Hey guys I am buying a car with a 383 stroker. What are all the issues I should watch out for when buying a stroker? Or just look out for the normal stuff like unusual engines noise and leaks etc.

 

More or less the same issues on any built LS motor. Who built it?

 

Motor was built by Texas speed in 2007
Transmission was built by D & D performance in 2006
It was cammed in 2005 with all the accessories that one installs with cam such as springs, retainers, timing chain, etc.
I'm sure the springs need to be changed at this point from all the wear. Only thing I'm worried about is the fact that he might have swapped the motor out to a stock motor with a cam and is just trying to sell me a fake stroker lol. I guess I'm just paranoid though. The only real way for me to tell is to see if it really pulls like 500 whp car. Though I've only ever been in a 400 whp car lol.

 

What makes you think he swapped the motor back lol?

 

Call Texas Speed with the vin.....

 

Lol I'm just always paranoid someone is trying to rip me off. That and the car looks like a pretty nice car makes me wonder why he doesn't put it on ls1tech. I'd think it would sell faster. 98 camaro with a 383 stroker and he only want 10k.

 

Better be a real nice car for me to pay 10k for a 98. Any pics or details?

 

A cammed 346 can sometimes be a bit anemic off idle. Unless a 383 is WAY over cammed, it'll tend to be really strong in the lower rpm due to stroke.

So take it for a spin and see how it pulls around 2000 rpm. If it pulls pretty strong, it probable still 383

 

Well I went to see the car today and my day took a turn for the worst! Went to see the car the car looked worse in person then it did in the picture. Paint looked great in the pic in person it looked pretty bad, but it was expected with a car nearly 20 years old so I looked passed it. Asked him over the phone to give me all the issues with the car even if they were just little issues he said there was none. I asked him about the passenger window and he tells me how did you know about the one thing wrong with my car. Told him it was common.
When I looked at the car in person headlight, taillights, side marker all had moisture build up and the corners were turning white or hazing. Even the owner said they all needed to be changed. Front headlights were wobbly. The panels in the trunk were falling off, headliner was tearing were the t-tops were and he said it was from the t-tops rubbing on it yet the t-tops didn't seem to touch them at all. There was a roll bar inside and it had some rust on it, metal brackets on the floos seats had some rust on it. The center console looked good in the picture, but in person it was a different story. Shifter didn't really want to spring back to the middle either.
He didn't seem to know much about his car either. He told me that his car is always worked on by some shop and then later he told me he owned a shop with a friend so now I am wondering why he doesn't work on his own car. He told me hes never even jacked up before. If you own a shop you must be a good mechanic and I would think you'd want to work on you're own car.
So I looked passed all that because the car seemed to run good started it idled good and some times it bogged figured it was the cam. It had fast 102 intake and what he claims a nick williams throttle body, but I didn't find any brand info on the throttle body and he said it was an $800 throttle body, last I checked it was closer to $400. It had 243 heads that he claimed were ported by patriot performance. Took if for a test drive and it pulled after 3k rpms. It was a fast car, but it did not feel like 500 whp car to me. It pulled exactly like my cousins 290 whp hr swapped 350z. I figured it would pull a lot harder. The pull slowed down around 100-110 mph. He told me it would trap 120 in the quarter mile. I am trainer I know what a quarter mile is and the stretch that i ran it on was probably a little longer then a quarter mile and both times I ran it, I didn't get passed 110. I looked at 383 strokers on youtube pull and the rpms went up a lot faster then the car I drove. Probably not the best comparison as the cars were probably setup differently, but the 3 videos I watched on youtube pulled faster the cammed videos I saw were on par with what I drove. Also when I asked him to jack the car up he asked me why? Yet when I distinctly asked him earlier if I could he said yes. The he asked me what I am looking for so I told him leaks. I asked him where he jacks the car from and I will use those points. He said he doesn't know, he never jacks the car up, he just always gives it to the shop. So I jacked it up from the points I learned on this forum. Also he was rushing me since I got there. I am not going to rush through the process of buying a 10k car. I am going to check the car from head to toe! If he didn't have the time to show the car then why did schedule an appointment. I drove 2 hours to see this car.
He was being pushy from the get go to buy his car. I'm used to that from dealers so it didn't bother me, but when I told him that I didn't want the car he was being extremely pushy and getting mad and telling me I wasted his time. He also started filling out the title and writing a bill of sale and then I made it clear that I wouldn't be buying it and started walking towards my car and then he ran after me telling me I owed him 20 bucks for ruining his title. I told him you filled it out when I said I didn't want the car yet he kept asking for money and I told him I'm leaving. So he called the cops and told them that I stole the title and his keys! I never took his stuff! So then I had to deal with that shii. Ruined my whole day. I actually almost bought the car because of the mods I could see, but I listened to my gut and backed out lol. Wrote this with my cell so I apologize for the grammer.

 

Also the mods that I could see were line lock, nitrous kit with empty bottle, fast 102 intake and throttle body, roll bar, corvette replica wheels, full borla exhaust. I honestly don't think it was a stroker.

 

You dodged a BIG bullet!

 

I know man. It's so hard to buy an f body in cali without having to deal with sketchy people

 

Congrats on listening to your Gut!

Red Flags everywhere.
What a steaming pile!
You dodged a HUGE Mess.

 

$10,000 would have been the first payment add another $20,000 to $30,000 to sort that mess out and make a decent car out of that pile. Sounds like a ragged out heap. Be glad you dodged that one like the others said. On the bright side you have a cool story.


There is a local 99 TA for sale near me with a fresh rebuilt LS1 for $6500 or best offer. Car looks decent from 20 feet, I've seen it on the road.

https://terrehaute.craigslist.org/ct...270080724.html

 

that would be perfect if it had a 6 speed

 

i wouldn't bank on that. Interior is disgusting, seats don't look correct, dash is destroyed, under the hood is embarrassing, and the date on the sales order for the "freshly rebuilt" engine is February of 2016? One can easily tell, by the look of it, how it has been treated.