have one so....

 

I totally missed him sayin it was CF. I'm an idiot

 

They are great cars. Of course being taken care of helps.

 

Damn man, talk about "what goes around comes around"... Unless you hit your formula with the camaro, hahaha. That sounds like a simpsons episode I once saw.

 

just look at my sig....i am very happy and impressed with my car, even if it's godawful slow!

 

Put it this way..........if I had to buy one over again, I'd buy several.

The only reason I don't have multiples of 3rd Gen F-bodies is that there is limited room for my family. So I have an 84 Z that is a toy, and I use it when I don't have to take anybody else with me.