Hey guys I have been reading the forums and about everything else I can get my hands on trying to make sure I get a good deal on my next used "new to me" car. I try to read so people don't have to repeat what they have already said.

From what I have read on the forums and elsewhere and personal taste I am looking for a Black 2002 Trans AM coupe, Ram Air, WS-6, traction control, auto. Trying to get a feel for the appropriate mileage and cost and condition from all the internet used car sites and NADA Kelley blue etc. I have even brushed up on my used car buying skills by reading a few of books out there on it.

What mileage range would you recommend as several have pointed out in other threads really low mileage can be a big problem?
What price range would you say give the above options?
Any other stock options you see as must have or must not have heh?

I noticed people mentioned checking the window motor for being worn out, piston slap, worn rotors, worn out gears in the automatic lights, leaking t-tops anything else?

Besides checking the common things on all the used car personal(non mechanic) checklists, getting a carfax report, and mechanic inspection anything else to insure quality of the car? I will probably have to use one of the internet inspection companies since I will probably have to travel to buy, anyone familiar with them? Anything else you recommend to make sure of
the condition of the car?

 

Whoa ghosttown? Also wanted to ask who all were using their firebird as primary auto for daily driving? Any 6'4 + drivers out there took their firebird for a long trip, how was the ride besides fast?

 

well you could find one for $17,000-$22,000 with about 15,000-60,000 miles on it......when you look at these vehicles check all the seals, inspect how each door, hatch, and hood shuts.......i would have a mechanic you trust inspect the vehicle for you......to spot if the car has been in a crash check for badges that are missing, open the hood and look at the mounting bolts that hold on the fenders, if they are stripped it means it has been worked on.........plus you can easily tell by just looking at the paint .....and if by chance if you are buying from a dealership ask on how they acquired the vehicle......and ask about age of the driver typically that will tell you how the car was taken care of......always always ask for a car fax, this will show any reported accidents, warranty work, major repairs, and how many owners.

 

mine is a weekend car......but i did drive mine from maryland to florida and back one time......on the way back i drove 16hrs but stop every 270 miles but still had a 1/4 tank left and i was driving like 80-90 mph, except one time i buried the needle on 95 overall i was comfortable in it and i am 6'6

 

I use mine as a daily driver year round in illinois, If you plan to do this you need at a minimum a good set of all-season tires, or better yet is a set of summer and a set of winter tires, unless you have something else you can drive when it snows. My summer tires on light snow can barely move the car down my driveway, lots of wheelspin and sliding.

As for problems, they have cheap interriors and are prone to rattles, cracked door panels, squeaks, leaky T-tops, broken window motors, broken headlight motors, excessive oil consumption, piston slap, weak rear ends, buldged out front quarter pannels (due to improper jacking, sadly a very common problem ), and really really crappy shocks. I'm sure I am missing a few but thats the majority.

 

Mine is a weekend car at best

 

-mangus2k1ws6
Thanks for the listing the price range and mileage range along with a list of things to watch out for when buying. I am guessing most of you is like me when it comes to being wary about purchasing a used car much less a used muscle car. Thanks for listing the things that can help spot a wreck as well as I would hate to pit my skills against a good body/paint team. Of course even checking myself plan to try to find a mechanic I can trust ..as I said have to travel to buy..so probably will end up using on of the online inspection services. Good to hear I am not going to be stooped over trying to enjoy the ride.

-TA guy
Whew. Seems a common theme that most people on the forums drive theirs weekends only good to see there is at least someone using it as a daily driver as that is indeed my intended use. It will probably just be parked anytime there is snow but how does yours handle with winter tires? "I'm sure I am missing a few but thats the majority." Your list is the a lot of the common ones friends use when giving me advice to purchase something else, a common theme with two of them is a used Lexus GS 430 but then as I pointed out..at the end of the day a TA still looks like a TA while everything else doesn't and a TA still performs like a TA while most everything else..doesn't. Sure you can find quieter/better made interior, and smoother rides but to me everything else on the road pretty much looks the same these days or is anemic on power. Hence the reason I would rather have a 2002 Ta than a 2007 anything else with the only competition costing a whole load more.


-Mike24 & mangus2k1ws6
Curious as to why a weekend only car? Gas mileage? The squeaks and rattles? Comfortableness to ride compared to daily driver? Keeping mileage low and trying to keep car in as excellent condition as possible because long term collecting? How hard is it to get into your daily driver when there is a TA sitting in the garage?

 

I broke the things listed into two categories.

So common repairs (and things to look out for is a used TA are:
Window motor for being worn out
Worn rotors
Worn out gears in the automatic lights
Leaking t-tops
Broken window motors
Broken headlight motors
Weak rear ends
Bulged out front quarter panels
Really really crappy shocks

This list I put into the repair/replace/upgrade category. Any estimated cost of replacement, number of times you have replaced the parts etc would be a great help along with where/what site/company etc you used to replace/repair said part. If we got together a list of common problems along with cost, repair sites info/links etc maybe we could get a sticky made of it like the brass gears stick or have it added to that one. Keep members from paying too much and put the experience of people who had already been down that repair road into a knowledge database?



Things that you live with when a TA is your ride?
Piston slap
Cheap interior that is prone to rattles
Cracked door panels
Squeaks
Excessive oil consumption (How excessive?)

I guessing it might be possible to chase down some (probably underline some since this seems to be mentioned a lot) of the squeaks and interior rattles, and replace the door panels..are they prone to recracking due to design and/or quality of replacement (this nullifying the logic of replacing)?

 

Well I'm not 6'4", but I use my T/A as a daily driver (in everything but ice) they aren't bad to live with as a dd, in fact this is the second f body I've used as a dd (I'd rate the reliability as a 10, never been stranded by a mechanical failure, as opposed to some other cars I've had as dds)
Does it have its quirks, yes it does, the piston slap makes it sound like a diesel on a cold start up, knock wood it doesn't have any rattles (could be the SFCs, at least I'd like to think so) one squeak from the rear seat latch, and uses about 1/2 quart of oil in 7500 miles. In return it's given me 40k of enjoyment, despite (or maybe even because of) its quirks

 

Well for me, My work (farmer) a truck is the most logical choice every morning.

 

I'm 6'3 and drove from Tampa to DC..my lower back started hurting after a while but I don't think there is any way around that. Got over 300 miles out of a tank at 70mph the whole way.

The T/A is my daily driver except when it snows. Then I just don't go anywhere. The only cars I've owned are Firebirds so all those noises and squeaks never get noticed by me anymore.

 

Mine Is A Daily Driver. 40 Mils Per Day. The Only Thing That Has Gone Bad Is The Driver Side Window Motor,rail, Relay. It Also Has A Small Crack On The Door Panel. But Like I Told The Dealership It's Not That Big.

 

Good to hear that not everyone experiences the full spectrum of common problems anyone got any input on repair cost. Still looking have a few canidates make have to end up with dark blue instead of black but that is only thing really willing to sacrifice heh.

Here is my list of sites that I am using to find current prices and “local” dealers if anyone has any suggestions/additions etc fire away. There were some other sites that only sold new cars and their used cars engine used one of the below.

http://www.cars.com/
http://www.autoweb.com/
http://www.autoextra.com/
http://CarsDirect.com
http://autotrader.com
http://vehix.com
http://www.carmax.com/
http://www.autoweb.com/
http://ebay.com
http://www.automart.com
http://AutoHopper.com
http://autos.yahoo.com/
http://www.carsmart.com/
http://www.autobytel.com
http://www2.nada.org/index.cgi
http://www.autobuyguide.com
http://www.cars-on-line.com/

 

i am 6'4" and for long trips I find it best to stop every 2 hrs or so to stop and strech. I thas a fair amount of leg room but I find the lumbar support to hit me in the wrong spot. Things that I live with: a slight drone from the exhaust, a few squeeks and rattles, and condensation in the tail lights. Use it as a DD for the summer and find an inexpensive car to drive for winter.

 

I have a 97 WS-6, its my daily driver too, I drive it 80 miles everyday to college and back. In my opinion its very comfortable. I love the seats in it, but when I drive long distances it can be a little rough on my lower back, I recently fixed the power lumbar support and havent driven it long distance since so I dont know if its better. I am 6' tall and its not bad the seat still can move back a good 6 inches, its great as long as there is nobody in the backseats.

I bought mine in 01 for 14K, it had 60K miles I think. It still gets pretty good gas mileage even now after a few bolt on mods. 16-18 city, 22-26 highway.... Both depending on how fast I am going

 

im 5'2. ive never had a problem with my baby girl.

 

I am on my second F-Body, my first was an 87 TA (identical rear suspension BTW) which I owned for about 6 years. It too was a daily driver, and with a good set of all season tires I got around pretty well. I only got stuck once, but that was a sheet of ice in a parking lot, I think I would have been stuck no matter what I was driving. You have to use extra care when driving in snow but it isn't too bad if you have the right tires. Now my current TA has goodyear GS-C summer tires on it and I almost got stuck in my flat driveway with ony 1" of sonw on the ground. I didn't even try to drive it again i the snow this year. I am going to replace the tires soon so I don't have that problem anymore.

I am by no means telling you to look at something else, in fact the pros of the car far outweigh the cons IMO. I bought a 200 Horse (about the same as my 87) much better built vehicle to replace my 87, and I hated the car, eventually I sold it and got another TA. I love the look, power, and handling the car provides for the price. It is a hard combo to beat. Plus, who the heck gets excited when they see a Lexus?

Here are prices for some of the common repairs if you do them yourself:
Window motor for being worn out $55 each Autozone
Worn rotors $80 each front $70 each rear, Strano Parts
Broken headlight motors ~$75 each Autozone
Bulged out front quarter panels $free fix
Really really crappy shocks $340 for bilstein HDs, you can spend more if you like. Strano Parts

Things that you live with when a TA is your ride?

Piston slap - I don't have it

Squeaks and Cheap interior that is prone to rattles - These can be tracked down if you have the patience.

Excessive oil consumption (How excessive?) - ~1/2 quart every ~2000 miles, some are worse, some are better, it has something to do with a poorly designed PCV system I am told. The oil is actually sucked into the intake. You can buy a catch-can if yours is really bad, the people with the worst problems seem to be those that have modified cars and a heavy foot.

 

Make sure that when you drive it that the car still feels stiff.....trust me when you go for a drive you will notice if the car is loose, that is not a good thing....more than likely it has had the **** drove out of it. Also check the tires....if the car doesn't have the factory goodyear eagle f1's and the tires that are on it are pretty rough......that is usually not a good sign...