I'm taking a little road trip with a friend to look at a 2001 SS convertable he's thinking of buying. Me being of primarily LT1 knowledge, I was wondering if you guys could give me some ideas of what to look for.

What on the LS1 cars should I look for to see if it's in good condition?

 

The one thing I would want to check for is piston slap. Make sure he starts the car once while the engine is cold if at all possible. Some LS1's have piston slap and some don't. I was a lucky one (woohoo).

Other then that I would just check things like tire wear, oil leakage and maybe run a carfax on the Vin. Now I hope your friend is aware that convertables are heavier so the car will be a tad slower then say another SS with t-tops. Also the NHRA tracks make any convertable running 13's or better get a roll bar. Since these cars run 13's stock that makes running verts at the track more of a hassle for the non die-hard drag racer.

But if he's not into drag racing and just wants to tool around town then nothing beats the vert on a warm summer day!

 

Yeah he just wants it for a nice fast car, he just sold his 91 RS convert, and it was stock except some intake and exhaust mods. I don't think he'll be taking it to the track much.

So piston slap is the only mechanical problem common? and look for oil leaks, wear, etc?

 

Piston slap is nothing to worry about unless it's still there after the car warms up, then it could be a problem. Mine has it when it is cold and goes away after 5 minutes or so. It's annoying but harmless. I complained to chevrolet about it and they said it was harmless and they extended my warranty to make me happy.