New to the page and looking into buying a 1987 GTA with a 350 TPI and Auto. The car has 130,000 miles on it and the engine is stock and everything is original. Is there anything I should check for when I go to look at the car? If I do end up buying it (i'm hopin' for this), is there anything I can do to get it back up to its original MPG and HP? I've thought about getting the injectors cleaned/changed, but I'm new to the V8 scene. any advice would be appreciated.

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~3.1EyeCandy~

'92 Firebird 3.1

T/A Hood, New Paint, Custom Sound w/subs, T-Tops, K&N fcharger

 

I bought my GTA last October. The web site "www.gtasourcepage.com" was helpful. I came close to buying a fake GTA. The web site helped me determine that. Obvious things to look for are the VIN numbers on each body part (quarter panels, fenders, hod, doors, etc.) I'm sure you rather not buy a wrecked car. Things on a GTA to consider ower antenna working?, T-tops leaking? (run through car wash), rear spoiler cracked (GTA's infamous for this), rust, drivers side seat worn?, power seats work? All of these should be looked at when buying a GTA, they are not easy or inexpensive to fix.

If you buy it, a tune up is the best you can do to start with. Changing oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, checking ignition components (wires, cap, rotor) can make a good difference in normal driving. Also check tech articles on this web site...they are very informative.

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Gunmetal 89GTA T-Tops L98
700R4 with 3.27 gears, street tires
Best 60 ft: 1.996
Best 1/8th mile: 9.02 @ 76.5mph with 60' time of 2.14
Mods: air filter, hypertech chip, 3" exhaust (no cat.)
Current Mods: 8.8wires, cap, rotor, +4 plugs, MAF screens, Servo, custom Ram Air, TPIS air foil, and some tuning

Going to the track this weekend...hopeful for improvements.

 

Come on guys, i'm supposed to travel 250 miles on wed. to see it... I need some tips!!

 

Look for hidden rust. F-bodies are notorious for rust.

Look in the rear wheel wells, scrape some of the road grime away and push in with your finger.

Check the floor boards for cracks and rust, again scrape the road grime away.

Check the hatch area all around the weather stripping and under the hatch where the latch is.

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Hybrid Black 5.7L 5 Speed
'95 Competition Yellow Corvette Coupe ZF6

 

make SURE it has the Y84 rpo code,, if it dosent its not a GTA,, you can check the codes in the glove box,, also smell the tranny fluid and make sure its not burnt and looks red,, not brown.
id definatly go to the gtasourcepage.com and right down all the RPO codes so you know what the car came with from the factory.
good luck
ps, 87 came with a few less horsepower than 88.

 

make SURE it has the Y84 rpo code,, if it dosent its not a GTA,, you can check the codes in the glove box,, also smell the tranny fluid and make sure its not burnt and looks red,, not brown.
id definatly go to the gtasourcepage.com and right down all the RPO codes so you know what the car came with from the factory.
good luck
ps, 87 came with a few less horsepower than 88.

 

Make sure you check the trans out really well...130K is getting close to rebuild time if it hasn't been perfectly maintained. See if it takes a few sec. to go into gear, does it slip on the 1-2 shift at WOT, etc. If the seller has the nerve (and you do too), see how it shifts from 3-4 at WOT or 3/4 throttle at least. Okay, I doubt he'll go for that but check it out thoroughly. It will probably have a 9bolt with a worn out posi which is big $$$ to fix so you might bargain with that info. Plan on at least replacing the valve stem seals. It will probably smoke a little when you crank it. If he doens't know engines you can sometimes use this to jew sellers down. hmm, that's all I can think of offhand.



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87 IROC-Z, 5.7, auto, 3.27, leather, !cat, Holley fpr, K&N'S, SLP 1-3/4" Jet-Hot coated headers, SLP .218/.224 .495/.502 cam, Comp 1.5 roller tip rockers, $uperPITAram, Edelbrock lower intake, Holley 52mm tb, Dynomax\Flowmaster catback. Coming Soon(?)- Fasttrack/Accell DFI

1989 Pontiac 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am - 161,000 miles, !cat, 9" K&N

 

I'm suppossed to leave tomorrow to go see it. It has been perfectly maintained and the guy has all of the records. It's flame red metalic with no paint problems and he's got the hooker catback and air foil on the car. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

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~3.1EyeCandy~

'92 Firebird 3.1

T/A Hood, New Paint, Custom Sound w/subs, T-Tops, K&N fcharger

 

Make sure the 8th digit of the VIN number has an "8". That is how you know that it was "originally" an L98 350. But remember, a 305 looks IDENTICAL to a 350. But at least you will know whether it was at least "orginally" an L98.

Check the top of the console lid or the locking box in the rear for the SPID sticker. This has all the RPO codes for the car. Make a note of them as they will tell you all the options that came on the car. No SPID sticker, be suspicious. No one removes that unless they have something to hide.

Before the car is started, check to make sure the engine is cold (put your hand on the plenum). You want a cold engine to do this next test. Have the owner start the car while you stand at the rear and watch the tail pipes. Look for a puff of blue smoke. If it is a single (possibly a large puff) that usually means the valves seals and possibly the valve guides need to be replaced. Valve seals are not extremely hard, but if you have to pay to have them done you are probably looking at $400 to have a dealership do them (along with the guides).

If the smoke continues, then you may be looking at rings. That is big bucks.

Then look for wear on the peddles and carpet. That will give you an indication of the real mileage. A wear pattern in the brake peddle usually indicates around 100,000 miles.

Common problems: Oil leaking on top of the base manifold. May have been wiped but it will leave a brown stain. That can cost $500 at a dealership to have the oil leak fixed. Most often it is just oil weeping through the center bolts...cost to fix is cheap, but the labour to remove and reinstall the intake manifold is expensive because its a pain in the butt and takes a long time. Again, if you are mechanically inclined, not a hard job to do.

While looking at the intake manifold, look for coolant on the top of the base manifold. This can indicate a leaky gasket.

Next check the condition of the oil and coolant. The oil most likely would be changed (if the seller is smart) but if it looks like a chocolate milkshake, you got a blown head gasket (or worst). Walk away.

Look for an oil film in the coolant. Shine a light and look for a "rainbow". Again, that means oil and water are mixing... BAD NEWS... Walk away. Again, if the seller is smart, they should have replaced it.

Just warning you because a "sneaky seller" will often put new oil and new coolant to hide problems.

Let the oil on the dipstick drip. If it is slow and thick, this may indicate the seller has thrown 50 weight into the engine to cut down on oil burning and hide "knocking noises". You want it to be a little used (brown in color) but thin. This would indicate that the oil has been in there for a few miles and the seller is not trying to hide anything.

Look at the engine. Does it look freshly steamed cleaned? If so, again, the seller may be trying to hide something. Now the seller MAY be a fanatical owner, in that case EVERYTHING should be clean, but look under the car... most guys will miss that. Again, you are looking for signs that the owner has recently steam cleaned the motor to hide oil leaks.

Next, when the engine is started, pull the dipstick for the transmission. It should be at the proper level and not "frothy". Also, give it a smell. If it smells like burnt toast, it indicates burnt clutches...walk away.

Lastly, look at the overall appearance. See it in BRIGHT DAY LIGHT. Do not inspect it in poor light. Also, is the car clean? A dirty car or a car with a dirt film may indicate an attempt to hide body work or body damage.

Make sure you test ALL buttons and switches. Make sure everything works properly. Don't be afraid to test everything. Last, take it for a test drive and YOU DRIVE. DO NOT have the stereo or radio on while you drive. You want to hear every squeak and rattle. Do not be afraid to take it down a bumpy road, do not be afraid to take it on a long drive. The longer the better.

And last, but not least, insist that you have the car inspected by a certified GM dealership of your choice.

If the seller balks at any of this, walk away. If it as good a deal as you think, then a seller will not have any problem if you are a serious buyer.

All of my testing procedures is JUST to see if you have a worthwhile candidate for inspection. A lot can be revealed when that car goes up on a hoist. You want the dealer to certify that car and tell you EVERYTHING wrong with it and how much it will cost to repair. It may need some minor repairs, that's fine (if you like the car), then just factor that into your offer.

Good luck. I hope it turns out to be the deal you are looking for. But don't get sucked in by a "pretty face" or let your "emotions" get in the way of making a good decision. After a couple of weeks of owning the car, you will discover a LOT of things that you wished you had noticed before.


Last but not least, get the seller to sign an agreement disclosing all accidents that the car has ever been in and that they have clear and free title. AND get your bank to check the title. You don't want to have to pay for the car twice.

 

Oh, one more thing. Have someone follow you while you are driving the car. Go up and down some hills if possible or do light acceleration and deceleration tests.

You want the other driver to look for smoke.

White smoke means coolant leaking, blue smoke mean oil, black smoke means running too rich.

If the blue smoke is constant or when you boot it, it indicates rings. Blue smoke on deceleration with a "puff" when you hit the gas again indicates valve guides.

 

I'm now the proud owner of a 87 GTA. It'll squall the tires at a 45 mph roll. Look really clean except for some interior wear and paint misssing from too many scrapes of the air dam. Really happy now, after finishing the long trip. I'll soon be changing my name on the boards. Everything checked out and the car runs like new(if not better). The Hooker exhause sounds like a beast and I've never had to go this light on the throttle. Brand new Pioneer head unit too. It's not everyday one finds a car like this for 5k. Thanks for the advice and God bless.

 

Congrats. Post a picture when you get a chance so we can see your new toy.