Finally a Ls1 owner
07-27-2015, 02:42 PM
#1
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Finally a Ls1 owner TL;DR - Great price for my first beautiful Ls1.
Back when I was about 13, (23 now) my father bought my mom a 1998 Trans Am Ws6. From my first ride in it, I had fallen in love. We had a lot of good times in that car and many fond memories. Come 3 years later, I finally start driving and it is about time to get my license. By no means are we a family with money, so between killing my parents insurance and needing money at the time, we had to part ways with my dream car. That summer before getting my license, I got to drive the car once before selling it not even a month later. 98 Ws6 sold for 6k, a4 and only had 80k or so miles. My first ride sealed the deal that I would one day own that car.
Fast forward many years and terrible cars later (Geo Metro, Ford Escort Wagon, Durango that I loved, and a Chevy Astro van) to May of 2015. Been searching all over for YEARS for a decently priced F-Body even considering a v6. Between a poor job and high insurance, it just didn't seem doable. A Craigslist view on May 1st and I saw a new post. 2002 Trans am Ws6 a4, 88k miles, for 8.5k OBO. Last of the breed. Within the money range, I decided to take a chance and drive a hour away to see it. It was beautiful, all black in great condition with very minor wear. Nice old guy, probably in his 70s who had bought the car after his brother had passed somewhat as a way to cope. He never even drove it! He had it for two years and put 200 miles on the thing. It was his baby, but with a bad back and it simply sitting, he wanted to let it go to a good home. Great guy, seemed lonely and could talk your ear off. After too much rambling on and a thorough going over, I felt it was time for a test drive. Turning the key to hear it fire to life, my god what a feeling. Such a soothing pur and a wild roar these cars have. A quick and almost scary ride through the neighborhood and and a shot down a straight away, I HAD to have this car.
The short negotiation began and it was simple and straight to the point. I told him I have 6.5k that I can offer, and I really can't budge over it. He asked if I was sure, and I told him yes, and I understood if he couldn't do it. It's too nice to let go for that price. He didn't really even think about it, he shrugged and said "it's yours." I could have cried but I'm a man dammit. After the stupidly long weekend (since we did the deal Friday) we got the car registered and insured and made the long trek back. Handed over the money, popped the plates on, and for the first time ever, got to drive my very own car bought with my very own money. And it even got to be my dream car.
Not every happy story goes *completely* unscathed though. 3/4 through the ride home going down the highway, the car lost all power and started overheating. Panic ensued as I veered to the shoulder and shut the car off, slowly gliding to a stop. As I get ready to dive into traffic at the fear of something bad having happened, I pop the hood to see nothing really wrong. Looked underneath to find the serpentine belt completely shredded and dangling. Oops... Never felt so high just to be pushed off the cliff, as I did in that hour. But hey, could have been far worse. SO. A quick tow to the mechanic and a new belt popped on, I get to take The Bird home for its first wash and detailing.
Sorry for the book, but finally getting this car within reason is a dream come true and I want others to know you'll be able to have one too, just give it some time. I have very few material wants, and this car was easily number 1 and it just feels so amazing to finally have this in my life.
Good luck to you current and future Ls1 owners, dreams can and do come true.
Back when I was about 13, (23 now) my father bought my mom a 1998 Trans Am Ws6. From my first ride in it, I had fallen in love. We had a lot of good times in that car and many fond memories. Come 3 years later, I finally start driving and it is about time to get my license. By no means are we a family with money, so between killing my parents insurance and needing money at the time, we had to part ways with my dream car. That summer before getting my license, I got to drive the car once before selling it not even a month later. 98 Ws6 sold for 6k, a4 and only had 80k or so miles. My first ride sealed the deal that I would one day own that car.
Fast forward many years and terrible cars later (Geo Metro, Ford Escort Wagon, Durango that I loved, and a Chevy Astro van) to May of 2015. Been searching all over for YEARS for a decently priced F-Body even considering a v6. Between a poor job and high insurance, it just didn't seem doable. A Craigslist view on May 1st and I saw a new post. 2002 Trans am Ws6 a4, 88k miles, for 8.5k OBO. Last of the breed. Within the money range, I decided to take a chance and drive a hour away to see it. It was beautiful, all black in great condition with very minor wear. Nice old guy, probably in his 70s who had bought the car after his brother had passed somewhat as a way to cope. He never even drove it! He had it for two years and put 200 miles on the thing. It was his baby, but with a bad back and it simply sitting, he wanted to let it go to a good home. Great guy, seemed lonely and could talk your ear off. After too much rambling on and a thorough going over, I felt it was time for a test drive. Turning the key to hear it fire to life, my god what a feeling. Such a soothing pur and a wild roar these cars have. A quick and almost scary ride through the neighborhood and and a shot down a straight away, I HAD to have this car.
The short negotiation began and it was simple and straight to the point. I told him I have 6.5k that I can offer, and I really can't budge over it. He asked if I was sure, and I told him yes, and I understood if he couldn't do it. It's too nice to let go for that price. He didn't really even think about it, he shrugged and said "it's yours." I could have cried but I'm a man dammit. After the stupidly long weekend (since we did the deal Friday) we got the car registered and insured and made the long trek back. Handed over the money, popped the plates on, and for the first time ever, got to drive my very own car bought with my very own money. And it even got to be my dream car.
Not every happy story goes *completely* unscathed though. 3/4 through the ride home going down the highway, the car lost all power and started overheating. Panic ensued as I veered to the shoulder and shut the car off, slowly gliding to a stop. As I get ready to dive into traffic at the fear of something bad having happened, I pop the hood to see nothing really wrong. Looked underneath to find the serpentine belt completely shredded and dangling. Oops... Never felt so high just to be pushed off the cliff, as I did in that hour. But hey, could have been far worse. SO. A quick tow to the mechanic and a new belt popped on, I get to take The Bird home for its first wash and detailing.
Sorry for the book, but finally getting this car within reason is a dream come true and I want others to know you'll be able to have one too, just give it some time. I have very few material wants, and this car was easily number 1 and it just feels so amazing to finally have this in my life.
Good luck to you current and future Ls1 owners, dreams can and do come true.
07-27-2015, 05:07 PM
#3
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Nice car and great deal! I like to hear stories like this. He could have easily got more but he probably liked you and knew you not only really wanted it, but would appreciate it and take care of it. Congrats again
07-28-2015, 09:01 AM
#5
TECH Enthusiast
Good luck. And welcome to LS1Tech. You're still new to the car so take it slow in figuring out the capabilities and limits on the car. This site is an ideal source of info.
First 3 maintenance things to do is to change ALL the fluids (sat for 2 years and who knows what before then), change the fuel filter (15-60 min and $10), and get rid of the PS cooler if still there. If there's no roof paint bubbling yet you're lucky. Lots of threads here on LS1tech to get the car up to snuff. You should have fun.
First 3 maintenance things to do is to change ALL the fluids (sat for 2 years and who knows what before then), change the fuel filter (15-60 min and $10), and get rid of the PS cooler if still there. If there's no roof paint bubbling yet you're lucky. Lots of threads here on LS1tech to get the car up to snuff. You should have fun.
Last edited by Firebrian; 07-29-2015 at 11:17 AM.
07-29-2015, 12:35 AM
#6
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Thanks guys! And mine is the 02, our old one was the 98. The parents have already been in it with me, scares my mom haha and my dad loves it. I think it could use a tune up and some work with the plugs and wires, but I'm not too sure where to start with it. I already put on the slp lid for a noticeable difference, and would like to do the exhaust but borla is expensive, so I'd like to settle for a loudmouth 1. Before that though I want it running perfect, then actual mods.
Last edited by Peterd91; 07-29-2015 at 12:42 AM.
07-29-2015, 11:25 AM
#7
TECH Enthusiast
So with the 2002 you do have to be watchful of the bubbling roof paint issue. If that car is going to sit outside for extended periods I'd get a simple cover made up for the roof... as simple as a towel. Plugs and wires could become an issue after 88K miles. Check a couple of spark plugs out. But check the coolant asap...it's usually the most overlooked fluid because the factory claimed it was good for 100K miles. Be aware that if you have the orange DexCool it should not be mixed with the regular green stuff. Whatever your car currently has in it I'd stick with it...to avoid cross contamination on whatever excess fluid you can't remove from the cooling system. Verify the fluids are all current (or change them) before going hog wild on performance mods. Check out the fuel filter just forward of the left rear tire. If it's not rusted or anything, looks pretty new, then it's been changed at least once. The original filters were AC Delco GF627 (GM 25121942)...at least that's what came off my car. Your owner's manual should list the # as well.
You have the PS cooler so that should be removed if still there. You can disable it just by re-routing/cutting the hoses until you can buy the replacement hose for $20. If you're in the southern US then an aftermarket PS cooler ($25?) would be a simple mod. There's a sticky thread on all this in the General Maintenance forum. Do this before changing/bleeding your PS fluid as you might lose most of it when removing the reservoir return hose. A PS cooler failure can ruin your whole day and muck up the cooling system really good. All I do for PS fluid maintenance is once every 1-2 yrs suck out the reservoir a couple of times and add a fresh 32 oz of GM/AC Delco PS fluid ($9). The PS fluid gets pretty hot (185-205 deg F). If you're in the northern US you can probably do fine with a PS cooler.
Since you changed the air lid, that would have been a great time to inspect the MAF sensor and/or clean it. A dirty MAF can easily cause performance issues. That's seen a lot more often with the oiled air filters like K&N.
You have the PS cooler so that should be removed if still there. You can disable it just by re-routing/cutting the hoses until you can buy the replacement hose for $20. If you're in the southern US then an aftermarket PS cooler ($25?) would be a simple mod. There's a sticky thread on all this in the General Maintenance forum. Do this before changing/bleeding your PS fluid as you might lose most of it when removing the reservoir return hose. A PS cooler failure can ruin your whole day and muck up the cooling system really good. All I do for PS fluid maintenance is once every 1-2 yrs suck out the reservoir a couple of times and add a fresh 32 oz of GM/AC Delco PS fluid ($9). The PS fluid gets pretty hot (185-205 deg F). If you're in the northern US you can probably do fine with a PS cooler.
Since you changed the air lid, that would have been a great time to inspect the MAF sensor and/or clean it. A dirty MAF can easily cause performance issues. That's seen a lot more often with the oiled air filters like K&N.
Last edited by Firebrian; 07-29-2015 at 11:44 AM.
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07-29-2015, 11:58 AM
#9
TECH Fanatic
That's awesome! I still remember the feeling when I bought my f-bodies.
07-29-2015, 12:43 PM
#10
Launching!
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So with the 2002 you do have to be watchful of the bubbling roof paint issue. If that car is going to sit outside for extended periods I'd get a simple cover made up for the roof... as simple as a towel. Plugs and wires could become an issue after 88K miles. Check a couple of spark plugs out. But check the coolant asap...it's usually the most overlooked fluid because the factory claimed it was good for 100K miles. Be aware that if you have the orange DexCool it should not be mixed with the regular green stuff. Whatever your car currently has in it I'd stick with it...to avoid cross contamination on whatever excess fluid you can't remove from the cooling system. Verify the fluids are all current (or change them) before going hog wild on performance mods. Check out the fuel filter just forward of the left rear tire. If it's not rusted or anything, looks pretty new, then it's been changed at least once. The original filters were AC Delco GF627 (GM 25121942)...at least that's what came off my car. Your owner's manual should list the # as well.
You have the PS cooler so that should be removed if still there. You can disable it just by re-routing/cutting the hoses until you can buy the replacement hose for $20. If you're in the southern US then an aftermarket PS cooler ($25?) would be a simple mod. There's a sticky thread on all this in the General Maintenance forum. Do this before changing/bleeding your PS fluid as you might lose most of it when removing the reservoir return hose. A PS cooler failure can ruin your whole day and muck up the cooling system really good. All I do for PS fluid maintenance is once every 1-2 yrs suck out the reservoir a couple of times and add a fresh 32 oz of GM/AC Delco PS fluid ($9). The PS fluid gets pretty hot (185-205 deg F). If you're in the northern US you can probably do fine with a PS cooler.
Since you changed the air lid, that would have been a great time to inspect the MAF sensor and/or clean it. A dirty MAF can easily cause performance issues. That's seen a lot more often with the oiled air filters like K&N.
You have the PS cooler so that should be removed if still there. You can disable it just by re-routing/cutting the hoses until you can buy the replacement hose for $20. If you're in the southern US then an aftermarket PS cooler ($25?) would be a simple mod. There's a sticky thread on all this in the General Maintenance forum. Do this before changing/bleeding your PS fluid as you might lose most of it when removing the reservoir return hose. A PS cooler failure can ruin your whole day and muck up the cooling system really good. All I do for PS fluid maintenance is once every 1-2 yrs suck out the reservoir a couple of times and add a fresh 32 oz of GM/AC Delco PS fluid ($9). The PS fluid gets pretty hot (185-205 deg F). If you're in the northern US you can probably do fine with a PS cooler.
Since you changed the air lid, that would have been a great time to inspect the MAF sensor and/or clean it. A dirty MAF can easily cause performance issues. That's seen a lot more often with the oiled air filters like K&N.
thought the paint bubbling issue was on 98-00 cars
07-29-2015, 01:50 PM
#12
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Every time I drive it I love it more and more 
I want to do a 100k mile tune up for it, maybe seafoam it. Has some carbon deposit coming from the exhaust so I want to clear that up. General tune up and get it running 100% again. MAF cleaner since I have a k&n and maybe TB cleaner? Also in this NJ weather about 95 or so, long drives have the temp at about 210. Is this normal? I put the German Castrol 0w-40 in it when I got it the the pressure is good again. Was running 20-25 psi and like 40 at wot with m1 5w-30. Now it's 25 or so idle at temp, 40 normal and 50-60 wot.
I want to do a 100k mile tune up for it, maybe seafoam it. Has some carbon deposit coming from the exhaust so I want to clear that up. General tune up and get it running 100% again. MAF cleaner since I have a k&n and maybe TB cleaner? Also in this NJ weather about 95 or so, long drives have the temp at about 210. Is this normal? I put the German Castrol 0w-40 in it when I got it the the pressure is good again. Was running 20-25 psi and like 40 at wot with m1 5w-30. Now it's 25 or so idle at temp, 40 normal and 50-60 wot.
07-29-2015, 02:50 PM
#13
TECH Enthusiast
April 1998 is the transition point. RPMWS6 has stated that he's never found a March '98 or earlier car with the problem. Everything after April 1998 through 2002 is where the problems occur. It if were only the pre-2001 cars it wouldn't be such a huge problem as most of the 4th gens were built in 2001/2002.
Be careful on the Seafoam. Some swear by it and others swear at it and would never put it in their engine oil. I'd run the car at extended highway speeds for a few hundred miles total to see what that burns off first. NJ weather is usually pretty mild...though not this week...lol. 210 deg is not that high for long summer drives. The cooling fans aren't both on until the upper 220's. The 0W-40 might not be a bad idea for an 88K mile car....and better for those cold NJ winter starts. I've seen the 0W-40 at Walmart from time to time. But it says "European blend" or something. Is that the same stuff? I think even Mobil 1 has that blend now??
Be careful on the Seafoam. Some swear by it and others swear at it and would never put it in their engine oil. I'd run the car at extended highway speeds for a few hundred miles total to see what that burns off first. NJ weather is usually pretty mild...though not this week...lol. 210 deg is not that high for long summer drives. The cooling fans aren't both on until the upper 220's. The 0W-40 might not be a bad idea for an 88K mile car....and better for those cold NJ winter starts. I've seen the 0W-40 at Walmart from time to time. But it says "European blend" or something. Is that the same stuff? I think even Mobil 1 has that blend now??
Last edited by Firebrian; 07-29-2015 at 03:01 PM.
07-29-2015, 07:45 PM
#14
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My roof and hood arent really in good condition anymore haha.... Ill need them both redone when I get the spare money, bubbles and clear coat aren't great. Cars got plenty of little nicks on it that need work, but Im not overly concerned about that yet, mechanical work first.
I think I had two loose plugs which I tightened, but seems they're starting to act up again. If I put my finger on them and push down, the two plugs actually knock. Not really sure what thats about, assuming just loose.
And with the seafoam, Id like to run it in the gas and through the break booster? or however it is they do it. Just put fresh synthetic in it so Im not worried about the oil for now. As of just getting home from work, Ive rolled 1k miles since I first got it in May, and by no means have I been very gentle with the car, neighbors love me. Still plenty of carbon from the tips, doesn't seem to stop. Possible the cats could be gummed up?
And yes, Its my daily so the German Castrol or Euro formula 0w-40 they call it during the winter on non snowy/salty days Id like to drive it. Have a back up so only on nicer days.
I think I had two loose plugs which I tightened, but seems they're starting to act up again. If I put my finger on them and push down, the two plugs actually knock. Not really sure what thats about, assuming just loose.
And with the seafoam, Id like to run it in the gas and through the break booster? or however it is they do it. Just put fresh synthetic in it so Im not worried about the oil for now. As of just getting home from work, Ive rolled 1k miles since I first got it in May, and by no means have I been very gentle with the car, neighbors love me. Still plenty of carbon from the tips, doesn't seem to stop. Possible the cats could be gummed up?
And yes, Its my daily so the German Castrol or Euro formula 0w-40 they call it during the winter on non snowy/salty days Id like to drive it. Have a back up so only on nicer days.
08-28-2015, 09:11 PM
#18
Every time I drive it I love it more and more I want to do a 100k mile tune up for it, maybe seafoam it. Has some carbon deposit coming from the exhaust so I want to clear that up. General tune up and get it running 100% again. MAF cleaner since I have a k&n and maybe TB cleaner? Also in this NJ weather about 95 or so, long drives have the temp at about 210. Is this normal? I put the German Castrol 0w-40 in it when I got it the the pressure is good again. Was running 20-25 psi and like 40 at wot with m1 5w-30. Now it's 25 or so idle at temp, 40 normal and 50-60 wot.
I want to do a 100k mile tune up for it, maybe seafoam it. Has some carbon deposit coming from the exhaust so I want to clear that up. General tune up and get it running 100% again. MAF cleaner since I have a k&n and maybe TB cleaner? Also in this NJ weather about 95 or so, long drives have the temp at about 210. Is this normal? I put the German Castrol 0w-40 in it when I got it the the pressure is good again. Was running 20-25 psi and like 40 at wot with m1 5w-30. Now it's 25 or so idle at temp, 40 normal and 50-60 wot.
08-30-2015, 12:02 AM
#19
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thanks again guys! even with the AC off it goes to about 210. havent got to drive it on these cooler days because the rear messed up on me and its been in the shop more than a week :/ oh the troubles of used cars