Mr_Valanahara

So I am looking at getting an LS car soon, most likely a Camaro

I am looking at getting a Camaro SS/Z28 or a CTS-V or a LS2 goat. Very strongly leaning in the direction of the Camaro.

When purchasing (most likely won't be from a private seller because I am going to trade on of my cars) what are some key things I should look for, other than the obvious oil leaks and ect.?

1. Should I consider a Camaro that is stock-ish with over 80,000 miles on it? I want a stock/light bolt-ons car. I have heard that 100,000 miles on an LS1 is just the "break in period". I am skeptical.
2. There are a couple Camaros I have seen that are at a reasonable price for me, but have some strange mods that have me scratching my head. One has a torsion bar, but that's pretty much it. Seems like a random mod to me. I was thinking maybe they took some of the other mods off when they traded it? Another one has no back seats, lid, headers and exhaust. No back seats? I am thinking this one was chopped and could of had N20 through it. I am just skeptical once again.
2. LS6 CTS-V - the ones I have been looking at are higher mileage at around 80k-95k. I have heard they have pretty weak valve springs and other problems at this age in their lives.

Long post, sorry. I realize there is probably a thread somewhere out there that talks about all this, but I wanted to make a personal post on it.

Vala

RJDio

Try to find one that has either been kept stock by a cool mom that wanted to drive a 'cool' car. They are out there! I almost bought a '02 Z28 with with less than 70k miles, was convertible and that burgundy purple color, however my wife nixed the deal due to us already having 4 cars.

Next; find one that has been LIGHTLY modded, but was someone's baby, kept clean and garaged. They are definately out there! You may not have an option of Trans Am / Z28 or Formula, or Auto or Manual, or color. For example; my '01 Orange Trans Am WS6 (cam only, full exhaust mods) is an A4, I wasn't crazy about that but I love it now!

If you can be patient, have cash in hand. you can be selective on model/color/tranny. Surf all the Ebay sites, yahoo cars, and local lots. One will become available that matches what you want. Don't be discouraged if car is far (I drove mine from FL to TX). I'd catch a bus for the right car! Great place to buy lightly modded cars is CA due to strict regulations. FL, TX, GA, LA, all will have great Fbodies due to our love for them.

Almost all will have an aftermarket lid. Look at Throttle body, has the coolant lines going in each side been bypassed? If stock lid and no bypass of TB, car will 99.99% be bone stock down to paper filter and previous owner didn't drive above 70mph.

some '01s and 02's have the LS6 block. Don't get too excited about that, it doesn't mean much, just know that when looking under hoods - you will be looking under a few. Do a little research or just PM me if you want to know quick way to find out without having to search for block number. All '01's and '02s came with the LS6 intake. It is an awesome intake! my cam only '01 WS6 with cutouts open put down 385rwhp on a Mustang Dyno last weekend.

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

I wouldn't get too hung up on mods. Worry more about condition (if it's very clean and the seller has documentation, then you're probably getting a great car no matter the mileage). Just as the Corvette guys always say, "buy the newest you can afford." With that said, if you plan on significantly modifying the car, don't worry about the year because the things that improved will be modified anyway.

As for the CTS-V, I'd personally skip the LS6 powered cars (04/05), not because of a valvespring issue, but because of their weak rear differential. This was remedied in 2006/2007 along with the addition of the LS2. Disclaimer: I am only stating this as someone from the outside as I've never owned a CTS-V. If I were to buy one, I'd buy a LS2-powered car without a doubt just because of my experience with my LS2 GTO.

At the end of the day, you need to determine if you're looking for a nice car to cruise around in or looking for something to modify/race.

Mr_Valanahara

Thanks for the replies,

I think your advice about finding the best car is what I have been doing wrong. I have really been overlooking the A4 cars, even though I have seen the best deals in the A4's. I have also overlooked a couple convertibles that were immaculate and had been garage kept just because I want ttops. So you were pleased with the A4?

Noooo.... I am NOT going down the racecar road again. I have already been down that road... after a couple thousand dollar repairs (just after buying it... literally) on my last "racecar", I am wanting a nice, clean, straight-bodied car to sit in my garage. Something to clean on, and get in show condition.

Ok, thanks for the advice on the CTS-V's. I had heard about the rear end issues but I didn't know they were directly tied to the LS6 cars.

Who knows, I may even find a 04 Termi. Ha! Don't hate, I only kid. Those cars are probably the most iffy of all. But I will open up to the T/A's too, I have overlooked them as well.

Vala

2000 LPM SS

I'm not sure how mechanical you want to get but you could always find a higher mileage ls1 run it and when it goes put a lq9 in there not a whole lot of swapping and they come for a pretty decent price or do a 408 thats what I contemplated before buying my SS

Mr_Valanahara

Just wondering, how many miles did it have on it when you bought it, and how many does it have now? And how many issues have you had? Couple guys I know put LQ9's in their stuff, but I would rather keep it clean and mostly stock.

Now a 408… well that would be beyond sick.

Vala

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

I'd go with a Trans Am for sure if that's what your plans are for the vehicle. Not that there is anything wrong with the same Camaro, but there will never be another Firebird.

If you want to talk "issues" about 4th gens, mine has almost 70k on it. I've replaced a window motor and a power steering pressure hose. The rear main is starting to leak ever so slightly as well. None of the "issues" have concerned me whatsoever as they're very easy repairs and don't seem out of the ordinary for a car that's 11 years old... and I beat the crap out of the car each time it comes out of the garage (it's not my DD).

The only thing that the Firebird happens to have an issue with that the Camaro doesn't are the headlight gears. They are plastic from the factory and they wear out/break over time. Most replace them with brass gears. Again, this is something inherit with any vehicle that has popup headlights.

fruitsalad

iTrader: (5)

Lightly modded is a good idea because it's more likely that it's been babied. Don't overlook cars with labor-intensive mods or expensive parts already installed though, because buying one that already has them is a great way to save on installation and new part costs since those costs don't translate well into selling value. While it's more likely that these cars have been beat on or raced, it's also likely that the owner knew what he was doing and maintained his expensive aftermarket parts.

That's if you're on a budget anyway. If you're looking for perfection, then forget it and buy one with the fewest mods and lowest miles possible.

2000 LPM SS

I bought my 2000 SS about a month ago now and when i bought it, it had 78,XXX now it has around 80,000. I havent had it long but it's not hard to find a car with a clean body. Search craigslist, thats what I did had to drive about 4 hours to look/pick it up but it was worth the drive not a scratch on it and it drives perfect. But I will say I did search for months to find a m6 for a decent price.

RJDio

I have no regrets with my A4 WS6! It is what it is. It is part of my family now! Shops have told me it is one of the cleanest they've seen. Keep in mind that no one wanted an Orange Trans Am, no one wanted it in A4, It is rare, only a few hundred made in '01 - '02. Trans Am's are being parted out daily, sometimes a few a day just here on the boards. I saw 2 Firehawks being parted out by same owner last week!!!

Here's the complete breakdown of WS6 colors (not accounting for a few missing units in CompNine's database), from rarest to most common for all years 1996-2002:

Bright Purple Metallic (88U) = 12 ('98 only)
Sport Gold Metallic (63U) = 65 ('98 only)
Dark Green Metallic (48U) = 381 ('96-'97)
Sunset Orange Metallic (71U) = 784 ('01-'02)
30th Anniversary (10U w/ Stripes) = 1600 ('99 only)
Collector Yellow (54U) = 1723 ('02 only)
Sebring Silver Metallic (13U) = 2156 (all except '97 & '01)
Navy Blue Metallic (28U) = 3063 ('98-'02)
Arctic White (10U) = 3756 ('96-'02)
Pewter Metallic (11U) = 3819 ('99-'02)
Bright Red (81U) = 7392 ('96-'02)
Black (41U) = 14763 ('96-'02)

Take your time, find one that really lights you up, it is going to be your garaged weekend warrior.

fruitsalad

iTrader: (5)

Lol this sounds like exactly what I did to find mine, except I put 10k miles on it in 2.5 months

LS1 Racing

iTrader: (15)

As was mentioned above, condition is key. The car in my sig was purchased with 150,000 miles on the clock back in 2011. It had higher mileage than I wanted, but when I went to go look at it, I knew I had found my car. The original owner was selling because his wife was having a baby. When he bought it back in July of 2002, he immediately put in subframe connectors, a lid, LoudMouth exhaust, FTRA and killer stereo. He drove the car 150 miles a day on his commute, which was all highway. it spent the rest of this time in his garage. He had recent receipts for a trans rebuild, LS7 clutch, a new alternator, water pump and new cats. The Camaro looks and drives like a 30,000 mile car. And so, I bought it, even paying a little more than one would expect to for a car of that mileage, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. The only thing needing replacing since I bought it was the passenger side power window motor and the power steering pump.

So, I guess the whole point to my story is to look at the big picture when purchasing one of these cars. Don't be afraid of mods or miles if the car looks and drives well and the seller can document what was done to it. In fact, I'd probably rather have a 150,000 miles F-body that has already had all of the wear parts replaced than a 90,000 mile car on the original parts.

fruitsalad

iTrader: (5)

Oh and in case you haven't decided on a specific LS car yet, there's an 04 z16 c5z for sale on corvetteforum for $18,490
If I had the wherewithal it would have been mine the second I saw it
Now that would make a gorgeous and impressive garage queen!

LS1 Racing

iTrader: (15)

Oh...And one more thing: On the Camaro vs. T/A question, it really depends upon taste, as well as a few practical differences, too. The T/A is a bit more sporty and probably has a few more fans. The Camaro is more conservative looking, even in SS trim.

As mentioned above, the T/A's have issues with the headlight gears, and all F-bodies go through power window motors, especially the passenger side. Both cars have cheap plastic interiors, but IMHO, the Camaro's interior looks a little less cheap and also seems to have less problems with dash cracks (this according to Jim at CalSpeed, who parts out several of both cars a year). The T/A has a more sporty interior, but to me it, it just looks cheap, especially in the very common light grey. The Camaro dash and cluster setup look like something out of a Monte Carlo or even a Chevy minivan from the same era, but the low-gloss graphite (98-99) or ebony (00-02) dash plastic seems to hide a bit more of the cheapness.

The good news for you is, both cars are an absolute hoot to drive, and IMHO, you simply can't get a more fun and more powerful car in this price range, no matter which one you choose.

And I speak from having owned 3 of them!

JDEP162

The ls1 fbody is without a doubt the best bang for buck muscle car made. I picked mine up for 5500, 1 owner clean carfax, 100k miles, great shape. Theyre easy to mod, and run like crazy. Patience is key, look look look. Dont settle, find what u want. Theyre out there. Best find would be one a nice lady drove on weekends, jackpot.

Z Fury

iTrader: (1)

Good advice in here so far.

The CTS-V issues have been covered, so no point in rehashing that.

An LS2 GTO would be a great option. Prices are coming down nicely on them, and I'd pick one up in a second if my Z28 wasn't paid for (I like having no car payment). The seats alone in those cars make them worth the test drive. In my opinion, they are the best seats GM has used in a sport/muscle car to date.

When you're test driving an F-body car, there are a couple things you should take notice of. The obvious - make sure it shifts well at commuting speeds and at more spirited speeds, look for any CELs that need to be dealt with, and . Listen for a whine in the rear end. They are the weak links on the drivetrain and will be a costly upgrade (if it breaks, upgrade it - that's the rule on these cars). Some ticking from the engine area is, unfortunately, common. These vehicles are known for piston slap, especially on a cold startup. As long as it isn't excessive you're fine. Last but not least, take pics of the engine bay, the underside of the car, and try to get an idle/exhaust audio clip. I'm betting good money if you post that stuff on here people will tell you exactly what was done to the car. Be patient, enjoy the pursuit, and happy hunting.

JDEP162

The ls1 fbody is without a doubt the best bang for buck muscle car made. I picked mine up for 5500, 1 owner clean carfax, 100k miles, great shape. Theyre easy to mod, and run like crazy. Patience is key, look look look. Dont settle, find what u want. Theyre out there. Best find would be one a nice lady drove on weekends, jackpot.

Mr_Valanahara

Thanks for all the great advice here; there is a wealth of it.

I couldn't get this kind of information anywhere else, great community. Key thing, I am going to be patient and wait for that one car I want. I know it will show up! I will post some pictures of the one I get or am thinking about getting. May be a while!

Thanks
Vala

Mr_Valanahara

By far, that is the most gorgeous T/A I have ever seen... Thanks for the information as well.

Vala

Mr_Valanahara

I may look back into the GTO's again. My wife likes them a lot because they are very nice inside. I have heard nothing but good things about the LS2.

Speaking of CEL's, I have come across a couple that I looked at and had CEL's at idle. Just a sensor, or possibly something more serious?

Vala