demontrey

Hi my name is demontrey fore im pretty new here but ive been scrolling through your guys' forum and figured I'd sign up since i have serious question and could really use some help. Ive been looking for a 98-02 TA for around 3k all the money i have at the moment unfortunately so i keep my expectations real i just don't know whats high miles on these cars Ive seen em go up to 300k and still drive fine and Ive seen em go up to 120k and blow a head gasket i assume its more than likely the driver but i found one that im seriously considering flying from El paso to phoenix to get it has 168k miles and the paint is kinda fading but says it drives really good and hes gonna send me some more pics of it tomorrow but heres the link to it http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/4835559472.html let me know what you guys think should i get or pass?

smokenssz

iTrader: (24)

I'd have him send pictures of the dipstick so you know what the oil looks like. I'd get a video of it running (make sure he does a cold start) and driving (with it shifting up and down through all the gears so you know its works). That's just me. I wouldnt fly anywhere unless I know for sure that's the car I wanted.

M-Z28

iTrader: (1)

Personally I would be patient and wait for something local.. I recently bought a 1998 Z28 and had searched locally for around 2 months.. in that time, I bet I looked at over 20 vehicles that were claimed to be in mint codition etc, but when I got there they were POS.. So bad one time I was pissed and got a little ugly with the guy.
People on Craigslist don't disclose everything and I'm sure you will be surprised when you arive.. Goodluck if you go for it..

demontrey

yeah ill probably shop around a little more theres a couple around here in el paso like this one http://elpaso.craigslist.org/cto/4817956003.html has 160k miles but the guy wont budge off of 3500 at all and really i cant blame him

Deeohgie69

iTrader: (3)

Interior 9/10??? You see the wires rigged out of the side fuse panel? The seat covers and dash pad cover are usually signs of covering up something that looks much worse. Do like everyone else said and look around, because I think if you hold out you'll eventually find one. If he's not being honest about the interior issues just imagine all the other mechanical issues he's not telling about.

Fry_

Just keep saving your money. Any $3000 V8 f body is going to cost you more in the long run than just saving up and buying a $5-7000 car. Also although you can usually depend on the motor to last somewhere somewhere around 300k you need to start worrying about the transmission at around 150k. How the trans is holding up will definitely depend on what kind of life the car has had and there is almost no way of knowing that on a 13-17 year old car even a 1 or 2 owner car thats in really good condition still may have had the hell beat out of it but still had it's paint and interior taken care of so it looks nice.

demontrey

yeah i could save up but i do like to look around weigh my options see if there's a good deal out there i found this one http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/4841785250.html only a couple of things wrong like the seats and window and headlight motor but i actually have some seats that my dad used to have in his 96 camaro so thats one thing i could look past now i know i wont get anything perfect for 3k so im just looking for ones that has the easiest problems to fix i offered the guy 2700 and he agreed to it has 220k miles though but i have been reading that an ls1 will last well after that if taken care of so it and for 2700 it seems like a good deal

RockinWs6

I drove 100 miles to look at a low mileage Formula a while back. Owner said it was nice and pics looked good. It was POS no oil pressure beat to hell. I was so pissed I turned red and started blowing smoke out my ears.

I wouldn't believe anything a seller has to say. Good Luck

Fry_

Point out one thing on that car that looks like it has been taken care of. I'd say from the looks of that car someone bought it as a project to fix up just like you're planning and realized how expensive that plan would be. It will cost you $4-600 for tires and window motors just so you can drive that thing and add another $1000 if you don't what to drive a car with a rats nest interior with no radio and busted trim pieces everywhere you look. I'd say it would look like a good deal for $1700 not $2700 and even then I'd probably part the car out because fixing it would still cost more than it's worth considering the miles it has.

demontrey

yeah youre right in all honesty i think its because im being impatient and just trying to rush into it but this is why i ask these questions so smart people like you could give me some advice so i dont make a stupid decision and end up regretting it. i salute you sir

murphinator

iTrader: (2)

be patient I bought all of mine in the 2,000 to 3800 range and have had very little issues with them

buy condition over miles its hard to fix condition/neglect but if you get unlucky drivetrain wise its easy enough to make lemons out of lemonade and upgrade since you will end up wanting to do that eventually anyways -worst case used trans and rears are dime a dozen in the classifieds on here and a boneyard 5.3 with all the peripherals from your ls1 will get you moving again in a worst case.

my highest miles car is by far my nicest one (prominent car in my sig pic) has 243,000 miles and the drivers seat is even very nice - it was taken care of and had more money in bolt ons , suspension,and stereo than I paid for it due to miles, bought it 4 years ago with 225k replaced front rotors and window motors that's it other than upgrading wheels/tires which was my choice.