maneandtail

Finally buying my first car as a toy!!! I have decided on a third gen trans am, t-tops, manual. I am getting serious about an 84 I found so I have been doing research on that year, I am having trouble finding information or reviews on the engine. anyone have any advice for a newbie? aside from the engine are there any quirks or thing's I should be prepared to deal with initially? (she only has 28,000 miles!!!!) thanks!

Atilla the Fun

Isn't there a sticky on this? An L69 isn't a bad engine, and compared to the LG4 it has high output, but it ain't fast. It did get a better cam, pistons, exhaust manifolds, exhaust system and air cleaner, but all of that can be improved on very easily. And despite the low miles, odds are that all of the rubber suspension bushings are deteriorated, and depending on how much and how often the car has been driven, you may find you have a bunch of seals start leaking, anything from engine or trans to brakes or axle or clutch.

maneandtail

So even if the mileage is low I will still be able to sink a bunch of money in to it, I am so relived!! HA HA Seriously thanks for bringing that stuff to my attention like I said this is my first time, and while I know a tiny bit about cars and am reading and learning more every day I pretty much know nothing!!! I do have one heck of a mechanic and I always get cars checked out before buying. According to the sellers this car gets driven every three to four weeks, they have kept up on regular maintenance such as oil changes. We have settled on $4800, without seeing the car do you think this is reasonable? (Oh yeah what's a sticky? this is also my first time posting comments on line for anything!)

SSC

Not a bad engine that kinda mileage should be ok to play with a tad the front end of the site has alot of tech data might glance at it.

Atilla the Fun

If the car truly is cherry then that's a good price. Aside from the bushings, there shouldn't be any major issues, and if you're gonna start modifying it to make it faster, there souldn't be any worries other than the bushings. But before you buy a bushing kit and take it to your mechanic, think about what you're gonna do with the car, because virtually all aftermarket suspension parts come with new poly bushings. Also, other than that, your first mod should be subframe connectors, especially for a T-top car. If you're going to do a thorough build of the car, best to get as much stuff as possible from one source, such as Spohn, they offer all the suspension upgrades and subframe connectors. There are way too many choices, so keep reading and asking questions, then when you have questions for us, include as much relevant information as possible.