Hello I'm new to the forum and was looking for aome help about a car im looking at,
First off its a 1980 Firebird formula The original engine has been swapped out with a 400 small block, and has a 350 auto Trans, The car has 66,666 but he says that it has unknown miles on the body or engine so I dont know about that. Also needs new paint. He says that it starts and drives. It has new 15x8 snowflake tires in the back, new brakes, new suspension. Needs new windshield, carb adjustment, it has no exhuast just the y pipe. If I can get this for a bit under 4,000 would it be a good deal or what would be a good price? Ill try to upload pictures later.

,Thank you

 

You can't know if the price is good until you see it. With exhaust missing and the slapped on paint I'd be looking closely for rot in the wheel wells and floor pans. The frame rails and inner rockers are usually a good place to check.

 

Shop around there are much better deals around, if you get a car as you describe you may spend a lot more than if you saved up and purchased a better car. Always best to get the finest quaity you can find and afford.

 

Yeah........about that "small block". The fit of the shaker scoop to the hood appears that it is either glued to the underside of the hood or is pressed up tight against it. Definitely not the original setup for a Trans Am. Thus, I doubt that it is a genuine Pontiac 400 ci engine under there and more likely a 400 ci SBC, which was never installed in a 2nd gen T/A. Thus, there is probably a lot of cobbled-together stuff hiding under that hood that bears no resemblance to the factory installation and is subject to being poorly implemented. I'd beware.

 

Walk away!

 

Oh yeah and next time you go look at old cars be sure to bring a magnet with you. That way you can at least make sure your not buying a car made up of Bondo!