I'm thinking of buying my first sports car
and a buddy of mine suggested I come to
this forum for advice. I don't know much
about high performance vehicles,
but I do like to scoot!
I would appreciate hearing from some of
you experienced gear heads as to what
to look for under the hood. I don't have
much to spend. I will be buying a used car,
probably not over 20K,
within the next year or so.

 

Try asking so more specific questions and it will help you get a better response.

Good luck with your new purchase!

 

For $20K you can find several nice examples of LS1 powered f-bodies. See our vehicle classifieds forum for some ideas in your price range.

 

You can do a lot with 20 grand. Get an LT1 for 5000 dollars and spend the rest on mods and get a nice 10 second street car with money left over

You could also get an immaculate LS1 which is also PLENTY fast.

What do you mean "look under the hood". Do you mean problems to look for?

Good luck finding your car and give us more specifics!

-Todd

 

1. Listen for severe piston slap
2. Make sure the tranny doesn't pop out of 3rd, or grind going into any gears.
3. Try to find as quiet of rearend as possible.
4. Power window motors will likely be broken, although cheap, might be a good bargaining point.
5. Look for ripples on the quarter panel, this can give you an idea what kind of life the car has had..
6. If its low milage, make sure its on the set of original tires (10,000 or less miles).
7. You can test the clutch by flooring it in 6th gear, etc..
8. Just a simple oil/tranny fluid check can give you a start as to how the motor is treated.. If it looks low.. you know the car likely has the normal oil consumption problem.. might want to check into it a little further and see how bad it is.
9. If buying from a private owner.. receipts wouldn't hurt
10. Look for abnormal gaps in the front bumper cover, hood, fenders, etc. If its been wrecked.. likely it will have some sort of sign.
11. Check for junkyard numbers on any of the suspension.. if its been wrecked, its probable at least something has came from a junkyard.
12. Check for the normal things like.. rust, overspray, etc.
13. Listen for any abnormal vibrations, or abnormal drivetrain noises.
14. Make sure the car shifts well under w.o.t., as well as doesn't stick to the floor.
15. Check clutch reservoir.. make sure its not excessively dark or low.. this can be a good idea as to how the hydraulics are doing.. and the clutch too, because if its not maintained properly, its likely the clutch has suffered when disengaging/engaging poorly.
16. Listen for any abnormal valvetrain noise, or bearing noise from the bottomend.. A little sewing machine noise is normal, but the car should not be raising hell.

Thats all I can think of.. I'm a little **** with some of it due to previous experiences. I'm also in GA, so if you ever need any help.. pm me.. I'm no expert.. but I have owned an LS1 long enough to know its quirks.

Josh

 

Looks like Josh has it all covered.


good luck, and welcome

 

Here's another tip to add to the list: Look inside the door jambs, hatch and hood to see if you can find paint line. You can usually find an edge of paint from where the tape was if it's been repainted from repairs.

 

I think I'm going to like this place!
Thanks for taking the time to make suggestions!
I'll have more specific questions later.
I've got a lot to learn!

 

This site has been a great resource for all us and I've always found that people here love to help. You'll be able to find a ton info with the search feature also. Welcome aboard!