Hey all, didn't see a section for general questions so feel free to move this to the right place if it needs to be...

Anyways, I'm about to possibly pick up a maroon 87 IROC 305 TPI (auto) from a relative for nice deal. It has 160k but has been maintained well and has all the non-distant-past documentation, but regardless it starts right up and seems to run well. The water pump and alternator were just replaced, as well as a few other smaller things. It had been sitting the past couple years but it has had all the coolant and other fluids flushed out a few times.

So I have a couple questions for tpi guru's before I take the financial leap.

1st, I wanted to make sure whether or not a 305 tpi (LB9 i think?) has potential past 160k, given that it's been maintained properly? aka what kind of specific things do you guys look for first and foremost as far as high mileage goes like valve guides/seals?

Also, I have been told that the t-tops seals should be replaced. Is this a big/expensive job from your guys' experience?

All right thanks a bunch for the help, let me know if there's any other info i should give.

 

valve stem seals are a very common thing to go in almost all small blocks the tell tale puff of blue smoke after running then refiring i find replacing them pretty easy

and my brother has an 89iroc with over 300k on the original engine just now tearing it down for some general refreshing....

if they are telling you the t-top seals need to be replaced that is normally the biggest warning of rust/body rot with these cars if it was from anyone but a relative i would be walking away... not a hard job to replace them... a little tricky to get perfect but it wouldnt have been any harder to replace them when the owner first noticed the problem and not a few years later...