im going to look at a few lt1 cars this weekend and i have no experience with them at all. as you could expect most of them are over or close to the 100K mile mark. i need to know what are some problem areas other than the opti-spark i should check out. also, the latest edition of Chevy High Performance says that the LT1 engine is very durable cosidering that its basically a spin off the traditional small block chevy. are you lt1 guys happy with their reliability or am i going to be fixing more than going fast?

 

they say the lt1 can last easily to 200k if you take care of it. most people that have lot of issues do not maintain their car or know what to look out for. the opti-spark is a problem, but if you're going to get an lt1 car, try to get a 95-97 (i think), with the vented opti spark, they seem to have alot of less issues then the non-vented kind. another problem would be the low ride height and the air filter. aftermarket air filter set ups put the filter really close to the ground, so if you have to avoid large puddles, or if possible, hit them with the passenger side of the car because the air filter isnt on that side. but if you do hit them, and the air filter sucks water into the motor, it'll hydrolock and you need another motor.

outside of all that. 6-speeds are fun daily drivers and get pretty good highway mileage (i get around 28 avg on the highway) and autos also make great daily drivers and are great at the track.

and the lt1 has a pretty decent aftermarket for whatever you're looking for.


/end rant.

 

^Well put!

 

No! Get a '95 if possible, then a '94 then a '96 or '97, in that order. Don't get a '93, lots of little differences. '95 has the vented opti (better), and is still on OBD1 diagnostics. '95 is the best choice. If you plan on modding the car at all, you will want to stay with an OBD1 car all the way. Easier to tune, and way easier to get the car to pass a state inspection, ie: they don't plug it into a computer.

They are very durable if they are properly maintained. If it's an auto car, take it for a spin, and pay close attention to the tach as you floor it. If it bangs the rev limiter hard on the 1-2 shift, it's a good sign the ol' 4l is slipping. If it's an auto also try to get one with 3.23 rear gears. You can tell just by pulling the shifter all the way down. If you can manually put it into first, it's a 3.23 car, if it will stop at second gear, it's a 2.73 car.

 

Really helpful info. id prefer an m6 but if the price is right i would settle for an a4. my truck will see daily driving duties and the car will be a weekend toy. ill prob do full bolt ons, gear, tires and swap my nitrous kit from the silvy to the camaro keeping it fast yet easy to maintain and reliable.

 

the rearends in these cars are a definite problem, they are toothpicks and do not last especially with a M6 and hard launches.

 

This depends on the state. In many states obd2 is easier because previous year cars require a sniffer test.

 

in illinois 95 and older does not need emmisions, but when we did it was much eaisier to pass a obd2 car that had no codes then a ob1 car because of the sniffer test.

 

The opti "problems" are grossly blown out of proportion by ignorant kids who neglect their cars.

It is a distributor, as such if it gets water inside it will run rough till it dries and the cap and rotor are wear items which will require periodic replacement.

A little dielectric grease on the weatherpak connector goes a long ways towards keeping it dry inside and replace the cap and rotor say every 80K and you are fine.

 

As already said by everyone else. Forget the LT1 part of the car, any problem you may have there are pleanty of people online that can help you fit it. They are not hard to work on, but there are a few tricks when it comes to fixing things.

The one thing about the 4th gen F-bodies is that without subframe connectors if the car has been beaten on hard some will develope "dimples" in the top of the rear quarters on both side above where the gas cap is. It's a spot where the body flexes outside of the rear shock mounts, So if someone tells you they babied the car and it's got the dimples,,,,,,,,,

Other then that it's just a 10year old car so look for the common stuff, oil leaks, worn parts ( shocks, exhaust etc. ).

 

My red car had like 140K when I bought it. I didnt really take care of it, I actually beat the **** out of it. It still runs like a freakin hoss! I believe the LT1's are under-rated for what they are.

 

My brother has a 1993 and it runs good but modding it is a slight PITA because everything is made for 94-up cars. To install headers he had to purchase a heated o2 conversion kit and stuff like that. But like everyone said 95 is a good choice because of the OBDI and the vented opti.

I blew a head gasket at 95k (heater hose blew and cause it to overheat). Ran perfect before that. Original wires and opti, wp ect ect. I changed those when I did the head gasket just because. My car has been threw some major hell threw its last 3 owners and it still runs great. LT1 are pretty stout.

But these cars are getting old so you really never know. Small stuff will probably need done on a car with close to 100k. Full tune-up, fluid changes ect for sure.

 

all the issues i've ever had with my 120k car have all been drivetrain related. the motor is still strong, only issue is bad exhaust lifter.

the one thing i now tell anyone discussing LT1 drivetrain is that if you have to do a clutch, reuse if possible the original flywheel or keep it and take it with the new flywheel somewhere where the new FW can be balanced the same as the original. i didn't know this and the car has never been the same since (lots and lots and lots of knock retard b/c the engine is no longer balanced). i've had pretty bad luck with my car but i think most of my problems are related to previous owners

 

Yeh I believe people dog on the optispark too much. It will last if someone installs it correctly. As far as I know, I'm running the stock optispark. It might of been replaced from the previous owner since I got it at 50K miles, but I haven't replaced it after putting 30K miles on it in every weather condition.

 

check the plugs and wires... it's a pain in the ***, but check them. I have a 95 with 56K on it, and just had to replace all the wires because they were fried. They were the original factory ones, and some had dry rotted and a couple wire burned. I went ahead and changed the plugs while we were at it. Its a pain job, and that might be the choice between one LT1 and another, is what the plugs and wires look like.

 

The only thing I'd add is that the aluminum heads are sensitive to overheating, but that goes for most aluminum heads. If I had to do it over again, I'd have a coolant check which would tell you if the exhaust is mixing with the coolant = bad head gasket.

 

like any other engine all it needs is periodic maintenance ...changing spark plugs+ wires at 56K is regular normal maintenance .....

ive seen some opti last the life of the car without any problems ...

be regular in your oil changes ..put quality ( synthetic for me )
and it should last you

Dan

 

I would look for a car that has not been modified. An unmodified car is way less likely to have been rode hard. Look for a clean body and interior. If the owner hasn't kept a tidy car chances are that maintenance has also not been a priority.

Good Luck,

Daren

 

The unmodified car is a good point. A LOT of guys who mod halfassed end up selling the cars instead of sorting them out, there are more of those out there than guys selling well modded cars.

 

^^^Good point.. I would definatly look for a unmodded one.