Gettin an T/A
Gettin an T/A Hey guys i am 17 years old and i am new to the f body scene i plan on purchasing a Trans Am within a month or so, and i had a couple of questions. This guy i work with is selling his 01' Trans Am slp edition, it has alot of money in it, he has cams,full exhaust, electronic cut-out, intake, head work, 12 bolt rear end, nitto 555r's a set of slicks, stage 3 transmission, slp hood,rims. he runs high 11s in the 1/4. He is really wanting to sell it to me he says he has 6gs of money put into it and he is asking 17 for the car and it is really nice black t tops 6 speed with 66 thousand miles i love the car alot it is nice but before i set my mind to this one, i want to look around. do any of yall think i could find a better deal out there for cheaper with less miles, i am looking for a 01-02 ws6. i dont knw if i would like to buy a stock car or buy one with mods already done to it for a pretty good deal?
thanks for the help
thanks for the help
RIP April 14, 2008
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From: the land where cars repeatedly hit my bumper when I'm in the store...
hey man hows it going? Listen the best place to start with these cars, especially being young is BONE stock. That way you dont have to worry about potential problems caused by other people's installations, plus you can do your own mods, and learn about the car and engine as you go along. There's no point in having a cammed car if you dont know how it works, or what potential risks you may incur by installing a certain cam (there are loads of them). I would advise you to look around and find the best deal on a low mileage stock car, then spend some time here on the forum, and upgrade it yourself so you can gain a better understanding of just what your car can do, and how to fix it when it inevitably breaks. with time put into them as a loving owner, these LS1 cars can yield the greatest of usability and power. best of luck in your search.
Brad
PS also for what its worth you can acquire a stock LS1 for around $8K if you look around enough.
(meaning if you're going to spend 17K on this car in the first place, a low priced LS1 would afford you plenty of money [$8K- 10K] left over to work on it and mod it yourself.) anyway keep us up to date on your progress. we are here to help you. 
Brad
PS also for what its worth you can acquire a stock LS1 for around $8K if you look around enough.
(meaning if you're going to spend 17K on this car in the first place, a low priced LS1 would afford you plenty of money [$8K- 10K] left over to work on it and mod it yourself.) anyway keep us up to date on your progress. we are here to help you. I agree with Brad ^, but if you're not exactly into working on your own car and desire speed and performance without having to spend much time in it, I'd say that's probably a pretty good deal - of course, you probably wouldnt be on this board if you werent into doing some work yourself. If you're asking if this TA is a good deal, I'd say it is. If you're asking whether or not you should go bone stock instead, it just all depends on what YOU want to do. Good luck.
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Phoenix, Arizona
Okay, how shall I say this without coming across as a jerk? I dont sugarcoat anything so I will put it to you like this: That is too much car for a kid your age. You are going to wrap that thing around a telephone pole!
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From: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted by QuickSilver T/A
Okay, how shall I say this without coming across as a jerk? I dont sugarcoat anything so I will put it to you like this: That is too much car for a kid your age. You are going to wrap that thing around a telephone pole!
James
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Michigan
As stated. Go for a stock LS1. Learn the car and get the experience behind the wheel. Then after you know the car and have been here awhile do your modding. Also, I understand the desire to own a WS6 since, after all, I have one. The 01' and 02' are the years I would be looking at as well in order to get a LS6 intake and if you find a 01' you may get a price around $17,000.
Good luck either way
Good luck either way
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 15
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From: Rome, GA
Too soon for that much HP. I agree with the others. You are gonna buy what ya want regardless of what anyone here says. If you are dead set on an ls1 then, buy it stock. You may get an unpleasant surprise if you aren't careful. Esp in light rainy condition. If you are fortunate enough to have a beater then, I would stick to driving the ls1 on days of good weather until you are comfortable with the car.
These cars demand respect not just from other cars but, from the driver itself.
These cars demand respect not just from other cars but, from the driver itself.
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On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 108
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From: houston, tx
hey u stole my name, plus i didnt know ther was such a thing as an slp edition trans am, some one correct me if im wrong. personally i would go with a stock ls1 first and mod it later, that way u learn a lot about the car and u dont have to worry about the how much abuse that car has had on it, i assume alot because it had a 12 bolt and a cam. look for a low mile ls1 and say screw this guy, yeah it may run low 12's but when u do it all your self and u smoke that guy later ull feel better.
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From: Hometown:Mount Carmel, IL Current: Las Vegas, NV
dude. go stock. the other guys are right, there are far too many questions youre gonna have everytime you work on this sucker with all this work done. and by "SLP edition" im guessing you mean "firehawk?" yeah man, im 19, goin on 20 and when i was 16 i had a grand prix and t/a (i bought both cars from working on the farm for 5 years before i got my license before anyone says "spoiled rich kid"). i should be dead for all the **** i pulled in that 95 LT1. i really hope you know what youre getting into, and have driven one so youre just not expecting it. i knew this kid (he was 17 when he did this) was being stupid in his 99 T/A and hit a hill he didnt know was there at 140 and he's no paralyzed from the waist down. i hope you know what youre getting into. just be sensible about it. but i agree with everyone else, if youre gonna get it, go stock. theres nothing wrong with an 00 either. i just bought a 2000 SS M6, ttops, leather, perfect, with 10k on it for 16,500. you can find far better deals than that. just be careful man and ill say have fun.
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From: the land where cars repeatedly hit my bumper when I'm in the store...
Originally Posted by Swang
i just bought a 2000 SS M6, ttops, leather, perfect, with 10k on it for 16,500.
thats still a prety damn good deal. 16.5 for an almost new SS!! 
Brad
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From: Hometown:Mount Carmel, IL Current: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by Diolar Magnum
thats still a prety damn good deal. 16.5 for an almost new SS!! Brad
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From: Hometown:Mount Carmel, IL Current: Las Vegas, NV
though, now that i see youre in ft worth, tx, that makes a difference. where i am these cars get driven half a year vs year round. i still think, however you could find a better deal. though with that car i think youd run into ware and tear probs due to all that power on a unibody (flex and what not). makes sure the unibody isnt totally fubared, as this could be VERY, VERRRRYYY expensive.
RIP April 14, 2008
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From: the land where cars repeatedly hit my bumper when I'm in the store...
Originally Posted by Swang
i dont quite think its off topic. its giving a reference of what i got for the dough he is (was) gonna spend. just inferring to look a little more. you can find better cars than ones with 66k on em, thats for sure.
Brad
Alright, ya the guy says it an slp edition. it has an slp badge where the ws-6 badge goes even tho its a T/A, ya im not really stupid when it comes to cars i get a lil carried away from time to time, but i aint gonna be no jackass behind the wheel of a 320+ hp car. I plan on deffinatly looking around for good deals i would love to have a stock ws-6 with low miles but after all its hard to pass up a deal like his, but it has to many miles and i would much rather do the mods my self, what price range do yall think im looking at for a ws-6 m6 ? im hoping to find one around 13 or 14. what should i look for when looking at used T/A's? what are some problems that are known to happen?becuase i knw 2 people that have broken their read ends in ls1s
Thanks again for the help
Thanks again for the help
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 15
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From: Rome, GA
Domestics sell pretty well here so, the deal that you spoke of would be pretty tempting. Cheapest Ws6 that I have seen around here was 18k. Although I'm sure it could probably get dropped to around 16k.
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From: Hometown:Mount Carmel, IL Current: Las Vegas, NV
i saw one when i did autotrader for forth worth. it came to a black T/A that had 64k on it and the guy was wanting like 15,9. i bet he'd take 15. im not positive it was an M6, but if you got if for 15, it wouldnt be that bad, but yeah, id want lower miles. there really arent that many probs with F-bods, nothing pento-like. yeah, rear end, but that goes from car to car. i know a guy with one that he was dropping it from 3 grand at a deadstop, and his still hasnt gone out and hes put about 30k on it. so it just depends. but they can be rattle traps. just drive it and take it over a couple small bumps and see what rattles.
Wow...while I agree that this is a lot of car for a 17 yr old ...it is also a pretty good deal. 12 bolt? That is 3k alone after all the upgrades and install, etc.
To do a cam with all of the related parts (springs, retainers, pushrods, fluids, install) is roughly a grand.
Exhaust - headers or no? Any way, that would be $1-2k
electronic cut-out - parts + welding, over $200.
head work? over $1k
transmission work? auto or manual? probably $1500 or so
wheels - a grand
slp hood w/paint & prep - over $1k
66k miles? This guy must drive all over (highway) since its a 2001.
I'd say drive the car. See if there is anything odd about it (idle problems, bucking when cruising, does the AC work? shift smoothly? pull to the left or right? leaking? stuff like that...
You'll spend way more than that if you buy a stock 01/02 WS6 and modify it - I guarantee.
To do a cam with all of the related parts (springs, retainers, pushrods, fluids, install) is roughly a grand.
Exhaust - headers or no? Any way, that would be $1-2k
electronic cut-out - parts + welding, over $200.
head work? over $1k
transmission work? auto or manual? probably $1500 or so
wheels - a grand
slp hood w/paint & prep - over $1k
66k miles? This guy must drive all over (highway) since its a 2001.
I'd say drive the car. See if there is anything odd about it (idle problems, bucking when cruising, does the AC work? shift smoothly? pull to the left or right? leaking? stuff like that...
You'll spend way more than that if you buy a stock 01/02 WS6 and modify it - I guarantee.