I love my car, it has 120,000 miles on it and runs awsome, for 2 years its always started on 2 cranks and very few minor easy fix problems. But as we all know these v-8 3rd gens eventually will stop preforming as they should(as does any car). I do all the regular things like change oil at 3,000 mi., and keep the engine running at a decent temp. and i take care of it in general, what I was wondering, are there any good products or tips out there that would keep my f-body running strong for a good while longer cuz i sure do love the car. Thanks in advance!

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1987 Trans Am
5.0L TPI
Automatic, all pwr. op
Digital Dash
Flowmaster Muffler
gutted cat
removed MAF screens
TransGo Shift Kit

 

Keep it clean, regular full tune-ups, non-crappy gas, and maybe some quiet spoken romantic poems affirming your undieing love for her. Then take her on a long highway drive to your favorite alone spot to watch the stars, and then fall asleep with your body caressing her gentle curves...

Ok, well maybe you can leave out that last part, but I think you get the point. :-D
Sounds like you're already doing a big part of prolonging already.

[This message has been edited by Xenodrgn (edited April 23, 2001).]

 

87,

If you're really in to the preservation thing, synthetic oils are a very good start. While nothing will prevent wear completely, synthetics will reduce it to a near-zero point. This is true for more than just the engine oil, but that's a good start. Change regularly, and don't stretch the intervals. I use synthetics and still change at 3,000 miles. Use a quality oil filter - it's hard to miss with an AC Duragard.

Use clean fuel and keep a clean fuel filter. Keep a clean air filter, since most abrasive partices in an engine come through the intake. Change to a non-silicate formula coolant, like Dex-Cool to prevent corrosion and contamination in critical cooling areas. Maintain the cooling system. Replace belts and hoses before thay have failed. Change the trans and axle oils at recommended intervals. Service the wheel bearings. Grease the chassis (synthetic again). These items are most frequently overlooked, and can make the difference between a tub and a gem.
Allow the engine to warm up before you load it - keep it idling and out of gear until the coolant has started to warm up. MEVER accelerate hard with a cold engine/transmission. To me, the entire driveline is not warm enough until the car has been driven moderately for several miles at 45 MPH or less. This allows the transmission to warm up, the pistons to grow and seal, the oil to heat enough to flow as needed, the wheel bearings and differential to get warm and wet, the con rods and wrist pins to tighten on their bearings, and the valve train to get at a stable operating temperature so that dimensions are correct. Most engine wear occurs when teh engine is cold, adn wear is increased exponentially if the engine is heavily loaded when cold.

But once it's warmed up, kiss those rear treads good-bye. Don't be afraid to use the car in a way that was intended, but at the right time.

Repair the little problems before they become big ones, and you can have a good-running car when you're ready to replace it.

And if that doesn't work for you, you could try the "romance" angle as Xeno has suggested. It works for some things....

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Later,
Vader
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"What a Day..."
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