Looking at a used car.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 351
From: Marietta, Ga
Check all the fluids to give an indication whether they have taken care of it. Check the exaust to see if it has been burning oil. Open the hood and look around at the paint around where the nose joins the hood to see if you see any signs of it being wrecked. Also ask what has been replaced lately. If there is several large things that have been recently replaced, I would avoid. Last bt not least, try to fish around and see why he is selling it. If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 351
From: Marietta, Ga
Well be careful of dealers. Personally i avoid buying used cars for them, but another indicator if the car is going to be good for you is how it runs and how much power it has. I recommend that you test drive other cars similar to it but with fewer miles. Then go drive the one that you are seriously looking at and make sure that it still have good pick up and that it isn't making any funky noises. I know one time i was looking at a higher milage vehicle at the dealership and it had been dawged out and it hardly moved when you slammed the gas. That is the kinda stuff that I would do if i was spending my money. Hope it helps.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 43
pearlpurple
Member
Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 277
A compression test is a good check but is a big pain in the ****. The spark plugs take about an hour to change so I would estimate that a compression test will take at least 1 1/2 hours. This of course depends on your mechanical competency. I do not know what you can do so if I get too simple it is not to be rude.
If you are going to buy an LT1 (93 to 97) I would start with the following items:
1) the biggest item I think you want to know about is the Optispark distributor. If you don't know already it is mounted on the front of the engine at the end of the camshaft with the water pump. If you do not do your own work it can cost a few bucks to get a shop to change one. If the car misses or hesitates or can't seem to get up to high RPMs (red line) the Opti may be suspect. Ask the owner if it has the original Opti. look to see if the Opti has oil or moisture around.
2) You must check the oil I do agree with who ever said to,, if it is really black, smells like fuel, has coolant bubbles in it, if it low, etc etc this is easy information.
3) Pop the rad cap and see if the coolant level is up, also check the overflow bin see if it is at the correct level. Check around the water pump for leakage out of the weep hole. If you get water on the opti the opti will not last.
4) Check all brakes but the back especially as they seem to wear fast on some of the cars.
5) Check the back of the intake manifold for fresh oil,, the intakes on these cars (LT1s) will leak oil. It is an easy fix even for the inexperienced back yard mechanic.
6) Check the oil pan for fresh oil as the real seal is also a weakness,, make sure you don't mix up a leaking intake for a leaking rear seal or vica versa
7) Power window motors also go frequently with these cars,, typical GM power window motors.
8) Check rear differential for leakage not a weakness of the car but something you should check,, if you have time pull the plug and see of the oil level is up.
9) You mentioned oil pressure and what is good, once the engine is WARMED UP the idle presure shoud be 20 to 25 psi and at 60 mph 50 to 55 psi. I would not touch the car if the idle pressure was not over 10 to 15 psi and at 60 mph over 35 psi. They say you can go lower but lower the oil pressure the more clearance with your crank bearings and cam bearings so wear has taken place.
10) Window leakage,, look for stains on the rug on the back floor,, look under the rug if possible or underneath if the car leaked you may have some rust starting.
11) Make sure you take the car up to a good speed as the drive shafts also can be out of balance.
12) When you check out the car you want to start with a cold engine,,, many times an engine will knock or make noise when it is cold and when it warms up the noise goes away. Get it good and warmed up too because the oil pressure will drop with increased heat so when cold may show good oil pressure when warmed up the pressure can drop significantly. My oil pressure drops almost 15 psi from cold to warmed up.
The above should only take 25 - 30 minutes unless you want to check the rear diff and do your compression test that you were orignally takling about.
im doing the same thing buddy...later
Member
Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 277
A compression test is a good check but is a big pain in the ****. The spark plugs take about an hour to change so I would estimate that a compression test will take at least 1 1/2 hours. This of course depends on your mechanical competency. I do not know what you can do so if I get too simple it is not to be rude.
If you are going to buy an LT1 (93 to 97) I would start with the following items:
1) the biggest item I think you want to know about is the Optispark distributor. If you don't know already it is mounted on the front of the engine at the end of the camshaft with the water pump. If you do not do your own work it can cost a few bucks to get a shop to change one. If the car misses or hesitates or can't seem to get up to high RPMs (red line) the Opti may be suspect. Ask the owner if it has the original Opti. look to see if the Opti has oil or moisture around.
2) You must check the oil I do agree with who ever said to,, if it is really black, smells like fuel, has coolant bubbles in it, if it low, etc etc this is easy information.
3) Pop the rad cap and see if the coolant level is up, also check the overflow bin see if it is at the correct level. Check around the water pump for leakage out of the weep hole. If you get water on the opti the opti will not last.
4) Check all brakes but the back especially as they seem to wear fast on some of the cars.
5) Check the back of the intake manifold for fresh oil,, the intakes on these cars (LT1s) will leak oil. It is an easy fix even for the inexperienced back yard mechanic.
6) Check the oil pan for fresh oil as the real seal is also a weakness,, make sure you don't mix up a leaking intake for a leaking rear seal or vica versa
7) Power window motors also go frequently with these cars,, typical GM power window motors.
8) Check rear differential for leakage not a weakness of the car but something you should check,, if you have time pull the plug and see of the oil level is up.
9) You mentioned oil pressure and what is good, once the engine is WARMED UP the idle presure shoud be 20 to 25 psi and at 60 mph 50 to 55 psi. I would not touch the car if the idle pressure was not over 10 to 15 psi and at 60 mph over 35 psi. They say you can go lower but lower the oil pressure the more clearance with your crank bearings and cam bearings so wear has taken place.
10) Window leakage,, look for stains on the rug on the back floor,, look under the rug if possible or underneath if the car leaked you may have some rust starting.
11) Make sure you take the car up to a good speed as the drive shafts also can be out of balance.
12) When you check out the car you want to start with a cold engine,,, many times an engine will knock or make noise when it is cold and when it warms up the noise goes away. Get it good and warmed up too because the oil pressure will drop with increased heat so when cold may show good oil pressure when warmed up the pressure can drop significantly. My oil pressure drops almost 15 psi from cold to warmed up.
The above should only take 25 - 30 minutes unless you want to check the rear diff and do your compression test that you were orignally takling about.
im doing the same thing buddy...later
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,413
From: Marlton NJ
Originally posted by smokindastangs
If there is several large things that have been recently replaced, I would avoid.
If there is several large things that have been recently replaced, I would avoid.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 43
so at 60 mph the car should have around 60 psi? so at idle it should have around 10psi???im about to buy a lt1 also so if you have more info on how to read the oil pressure better or what ever POST!!! thanks......later
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 594
From: Fort Smith, AR
Aside from all the visual checks you may want to also get the VIN and check it on www.carfax.com. When I bought mine I looked it up, down and sideways--then ran a check on carfax to make sure it wasn't a lemon. The only thing I came up with was a title transfer, which was reassuring to me. I think they have a free report but I don't think it really gives any specific info, you may have to shell out a few bucks to get the full report. If it's a dealership, they may even run the report for you--that's if they're confident it's not a lemon.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 351
From: Marietta, Ga
That's some of the worse advise I've heard. When shopping for a used fbody, especially one with 100k on it, if the water pump, opti, and intake manifold seal haven't been replaced I wouldn't even look at it unless it was really cheap, because odds are, you'll be replacing them real soon..............
In Reply to that, who in thier right mind sinks a lot of money into major repairs on a car....and then just sells it? That to me is an obvious sign that the previous owner felt as if it was a lemon. So if you want to go buy a car that has a lot of major repairs done to it recently, i have a truck in my driveway that has gone through 4 tranny's in 3 months and it is all yours if you wanna buy it. ( i am despratelly trying to sell it......IT IS A LEMON)
In Reply to that, who in thier right mind sinks a lot of money into major repairs on a car....and then just sells it? That to me is an obvious sign that the previous owner felt as if it was a lemon. So if you want to go buy a car that has a lot of major repairs done to it recently, i have a truck in my driveway that has gone through 4 tranny's in 3 months and it is all yours if you wanna buy it. ( i am despratelly trying to sell it......IT IS A LEMON)
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