Dave M

I've been without an F-body for about 6 or 7 years now. I used to be a regular member of f-body.com but that site seems pretty empty these days.

I had a 97 WS6 back in the day but had to sell it when we bought a house. I've regretted it ever since. Lately I've been looking around for a project car and came across a 97 Trans Am for cheap. I'm going to look at it today. The owner so far has told me the dash is cracked and it has a leaking injector which is causing the SES light to be on. It also has a "gasket leak around cylinder 4" but I haven't asked yet if that means head gasket or exhaust manifold or what. It has 94,400 miles and has a performance clutch. The owner made no mention of other updrades.

My question is: I've been out of the F-body scene for so long that I've forgotten a lot of the info I picked up over the years. What are some common problems I should look for in these cars. What would have caused the dash to crack? Is that common? I know it can be a problem when a STB is installed but this car doesn't have one. This will be a project car so minor problems, even major ones, aren't a deal killer but anything I find can be a help in price negotiation.

Thanks! Hopefully I'll be back here next week with some pics of my new ride.

Dave M

96lt4c4

iTrader: (5)

My buddy drove his 96 SS with 60K miles on it home. About a 2.5 hour trip. By the time he got it home it had a rod knocking. He did not know much about cars and I was not available to go with him to look at this car. Check the oil for any signs of metal, look at the rear end to see if the pinion seal is leaking. If it is leaking real bad then the pinon bearings are loose and the rearend needs to be gone through. Check to see if the window motors are good. Check the AC. The biggest pet peave I have is dumb *** people jacking these cars up under the front fenders. If the fenders are pushed out at the bottom then thats what happened. If you plan on working on the car then that is when you will find all the other hidden crap that has been rigged or half assed, if there is any.

Sounds like the guy is dumping the car because it needs work and he does not want to mess with it. A leaking injector will not make the SES light come on either. Unless one of the O2 sensors in showing rich.

Dash crack is common, cheap GM plastic.

vetteboy99

Alot of things, headlight motors that open and close the headlights go bad quickly, window motors, make sure everything electronically is working.

On to the drivetrain, only thing i can tell you is listen very closely to ANY Noise that doesn't sound normal. Cars that were tortured will have howling noises in the engine bay, and you have to pull the heads to replace that. Ticking, knocking etc. If you hear anything of that kind, just pass on the car. Take into consideration the **** you have to go through to pull the heads, the motor is 1/4 into the firewall, and basically you have to pull the engine to pull the heads.

Cosmetic: Look between all the cracks in the door/trunk/hood jams, and make sure there aren't unusual weld spots. For the fenders, look at the bolts, you can tell if they have been taken of. If the car has a accident report, I recommend you stay away from it.

Pour water around the windows and t tops and make sure no water gets into the car, weatherstripping is about $500.

That's all i can think of, pm me if you have any other questions, I have alot of experience with these cars.

Dave M

Thanks for the info. The owner is a female. Not that makes any difference neccessarily, but I've found women in general don't abuse the car like men do. She does have a husband though, so who knows what he did with the car. She did say the SES light was showing a rich condition. CARFAX shows no history of accidents. She claims everything electrical is working, but I will verify that when I get there.

When I talked to her on the phone she seemed like she wasn't sure weather she wanted a new car or to fix up this one, but she said her husband had bought her a new car so it was time for this one to go. If she's not willing to do the work, and the car is basically stock, I'll certainly be willing to take it off her hands and turn some wrenches. I've been looking for a car that needs some TLC so I can get it cheap and work on it as time and money allow. This sounds like it's right up that alley. I just wish it was a WS6, I love the looks of those. But a hood and rims can always be had.

Thanks again for the tips, I'm off to see it now.

Dave M

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

Pop the oil fill cap off and look inside. If it's gunky, walk away.

Dave M

For an update check out my post here.

Dave M