ErikD1

Well, today I found a silver '98 Z/28 on a local used car lot. I went and checked it out. The car was clean and drove really good. I was impressed by the power and the feel of the car. The car had 49,xxx miles and they are asking $11,995. A couple things that turned me off though:
1) Leaky rear end
2) rust in the radiator
3) rattle coming from the rear
4) no t-tops

If the car had T-tops I would be more interested, but I am pretty set on getting a T-top car. Other than that, I really liked it. Does this seem like a normal deal or what? I'd like to find something with no rust in the radiator and a non-leaking rear end too. BTW, I also wasn't too crazy about the shifter, are there aftermarket replacements?? Thanks!

BTW, in case anyone is interested, here it is:
camaro

OneMeanZ

iTrader: (2)

Seems like an okay deal

cook_dw

iTrader: (16)

99% of the f-bodys have a pinion seal go out before the 50K mark. To me it isnt that uncommon. Other than the rad. it seems like a good deal..

blkZ28spt

Car/price looks about right. You better believe there are replacement shifters. Also, if it hasn't been done, one of the first things you'll want to do with an M6 is skip shift delete (!CAGS).

ErikD1

Pardon my ignorance, but, what exactly is skip shift delete? Thanks,
Erik

blkZ28spt

CAGS (computer aided gear selection), is an employed to pass certain tests. It forces you to shift from first to fourth gear if you do not rev high enough. A very simple radio shack resistor or a specially made part from a sponsor can quickly/easily rid you of that annoyance.

ErikD1

Thanks! I never knew that existed. I was easy on the car I drove today and it went to 2nd with ease and didn't try to go into 4th. I'll look into it from now on!

xxtinktFormula

I would personally prefer t-tops.You will really appreciate them on a not so sunny day. On top of that, I dont trust the rust in the radiator. Could be that it has never been flushed, but you dont know if you will have to replace it and it could have contamination issues as a result. (meaning the radiator and water pump) So maybe a grand to fix that and install a new rear with stronger gears if you do the ratiator yourself.

XFiveLiter

Dexcool has a color that you may be mistaking for rust. All aluminum engines don't rust.

Uno99

iTrader: (2)

Hold out until you find one with T-Tops. If you want t-tops now you will regret not waiting to get them.

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

i had some brown crap in mine too, i flushed it and it looks good now.

TransAm52804

Stuff like this can't be stressed enough. Hold out and be patient until you find exactly what you're looking for. If you settle for something that is "good enough", but is missing a feature/s that you really wanted (color, roof type, tranny type, etc), you will end up regretting it and not viewing your car like you should (instead of "God it's awesome!", it might be "Yeah it's cool, but I really wanted/wished it had (insert feature here), though."). Kinda see what I mean?

af_187

dude if you cud get a Z without ttops thats awesome. WAY more rare. Hardtop z28s look AWESOME wit added SS hood and the zl-1 type setup. Theyre a bad car..I wish mine was hardtop

msbz_ls1

iTrader: (1)

yhe i got an a4 and wanted an m6 cuz of the price..i kinda regret it but still love the car..but dream of an m6...ill save the m6 for a later day..who ever saidyou can't have 2 f-bodys ..

ErikD1

Yeah to be honest I didn't plan on buying this car the second I saw it didn't have T-tops. The car looks good and all, but not for me. As for the stuff in the radiator, it may not be rust but it definitely isn't dexcool. It just didn't look right at all. I pretty much posted this to see if thats about the normal price range and to say I really liked driving the car. When the guy told me to open it up I had to, knowing I wasn't buying the car I shifted into third fairly hard and chirped the tires pretty easily. I was impressed by the power that it had. Now to find that T-top car

ZR2877

I think the price is a little high on a 98. You could get them to come down a good bit. I do agree with everyone else don't settle for something you won't be happy with. Wait it out for a T-Top car if that's what you really want. I love my T-Tops.

Predator

I was thinking the same thing; I wish my T/A was a hardtop. T-tops are nice in theory, but there are issues with them like small leaks, plus you have to lubricate the weather seals. Lastly, I think a hardtop is more structurally rigid.

Keenov

iTrader: (5)

I got mine for $9100. Had 80k miles though. I wasn't desperately looking for t-tops but the car had them. I like them a lot now and I am glad I got them. The car is in very good condition; no rust, no leakage.

That car looks just like mine

Nine Ball

iTrader: (38)

Definitely hold out for the car you want. I've had a T-top car and now a convertible and I enjoy both. I like the convertible better though, as I can drop the top sitting at a redlight and not mess with removing or locking t-tops.

Good thing about t-top cars is that you can enjoy them almost as much as a convertible, but without the higher insurance rates that a convertible has.

Price seems a bit high for a '98 base model Z28. I'd offer $9500 max on that one.

WS6snake-eater

Ditto....price is too high...