Hi everyone. This is my first post and I wasn't really sure where to put this, but it has some general engine questions so...

I'm looking for a new car under $2k and have stumbled across many third generation Camaro's in this price range while surfing the web (cars.com, autotrader, ebay, vehix). I've decided that a Camaro is the right car for me because not only do I have something to get me around (finally!) but one that gets me around in style and one that is an American icon.

Some basic questions I have before purschasing one:

1) Are there any years/models I should avoid?

2) What are some of the major problems these cars run into with 15+ years of age and how expensive can it get? Will a pre-purchase inspection be able to root out or give a good warning to any of these potential problems?

3) How many miles is "too many" barring a new engine/tranny?

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll have a few more but for now I'll just be combing the forums and learning what I can. Thanks for any and all replies!

-Matt

 

for the most part you wanna check it out just as you would any other normal car. But there are a few things you can note before you make your purchase. Look closely at the odometer and see what it reads if it reads something small it more then likely has rolled over 100k (looking at the foot pedals will show signs as well) T-top cars usually tend to be in worser shape then their hardtop counterparts (the T-tops usually like) but it's hard to not like the oppurtunity for top off summertime cruisin. Also you want to check under the hood and check oil level and coolant level make sure they are clean and not mixed at all. You want to try to listen to the car when it is cold and starts up see if it knock or makes any unusual noises. Take it for a nice test drive and accelerate and make complete stops and hear/feel any unusual noises. Many times if you look at a car with several modifications done to it you can be sure that it had led somewhat of a hard life. even if it is stored in a garage and rarely driven you know what the owner has used it for beings that it has mods. My recommendation would be to go after something stock and solid if your looking to make it faster. Year models are really a prefrance rather. Yes, the newer cars had considerable more power then the older ones. and TPI came into the mix in the mid-earlier years. Some people can't afford the newr models though. If you wanted something that was considerable fast when stock and handled good with decent gas milage I would go after a later 80's IROC Z28. These had both handling and speed. I however like the older models and I was looking for something I could rip apart and make my own. Good luck to you! and happy hunting!