If I've encountered a 98 trans am, 140k miles, all stock (not even a modded exhaust!), but the T-tops are all siliconed shut....I'm guessing it's one of the following two possibilities:

1. The seals are old as hell and the tops leaked so the owner sealed them shut

2. The car was bent somehow in a wreck and the tops won't fit due to that, started leaking, got sealed.

The car has been in 2 accidents in it's life, has had a drivers quarter put on. That said, the rear framerails and fronts actually looked fine to me, I looked really hard and couldn't find any evidence of the frame being bent. Also, the car actually drove very well - I didn't notice any sort of pulling or anything, it seemed straight.

The dealer won't let me take the t-tops off, and he's down to 4300 bucks, take it or leave it. I'm about to pull the trigger, but that T-top question is a big if. What do you guys think, how likely is it that the car has some damage I'm not detecting as opposed to it just needing new t-top seals?

I'd hate to buy it and somehow find it's extremely twisted. But everything else seems to check out, and I know I can't expect much from a cheap car. The tops are a major part of my desire for the car. LS1/M6 drivetrain doesn't hurt either!

 

Seems like a Hack Repair To Me!
Unless you dont Want to take the T-tops off.

 

Well I do, that's the idea....I just am trying to decide WHY they don't fit, if it's just new seals, cool! If it has frame damage, I don't want to touch it. What's the likelihood?

 

If I'm on the fence about something such as this, that may potentially be a headache, I usually just forget it. Usually seems to work out better in the end.

 

Run like hell.....if you buy that car you will end up hating it.

 

A clear indication that the car was un-cared for. A quick fix instead of the correct fix. Ask yourself about what care the rest of the car has received.

 

run forrest run! sounds like a "outback special"

 

RUN!! It's a turd!

 

POS - All the way.

That is just too big of a thing to be molested.

I would give them a Grand or 2. But, in no how hell 4k.

 

I find it strange that he won't let you take them off. Its like not being allowed to turn the damn radio on to see if it works before buying. It doesn't make much sense. ... Wait, please tell me that you checked to see if they were locked with the key or not!(door and deck key also unlocks your t-tops!)

 

LOL at even considering that "deal."

 

OK - I spent some more time checking out the car. Funny how this thread is all "run" and the other one turned out "buy!".

Here's what I found:

Was able to pull the headliner down enough to see the tbar, and looked very closely at it - no sign of dents, malformation, anything else. The tops do sit level, and seem to sit normally and contact all of the seal on the insides. He wouldn't let me take them off because some guy had actually tried to use a tube of silicone to stop leaking by sealing the outer edges right to the windshield/rollbar frames.

I tried very hard to find any evidence of damage, and I just couldn't. To be fair, the guy let me take the car on a 30 minute test drive and I've poured over everything I could find for an hour an a half. The only things I found wrong other than the t-tops are things that this forum seems to have really quick/established good fixes for, or things I'll replace myself, like this:

-Radio missing speakers (don't care, do my own sys anyhow)
-a/c needs charge (I don't use AC at all)
-needs a heater **** (I'm guessing it's not made of some super expensive platinum material)
-Power windows are slow (This concerns me a bit, I think this is a quick fix? I'm going to search more on this.)
-Pass power mirror doesn't go up/down but will go side/side.
-Hatch doesn't wanna stay up (I've heard these struts aren't that expensive)


I do appreciate the opinions offered here. Is there any other way I can find an LS1/m6/t-top car for the neighborhood of 4k? I tried getting him into the 3's but he wouldn't go lower than 4300. The engine, trans and rear all seem to be in good shape, and I've driven cars that people were asking 9k for that felt disgusting, this car actually drives pretty well for what it is.

Anything else that you guys can add, I'm all ears. I have a deposit down on the car, 300 non refundable, for two months. I'm not opposed to just saying screw it if I can find some seriously good deals. I'm not opposed to work, and though I've never owned an f-bod.....from owning my caprice, my impression of GM is that the interior and little features usually suck while the body and drivetrain will go along forever. Thanks for the replies, I'll consider them very thoroughly.

 

go for it man
if it turns out to be junk you can part it and make most of your $$$$ back

and most fbods have slow power window motors, $50 at autozone and an hour each side to replace..............

 

Take the tops off anyway. If they don't like it they can reseal them. I wouldn't do any kind of business with them unless the tops come off.

 

Couldnt you have ripped the t-tops off on your 1.5 hour test drive. Or did he ride around with you?

 

Dude your a idiot if you buy that, by all the "easy" fixes you mentioned your looking at a good grand or so just for the easy fixes. With the ttops and all that **** you could be looking at spending in around 6000 for everything to have a perfect working car. For a little more you could find a really nice camaro or trans am. Id def just wait if he wont let you take the tops off then tell him to bad. And dude... 140k miles?? are you ******* nuts that double of what most cars of that year have that go off for around 7 grand with no problems.

 

Hmmm.....the mileage thing was actually the last of my concerns, my caprice has 175k on it and will still put me back in the seat without issue. I've driven lower mileage LS1 T/As, they actually felt less powerful than this one. Are the LS1's prone to wear more than an LT motor?

They rode with me. Basically the reasoning is that they don't have any real f-body experience and aren't exactly sure how to fix the tops properly if I break the seal. I'm hearing conflicting reports, some people say t-top seals are an easy fix and this car is an overall ok deal, some people are screaming run. I'm considering this very carefully after seeing how many people say run....

I'm in the NE, and here's a link to the car:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...000&cardist=39

7k is above my budget, 4k is not. I do my own work and have hookups for parts at generic places - IE autozone or the equivilent. If a window motor is 50 bucks over the counter, I'll be in good shape.

I think if I go back with cash in hand, I'll just rip the tops right off and see what I can see right there. I won't pay the price to bring it home if I can't be 100% certain the top frame isn't bent. I'll get a very careful list of parts necessary to put this one back together, I see the logic that it could be expensive. Is anyone here near RI by any chance? anyone who might be able to give me some insight on the dealer?

Thanks a lot for the responses, sounds like you guys might save me from screwing myself. I'm gonna go do some math problems.

 

BTW, I have also tossed around the idea of parting this car if it's junk and using the LS1 T-56 for my caprice, so if I go that route.....I'll be back to haunt y'all!

 

Sounds like a turd..and that's hard to say about a newer F-body..

 

I still don't know man, the car looks like its in good shape from the pictures but these usually arent the cars you buy when you "just have enough money" Side things break like the window motor and not to mention thats alot of miles on the rear, how do you know it was never raced with slicks or anything? I mean it seems like a good buy if you think you could fix it and it would be worth it to you but I still kinda wanna say that car sounds like more trouble then its worth. The fact of the ttops like above said it prob wasnt taken very good care of and I like to think of it this way. These ls1 engines are very reliable and they dont seem to break often...but everything AROUND them does. It sounds stupid but idk when little stuff starts breaking in the car due to it being old and having alot of miles like that you'll prob be pulling your hair out wondering why you went through with the deal.