well heres the add for the car:

1991 Camaro Z-28 brite red, 5 speed V-8,91,000 miles,
runs and looks great! MINT Black interior,car is solid and straight,
clear title. Tons of performance upgrades,
Factory fit Hooker Headers,Pro 5.0 shifter,full 3 inch Flowmaster exhaust,
SLP runners,Bigger Cam,1.6 Roller Rockers,MSD ignition,BMR strut tower brace, Global West steering brace,Ram Air kit,K&N filters,Auburn 3.73 Posi,KYB struts,and more etc.Clean Title in hand..$4700. B.O.

i just need to know what i need to check out. feel free to point out as many things as you can. feel free to say obvious things like MAKE SURE THERE IS NO COOLANT IN THE OIL! assume i'm an idiot and no nothing (which is a half truth )

i'm 17, and dishing out this much cash, i do NOT want to get ****ed over! (not that i don't trust the guy, he seems real cool, but i need to cover my own *** here!)

so say whatever you can think of! thanks a bunch.

-Ian

 

Hi, im a gm tech, and when i went looking for my first f body, i found that everybody had modified these cars to make a race car, Too bad none of these people knew a damned thing about building a car, but to buy lots and lots of high dollar parts to make it go fast,

so then you have (1 car) (1 Idiot) (lots of incorrectly installed parts to go fast) this can very easly add up to you having to repair/redo and spend alot more then you exspected to just to keep it on the road,

BEST BEST advise!! bring a friend who is knowledgeable, this will help in determining about car, and will help from someone seeing your inexperance and trying to take advantage,

also, do your self a big faver, test drive meny before buying, this will also help you understand what the quality differences are in the same model of car, If you dont, you WILL kick your self later,

I got lucky and found a gem, after MUCH looking, good luck!!!

 

Look for hacked wiring, especially behind the radio. Make sure there is no coolant in the oil ( ). Check the exhaust to see if there is a catalytic convertor or not. You may need one, depending on where you live. Check the tires, both tread depth and air pressure (bring a penny and gauge. If Lincoln's hair shows above the tread, you need new tire there) Check the brake pads and hoses (disc brakes... drum shoes wear out a lot slower than the pads and are harder to inspect). Test drive the car and notice the CEL, brake pedal sponginess, response to throttle input, whether it stalls when braking or acclerating, etc. Turn the radio on and make sure all channels come through clearly as possible. With all of those performance mods, DO NOT ASSUME THE TITLE IS CLEAN!!! Get a report from carfax.com or somewhere before you buy. That car could be half bondo and not look it....

 

Actually, one of the BEST things you can do is take it to a shop! Assuming you have one you use/like/trust, let them do the "$50 inspection" Tell them you are thinking of buying the car, and you need to know it's condition. They'll get it up on a lift, check out all the basics and safety stuff. Getting it up in the air is important, they can check frame, tranny, fluid leaks, look for signs of accidents etc. Most shops can do a 'tailpipe' test that will tell them how the engine is running. And trust me, if you are in an emissions state, that can save you a bunch of $$$! Also sign up for the service at carfax to check the car history and title like Maverick says. At 100,000 miles and for $5,000, that car better be pretty darn pristine!

 

i already ran a carfax. came out very clean, no frauds or anything anywhere. i'll probably be getting it for 4000-4400 depending on what i can work out, and how it looks in person and stuff.

i can't bring it to a shop because its 3.5 hours away. i live in mass, he's in maine. i wish i could though

if theres a shop up there, i'll see if they will run a quick inspection. i'm really excited to be getting this car! i've wanted an f-body really bad for about 2 years now it just needs to be perfect, because after this I will have NO money, and my parents won't give me money to fix it if anything breaks. i'm going to work 6 days a week just so i can drive this thing on sundays

 

I'm with superv... (granted, check this one out, it might be done right, who knows).. The best thing to do is to find an as-close-to-stock f-body as you can... They'll be cheaper, and things won't be effed up/installed wrong, etc.. This was one thing that I loved about my GTA... While it had 145K and a rod knock, it was a perfect candidate for my drivetrain swap because everything was stock.. Its nice to have a trusty baseline to start with.. My red bird that I used to have started life as a v6 and while there weren't any "performance" items per-say when I bought it, you could tell that quite a few idiots had "massaged" certain areas of the car--very frustrating to have to fix it before you fix it up! Anyway, I'm ranting too much, my advice would be to make sure it doesn't look tampered with and to make sure that what performance mods you see are cleanly/well installed..

 

i also need general car checking info...

like nobody has said i should jack the car up and grab the tire and see if it wiggles, or things like that

 

i wouldnt spend ALL my money if i were u....especially if u dont take it somewhere and have it inspected...cuz its possible that u might run into a problem after u've bought the car. if theres any little flaws in the paint or anything like that, say something to the guy thats sellin the car....he'll probably lower the price. cash talks very loud sometimes. the guy i got my car from wanted 2500...i talked him down to 2000, now that i've had the car a year, i should have said 1500 or forget it.

 

Oh.. Ok... Well, I would definately jack it up to look underneath it (make sure to use jack stands because you will need it will supported to check things)... Wiggle the tires to check for slack/play in the steering components.. Check the struts/shocks for signs of leakage, etc.. Check for oil leaks underneath... Inspect the front air dam and front plastics underneath to make sure he hasn't been offroading ( ).. What else... If you have time, bring a 3/8" ratchet with an extension and check the rear diff oil and also check for leaks at the pinion and elsewhere on the rear end... I might pop the master cylinder cap and take a look at the brake fluid (can usually give you an indication of how neglected the brakes are)...

One other thing.. You should inquire as to whether he has had a custom prom made for the car, as the changes you listed would require it for it to run properly (granted it might run, but probably not right)... Inquire about the cylinder heads, whether they're factory or not (and more indepth whether the stock springs were changed out when the cam was installed.. I hope so!).. Get the camshaft specs from the guy and make sure you know what you are getting (remember to add the increased lift of those 1.6 ratio rockers)..

Someone jump in if I've missed some things (which I'm sure I have)...

EDIT: Oh yeah, pull a spark plug and take a look at it...

 

alright...i'll see what i can do. i really have no mechanical experience since this is my first real car (i've been driving my sisters grand am since she went to college).

so i'll grab my dads floor jack, a 3/8's ratchet, and i need a special socket to get the plug out right? what size?

i have like 0 tools at my house...and i'll have to borrow a friends jack stands, so this is gonna be a pain in the ***

 

There are a couple basic areas to consider about cars. Get a clip board and have your list divided into these few sections with as many sub-questions within each division as you can think of.

• Basic Appearance

exterior/interior
Things like seat condition, dash cracks, steering wheel deterioration, safety belts, carpeting, etc. Things like window weather stripping, T-top weather stripping, dents in the metal, flaking of paint, loose mirrors...

• Basic Mechanical

Engine runs fine, smoke, ping, start up... was the engine warmed up before you got there (can hide a cold start problem), transmission shifts fine or not at normal and WOT driving, rear end make noise, any clunks or unusual noises when driving. Leaky shocks are bad, so look for those. Break pads with 1/4" minimum of material left, huge gouges in the rotors... Rear end differential leaks... Oil in the coolant Leaks from the axle end seals...

If you take a clipboard with things written down on it and leave space to take notes, you will remember a lot more of what we tell you here and not drive away with a P.O.S. as easily. Ask the questions to the owner as you're going down your list... This is a psychological game that puts you in control of the conversation. People tell more information to others who look like they know what they are doing. It's also been proven that you can command authority by outdressing the seller (or buyer if you are the seller) and make things go your way easier that way too. Don't get in a hurry and rush through it. Take a few minutes and go to a burger joint and think it over with a burger after test driving the car. There's nothing worse than hastily buying a P.O.S. and not knowing it until later.

 

with your level of experience, you are asking for trouble when you buy on the 'honor system' and don't have a shop OF YOUR CHOICE check out the car.

A pro shop has the tools and techniques to find all sorts of stuff that you wouldn't find.

If I could re-wind my life, I wouldn't have put so much money and effort into cars when I was 17. I know the feeling and I know noone can talk you out of it, but working a boring job to drive a car 1 day per week isn't a great way to spend your youth. If you've managed to save $5k already, just keep about half, buy something cheap and reliable then learn as much as possible here at TGO and get yourself a thirdgen in a couple of years when you have money to burn.

While this man my have done a nice job with his mods, the car isn't necessarily worth any more money unless you happen to want those particular mods....and where are the original parts?


I drive the car in my profile every day, It's the only car that I've had absolutly no tickets in....not even pulled over or looked at suspisciously by the police since 1/2002...that's a record for me. If I keep it up, I will have consecutive 3 years with no violations comming this december. Ask anyone here, that's enough savings to buy a thirdgen. I've layed down some interstate highway with all of the fines I've paid. I still miss my T/A, but this car has helped me chill out on the road and not really give a crap how fast I'm going.


If it's in exellent condition, then that price isn't unreasonable. I bought my T/A for $2600 and I put way more than that into over the years for repairs and mods.

talk him down as much as possible ofcourse, save the cash for:

a multimeter $30
craftsmen mechanic's tool set $175-$250
toolbox(es) $100+
3 ton jack and stands...$100+
additional odds and ends...as needed $100+
haynes and chiltons $30, GM service manual...probably $80-$90

if you're the slightest bit mechanically inclined, there is not alot you can't do without those things. Those items will pay for themselfs over and over too.

 

i've had my liscense about a year, and i've been driving every day i've had my liscense. i drive a grand am gt right no.

0 ticket, 0 crashes.

i'm going to be working 6 days a week this summer anyways...but doing landscaping means i'll be home by 4 everyday. so i can still have some fun.

i can't think of anything i'd rather spend as much money on. i love cars...and i know a decent ammount about chevies. i spend a LOT of time browsing through forums and articles on the interent and learning a lot. I also have a few chevy small black books (i just finished one today actually).

i just don't have any actual hands on experience yet...i am not interested enough in my grand am to rip it apart

 

If you do get that car, I'd be careful with it..thats gonna be alot of car for your first one. My first car was a 1970 camaro and of course I wrecked it horsing around with friends and then got a 1972 SS camaro and wrecked it too horsing around...its this car now that im in my later years that I take care of...im a late bloomer.......take someone with you that knows cars and let them look it over too. Its better to have people there looking thing over than just yourself....your just gonna be mezmerized by the car as if your not already...I am!....LOL...good luck!

 

Use Yahoo or something like that to find a shop near him , and make some calls! Trust me... I bought a car on the "honour system" and one of the rear brake calipers seized on the way home... I thought the engine was on fire so I pulled over and shut it off, only to find out that the car had a dead battery (why it started in the first place? I dunno) and I had to have it towed and hour and a half to my house.

Still driving... er... own it to this day!

 

not really my first car. i've had a 97 grand am gt for about a year now...i just something with a little more ***** now

i already checked it out on saturday, and decided i wouldn't pay that much, and went home to think about it. of course, that was a 7 hour trip...but i did learn that i could resist from just buying it on the spot.

i might be able to get it for 3500, i think thats a reasonable price.
it was definately fast, it ripped the tires loose in 2nd gear...and it pulled DAMN hard in 4th.



heres some stuff i noticed:

the gas is sensitive as hell! i'd touch it and it would go to 1500...this made launching it a bitch for me because i never drive stick...it was like a choice between stalling or roasting the tires.

there was a small ammount of rust on the car. a small spot (smaller than a penny i think) right next to the gas cap. a small ammount in a few of the fender wells (probably about the size of a quarter), and a small spot under the car behind the front right wheel (near the exhaust pipe). the paint was also coming off the rear window around the lining of it. one louvre needs paint, and the rear wing needs paint, and the bumpers are losing the clearcoat. i figure it will cost around 500 to have this stuff all repainted (i can get a good deal).

there was a small crack in the dash on the very left corner...otherwise the interior was pefect.

flowmasters sound like *** inside the car.

on decel in 3rd, it made a very strong vibration and it was pretty loud (he went into high rpms and just let it wind down). he said this was because there was a wire tied to the exhaust to keep it from vibrating, but the wire is attached right under the passenger seat so it vibrates bad sometimes. i have heard this could be third gear on the t-5 as it is notorious for ****ing up.

lets see...the frame rails where you put the jack were bent up really bad (i've heard this is common).

it shook on a hard turn at about 5 mph in a parking lot, doing circles it shook (i've heard this is usual too).

so do you think it will be worth 3500? it will cost me a grand total of around 4000, and the exterior and interior will be nearly perfect.

 

I think the guy has a post on the exhaust forum....

That shaking stuff is not normal.....honestly man! I wouldnt get a car that someone has already modded..cause you damn well know that the car was beaten on.....but your young and fast cars and great!

Just find a nice stock IROC and fix it up the way you want it and then you'll know what has been done with it and know that it has been beaten on by nobdy but you!....

good luck!