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Buying a T/A "ENGINE DAMAGE" 7K

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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:12 PM
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Default Buying a T/A "ENGINE DAMAGE" 7K

Ok iam trying to buy a new trans am its for sale were i live the guy is asking 7K for it and it is a convertible midnight blue but theres a problem with the engine this is what the guy who is seling it told me.

"I am no mechanic ... the engine runs very rough/jerky and dies if not kept above 1500 rpm. The Mechanic where I brought it says it backfires into the engine ... first they thought it was the mass air-flow sensor as that apparently failed, but I am not sure which was the result of the other. The mass air-flow senseor has been replaced. Let me know if you want to check it out."

so can this be a bad piston ring or wat? i really want to buy it but if the damage is serious i wouldent think twice about not getting it, and is it worth 7k with that type of damage, thanks in advance for help guys.

it has 64,192 miles and a T-56 tranny and its a 1999 Trans am
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:33 PM
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if you plan to make a project out of it, go for it. If you are looking for reliable transportation, I'd look else where.

You could always have an independant mechanic check it out for you too
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:41 PM
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yah iam planning on fixing it then selling it to buy something hardtop or t-top then i plan to make that my project car but i have to know the seriousness of the engine damage in order to make a judgment on how much it will overall cost me to fix and sell.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:48 PM
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It should be throwing an engine code if it's that bad. Probablly just a sensor. I'd see if I could borrow a scanner and take it with you to look at it.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:54 PM
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its prob sending a CES light or something the guy dident tell me ill ask him.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 07:10 PM
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i would get it scanned and try to do a compression test before buying it at minimum. it might be something cheap to fix and u can fix it easy, but it might be much more trouble than it works
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 09:19 PM
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This is wat the guy said when i showed him the nosie of a car with a bad conecting rod barings.

that's not the sound it's making, also it does not idle it dies if not held above 1500 rpm. The sound is hard to explain, it's more a-rythmic and the engine sounds like it is working hard ...
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 11:16 PM
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If it were me I would pass and just buy the hardtop or t top you want. You could buy it and end up needing a complete engine rebuild. If its not a simple fix it could end up turning into a money pit and you might not get back the money you put into it. I wouldnt risk it unless I knew for sure what the problem is.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 12:52 AM
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your prob right ill just make sure its not that big of a problem but its way priced below KBB, 7K and its a 99" with 60K and a 6spd
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 06:08 AM
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i would probably add in a motor along with the install and see if you are still below kbb.now would be a great time for a forged shortblock if you actually planned on modding it.
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