bluestrat

iTrader: (7)

Hey everyone, I've been looking to get into the fbody world (own a wicked fast 98 mustang GT...not) and noticed there's a black 98 trans am for sale near me with 90k miles at a dealership. They're asking a little under 11k for it, so I plan on talking them down. I figured this was a common question but I searched quite a bit with no results so what the hell:

What should I look for when I go check this car out on saturday? I really want to cover my bases and make sure there's no suprises if I were to buy the car. Also, what do you think I should try to widdle the salesman down to pricewise? It's an M6 by the way.

Thanks in advance guys!

98silvertacrbn

iTrader: (106)

I would look at the doors weather strips outside. Then inside door panels on the top side to see if they are cracked. 98 ls1 have a habit of having bad oil pressure any thing over 30 psi at hot idle is good. Check the headlights make sure both come up and down with no noise after they are off. I would say 8,500 to 9,000 would be a good price for it. Take it to the car wash and clean it and see if there is any leaks t-tops ect.

HDNVALLEY

Treat it as you would any used car. Make sure to listen carefully to a cold start for any engine noises and look for exhaust smoke at startup. Test drive to see if it drives and stops smooth and straight. Look over the body for signs of repairs, window chips/cracks, paint condition and alignment of panels, doors, hood ETC.. Check operation of all lights, windows and accessories. Look at the tires for even wear and condition. Under the hood look at the antifreeze condition, oil color and level and signs of leaks. Make sure there are two sets of keys and fobs. Typical problems are headlight motors and power windows and some of these cars were born with piston slap.
Make the dealer fix any small problems "BEFORE" you take delivery. If it has major problems move on.
Asking price has a lot of room to inflate the price of a trade-in. Look at Kelly Blue Book and NADA to get a feel for the trade-in value of this car and add a small profit to this for your offer. Don't be afraid to offer what you really want to pay for it. You won't hurt thier feelings!!! I just bought a Formula for $7,000 below the dealer sticker. It always costs money to be in a hurry, be patient.

WS6 Rampage

iTrader: (3)

"Looking at a 98 TA with 90k, What should I look for?" ... A Priest!! lol!,..

bluestrat

iTrader: (7)

I think the car is close to stock (I think lid and catback). What should I look for to see that the car hasn't been beaten on? I've heard of the whole piston slap issue with the ls1, it's real noticable isnt it? If a window is slow, is it tough to replace? Thanks!

hndakilr

Stress Marks Are The Key Factor To Determine If The Car Has Benn Ragged On.
These Look Like Ripples In The Paint Near The Edge Of The Panels On F-bodys, They Are Commonly Near The Rear Window.... But Check The Entire Rear End In Good Light. Whe I Was Looking At A Few I Would Make Them Put The Car On A Hoist So I Could Inspect. Look For Leaks And Bolts That Look Newer Than The Rest (sign Of Repair) Also, These Cars Book Way Lower Than What They Are Worth So Use That To Your Advantage.

cabech984

iTrader: (11)

What? Mine is banging 22psi hot, should I be worried? It doesnt consume much oil between changes either.

binks0678

iTrader: (7)

i completely agree these cars book lower than they actually sell for around my area also so that can definetly help you, also most all dealerships will let you take the car to an independent mechanic of your choice so you can have him inspect everything then start wayyyy low and work up on the price. good luck

71velle

lol i agree mine ran 25 at idle tops

HDNVALLEY

The piston slap usually shows up for a short time after a cold start. If the engine has been run recently you won't hear it. It reminds me of a louder version of lifter tick. GM says this is normal and doesn't affect longevity. You decide but I won't knowingly buy one with it. The slow windows should be obvious and doesn't need to be a deal breaker. Just make the seller fix it or discount the price so you can. The passenger window is the usual offender. Lower and raise each window separately and see if they seem to move at a normal speed.

bluestrat

iTrader: (7)

I just talked to the guy on the phone, he said the car is in great condition, the interior is flawless, it has a performance clutch, and after market exhaust. From the pics it looks like really good condition. The guy says he only buys good condition performance cars (the dealership also has cobras mach1s vettes, an A4 T/a, bimmers and a Lightning). How should I go about lowballing this guy if knows about T/a's? (It's my first time buying a car, my mustang was bought off a friend)

LS1NUT26

iTrader: (4)

For $11k that thing better have some wicked mods.
I've got a 2000 z-28 with 65K for $10K
He's got to do alot better than that.
When you talk to him just nit-pick everything, tires, brakes, miles, anything to get him down. If you get desperate tell him your tring to deside between his car and another.

98silvertacrbn

iTrader: (106)

30 psi and higher would be a good sign of a tight motor and good oil pump. 22 psi at a hot idle would be a little low but i have seen motors go on as little as 10 psi not good

xXSilencerXx

iTrader: (4)

Waaaaaaaaaaaay over priced. I got mine for $7900 87k miles A4. I'd say check the major leaks. That's the only real problem i've have. Oil leaks, tanny leaks, rea end leaks. Right now I got one that I'm hunting down.

Also the passanger side window can be bad, mine is dying now after a year and half since i bought it. And piston slap. I didn't know what it was and didn't know it existed back then. But I definately got it. It's a ticking noise and it goes away if the car has been warmed up takes all but a 2 min drive to go away.

OMGWTFBODY

iTrader: (5)

If it is an M6, check the clutch fluid. I wish I'd done it.

also, drive it and check the headlights. Mine worked the first time I used em, but failed at driving speeds.


I'm convinced a well maintained LS1 will run for a long time, but that being said, check everything important.

All fluids.
Tire Wear.
Possible leaks
Antenna Motor
Headlight motor
Fuzzy speakers (mine were blown)

ls1ws9ta

iTrader: (2)

my hot idle pressure was at 20psi. i changed my sending unit and it went up to 40psi at hot idle.. have u gave that a shot?

Incubus

I recently looked at a 99 Trans AM A4 at a stealership here in Salt Lake. The description they gave me over the phone made the car sound like it just rode off the showroom floor. It has 60k on the clock and they want $11,900.

SO, to make a long story short, I went down there, looked over the car and test drove it. Exterior was flawless, Interior was too. Still had that new smell. Unfortunately thats where most people stop...
I popped the hood and did a little digging. The oil was black, the PS fluid was DRY!, the coolant had mud/sand in it. Hoses were dry rotted. No kidding! Shows what morons these guys were. I went inside and checked out the service records. Turns out the car had been swapped from dealer to dealer for over a year. No one could sell it. No record of tranny fluids, oil changed once a year to two years, everything was a mess. After I found all of this they gave me the cold shoulder and wouldn't go down on the price. Theiving dogs.

Cliff Notes: Check EVERYTHING!!! Inside/outside/upside/downside.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

Check handling/alignment. My 98 camaro with 103.5K when I got it had bad tie rod ends and LCA bushings which I didn't realize, I thought it just needed an alignment. Ended up costing me quite a bit.

bluestrat

iTrader: (7)

Well I went and test drove the car today. I loved it! Found out the car has a new aftermarket clutch, short shifter, hooker catback, custom sub box, and lid (says ls1 on it, don't know the brand). The guy let me take it out for a test drive, and I loved every minute of it. I got a lot of looks, and some dude in a red viper gts gave me a thumbs up. Let me know what you guys think of this and how I should go about getting the best deal.

The good:

-No bad engine noises
-All fluids looked good
-Had great oil pressure right on startup
-No rear end noise
-Exterior paint is in really good shape for a 90k mile car
-Sounds awesome!
-Window motors work good (passenger is a little slow, but works just fine).
-Tranny shifted real nice (except reverse, see below)
-very clean interior
-New tires

The bad:

-headlight motors go up just fine, but when they go down and theyre all the way down, it sounds like gears are grinding on each other. Is this an easy fix?
-Had a semi difficult time getting into reverse. The guy said the shifter linkage just needed to be adjusted
-stereo is kind of weak, It sounded like most of the sound was coming from the right side and not a lot from the left. Is this just how fbody stereos are? or is this one bad?

The dealer was a really nice guy, and it was a smaller dealership with a lot of performance cars on the lot. The guy says he usually goes for completely stock cars but the previous owner treated this car really well. He offered me a full powertrain warranty and the abillity to make one large down payment, and two smaller payments. I had him take the car off the lot for me, but he said that 2 other people called about the car in the past two days. He's gonna keep it put away until monday, which is when I said I'd know if I could buy. He also said he will fix any minor detail work before he lets me buy the car. He was a real stand up guy and not like any dealer I've encountered before (gone on test drives, dealers were very pushy). This guy never once pressured me into anything.

Here's some pics, note the car is dusty from being on the lot, but the paint is super clean:

Raleigh TA

iTrader: (13)

I am no expert on mechanics, but I can tell you my 98 T/A is pretty sound at 210,000+ miles. Window motors are a bit of a pain to replace, but cost around $150 or less. I think the best advice is get a mechanic to do a good once-over, even if it costs you a couple of hundred bucks, it could save you a lot more than that! The seller can be a prince of a guy, but simply not know about some major, or several minor problems. I know the thought of spending that much for an opinion is tough, but it may give you some bargaining room if you still want the car after a mechanic gives you a list of items that will need attention in the next 20K miles. The stereo, if stock Monsoon, is OK at best. If music is your thing, plan on replacing the whole thing. Don't let the exhaust sound cloud your judgment. Many will sound great, and cost a bunch less $$. Check pricing here on LS1TECH, and other sources. That car is pretty, but it that price is heavy! I would think you could find an '00-'02 for that kind of money. Hope you join the F-body community, with this car or another.