I'm going on Monday to look at a '91 Formula 350 and was wondering if there was anything specific I should look for to be wrong. I know the basics like wheel bearings, heater, horn, etc..., but are there specifics with the engine or drivetrain I should be aware of?

 

Nothing specific I can think of...when you test-drive it, make sure the engine sounds healthy, the trans doesn't slip (or grind, manual), the engine runs cool, check mileage and related maintenance, etc...

Have someone wiggle the steering wheel in park while you look at all the steering linkage...and play in the draglink means you need a new one. Try to move steering parts by hand...see how much gunk is around the tie-rod sleeves (alot of gunk=no recent alignment). Check tire tread wear and wear pattern. Brake condition...do they pulsate when you stop? rearend whine, front brake dive, struts, shocks? Fuel pump is a good idea over 150K miles (pain to change!). Coolant condition (rusty color?), battery tray (corrosion), cables, TPI leaks, filters, dirty TB bores, throttle response, etc? Just a few little things to check.

 

I agree with dhirocz, how many miles are on this car? How much is he asking for it? Is it inspected already?

Check for general leaks in, around and under the motor, trans and rear! When you drive it, check for steering play, accessive vibration there (and) in the brakes while stopping. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

It's got 86000 miles on it, looks absolutely perfect, and according to the person selling it, the only thing wrong with the interior is the dash pad is beginning to crack a little bit. The tires look fairly new, and he's put Eibach springs and new shocks/struts on it. He's asking $7000 for it, and according to Kelly Blue Book, it would retail for $7400 in my area.

 

One thing that I always do that I guess a lot of people don't is check for any codes stored in the ECM by hooking a paper clip up to the ALDL box!! Even if the engine doesn't throw a code while driving it, doesn't mean it has never thrown a code! If the battery hasn't been unhooked recently then all codes, if any, that were thrown anytime in the past will still be in the memory!!

 

Here's somethings I would do...

First, tell them not to turn the car on until you get there. That'll let you see how much (if any) smoke it blows out.

Get the VIN number, as well as the casting numbers on the block. Just to see if it's the original engine and what-not. If not, ask why it had to be replaced. Also with the VIN, you could take it to carfax.com if you wanted to be extra-safe.

Look to see if the odometer's been rolled back (sometimes, if they do a bad job, it'll be scratched/chipped).

Visually inspect the underbody of the car to see if you can actually see a bent frame.

If it's got ttops, ask to borrow their garden hose and spray the top of the car down as well as the side windows. This will help determine if there's any leaks.

Make sure it's got the airdam. If it doesn't, chances are the car's been running hot for a while, and that could mess up a lot of engine components.

If there IS a small amount of chipped paint anywhere, see if there's another color of paint beneath it. If it was a bad paint job and starts chipping really bad, that's going to be one ugly car.

In neutral, quickly rev the engine up, see how it does there. Then, slowly bring it up to 5000 rpm's, listening to the sound of the engine as it goes up. Then, hold it at 5000 rpm's for a little while, see if it backfires or makes any other strange noises. (I don't mean hold it there for a minute, just a second or so.)

When driving the car, do the same thing, see if it misses or bogs or whatever.

If the guy will let you, floor it a couple of times while driving to see how the tranny handles high-rpm shifts. The car I bought, if I had it floored it wouldn't shift out of first, it would just stay at about 5000rpm's until I let off on the gas some. Low rpm's worked just fine though.

Check ALL the power accessories, if any. While not really being too important, a broken power window is a PITA if you didn't know about it.

If it has an aftermarket stereo system in it (subwoofers/amps especially) ask if it was wired professionally. If not, after you buy the car (if you do), have it checked by a professional, or, if you know what you're doing, check it yourself. Don't want to burn the car down because of a bad wiring job.


That's all I can think of for now...

------------------
89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

Wabbit,

Ask to see maintenance records;

Take a paper clip and do a code scan;

Look at the transmission pan and differential cover to see if they've been removed recently. This will either be supported by maintenance records or could reveal a recnet repair;

Check the fuel filter - it if looks like it's ten years old, it might be;

Check the condition of the "A" frame bushings and LCA/torque arm bushings. Hard cornering and heavy acceleration will show up here first;

Grab the drag link and try to move it vertically near the idler arm end to check for play;

Look for new engine components and sensors. Clean items on an otherwise dirty engine will stick out like Lind Tripp at a Miss America pageant. Common items would be a water pump, oxygen sensor, EGR, PCV, ignition wires, distributor cap, hoses. Uncommon items would be an exceptionally clean timing cover, oil pan, heads noticably cleaner or a different color thant the block;

Try all the accessories, lights, wipers, rear defog, cruise, locks, windows, all blower speeds, etc.;

Remove the spare tire and jack, and open the rear storage compartment to check for signs of damage repairs. Look at the hood, front corners, inner fenders, and lower radiator support for the same signs;

Take a spark plug socket and remove a couple of the easily accessed plugs to check engine condition;

Listen carefully to the engine on cold startup. You want to hear no valve train or bearing noise from the moment the starter drops off. Start it briefly at first, but don't let it get warm. Shut it off, look around the rest of the car, then start it "cold" again to check for noises;

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"What a Day..."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

Well, I'm going tonight at 7 to take a look at the car. Someone kindly provided me with a Carfax report that shows there's been no odometer rollback, so so far, everything looks good. Wish me luck!

 

Well, I looked at it, and drove it, and everything seems to check out just fine! There's a small oil leak around the valve covers and intake area, but VERY small, and easily fixed. It runs just as good as it looks. Here's a pic of it I took tonight.

http://www.geocities.com/sillywabbit2_99/index.html

 

All the i's are dotted, and the t's are crossed, and I am now the proud new owner of a '91 Firebird Formula 350 with T-Tops!! I love it, and everything is awesome!
Except the bright lights switch is a real pain to activate and deactivate for some reason. It gets stuck or something. And the low beams are really really low. I'm going to replace the headlights though. Right now, I am in a mortal state of nirvana!

 

well i gotta say congrats! im awefully jealous.. hope you have fun with it

------------------

• 83 Z28--ttops, 200k miles--very ragged out. sold, thank goodness
• 74 Z28--slightly modded 383, TH400 tranny, not too quick but fun to drive

 

you dont need to replace the head lights, simply adjsut them, get a screw driver and tighten the top screw a little and it will rasie the head lights up