i was considering buying a 96' Trans Am with a little over 100,000 miles on it. if you have any opinions on problems i might run into or things i should look or listen for before buying it, please drop a few lines i would appreciate it. also if i do buy the car what are some things that i could do to keep it running smoothly with such high miles.
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Depends what the previous owwner has had done. Ask the owner for a maintenance log and consider getting a mechanic to give it the once over & check it for codes.
Things to watch out for - the usual stuff - brakes, brake fluid, tires, plugs, wires, opti, water pump, all other fluids, battery, shocks, power steering pump, air conditioning, O2 sensors & cats, etc...
oh yeah... the famous intake manifold leak around back passenger side of the intake -
From what I've seen, Kevin is right there in the ballpark. I purchased my 97 brand new and have rolled up 123K miles. I just retired the car from daily driving and is now a pleasure only vehicle. If it runs in top shape, fine. If there are any engine performance issues, there are a few things to look for. Plugs and wires are a royal PITA on these cars unless you've done it a few times and even then, it is no pleasure. They typically last 100K miles, so if they haven't been done yet, plan on it now. The optical distributor (known as an opti spark) is a common failure. $200 for the part, about 2.5 hours labor. The seals in the front cover for the distributor, water pump and crank should be replaced at the same time. About $20, and not too much effort if you are already in there and will save you from headaches later on. Headlight motors are prone to stripping the internal gear. They can be fixed either for free by flipping the gear around or a brass gear can be ordered for $40 per motor. Headgaskets can go bad also, some cars seem to run forever without a problem, some blew the gasket. Overall, one of the best cars I've ever owned from a reliability standpoint.
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I got my z-28 new in March of '94. It just clicked past 230k miles. The original factory clutch made 135k. I've never had a car so long, or put this many miles on one! Its been an excellant dailey driver......
Sure its had its usual repairs, the opti, radiator, leaks, etc.... but help from this board has saved me big $$$$$.
See ja!The Old Guy! '94 z-28, m-6, t-tops, go-fast red, 316k. Now with '96 engine w/ Lt-4 hot cam, roller rockers, heavy duty timing chain, and Spec stage 2 clutch.
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check
definitly get a real good mechanic to look at it. Also check with the vin number and see if it has been in any wrecks.Comment
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