Going with my Dad to look at a 2002 SS A4 vert tomorrow. A little over 200k miles, second owner, says everything is original/stock with just a rebuild on the rearend. What kind of checks should I do driving it? Any advice on testing transmission? Thanks

 

Smell/inspect fluids, look for leaks, listen for noises, pay attention to how it shifts, feel for sloppiness in the steering wheel, check front tires for cupping, etc...

 

Exactly what he said but you probably all ready know nothing lasts forever. Make sure your getting a good enough deal to where you could fix something if it breaks. Look at the radiator support and body alignment to.

 

I wouldn't consider any car with 200,000 miles no matter what condition. Well I might if it was free.
How much life can you really get out of this car without sinking lots of $$$ into it??

 

My 02 ws6 has over 160k miles.. Girlfriends 00 z28 has over 200k miles.
Hers has pulled several other ls1 cars it shouldn't. Mine has outran cars to **** a lot of people off and cause a bit of a ruckus in srk section here. Both are stock, neither have any issues that would keep the cars from selling if we wanted to sell them.

 

People care too much about mileage. My 01 WS6 has 170k. My 00 Silverado has almost 200k and is in fantastic shape other than a few scratches. I've seen cars with 30k beat to hell, a car with 1500 miles lose oil pressure and end up needing a new engine. Condition is what matters. If the price reflects the mileage and condition and you like the car then that's all that matters. I'd check the same things on any car I was looking at no matter what the mileage.

 

condition over miles is how I have always bought cars. Of my 3 LS1 cars my highest miles car is by far in better condition than my other 2 with 233,000 miles and it still rips and is tight as a drum(prominent car in my current sig pic). Still stock original internals in engine ,in m6, and even in the 10 bolt , made 3 track passes for previous owner at 215,000 miles all in the 11.9's ( I was there with another car that night) been full bolt ons for over 100k , trans is giving me a hard time shifting now at wot but other than that no regrets.

I also have a fwd 4 door 3800 sc Buick regal with 220,000 miles that has all original drivetrain with bolt ons and has run in the low to mid 13's for me literally hundreds of passes.

highway miles are super easy on a car compared to intown miles , people who have never owned a truly nice highway miles car dont understand but they are the best values out there because so many people are scared of the miles it drives the prices way down - just realize when you go to sell it you will be faced with the same situation.

 

My Trans Am before starting my turbo setup project that im doing right now had around 160,000 miles on the factory LS1, unrebuilt T-56, only thing replaced was clutch about 3 times. My car was still running strong! The way I see things on considering a purchase of a high miled car is: What are gonna be the purposes on the use of the car? Am I willing to pay money for a high miled car that could need alot of maintance? Am I willing to invest money on this high miled car?... Pretty much in my opinion since its a high miled car it could need alot of maintance, if you want the car for a project build then make sure you dont pay too much for the car at the end you will gut it out anyways.

 

I picked up my car with over 215k on it and it was fine. Like said before check all the fluid and under the oil cap to see if there's any milky residue. Also listen good for any noises and check under the car for anything leaking or rust. Ask whatever questions you can think of.

 

This is too true. I work at a dealership and it's always fascinating looking at the cars people trade in. You could sit in a car with 10k miles on the clock and the thing's already trashed. Then get in a car with 200k+ and it's like new.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a high mileage F-body if it's a good deal and doesn't look like it's been trashed. It should become immediately obvious to you if the car is in good shape or not. A poorly maintained F-body should be easy to spot.

 

I wouldn't be opposed to a car with that kind of mileage. Just make sure everything checks out, doesn't need any obvious expensive repairs, and don't pay much for it.

 

200k miles for how much like 2k?

So the Convertible Top has 200k miles on it? might check that for leaks/tears and make sure it works properly.

Look under the car at the frame see how much rust it has and any damage and checkout the leaks and listen to the motor make sure transmission shifts right thats alot of miles.

 

It's the better ones that live to see 200k to begin with. Just make sure it's in good running condition now.

 

My 98 had 290,000 when someone put into a tree.

 

My 02 Ws6 has 16XK on it... I paid 8K for it.

 

I picked up a 02 WS6 vert with 190k on it a few months back. aside from the mileage, you would have thought it only had 20k on it. It was super clean.

I've also had cars with 30-60k on them that are total garbage due to the way they had been treated in the past. Just look it over with a fine tooth comb and it should answer most questions you have about it.

 

mileage is only a number. Not to many people on this site owned more LSx vehicles than me. I owned a 99 Hugger Orange LS1 car that had 232,454 miles on it when i sold it. Ran like a top. About 6 months ago I sold my 98 Z28 with 201,xxx miles on it to a member here. He may chime here. Car still runs 12's and he dd's it everyday.

 

There is more to a car than just the engine/trans (which might very well last 200k or more), and all those accessories and supporting components can and do wear - everything from interior controls/components to steering and chassis components and everything inbetween. Unless you rebuild/restore the entire car, there is no 200k car that is actually "like new", regardless of what someone wants to believe.

Worse yet is if the car has always lived in a harsh weather climate. For example, there is no such things as a "like new" condition 10 year old, 200k mile car that has spent it's whole life in an area like Chicago.

 

Look away.
What RPM WS6 said, there is a lot more than engine and transmission when looking at a high mileage car...

 

True, other things may cost a pretty penny. Maybe a rear or a major suspension issue but they aren't going to be expensive as motor or trans. That is the probably the mindset of most including myself