Hood paint problem on 96 T/A

[zer0signal667]

Hi all,
I'm looking to buy a T/A, and the one I'm looking at seems to be in great shape except for a few problems with the paint. On the hood there are a few spots where the paint looks drippy/wrinkled. I don't think it has been repainted, and my friend suggests that it looks like it may have overheated (looks similar to paint being hit with a heatgun). Also, there are a good number of paint chips on the sills above the door windows. Are either of these problems common or does anyone have any possible explanations? Any other words of caution when looking to buy a Firebird?

Thanks, and I look forward to hanging out here in the future

[zer0signal667]

I've read that these cars are very prone to overheating if something goes wrong like faulty thermostat, blocked radiator, low coolant... is this true? And as long as the cooling system is kept in good order, do they tend to overheat anytime otherwise?

[Injuneer]

I think just about any car will overheat with the conditions you listed. The LT1 isn't any better or any worse than any other. A caution would be to follow the proper air bleed procedure when changing the coolant. The "low coolant" sensor tends to plug up and fail. No biggie.

Common problems on the LT1 are the Optispark distributor, which can fail quickly when exposed to water or coolant. The intake manifold often leaks oil at the back, passenger side where RTV is used as the sealant between the intake manifold and the block.

I've never seen any problems with paint like you described, either with the drips/wrinkles in the hood, or chips on the window sills. My 94 still looks like it did when it was new in those locations.

The T/A headlight motors strip the gears fairly often. The power window motors tend to wear out prematurely.

The plastic strip on the edge of the rear hatch glass tends to produce large quantities of black ooze, when it sits in the sun.

Probably a few others that people can think of. My 94 lost the Opti, and the starter in the first 50K miles. Differential carrier bearings needed to be replaced under warranty.... a 150-shot might have contributed to the premature failure . My headlights and power windows still work, the intake manifold never leaked, and the cooling system has performed perfectly, although now replaced by an upgraded system.

[zer0signal667]

How is the Optispark unit so vulnerable to coolant drippage? Is it shielded from road spray somehow? And how difficult is it to replace the unit?
Also, I can't seem to find a bleeding procedure, could someone explain it and how the reverse flow aspect of the system affects it?

[TraceZ]

Chips on the window sills are usually from the window being smashed, and all the heavy sharp broken glass falls onto the top edge of the door.

[zer0signal667]

Chips on the window sills are usually from the window being smashed, and all the heavy sharp broken glass falls onto the top edge of the door.

This is on the sills above the windows, though.

[TraceZ]

This is on the sills above the windows, though.

So, maybe the car was upside down then?

I'm so full of crap I amaze myself!

[zer0signal667]

Haha, possibly... Maybe I should check the roof for dents and the driver's seat for skidmarks