Der_Richter

Hello and greetings from Sweden! Just bought my first F-body. Settled for a Camaro SS -98 with Loudmouth exhausts and SLP air filters and some more neat stuff. It's an Auto and imported to Sweden from Florida with all papers intact.

Here in Sweden a US car is more or less seen as a "toy" and there's not many workshops or mechanics who will do work on them. At least not at anywhere near humane prices.

Being a fan of US cars and muscle in particular i am not giving in and buying some tame Volvo. V8 muscle is always the right way to go even if it means imports

However, as i wrote above most work on the cars have to be done at home or by some outback "diy-mech"... So i tought i'd ask the "pros": As soon as the immidiate joy of just driving around and beating jap-tuners at traffic lights, what should i check/replace on the car to start with. Not for performance but general maintenance. Just tought it would be better to replace fluids and do general check-up after previous owner. Just to make sure the car willrun smooth and good for next spring...

What i can think of would be... fluids. Engine, auto and more?

Brakes, how to check they're good?

Bleed the ABS-system? Do u really have to?

Something else? Perhaps replace air filters?

Basically what do i need to replace/check to make sure it will run good now when i finally have it

Greets!

Richard

cherryelky305

iTrader: (2)

Plug's, wire's, fuel filter, air filter, coolant, change oil and oil filter, could change the trans fluid ( I'd just check it first, if it looks ok I'd leave it)

streetassasin

iTrader: (30)

sweet!
I know yall pay a premium for LS1's over there, so I gotta ask: how much?
BTW it sounds weird when you call them ''imports''

b.lee

iTrader: (6)

id just change the oil, check the tranny fluid dip stick for burnt or dark colored fluid.
also make sure the airfilter is clean.
maybe check out the rear end / axle to make sure it has the correct amount of gear lube in it.

otherwise, fill it up with gas and enjoy.

matt3383

iTrader: (3)

Oil
airfilter
fuel filter
trans fluid
diff fluid
brake pads and rotors
throttle body for build up
plugs

those few things should insure you have a smooth running LS1

Der_Richter

Thanks for all the help guys... I jacked the car and replaced differential oil (whilst cleaning the rear axle joint as well), replaced oil and oil filter as well as the tranny oil. Oil looked good and smelled good, but u can never be certain...

Then i checked all the visible wiring... looks good. Then i put some grease (just a very little amount) on rubber details like the T-top seals to avoid them from leaking later.

Replaced plugs and cleaned the engine compartment. And that will do it for now. I'll check out the brake system more during the winter.

By the way, since there is not a whole lot of ratailers here for GM, and those that exist rarely has ANYTHING at all for Camaro... Anyone know of a good site that offers international shipping and payment options for stock parts? Would be good to know in the future.

As far as to what it costs... It's quite the punishment for your wallet driving a US car over here. The government wants it to be as well with import taxes and CRAZY fuel taxes.

I paid 23K dollars for the car and the previous owner also paid like 15K extra for the import costs, freight and taxes. And that's 23K dollars for a car with 93K miles on it i might add High mileage imports is about all performance GM u can get here, without ruining your finances completely. The only US car that seems to be cheap is the Cadillac STS (common here among mid-50:s men with high incomes). The STS is even sold here. As well as the joke of a car that is the KIA/GM-collaboration small asian built car. And that's about it. The rest is imports.

The worst bit is not getting the car however. It's gas. Gas in Sweden,with all the ridicoulous enviromental taxes and other crap.

Where i live, yesterdays current price for gas:

8,8 dollars for ONE gallon. Now THAT is a pain in the ***.

firebird5134

HOLY COW!!! Do you really mean $8.80 a gallon?!? I'll think twice before I complain about $2.80 at our local pumps!

Der_Richter

Yes. I seriously mean $8.80 per gallon. That's what u get when u live in a country that has decided to show with taxes, that they believe all motorists are basically criminal

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

Ouch....

Certainly puts gas prices here in the uSA into perspective... Much of the world pays more for gas than we do.

kokingSS

iTrader: (2)

holy over priced fuel batman, that absolutley sux

Der_Richter

Yeah. It's a lot of cash in the long run. That's why people tend to speak of us having US-cars as "American Car Hobbyist". Like we run a bookclub or build scale airplane models.

It's quite rare to have a US car over here, especially one with a V8. It's even more odd having an auto gear. When u have all three, like me you're considered a crazy person.

Personally i have always driven US muscle except for the winter season which is quite the frosty one over here.

No matter what price they put on gas or what taxes they put on imports i just can't be comfortable in an average European car. There's something "sturdy" about GM muscle... It feels like it won't break on you just like that and i've always chosen power and fun and a slightly smaller wallet as compared to boring driving in cars designed to have low mileage and start to top out at 65 Mph.

Any luck on finding me a dealer who will ship parts to me from the US btw? Clear tail-lights would be sweet.