11Past9

What do I look for and what can I expect when buying a higher mileage LS1? I already know the 10 bolt rear end is a very weak point and I can't imagine it being any less of a concern when the mileage is higher. I've been looking at cheap LS1's with 90-130k on them with the owners saying they run like a top bla bla bla but I'm kind of intimidated by a car with this kind of power and higher mileage.

What should I watch out for?

What should I expect to have to put into it?

BlackScreaminMachine

iTrader: (17)

Meh, it's a toss up.

The biggest deciding factor is what proof can the owner provide. Having it be the original or at least the one who put the majority of miles on there is the most important person you sould be speaking with.

If matience records cannot be provided, then assume your doing the upkeep such as...

- Filters: Oil, Trans (auto), Fuel
- Fluids: Engine, Trans, Coolant, Rear-end, Power Steering
- Tires/Brakes

Condition of the body can be a big issue as well as clutch life if the car is a m6.

IMO you get what you pay for.

Sabbath87

iTrader: (1)

when i got my car it had about 78k on it, now its over 100k. first few things i noticed was the cheap mods. it had a lid and an after market MAF, that was good. another thing was my speakers, that was bad. who ever put them in got the wrong size and just made them fit. they rattled like crazy when i turned the radio up loud enough to hear it.

none of that was too bad but the worst was the transmision. i have an M6 and ive heard that the manual transmisions are reall strong but it never stayed in 3rd. it kicked it out HARD if i tried shifting under 2g. they said the syncro was bad. luckily it had a 30 day warrenty on it and the dealership fixed it (NOT a cheap fix im sure).

but that was just my experiance buying my first LS1. only thing ive had to fix on it sence then was the alternatpr a few times cuz the power steerign cap leaked (ALT is right under)

98Z2885

Mine has 105k I bought it at 104k bone stock and second lady owner. It all depends on who owned it before hand. I like to get vehicles with all the maintance records.

slayerized6

iTrader: (12)

pass on it. 85k miles for $11k....much better deals can be had. check the classifieds on here

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

anything with high mileage expect to put money into it. even if they were major repairs done expect more. PITA stuff like window motors, sensors,water pumps, brakes ect. ls1 motors are strong but at high mileage stuff can go. transmissions too.

id pay more for something clean with low mileage.

mediocrels1

i got my car 2 years ago with 98k on it. bone stock. original owner. now its got bout 110k on it. had to have the power steering pump replaced when i got it, but thats it.

my philosophy: if something breaks its just an excuse to upgrade it

shtnfrds

iTrader: (1)

car in sig.
the first owner put 160K miles on it, had 2 or 3 pages full of carfax history reprts that were anything from oil changes to trans service and brake jobs. he got an extended warrantee and at 90K miles had a new trans installed along with a new diff. now at 181K + miles it still runs GREAT, absolutly NO knocks or irregular ticks. of course has the ls1 piston slap and valve train noise, but other that that wisper quiet.

the interior is worn obviously as that guy HAD to have used it for a commuter car that was good on milage and had alot of power.

when i bought it last august it had 165K miles, 2nd owner put on 5K miles, long tubes, true dual exhaust z06 rims, lid and drop in k&n. I picked it up in ohio and drove back to wichita, ks. averaged over 26 mpg, would have been more had i notice the driver rear tire was way low on air.

paid 4900 for it. i think i got a really good deal. it does need the rear rebuilt now tho, it has over 90K miles since it was replaced under original owners extended warrantee.
and it doesnt even have the normal fbody rattles.

comes down to how the previous owners cared for it. it can change hands 50 times, but as long as they all took care of the car very well it wont matter. then again you can have a car that you buy from the original owner that never changed the oil and only has 50K miles and beat the hell out of it. do your research on the car your going to buy and high miles means nothing.

WSsick

iTrader: (13)

bought mine with 91k, motor is perfectly fine. paid $8,000 for mine. could be better but it waas exactly what i wanted: less common color, perfect paint, no dents whatsoever, no leaks, strong motor, flawless interior, and most important for me BONE STOCK. only problem that came with the car for me was slow window motors, but any fbody will run into that eventually. bottom line: pay more for a better product, it will save you more in the long run.

if you cant find out what someone else's maintinence records are, make sure you keep up on yours and be ready to replace something big. motor could last years or weeks. if you ever decide to mod it internally, replace any and all things you can afford, as it will be like a rebuild of sorts. valvetrain, pistons, rings, etc.

Brittany Jade

183,000 miles all original body and Transmission, was garaged because paint still looks great as does interior... previous owner had rebuilt engine and service records from 98 til 2012 preformed by best shop (and most expensive) in area. Blue book listed top price at 4850 which I paid about 100 extra, but knowing a car has been cared for... worth it. Running strong so far.
Repair Records are a MUST.
And yes, your passenger window WILL go out, its tied to same power source as driver window and just tends to happen. But of all things, cheap fix, motor $45 from orileys, motor and regulator $145.
Go with your instinct. If it looks like its been beat up and has been driven extra hard (Most people dont baby a car this fun to drive), probably gonna have some repair bills.)
Good Luck

White6SpdZ28

iTrader: (6)

All depends. T56 are not cheap to rebuild. 9 inches aren't cheap and then the odds and ends. Bought mine last year at 120k. Put about $6,000 into it between trans clutch rear end drive shaft and all odds and ends. Money goes fast but in my eyes I've had fun doing it. I'm at about 131,000 miles now and I've noticed a power steering leak

anthony.fatica

iTrader: (10)

Well I guess there's 2 ways to look at your question...

1.) A high mileage LS1...Not necessarily a bad thing, quite honestly, it's really tough to find low mileage ones around that aren't rebuilt considering it's about 10+ years old. Not saying you can't find low mileage ones, just not as common. But the engines themselves are not hard to work on and they are so many options out there to rebuild on a budget and the fact that alot of LS parts are interchangeable as upgrade options is really nice as well. It's definiately a great learning experience and don't get me wrong, it CAN get pricey but doesn't have to be depending on what you're looking for.

2.) A high mileage F-Body...Well as previously stated, you're looking at 10+ years old. As with just about any vehicle, things go bad after years of use and the maintenance record can play a huge role in what you're getting into. Some cars just need a little TLC, and some just were used and abused. If you're handy and do alot of reading on here and other forums alike, alot of the stuff can be replaced/upgraded yourself and you can save alot of $$ on labor. And the classifieds on here is a great resource IMO. You can find some great deals if you're patient and wait for exactly what you're looking for.

2000PewterT/A

In my opinion it totally depends on how the car was maintained and how good the last owner or owners were. I have seen some cars with 100k miles that were in way better condition mechanically and cosmetically than some that had 70k miles. Like others said you get what you pay for most of the time. It depends on how much you want to put into it vs buying one that will need less work but cost more money.

30th t/a

iTrader: (51)

I bought mine with 94xxx and it was perfect mechanically. Just as good as my EX 2001 Ws6 that had 43k on it. The paint on my 2000 WS6 needed a good wet sand and buff and now its very nice imo for having 96500 on it. The high milage wouldnt scare me.

Microtech82

Paid $7k for mine, 127k miles, two years ago. It's my DD and it still pulls like a beast. Replaced thermo last year and water pump this year...those two are really the only things that have broken down.
Developed an exhaust leak but I think that was my fault not taking a speed bump (or 30) slowly enough and I kept banging the passenger side y-pipe. Now has complete exhaust (lts, ory, catback) installed and no more problems/leaks. On random days it seems like it has more piston slap and valvetrain noise than others but I've grown use to it over the last couple years and it has never gotten any worse despite the abuse I put the car through.
My .02 is that these motors were built to be beasts and it's pretty clear, over a decade later, that they've proven to be incredibly durable and long-lasting

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)