Test Drove T Birds

Okay so mine is wrecked. Ive said before that if I ever crashed my t bird I would buy another just like it. Well, I went out lookin for cars with my uncle, and we saw a black t bird in a car lot.. it looked nice so we went in, then I saw a GOLD 96 just like mine.. I said.. "Uncle Doug Im Buying That Car!"... well, I took it for a test drive, and that car was starving for power. I gave it some gas, and it kinda sounded like a weak garbage disposal, and felt VERY rough. It had 118,000 miles, it was cloth interior, tape deck, manual climate controls and no light sensor. I dont care about any of that except mine had the light sensor and automatic digital climate controls, which Ive grown accustomed to. The man was asking 3500 for this car (oh and by the way it had NO moonroof).. bluebook for my car with leather, auto climate controls, light sensor, moonroof, cd player, premium sound, is $3408 in TOP NOTCH condition... this man has obviously overpriced this car. What do you guys think is wrong with the engine to make it struggle like an overworked garbage disposal, and btw not be able to reach more than 3000 RPMs. Could it be a simple underlying problem like MAF, or does it need a new engine. I am going to tell the man that I am very knowledgeable about this car and that I know it needs a new engine, and that the blue book value is below 3g's with a good engine. I will tell him that since the cost of a new engine with installation is about 2000$ I will give him 1200 since the rear quarter panel has been keyed at about a 3 1/2 foot length. My engine in my car is still strong, and I may be able to just swap it, and save myself a lot of money, and then I would swap every single interior piece until it is just like driving my Old Beaut.. "Ricks 96". Now that Ive babbled about that, let me sum it up.. what seems to be the problem with the engine.. is it wasted? can it be fixed? Is it possible to put my climate controls into this other car, and what about the automatic lamps sensor? I am going to dismantle MY 96 from the top, down until I learn every single nut and bolt on the whole car, but that wont be for a few weeks at least.

Another thing. I test drove a Black 96 V8 tbird. I took it out, gave it some gas, but it wasnt as fast as I expected. It was quick, but My V6 was about as fast when I bought it in 02. I broke the wheels loose in some light gravel, and the RPMs didnt go nearly as high as they would have in my car, also I could easily get MY car to 4000 RPMs, but I had to get up to 70 to reach 4000 in the V8, is that normal? The engine made a clicking noise that I didnt like, as well as another low pitched noise that I cant really describe but it didnt sound natural. Also, there was a leak which was splattering onto the resonator, and burning off into smoke. I drove the car for up to 10 MINS tops. I told the man that I am concerned about the engine, and the leak, and he said he will have his mechanic check it out, and to come back tomorrow. If it is a serious problem he said he would get rid of it for wholesale price. I told him what I saw, which I dont think I should have because now he may just look for the cheapest way to do a temp fix and just tell me.. yeah it was a leak, we fixed it, no biggie, and then rip me off.

I dont think I will buy the V8. I am very attached to the Gold, and I already have spare parts for the V6 anyways. What else should I look for though on the V8 when I go back. I have never dealt with the V8s, so I am unsure. Quick summary.. does the V6 need a new engine? Can I replace the cheap light switch with the auto lamp light switch and sensor? Can I replace the manual A/C controls with auto/digital a/c controls? Any advice on the V8? and with the problems I mentioned, what is a reasonable price on the V8?


If there is any other info you might need to answer my questions, I will try to get it, but otherwise I will be greatful for any thoughts based on what I have already said, alone.
Thanks in advance.... Rick Murta

Rick, do not buy that gold car.. SOUNDS like a bomb, seriously. You don't want to buy a POS man.

I recomend the V8 because they are MUCH more powerful, and have much more torque. Yeah they aint no camaro with an LS1 (my next car, maybe :-) but they kill the 3.8 V6 as far as stock speed..1/4 mile etc. Along with towing... having 4 people in the V8 vs. the V6..you'll notice how much better the V8 IS under stress.

Search search search..i'd honestly say to check out the web, like autotrader.com, cars.com and look at one thats in mint condition..get pics of the engine etc, run a VIN# check with carfax etc.

As far as the RPMs in a V8, if i floor my car, from a stop, i believe it reaches 4K. If i'm going like 60mph, then floor it, it goes up past 5K. That 3.8 v6 in the gold one sounds tired, could have MANY problems, just be alittle patient until you can get a SOUND vehicle, with not to many problems.

PS, like i said, i'd rather search the web, and if anything, see if you can find a place like 200-300 miles away, and see IF someone can give you a lift... OR have them ship it..if you get enough $$$ from insurance :-)

When you find a car you really like tell the dealer you want to take it to your mechanic to check it out. If he won't let you do that then keep walking. It is worth the money to have a reputable mechanic check out any car you plan to buy. Asking for someone in this forum to tell you if the engine is all right is like calling a doctor and asking him to tell you, by just talking to you on the phone, if you are all right. Don't be in a rush to buy a car. Take someone with you that knows something about cars so that they can give you an objective opinion about what you are looking at. They might notice that it has three different types of tires on it whereas you just see the "perfect" car. You want it so bad that you don't see the flaws. It's much easier to wait and buy the car that has what you want rather then trying to swap everything from your old car to a new one. If you can, just save your old car for parts that you might need later. Check out kbb.com and edmunds.com for used car prices. Stay cool around the dealer and happy hunting!

I appreciate that, thats very true, and good advice. Let me follow up that story though. I went back and talked to him today, He said his mechanic checked out the V8 and the leak was a heater coil. Maybe he meant heater core? I didnt use the heater while I was driving it though, does that matter? Anyways he said it was 300 bucks for that repair. Then I asked him about the V6, and he said he'd have a machanic look at it. He said, "oh its probably some sensor or what not like an oxygen sensor" HA, I dont think so.. well He said come back and see him tomorrow at about noon, and he would know. I told him that if the motor is blown or needs to be replaced, then I would like to buy the car from him. My uncle already spilled the beans that I had a Gold one just like it, and about the wreck, so he knows the situation. He told me that if the motor is not blown then he can try to find me a 96 t bird body. I dont know about his resources, but he seemed slightly confident.

Do not trust the dealer's mechanic. He works for the dealer- not you! To help you find a reputable mechanic, ask people you know about who they go to to have their cars repaired. Like I said, if the dealer won't let you take the car to another shop to be checked out then walk away from that dealer. Another worthwhile investment is a carfax report of any car you plan to buy. When I was looking for a truck I got the unlimited package that allows you to check as many vehicles as you want. I think it was about $25. Go to carfax.com to get the report.You will need the VIN of the car you want to check out. Also, some larger dealers will give you a report but I don't think it includes all the info that you get when you buy the report. Do your homework and spend some money up front to save yourself more money after you buy the car.