Hi all, this is my first post here. I'm looking at getting an LT1 F Body soon. I don't have the time to sink into my Monte SS and I want something faster than my Neon.

After doing a little reading it seems the main issue is the optispark, but is a simple fix just takes a little time.

I'll ask my trans questions in the drivetrain section.

Is there anything else that is a known problem or that I should look for while looking at a car that is LT1 specific?

Thanks

 

Like any used car, watch out for those that have been "horse-whipped", or any ulgy/creative wiring.

All the hype about the Opti, is just that hype, the LT1 is as reliable as any other engine on the market if you take care of it, it will take care of you.

Most of the "Opti" related posts here are not really "Opti" related, but it gets plently of hate mail and WE KEEP DRIVING THEM!

Do your research (sound like you have already) and there is plenty of help here! Hell I put a `95 LT1 in my `80 Z28, because I wanted late model fuel injection and an overdrive trans, and I'm damn happy.

 

Im pretty sure you will notice that 93 lt1 cars differ from the rest..as in no electronic transmission, and the computer is the last year with no maf, it is only a speed density computer. Other than that my 93 has been great, love the sound that the lt1 has. It has a small cam, full boltons, stall converter, and gears hopefully soon. You can get a nice lt1 for cheap, just look and you will find one.

 

95 is the best year, then 94

 

Make sure you have 10k extra dollars you don't mind parting with. I was glad I got a great car for 6k, but it quickly turned into a 20k car..

 

I disagree, these cars can be had and maintained for cheap if you're mechanically savvy, parts are everywhere.

 

He probably means you get sucked into modding.

Thanks for the info everyone. Since I'm not getting any responses in the drivetrain section, I'll ask here. Is there anything too look out for with the 4L60, 4L60E or T-56. I'm pretty open to an auto or a manaul trans as I don't want to limit myself. I know I'll be more consistant on the track with an auto, and the shock shouldn't be as high as with a manual.

Is there anything wrong with the non electronic 4L60? I just saw an article in Car Craft and it said that the 7004r was renamed to be the 4L60. I'm not looking to drag race all the time, but some passes down the track are going to happen. How about the speed density computer, is this a bad thing? I have my eye on a 93 car that looks really clean inside and out for $5000 with 73,000 on it.

What does a stock LT1 run in the quarter with an auto or a manual? I saw a time of 14.7 but that just didn't seem right, unless F Bodies are heavier than I think.



Anyone wanna buy a 85 Monte SS?

 

93's are kinda their own machine; kinda the bastard child out of the 4th gens. That price seems really high for a 93 as well; REALLY high...

As for which is better; depends on your goals; both are good transmissions. Personally I like to shift a sports car, but that's me.

Like was said earlier; the 95 cars are the most desireable as they have the vented Opti and all the good parts of the 96-97s, but are still OBDI cars which makes reprogramming them easier/cheaper and you don't have to worry about emissions.

Basically they are like any other car, look them over very carefully and find a clean one that hasn't been beaten to hell; although good luck with that.

 

Interesting...we had 2 95's and both were crap for reliability. The '94 I have is many time more reliable....

 

Which just demonstrates that used cars are individuals.

All else being equal, a 95+ is a marginally more reliable car than a 94-.

Still, properly maintained, they're all perfectly reliable.

The problem is the "properly maintained" part. Proper maintenance on any car with a distributor includes periodic cap/rotor inspection...

 

How do you arrive at this conclusion? I'm not arguing with you, I'd just like to know the logic you used....

Buying any used car is a crap shoot, but buying a 15 year old used car is a GIGANTIC crap shoot....lol.

 

DONT GET AN LT1!!!!! THEY CAN NOT BEAT ANYTHING!! NOT EVEN SB1'S!!!!!!

definitely lookin forward to seeing you in a car... get a 94+

 

I didn't say or mean to imply that a 95 is any more reliable than a 94, its just the best set up for tuning and aftermarket stuff of the LT1 4th gens.

 

Ahh, I see what you mean, although they really aren't that different. The 94's still had the unvented opti but were otherwise identical to the 95's. The 95 had the OBD2 connector on the OBD1 computer making it a pain to hook a scanner to.....

My problems with the 95's were wide ranging, everything from paint to rear whine to bizarre electrical gremlims. It really seemed to be a build quality issue more than anything to do with design. Weirdly, other 95 GM cars in the family, not just F-bodies, had issues as well so it isn't just me tearing up the junk...LOL.

 

hmmm, maybe these cars are cheaper than I'm finding listed and I have some haggle room. Thanks for the info.


Now this opti issue, it seems as though its like changing the cap and rotor on an older Gen I engine. Just a little more involved. Sounds like normal maintenance to me to replace it every now and again. I'll have to look around at 95s and see what kind of price I'm looking at and see what you guys think of it.