Things to look for when buying a car
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 78
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Things to look for when buying a car I'm 17 years old, and have limited knowledge when it comes to cars and motors. I have found this car locally. It is a 1993 Firebird Forumula. He wants $4500. The description reads:
"350, at, pw, pdl, p-rear hatch, keyless entry, leather, tinted windows, Monsoon stereo, 1998 T/A tail lights, SLP Comp T/A hood, SLP suspension bushings, BMR strut tower brace,... and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of right now. Engine was redone beginning of 2004. I have receipts for most of it. It has a new LT4 short block, LT4 Hot Cam, Ported LT1 heads w/bigger valves and 1.6 roller rockers, Holley 52mm throttle body, headers w/ Borla exhaust, and an SLP cold air intake to match the hood. In the last year, I added a new pcm with a MadZ28.com piggyback chip. In the last three months, I put on a new Accel distributor, Taylor 8mm plug wires and new Bosch platinum plugs. The engine has about 40k miles on it. The tranny was rebuilt in the beginning of 2005 (~25k miles). It has the stock 3.23 posi rear end. The car is extremely fast! It has been known to go sideways through 50mph sweeping curves if you get on it too much. Best guess is ~370-380 rwhp (stock was 230). I have around $6k worth of receipts, but with what I can point to on the car that I don't have a receipt for (like the hood, cai, headers, etc...), I can verify over $11,000 spent. It's actually over $15k not including the price of the car. The car is a lot of fun, but I just don't drive it anymore since I bought a Vette."
My dad and I looked and drove the car on friday. It started up and ran fine. However, when he was looking at the motor, on the left side, there was a pully, and right underneath it, another pulley (twin pulleys I guess) The second pully was not hooked up to anything. My dad says that it would throw off the balance (or something to that extent) and not be good for the car. We asked the guy why it was there, and he said he didn't know.This is the reason he is using for me not getting the car. Is there any proof behind this?
The AC does not work. Could it be connected to that?
"350, at, pw, pdl, p-rear hatch, keyless entry, leather, tinted windows, Monsoon stereo, 1998 T/A tail lights, SLP Comp T/A hood, SLP suspension bushings, BMR strut tower brace,... and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of right now. Engine was redone beginning of 2004. I have receipts for most of it. It has a new LT4 short block, LT4 Hot Cam, Ported LT1 heads w/bigger valves and 1.6 roller rockers, Holley 52mm throttle body, headers w/ Borla exhaust, and an SLP cold air intake to match the hood. In the last year, I added a new pcm with a MadZ28.com piggyback chip. In the last three months, I put on a new Accel distributor, Taylor 8mm plug wires and new Bosch platinum plugs. The engine has about 40k miles on it. The tranny was rebuilt in the beginning of 2005 (~25k miles). It has the stock 3.23 posi rear end. The car is extremely fast! It has been known to go sideways through 50mph sweeping curves if you get on it too much. Best guess is ~370-380 rwhp (stock was 230). I have around $6k worth of receipts, but with what I can point to on the car that I don't have a receipt for (like the hood, cai, headers, etc...), I can verify over $11,000 spent. It's actually over $15k not including the price of the car. The car is a lot of fun, but I just don't drive it anymore since I bought a Vette."
My dad and I looked and drove the car on friday. It started up and ran fine. However, when he was looking at the motor, on the left side, there was a pully, and right underneath it, another pulley (twin pulleys I guess) The second pully was not hooked up to anything. My dad says that it would throw off the balance (or something to that extent) and not be good for the car. We asked the guy why it was there, and he said he didn't know.This is the reason he is using for me not getting the car. Is there any proof behind this?
The AC does not work. Could it be connected to that?
I think everyone has to go through the painful experience of buying a car that you shouldn't. Listen to you dad. Had I listened to mine, it would have saved me a lot of grief. If you want a second opinion, take someone else with you whose opinion you respect.
As for the belt question... The A/C compressor is on the lower left-hand side of the car when looking from the front. I don't see any reason someone couldn't run a non-AC belt on an A/C equipped car to eliminate the drag on the engine.
These cars use a serpentine belt. On older cars, multiple v-belts were used. With V-belts, you could just take the belt off for something like the alternator. A serpentine belt goes to everything. So far as I know, the only option on a 93 Formula that would affect the belt would be a/c. A/C was still optional that year, as I recall.
Another thing to consider is whether or not this car will pass smog. I live in California. Here, everything that didn't come stock on the car has to have a sticker with an executive order (EO) number to show that the part is smog certified. The car also has to pass an 'enhanced' smog test. Depending on the smog laws in your state, this vehicle may be hard if not impossible to register.
Listen to your dad. If you really want the car, either get that second opinion and have them convince your dad or learn enough about these cars to convince your dad.
Good luck
As for the belt question... The A/C compressor is on the lower left-hand side of the car when looking from the front. I don't see any reason someone couldn't run a non-AC belt on an A/C equipped car to eliminate the drag on the engine.
These cars use a serpentine belt. On older cars, multiple v-belts were used. With V-belts, you could just take the belt off for something like the alternator. A serpentine belt goes to everything. So far as I know, the only option on a 93 Formula that would affect the belt would be a/c. A/C was still optional that year, as I recall.
Another thing to consider is whether or not this car will pass smog. I live in California. Here, everything that didn't come stock on the car has to have a sticker with an executive order (EO) number to show that the part is smog certified. The car also has to pass an 'enhanced' smog test. Depending on the smog laws in your state, this vehicle may be hard if not impossible to register.
Listen to your dad. If you really want the car, either get that second opinion and have them convince your dad or learn enough about these cars to convince your dad.
Good luck
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Hmmm... that is another thing I was worried about, getting it registered. It has Illinoise plate on it (its in Missouri)
Here is a picture of the pully in question. It is underneath where I circled.
Here is a picture of the pully in question. It is underneath where I circled.
10 Second Club
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,630
Likes: 28
Sounds like a good deal to me, if he has receipts for everything. The circled area is the alternator, I hope that is hooked up, the A/C is below that, the tensioner is below and off to the middle of the motor a little bit. Car has a lot of good mods already done that will save you time/money down the road, like headers, Borla (big $$$), rockers, cam, TB, etc. Go for it!
