soxin2008

Hey guys, I am currently looking for a 98-02 4th gen, in new england (the closer to maine, the better) for about $5000-$7000 and all I really see are cars with north of 150,000 miles (pretty ones) and over 100,000 (ugly) and I was just wondering, what would you put as a limit for mileage of a used f-body? thanks for all replies and yes, i tried search, didnt find what I was looking for lol.

lavoy

iTrader: (2)

if all you want to do is drive it and enjoy it for a while then 150k isnt gonn matter, these motors go to 200+ when taken care of, if you plan on beating it and modding it i would suspect it would start smoking and going down hill rather fast with 150k on it. most camaros with v8s arent babied so the chances of it being all highway miles or a old womans church car are slim.

71-Camaro-98

iTrader: (17)

Mine lasted 124,754k miles and then I bent a rod. Mine had 6 owners before me when I bought it 3 years ago with 89k miles for 8k bucks. You can find ones with under 100k for 7k. Just keep an eye out.

soxin2008

Right, I get that, and you basically awnsered my question, but just to inquire again, if i get said car with around 150,000 if there is nothing wrong with it, and I dont mod and take good care of it, the internals are good for 200+?

soxin2008

Wow, 6 owners? That is what I am looking for <100k/<7k, any sites for searching besides craigslist/autotrader? I think I might have to settle for something that is 7k but also about 150k miles lol...I have talked to a few dealers with some nice f-bodys but they say I dont have much time left because they are gonna jack the prices in the next month of so, so I had better make a choice..

smok'nZ

iTrader: (160)

its a matter of opinion i think over 100k is too much but thats bc my 130k car only lasted 3-4 months

71-Camaro-98

iTrader: (17)

^^ agreed. Use carfax and check the backround on the car if you are really interested in one. It is worth it. FYI i got mine on Ebay. You can find them for that price. Like I said, you just have to be patient. I waited about a year until I bought mine.

johnlv6

iTrader: (3)

You're going to pay a premium to find a clean car like this in New England or Alaska (regardless of the mileage).

Assuming it's been properly maintained...yes...that's possible. However, I wouldn't consider buying a car like that unless it had a complete service history. If someone half-assed the maintenance, I'm willing to bet you'd pay for it sooner or later on a car like that. It would have to be one hell of a deal too...

soxin2008

damn...not good news to hear, I mainly want something for a few summers for my commuting work car, then in a few years hopefully i can ubgrade to a nicer f-body and atleast get a little money back for the car i plan on buying soon.

71-Camaro-98

iTrader: (17)

if you plan on buying a different F-Body later on then it may be in your interest to pick up a cheap Honda or something man, especially if it is going to be a commuter. It will save you a lot in gas money.

cpo

iTrader: (13)

Shop the South East, or better yet, the South West for a 3 or less owner with less than 100k. Hard to find, but well worth it.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Prices vary a lot with location, and condition vs mileage varies a lot depending on location as well.

Here in Chicago, you won't find a "nice" LS1 car in the 150k miles range because that much driving in our winter conditions really tears up a car cosmetically. And low mileage/nice condition cars usually sell for much higher (higher cost of living, and less supply of nice cars due to dreadful winters).

I've seen plenty of southern cars with very high miles (well over 100k) that still look great... as good as Chicago cars with 50k miles. As for how they hold up mechanically, that's anybody's guess with a used car.

baalic

iTrader: (8)

If I would of known you earlier, my uncle sold his LT1 Camaro not long ago with over 400hp..... Would have been a decent car for ya.... LOL

Im originally from Maine and have a ton of family still in Maine.

98TAjwh

iTrader: (4)

dealerships tell people they are about to jack the price up all the time just to bait you in and buy the car. they can't really jack the price up too much anyway or it wouldn't sell.

disc0monkey

iTrader: (10)

these cars go 150-250,000 miles if its stock unbeaten

lt1pwr1

iTrader: (1)

I feel like more and more people are using Craigslist these days but Autotrader is good too especially if you are looking at Dealers as well. Honestly, if you are playing with $7K cash, you are WAY better off finding a car originally from the South (Carfax or Autocheck it). It makes a world of difference unless you find one in the north that hasn't been driven in the winter. Find a couple you like and take a trip to see them. Get all the info you need (body condition, mechanical shape, clean title?, VIN) and take a trip and look at a few. Look at some more than your price range. Trust me, if you tell the guy/girl you will pay them cash "today" they would probably be willing to come down quite a bit on the price.

I just bought a 99 Z71 Sierra from the original owner from Texas and the truck still looks like brand new underneath. Brake and fuel lines have NO rust at all. If I bought a 99' in Michigan, it would be rusted out already. Don't spend that much on a northern car that has been driven in winters. Good luck.

98droptop

iTrader: (5)

If you could swing looking out west, I would highly recommend it.
You would be suprised at how good the cars look out here even when they are 15 years old.

I looked at a lot of them right here in Arizona but just happened to find my best deals out of state. Both of the Camaros I bought came out of Denver believe it or not.

The last one I bought is my 98 Z28 vert. Found it on the Albuquerque Craigslist. The guy I bought it from deals out of his house. Goes to auctions, etc., checks adds in the surrounding states.

I talked to this guy on the phone about the 98, he sent me the carfax and told me about the car. He had bought the car at auction and told me it came from Colorado but it was quite obvious that it had been taken care of and not been out in the snow.

He had put new tires on it, a new battery, and told me that it would probably need new front rotors because they seemed to be warped a little as you could tell when you applied the brakes.

I flew out to Albuquerque, he picked me up at the airport in the Z. Went to his house, I checked out the car. Could not believe it when I looked at it, especially underneath, this car was clean! Top, interior all in great shape. The only rust on the car was a little on the differential cover.

Gave him a cashiers check, he had the title and temporary tags ready and I drove it home to Phoenix.

Black paint had some swirls in it, but was still nice and shiny, a few times over the car with my Porter Cable and she is looking pretty good.

This was a 1998 Z28 Convertible with 50,000 original miles. I paid $8500 for this car. Thsi guy has found cars for people and shipped them without the people even checking out the car. If you want his contact info, let me know.

lavoy

iTrader: (2)

yes, IF they had regular oil changes, good air filter to keep dirt out and wasnt beat on hard, a beating wont hurt any modern engine but if some kid had the car and always was WOT on revlimiter ect ect it is probably worn pretty good. i would not be afraid to own ad drive a 200k ls1 if i knew for sure it was very well maintained and treated well.

SSmoken

iTrader: (26)

i wouldnt hesitate to buy a car with over 100k miles. just look it over and drive before hand. i bought mine 5yrs ago. stock with 86k on it. now i have 138k, and the mods in my sig and still runs fine.

Wesmanw02

iTrader: (4)

With cars like these, mileage is much less a factor than the actual condition.

You could have a car with 75K mies that was poorly maintained and beat to hell, or you could have a car with 150K that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor.

If someone is a fanatic and takes excellent car of the car, meaning they keep it washed, waxed, fluid changes with synthetic, don't abuse it, ect. there is nothing wrong with buying a car with higher mileage.

If you take proper care of these cars and don't abuse the powertrain, they will pretty much last indefinitely. But like most sports/performance cars, its very difficult to fine one that wasn't driven hard for most of its life.

One of the best things to check is under the car. Is there surface rust on the unibody?? Leaking fluids?? Have the shocks been replaced?? Is the rear axle a rustbucket?? Were the rocker panels damaged from jacking on the wrong spot?? A car thats been well cared for will not have any of those issues. Primarily because it was not driven in harsh environments (snow, salt, ect), and also because when there is an issue, the owner would take care of it and fix the problem to OEM standards or better. If the interior, engine compartment, underbody, chassis, and exterior all look immaculate, its a good indication that the rest of parts that you can't see probably are as well.