Bloodfarmer

Hey everyone! I have been a mustang guy all my life. I currently own a 96 gt, which has been a fun and very reliable car, I've done a lot of work to the car and it's been great. I'm sure you all know that the early N/A 4.6 isn't the fastest of cars by any means! I have a few buddies with camaros and TA's. i love the LS1 and I feel it's time to move on up to a car with this platform. Well, I have a buddy who has a 99 trans am. It's lowered with nice wheels, he says it has a T rex cam, LT headers, ported heads, whisper lid, and y pipe with a magnaflow muffler. It also has the switch that bypasses the muffler and opens up the exhaust under the car. It has 81,000 miles and he says it is mechanically sound. It has tan interior with some wear on the driver seat and a cracked dash which is expected. There is also a 2" circle of paint missing on the rear right fender from a pressure washer. I don't know a lot about these cars so I wanted to know if there is anything specific I should look for or maybe any common problems with these cars I should look out for. I am really interested because he said he would let me have it for $6,000! That seems like a sweet deal! I just want make sure I get a good reliable car since I am getting rid of my DD gt. Thanks for any info in advance guys!

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

80,000 miles for 6k sounds too good to be true IMO! First i'd want to see a documented history of the car....maintenance, mods, etc...BTW, I came from a 2004 Mustang Gt, and can honestly now say that going from a 4.6 2 valve modular motor to a 5.7 LS1 was a very smart move lol

NC01TA

I also own a Mustang. Love' em almost as much the GM cars. I wouldn't be in a rush to sell your GT, not until you have done extensive 'homework' on that modified T/A. $6,000 may be a good price but not if it needs thousands to become your new DD. That T/A obviously has not been babied, so be very careful. These cars are not special when abused, no car is. Many posters recommend buying 'stock' LS1 cars, then doing the mods yourself. That way you know what is going on, not what someone else's version is about. Take your time on this. If you want an LS1 car, make it the right one. Maybe your friend's T/A is fine but don't assume. There isn't just one thing to look for, the list can be endless. It's a modified (including engine) 14 year old car approaching 6 figures in mileage. There are issues now (guaranteed) and there will be in the future. You said you want the car to be 'good and reliable' in your post. Those words may not be in the vocabulary of that $6,000 car. You get what you pay for. Best of luck!

ds98formula

iTrader: (3)

That price is not bad. When buying a modded car I would always have a few extra thousand dollars for in case something goes wrong. I bought my car in 2006 bone stock and 50k on the clock from a dealer for $8000 so deals are out there. Look at a few don't just jump on the first on. If its a buddies car see if you can do a compression and leak down test on it. Is it auto or m6? see of you can go on an extended test drive/ride. Good luck with you ls1 search.

usnfenix

iTrader: (11)

doesnt seem like a bad deal or somethings off to me, i bought my 01' ss for 9k and it was stock with 86k miles, sold it for 6k. i bought my current T/A with quite a few mods and cammed for 8k and it has 80k miles. but i did wait and wait for the best deal to pop up

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

First off, you've come to the right site if you want to learn about LS1 F-bodies. All the info you could ever want is right here.

Sounds like a pretty typical heads/cam car. With these sorts of modifications you'll need to be prepared for certain issues above and beyond the normal maintenance that a stock engine would need. Specifically, valve springs are something that cannot be trusted to last the life of the engine when used with a cam like that. A reasonable change interval will depend on which springs were used and how the car has been driven. If you want to learn more about this topic, you can do some reseach in the Gen III Internal Engine section of this site regarding valve springs and aggressive/fast ramp cams.

That switch that bypasses the muffler is an electric cutout. These are more convenient than a manual cutout (that you have to crawl under the car and open yourself), but they don't last forever.

Just some stuff to be aware of before you buy your first modified LS1.

Sounds like the car has some cosmetic issues, but not too terrible. You could find one in nicer shape, but the price would then be higher. The price he is asking sounds about right for what you're getting.

Being that it's a Trans Am, you can expect issues with the headlight motors and possibily the power antenna at some point as the car ages. Not a huge deal, but just something to think about.

Understand that any used car is a gamble, and a modified used car is even more of a gamble. Personally, I would want something more stock to be a daily driver. My personal rule has always been to limit modifications to only simple bolt-ons for daily drivers. Weekend toys are a different matter, as you don't have to count on them as transportation. But that's just my opinion; lots of people have heads/cam cars that are doing fine as daily drivers, but those cars definitely have a potential for more issues over the long haul than a comparably well cared for stock example.

Bloodfarmer

Thanks a lot for all the info guys! The car is a M6. He doesn't drive it much and I don't want to pass on this deal if it's in good mechanical condition. He says it has a hard time idleing when you turn the wheel, I assume due to the huge cam. I will definately ask for documented records of mods and tune etc, as well as take it to a mechanic who specializes in the Ls1 motor. Thanks again guys and if I do pick it up I will post some pics!

Ellsworth

m6 is a big bonus for 6k, the t56's seem to hold up a little better than the 4l60e, ask him about the rear end and see if you hear any noise on the highway with it, being a hopped up 6 speed If the rear end is stock thats something I'd start saving for, then you can really beat on her

I can gaurentee you more looks and stares you will receive than your mustang, you will not regret it.

Microtech82

WTF??? I had the EXACT same thing, several inches away from my rear passenger wheel. I was using a pressure washer and an almost-perfect circle of paint, a little bigger than a quarter, flew off and exposed the metal underneath...

Quick and easy fix with nail polish.

slikrider20

iTrader: (9)

Listen to this guy.

I'm on my 3rd LS1. My first one had 54k miles, 1 owner, and was BONE stock when i bought it. Never had a single problem with it. I then bought a 120k mile LS1 that had been passed around 5 or 6 times, had nothing but little issues with it because of the owners tweaking with everything. Cars don't like to be modded. I then bought another LS1 (just so happens to be a 99 T/A) with just 36k miles and 1 owner (Bone stock) and the thing is flawless.

Since he's your buddy you may be alright, but i would certainly not buy an Ls1 that had been extensively modded from someone i didn't know/trust.

E36SS

I was once a huge ford fan and wouldn't ever considered an LS powered car. I owned a 94 thunder bird that I built a 2 valve in to make less than probably 300 hp and then swapped in a 4 valve and still didn't make over 300. I bought a 94 bmw with an LS1 about a year ago and will never go back to a 4.6 again. These motors just make so much power stock and even more modified without forced indcution.

MikeWS6

Im happy with my heads/cam ls1. Next is a h/c/i ls3