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Hi Guys...I'm going to look at a '01 SS that hasn't been driven much but it also has been taken care of either. I'm not new to this platform (owned a '99 SS, '00 SS, '10 SS, and a '11 CTS-V along with a SSS and TBSS), but it's been a while since I've been around one. This guy basically drove it home about 3 years ago, park it outside and hasn't touched it since. It has less than 30K on it, but I know I'm going to have to put some work into it to get it back in driving condition.
My question is, what should I look for when I go to check it out? He says we'll have to jump it, but I don't know how much I'd really want to even drive it until I can change the fluids and check the brakes out. He claims to have only used Mobil 1 in it so maybe it'll be ok until I can get it home (about 20 miles). What would you look for if you were considering a car like this?
Yeah the fuel is a concern for sure. I was thinking I could run the Seafoam clean up procedure on the car just as a precaution. Maybe I should bring a few gallons of some fresh 93 to help me get it around.
I'm also a bit worried about getting the lug nuts off the car. They might be seriously stuck on there.
Lug nuts won't be any more (or less) of a problem than they would be with a car that was driven those three years. As long as they have lug caps (or a close-ended nut) they should be fine and nothing that a breaker bar can't handle (unless the last installer did something wrong.)
I agree about fuel concerns. It will likely be worse if it was stored with less than a full tank. That means more air was trapped in the tank, and with air is moisture. But, if the tank is low, at least you can get some fresh fuel in it right away.
Coolant would be my next priority. Check that (and oil, but I figure that's a given) before even firing the engine. Check underneath for any significant leaks before starting it, and again once it's been running for a little bit.
Tires will likely need some air. I would check them.
The biggest issue with the brakes will likely be rotor rust if it's been sitting outdoors for three years without moving. What would have been simple flash rust has now likely progressed into a more serious state, the brakes might even be seized a bit depending on the climate in question.
If the battery has been sitting in there for three years dead (and no telling how old it was before the car stopped moving), it likely won't take a charge. In fact, assuming the jump is even successful, the alternator could be damaged attempting to send the battery a charge. Honestly, I'd want a fresh battery to be installed, or perhaps bring one of your own if you have a Group 75 unit at your disposal (13mm socket plus long extension for battery hold down, and 5/16" wrench for battery posts.)
If it's been sitting outside for 3 years, I would be looking real hard for evidence of mice inside the car. While you're in there, check under the seats and carpeting for moisture or mold from water leaks.
If it's been sitting outside for 3 years, I would be looking real hard for evidence of mice inside the car. While you're in there, check under the seats and carpeting for moisture or mold from water leaks.
this would scare me away from buying any car with these problems.
stiff1, I had a 2002 SS I sold last year and it had about 66 000KM on it, which is about 41 000 miles. It was never driven much and I always stored it during the winter and from my experience with a low mileage car, here were a few issues with my SS which I believe happened because it was never driven.
- Rear main seal was sweating. It wasn't leaking but was sweating a bit and I was going to fix it if I kept the car
- One of the power steering lines was sweating - was going to fix if I kept it
Other than that, the car was perfect. I don't blame the car for those few issues but myself for not driving it more.
stiff1, I had a 2002 SS I sold last year and it had about 66 000KM on it, which is about 41 000 miles. It was never driven much and I always stored it during the winter and from my experience with a low mileage car, here were a few issues with my SS which I believe happened because it was never driven.
- Rear main seal was sweating. It wasn't leaking but was sweating a bit and I was going to fix it if I kept the car
- One of the power steering lines was sweating - was going to fix if I kept it
Other than that, the car was perfect. I don't blame the car for those few issues but myself for not driving it more.
I would not attribute those issues to a lack of use. My '98 has only 17k miles, so it sits even more than yours did, and it does not have either of those problems.
On the other hand, my '02 had both a minor rear main leak and weeping PS lines by the time it had 100k miles, and it was a daily driver. Usage has cased more leaks than sitting in my experience.
Indoor storage is easier on a car though. Outside you obviously get a lot more weathering and environmental exposure to cosmetic areas of the car, but also more rapid temperature swings and more humidity (which is harder on gaskets and fluids, etc.)
Alright, so I had a chance to check out the car yesterday. There is a lot more work that is needed than I originally expected, at least cosmetically.
The owner changed the oil and flushed the coolant before he parked it. He also changed the rotors and put new pads on along with new tires. The brakes were pretty rusty, but I think that they would be salvageable. I'm hoping that the tires might not be too flat spotted, but I'm not sure yet. The oil (Mobil 1) looked great, and the air filter was spotless.
The downside on the car is something must have gave out in holding the window. When we went to open it up you could see that the drivers side glass was about 1/4" open. That allowed all kinds of moisture to get in there. The drivers seat will need to be replaced and so will the carpet. He had a pretty big stereo in the car in the past and all of the plastics with the exception of the passenger door panel and the dash are probably going to have to be replaced too. His whole thing was about making the car loud, so he covered almost everything in dynamat. He has speaker wires and cables run everywhere that I'd have to pull out too.
The car has also been sitting under a tree, and is going to need a severe detail to bring it back to life. The headlights will need to be restored and hopefully the rubber gaskets around the windows are going to be ok. There was a pretty decent amount of crud in the side channels when we opened the rear hatch.
Overall I'm thinking that the car is probably going to be ok mechanically (but I'd still have to confirm), but it is going to need a ton of TLC. So my question is do you guys have and idea what it would cost for new seats, carpet and plastics? I can detail the car and go through the engine. The guy is really willing to lower the price just to get it out of his driveway, and if there is still some value I think I'd pick it up.
Any clue to what a car in this condition would be worth? I've seen cars with 150k that are in better shape then this one, but I'm hoping that with a little time and the right price, I can make this a worthy investment.
Here are a couple of pictures. As you can see the car is in pretty rough shape. Normally I wouldn't even consider a car like this, but at what price do you say it's worth the risk?
Although you could probably find all the interior pieces you need, that car sounds like a good one to pass on.
Tires are probably flat spotted, brakes may still need replacement (caliper pistons rusted)? I'm willing to bet there is mold under the carpet which will be tough to get rid of plus hazardous to you. After all that plus the cosmetics, you'll probably have more time and money in it than you expect.
I would not attribute those issues to a lack of use. My '98 has only 17k miles, so it sits even more than yours did, and it does not have either of those problems.
On the other hand, my '02 had both a minor rear main leak and weeping PS lines by the time it had 100k miles, and it was a daily driver. Usage has cased more leaks than sitting in my experience.
Indoor storage is easier on a car though. Outside you obviously get a lot more weathering and environmental exposure to cosmetic areas of the car, but also more rapid temperature swings and more humidity (which is harder on gaskets and fluids, etc.)
I agree with all of this. Sitting out year round in the elements is so hard on things. Going from the hot sun beating down on paint and seals to sitting out in cold, sometimes sub zero temperatures....... Cold, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, rubber and plastic expanding, shrinking, expanding shrinking being dried out really really takes it's toll on things.
Originally Posted by stiff1
Alright, so I had a chance to check out the car yesterday. There is a lot more work that is needed than I originally expected, at least cosmetically.
The owner changed the oil and flushed the coolant before he parked it. He also changed the rotors and put new pads on along with new tires. The brakes were pretty rusty, but I think that they would be salvageable. I'm hoping that the tires might not be too flat spotted, but I'm not sure yet. The oil (Mobil 1) looked great, and the air filter was spotless.
The downside on the car is something must have gave out in holding the window. When we went to open it up you could see that the drivers side glass was about 1/4" open. That allowed all kinds of moisture to get in there. The drivers seat will need to be replaced and so will the carpet. He had a pretty big stereo in the car in the past and all of the plastics with the exception of the passenger door panel and the dash are probably going to have to be replaced too. His whole thing was about making the car loud, so he covered almost everything in dynamat. He has speaker wires and cables run everywhere that I'd have to pull out too.
The car has also been sitting under a tree, and is going to need a severe detail to bring it back to life. The headlights will need to be restored and hopefully the rubber gaskets around the windows are going to be ok. There was a pretty decent amount of crud in the side channels when we opened the rear hatch.
Overall I'm thinking that the car is probably going to be ok mechanically (but I'd still have to confirm), but it is going to need a ton of TLC. So my question is do you guys have and idea what it would cost for new seats, carpet and plastics? I can detail the car and go through the engine. The guy is really willing to lower the price just to get it out of his driveway, and if there is still some value I think I'd pick it up.
Any clue to what a car in this condition would be worth? I've seen cars with 150k that are in better shape then this one, but I'm hoping that with a little time and the right price, I can make this a worthy investment.
I don't suppose you took a bunch of pictures you could post up did ya?
With under 30K miles I'd be inclined to try and pick it up cheap. My family driver has been parked outside for the past 7 years and doesn't show any issues from that. It often sits for days at a time. And half the time it is parked under a maple tree to keep the sun off the paint. It's a 2002 and the paint is a 8.5/10. Keeping this SS under a tree for 3 years might have been better than 3 years in the direct sun where the paint would have surely blistered/bubbled at some point.
Look at the car more closely as there is potential there. Sounds similar to a 1-owner 2001 black SS M6 with 32K miles I looked at 4-1/2 years ago. The guy lived on a farm and drove the crap out of the car, requiring numerous new parts under warranty (cats + exhaust twice, shifter, engine rod bearings, t/o bearing, clutch, shifter, window motors, brakes twice, etc....all in the first 18K miles). That car had baked paint with the clear coat peeling on the hood, roof, spoiler, upper quarters, etc. There was raw fiberglass puking off on the spoiler. The underside was caked in hard, thick mud. The driver's seat was crushed flat (300 lb guy) and carpet mud stained with heel holes through it. The tires were burnt to a crisp. That's the way it came in for a trade-in. The new car dealer was asking $10K for that. It actually drove and shifted fine other than for the flat spots in the tires.
After a couple weeks the dealer ended up flipping it to a wholesaler who repainted the car and replaced the worn interior parts. It was back on the market in 2012 for $12,000....good as new...lol. It would have been hard to abuse that car more other than leaving the windows open the entire time the 1st owner had it.
If you can get this one for $8K-$10K it might be worth your efforts. It's not like it's a flood car that was immersed in water. Just verify the extent of any additional mold or wiring damage everywhere in the cabin/hatch back area and under the dash. Poke around as much as you can. If I were you I'd wash the a few parts of the car and use some simple cleaner wax, etc. to see how the finish initially comes up. It might come right back....or not. Should be ok to drive home with fresh fuel and battery. Maybe bring a cheap $7 squeeze pump and try to remove as much old fuel as possible. Bring along a fresh 3-5 galls of 93 octane. Of course, the better it comes back to life, the more the owner might ask for it.
I'd agree with you that mechanically it's likely quite recoverable. Maybe factor in $1K (interior), $1K paint resto, and maybe another $1K for mechanical stuff, $600 for tires if they don't re-round. If this were an excellent automatic with 30K miles I'd figure it was worth $13K or so. Add another $1K for an M6. The car might end up being a relatively inexpensive daily driver with the benefit of low miles. The fact that it's not a garage queen like nearly all of it's under 30K mile brethren, means you can drive it a ton, including in the rain and not feel bad about it.
Although you could probably find all the interior pieces you need, that car sounds like a good one to pass on.
Tires are probably flat spotted, brakes may still need replacement (caliper pistons rusted)? I'm willing to bet there is mold under the carpet which will be tough to get rid of plus hazardous to you. After all that plus the cosmetics, you'll probably have more time and money in it than you expect.
You might be right, but at what price do you say that you can fix that stuff and have a fun driver? If the car is mechanically sound, and you can get it for $4000, is it then worth it to pick it up? What about $3000 or $2000, would you buy it then? It is a 29K mile SS after all, so it has to have some value.
I'm looking for a car that I can drive for fun that has the V8 sound and three pedals. This car has a SLP lid, SLP long tube headers, Corsa exhaust and a Lou's short stick. I know that the sound will be there, but I'd have to make it livable first, right now I didn't even want to sit in the thing. With some work it might be worth it, I just don't want to jump in it and have to throw $10k at it to be worth $8500.
You might be right, but at what price do you say that you can fix that stuff and have a fun driver? If the car is mechanically sound, and you can get it for $4000, is it then worth it to pick it up? What about $3000 or $2000, would you buy it then? It is a 29K mile SS after all, so it has to have some value.
I'm looking for a car that I can drive for fun that has the V8 sound and three pedals. This car has a SLP lid, SLP long tube headers, Corsa exhaust and a Lou's short stick. I know that the sound will be there, but I'd have to make it livable first, right now I didn't even want to sit in the thing. With some work it might be worth it, I just don't want to jump in it and have to throw $10k at it to be worth $8500.
With under 30K miles I'd be inclined to try and pick it up cheap. My daily driver has been parked outside for the past 7 years and doesn't show any issues from that. It often sits for days at a time. And half the time it is parked under a maple tree to keep the sun off the paint. It's a 2002 and the paint is a 8.5/10. Keeping this SS under a tree for 3 years might have been better than 3 years in the direct sun where the paint would have surely blistered/bubbled at some point.
Look at the car more closely as there is potential there. Sounds similar to a 1-owner 2001 black SS M6 with 32K miles I looked at 4-1/2 years ago. The guy lived on a farm and drove the crap out of the car, requiring numerous new parts under warranty (cats + exhaust, shifter, engine bearings, t/o bearing, shifter, window motors, brakes twice, etc....all in the first 18K miles). That car had baked paint with the clear coat peeling on the hood, roof, spoiler, upper quarters, etc. There was raw fiberglass puking off on the spoiler. The driver's seat was crushed flat (300 lb guy) and carpet mud stained with heel holes. The tires were burnt to a crisp. That's the way it came in for a trade-in. The new car dealer was asking $10K for that. It actually drove and shifted fine other than for the flat spots in the tires.
After a couple weeks they ended up flipping it to a wholesaler who repainted the car, replaced the worn interior parts. It was back on the market in 2012 for $12,000. It would have been hard to abuse that car more other than leaving the windows open the entire time the 1st owner had it.
If you can get this one for $8K-$10K it might be worth your efforts. It's not like it's a flood car that was immersed in water. Just verify the extent of any additional mold or wiring damage in the cabin area and under the dash. Poke around as much as you can. I'd agree with you that mechanically it's likely easily recoverable. Maybe factor in $1K (interior), $1K paint, and maybe another $1K for mechanical stuff. If this were an excellent automatic with 30K miles I'd figure it was worth $13K or so. Add another $1K for an M6.
Thank you for your input. I think I'd pass at the $8k-$10k range just based on what I was yesterday. But, this guy is talking the $5k-$6k range and I think possibly even less after he looked at it yesterday. I feel like there is a pretty good deal to be had at that price point.
Hopefully the pictures will show up soon, so you guys can see if there is something that I'm missing.
06-10-2016, 12:18 PM
What to Look For 
