I work at a car dealership and we can get somewhat good deals on some of the higher-mileage used cars...I've seen mixed reviews on ls1 engines when it comes to miles and I have a 2000 v6 camaro right now. I got that for gas mileage but i've got a couple motorcycles as of this past summer so I dont worry about gas much anymore...so its time for a car that consumes it at a high, fast rate. My car has 86000 miles on it, so it would be like upgrading to power leather seats, two more cylinders, chrome z28 wheels, and ground effects. the only problem is the miles and the transmission is automatic with a leak in the rear main seal thats dripping oil.

I was pondering the idea of swapping the v6 with a v8, but i think that would be a huuuge struggle since i live in an apartment....should I honestly buy this z28 (i would switch it to a manual when taxes come back)? I have no records of how the engine was taken care of...would anyone recommend a rebuild and if so what would that cost? thanks for your time

 

Rear seal of engine or tranny? The rear tranny seal is trivial to replace, drop the driveshaft. Have a good, close look at the engine, maybe pressure test the cooling system, maybe even a leakdown compression test. If there are no ticks or knocks, and the oil is clear, why not, as long as the price is fair. These engines are built to tight tolerances, and, if properly cared for, should run a long time. I put 250,000 miles on my LT1 with no problems, and I would expect similar service from the LS1. I prefer driving a stick, too, but the auto is no slouch-

 

i had the dealership do a 'one-hour check' which is what everyone does before they buy a car from there haha; but they said it was the "rear main seal" (i'm saying engine seal but could be wrong, fill me in if you would) and they would have to drop the tranny out to replace it...(for 1000 bucks) but i found someone that would do it for 400...lol the oil is clear and full, but definitely leaking (slowly) but everything is quite clean..i can get it for 7500 bucks out the door then add on the tranny work, so around 8grand. good deal?

 

and just curious...what extra power gets to the ground from having a manual tranny instead of an auto, if any?

 

It's the "fun to drive" factor w/ the M6.

 

I'd say buy it...its pretty cheap for what your getting.

The rear main seal is on the motor,its the gasket that goes under where the crankshaft is on the oil pan. Not sure how its replaced on an LS1 but thats what it is.

 

If you want a V8, and manual, just wait and buy one with less miles. I can't see the point of going through an auto to manual swap on a stock, high mileage LS1 camaro (which are a dime a dozen anyways).


It will end up costing more to fix the seal and do the swap then just finding a complete car spec'd how you want it.

 

true...but where i work we only get the discounts if the cars go 'wholesale', which requires them to have over 90,000 miles or body/frame damage. the only other v8 f-body that has come through as wholesale was a ws-6 trans am M6 for 8500 with 92000 miles on it; but it had some body work done and also had 2000$ worth of engine repairs needed taken care of before it was even able to be bought by an employee...so that sucked. so this one and that one are the only v8 fbodys that have come through in the last year as wholesale...just not many opportunities to get one. i dont mind having an automatic, its the 'fun todrive factor' like km9v said... thanks for the advice tho everyone; i'll probably end up getting it next week sometime. anybody want a auto pewter 2000 v6 with 86k on it?!? haha

 

$8500 for a 92000 mile F-body that needs $2000 of repairs is NOT a good deal, NOR is it a wholesale price. Your work is screwing you or they are buying WAY too high at auction or giving too much on a trade.

Don't believe me? Here's the Manheim report on a 2001 Z28.
Above Average Below
Auction $8,750 $7,050 $5,350
Est. Retail $9,950 $8,100 $6,275

The car you spoke of would fall somewhere around $7000 wholesale if nothing was wrong with it.

Mike

 

also good info, but those prices i listed were the employee discounts...the company still makes a little money off of us, even with wholesale cars, to help balance out the front lot profits. the trans am they bought was a trade-in, and there were maybe only 500 dollars worth of stuff wrong, but the labor charged took it into the thousands (we HAVE to have the vehicles inspected at the lot before we can buy them, so whatever work has to be done to them HAS to be done at the lot as well by our mechanics, which is bogus)

for this camaro, they bought it at an auction for less than $6,000!! but they mark it up some, and that is the reserve for the auction held at the dealership wholesale lot each tuesday; Employees pay 300 over that reserve amount and then taxes, title, and the processing fee, which put me out the door at 7500. So is the company screwing us out?? yeaa..kind of i would agree, but its still a little bit better of a price than can be found elsewhere so its still a little "deal"; but they wont buy anything at too high of a price especially from an auction, they're pretty good at what they do.

 

$7900 out the door with the seal fixed is not a bad deal for a 2001 Z28 if: The motor is quiet, the trans is in good shape, the body is straight, and the paint is good.
As far as it being an automatic is concerned. Have them put a good 3500 rpm aftermarket torque converter in it while the trans is out and you'll be grinning for a week straight.

 

i paid 8900 for 99 ls1 m6 and dealer claimed they my fixed oil leak