2002 z28 tick. Should I still buy?
11-16-2011, 07:58 PM
#21
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when I was looking for camaro before I bought my ss. I too was in the same situation one car I was looking at had same similar noise I asked the owner if you wana sell this car today could you unbolt that oil drain plug for me? I brought an extra drain plug lol swap it soon as oil poured out and sure enough all kinds of metal shavings at that tip of that plug. I passed on that car lol didnt hurt to ask if the owner cool about it
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Do you really want to buy a car with a problem like this? Base your offer on the worst case, bad cam or major engine overhaul. It could be something as simple as a bent push rod, but do you want to take that chance? Good, low mileage cars pop up for sale here with no problems. My 2000 Z28 has 113 thou on it and the small problems are starting to crop up. Do yourself a favor and don't rush into a high mileage car with an unknown sound coming from the engine.
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11-16-2011, 08:07 PM
#22
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when I was looking for camaro before I bought my ss. I too was in the same situation one car I was looking at had same similar noise I asked the owner if you wana sell this car today could you unbolt that oil drain plug for me? I brought an extra drain plug lol swap it soon as oil poured out and sure enough all kinds of metal shavings at that tip of that plug. I passed on that car lol didnt hurt to ask if the owner cool about it
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11-16-2011, 08:24 PM
#25
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Ok, so let's listen to you and "worse comes to worse" buy a 454 for it. The dude is obviously trying to watch what he spends. Do our cars make noises?? Yes..Who knows what the noise is.
OP, you could buy the car, and end up pulling the heads next week. OR, you could buy it and it could run like a champ for the next few years. Do what you want, but I would pass. There is NO rushing when buying a car. You don't have to jump on this just because you can afford it.
OP, you could buy the car, and end up pulling the heads next week. OR, you could buy it and it could run like a champ for the next few years. Do what you want, but I would pass. There is NO rushing when buying a car. You don't have to jump on this just because you can afford it.
11-16-2011, 08:50 PM
#26
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Have you drove it ? Almost sounds like a plug wire arching over. I also had a belt tensioner make a tick/knock sound that I thought was a lifter or something in the bottom. Might be worth a shot to loosen a belt up and start it, couldn't hurt.
11-16-2011, 09:02 PM
#27
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The thing that has me scratching my head is... He said he changed the spark plugs and the wires with nr55 and ls6 red wires. But he said he heard the car tick ever since he the first day of ownership.
11-16-2011, 09:36 PM
#29
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Probably not the plug wires then but when I bought my car it had a noise that sounded like lifter/wrist pin that was loud and it seemed to echo through the bottom like it was right in the oil pan but it turned out to be one of the idler pulleys. If thats the only thing knocking you I'd ask him to let you pull a belt off. It wouldn't suprise me at all if thats what it was. mine was really loud. How long has he owned the car?
11-16-2011, 09:50 PM
#31
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But honestly If you can't pinpoint exactly what it is before you buy it I would leave it alone. I know what its like to go buy car and then it break down and all you can do is look at it. When I bought my Z i knew it had tranny problems before but he said it was rebuilt with new clutch, hydraulics, everything. I put less thank 1k on it and 5th went out. Aamco had the case split 6 times and on the 7th try I told them forget it and took it to tick and no problems since. Also had to replace all the hydraulics and clutch before taking it to tick. Then bought a brand new 10' Cobalt SS and ps went out the day I got it sat at the dealership 2 weeks. lol Its life I guess.
11-16-2011, 10:03 PM
#33
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I understand the risk. I'm a car hoe. I'm 21 and have had more than 13 cars already. I always tell myself I'm going to keep the next car I buy for a long time but I always seem to end up selling it. I kindda wanna keep my next purchase 
I have a 1998 civic hx as a get around car and it gets 45 MPG, but it's damn slow. I miss the torque and grunt of the v8. I had a 250rwhp turbo Miata and I don't even miss it. I miss driving my old 98z even though it was an a4.
I have a 1998 civic hx as a get around car and it gets 45 MPG, but it's damn slow. I miss the torque and grunt of the v8. I had a 250rwhp turbo Miata and I don't even miss it. I miss driving my old 98z even though it was an a4.
11-16-2011, 10:04 PM
#34
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Any sports cars gonna be beaten on a few times in its life. My camaro I know has been beat to death. I know the guy who had it before the one I got it from and he said he had put two trannys in it while he had it and put two sets of rear springs of it. He sprayed a 150 shot out the gate and junked stuff lol. Its got 120k on it now and its going strong just little piston slap in the morning. Runs 12.80s with just headers and a gear.
11-16-2011, 10:47 PM
#36
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If the car is solid it probably wouldn't be if you trust the guy that its always made the ticking because more than likely whatever is ticking if its made the same exact noise for 45k without getting worse it can't be anything extremely bad I would think. I gave 8k for mine and by the time it was over fixing all the little things I ended up with probably 12 in it. I would just hate to tell you to buy it and then it blow up. In the end its your call. Like somebody else said go on the worst case scenario and see if the pros outway the cons. If it is something on the inside I can't see it being more than a pushrod or lifter.
11-17-2011, 05:54 AM
#37
Any sports cars gonna be beaten on a few times in its life. My camaro I know has been beat to death. I know the guy who had it before the one I got it from and he said he had put two trannys in it while he had it and put two sets of rear springs of it. He sprayed a 150 shot out the gate and junked stuff lol. Its got 120k on it now and its going strong just little piston slap in the morning. Runs 12.80s with just headers and a gear.
11-17-2011, 06:06 AM
#38
The dilemma you're facing is that, while you don't want to end up with a bad deal, you also don't want to miss out on a potentially good deal. So your task is to try to find out as much about the noise before you make the ultimate decision.
Two things to dismiss so far: First, the ticking is unlikely to have anything to do with the spark plugs because he changed the plugs and wires, and second, it also probably isn't a piston slap because that occurs when cold and dissipates when hot. Whatever is causing the sound is doing so by have its tolerance open up a bit from the heat expansion.
Also, I think I should say that it's not entirely reliable to judge a car's condition to be 'good' simply because it's got a low mileage. I've heard of engine, trans and rear end rebuilts at less than 70k. So you'll always have to rely on keen observation and educated judgment, while acknowledging that chance will always be a factor--however small it may be.
Why not buy a stethescope thing and try to pinpoint the noise that way?
Two things to dismiss so far: First, the ticking is unlikely to have anything to do with the spark plugs because he changed the plugs and wires, and second, it also probably isn't a piston slap because that occurs when cold and dissipates when hot. Whatever is causing the sound is doing so by have its tolerance open up a bit from the heat expansion.
Also, I think I should say that it's not entirely reliable to judge a car's condition to be 'good' simply because it's got a low mileage. I've heard of engine, trans and rear end rebuilts at less than 70k. So you'll always have to rely on keen observation and educated judgment, while acknowledging that chance will always be a factor--however small it may be.
Why not buy a stethescope thing and try to pinpoint the noise that way?
11-17-2011, 06:47 AM
#39
10 Second Club
I bought it with 100k and now its got 120k and I've just noticed the piston slap lately and its only for the first couple seconds. In say 60 degree weather and you just start it and back straight out you'll hear a odd noise then you stop to try to listen again and it doesn't do it anymore. The only way it'll do it for more than a second is if you start it when its blue ball cold outside and its only when you give it gas. Idling it doesn't make a sound. The car was sprayed early in its life. I'm gonna say pre 60k because its had two owners that I know of prior to the guy that sprayed it.