Looking into buying a Firebird - What to look for?

[spielightdude]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking at possibly buying a firebird and was wondering if anyone could give me any hints or tips on what to look for and what to look out for?

I am not too automotive savy but I do know a few things and any pointers would be a great help.

I am looking to spend between 4000-6000 for one and for it to be an automatic if it makes any diffrence?

Thanks I'll take anyones .

Thanks,

Joe

[CreepingDeath94]

To get one in reliable running condition that hasnt been wiring hacked with low miles, you're probably going to be looking for a bird between '85 and '98. Might be able to find a newer one for that price but you will have to be patient and it probably will have some problems. Id say your best bet for around $5000 would be a '89 to a '95/'96 maybe. That way it will be one that has been stored or driven little with low mileage and a clean body, interior, engine, etc.

Look out for 3rd. gens ('82-92) boasting 350 motors. Even if the VIN checks out, people love swapping in 305 and selling them as 350s...as far as the majority of people out there are concerned, every V8 is a 350 when they are selling it. Just something to keep an eye out for...look for the signs like wiring that doesnt look original under the hood or something that might show the motor has been worked on to a major degree.

The 4th gens. need to be taken care of and maintained properly or they have the potential to be a can of worms as well. They have issues with the optispark set-up on the pre-97 models...werent vented and warped and distorted often. Check to see if the water pump has been replaced or if it has had a tune up if the care has over 60K miles. Its an expensive/labor intensive job if its soomething you have to do after you buy it...can use that to bring the price down sometimes.

[TransAm87]

all of what he said is good, and also try carsurvey.org for reviews from people about there cars, it seperates all makes and models by year and people submit there reviews and whats gone wrong and such, it helps to get a good idea of what you might run into..

[knight7]

Used cars, especially after 70K needs repair and watch out for the following things>>
1)Watch for repainting by looking carefully at the edges on the bumper, fenders or hood. If its been repainted, chances are that the vehicle had been involved into an accident.
2) Make sure there are no leaks after the car gets driven for 5-10 minutes. If the engine has been washed, this is to clear all the leaks!
3)Check each and every light bulb. If something is not working, ask the seller to reduce the overall price becuz you need to repair it.
4)Check the allignment of the vehicle. If not going straight, ask for reduction of the price.
5) When driving, lower your windows to hear any possible noises from the vehicle.
6) Check all the power'd stuff like windows, seats and etc.
7) Accelerate and feel the power. If it stalls or dosnt pick up, more money on repairs needed.
8)Check the tread of the tire and watch for any cracks.
9) Make sure it gets driven on the highway at 75mph to determine the stability of the vehicle.
9) If there is a cd player, have a cd with you to check the player.
Having cash money is the biggest advantage you can have in the negotiating process.
In the end, ask your seller "I will be buying this car, so please tell me if there is something else wrong with the car." If the seller is honest, he will tell you wat else is wrong with it. Believe it or not, every seller tries to hide one thing that would lower the price of his car or stop the buyer from buying the car.
I hope this helps. There are a lot other things that should be kept in mind. I hope that the others add onto this from their past experience.

[spielightdude]

Thanks everyone,

I will def. take into account everything posted. I have about 1080 saved up right now but am going to wait untill I have about 4-5000 saved up and if I have to see about saveing up a little more or getting 2000 financed as I need a car soon. But dont want to get screwed.

I have also read that before you start a car to take off the oil filler cap and with a flash light take a look at the engine. If its all cruddy just to walk away but if it lookes generally clean or at least not covered in crud its a better bet.
I love the car but want to get one that will be reliable.

Thanks again everyone,

Joe

P.S. Please post more if you have anything more to add!

[knight7]

if the oil is all crudy, wouldnt it be fixed with an oil change?

[spielightdude]

No i don't mean the oil color althought that can also be an issue.

I mean if you look at the actual crank case and its covered with a bunch of sludge and carbon build up and well looks like crap and to fix it would require an engine rebuild Walk Away!

An oil change is a simple thing yes but when you look at the overall top of the engine and its all covered with gunk and gummed up then it would take more than just an oil change to fix.

[TransAm87]

just wanna say that even if a light is out or there are slight squeaks you can't necessarily get the price lower because the seller or dealer can argue that the squeaks are just wear and tear (which is in fact common on f-bodies) and how much can you take off for a light bulb 10 bucks? not really that big a deal..

[knight7]

If they do not want to lower the price, then ask them to repair it atleast. Whenever you are buying a car, try to find all the faults in the car, this should reduce the price or have the seller fix it.

[Zyphyer]

i bought 1 1/2 87 firebirds for 700 bucks

[97cavalier]

lol, do any of them have a motor in them? if so i am looking for a tpi system.

[gmack221]

Basic things to do, check oil level & color (if its dark don't even think about buying the car, if he can't change the oil to sell it most likely they haven't kept up on the maintence), check tranny fluid color (should be red not brown), make sure motor runs smooth, make sure tranny shifts smooth, try everything to see if it works (even the A/C). Look at the brake & gas pedals to see how much wear is on them (a car with 30,000 miles will not have worn out pedal covers), look at interior wear to see if it matches the wear everywhere else, check tire wear to see that its even all around & how much tread it has (if one front is worn uneven your looking at an alignment right away), ask if the vehicle has ever been in an accident, if yes ask how much damage was done & if it has a clear title. Tell them you want your mechanic to look at the vehicle, if they say that isn't possible then walk away from it, if they say yeah then tell them you'll get it scheduled & let them know when it is. Get the car an hours or so before your appointment, drive it for 20 mins then park it over a clean piece of pavement, driveway, or put cardboard under the engine tranny & radiator area, let the car sit for about an hour, then see what drips are under it. Take it to get it inspected by a mechanic you trust, tell them your thinking about buying it, compare the drips you found to what the mechanic tells you about. Ask the mechanic if the car has ever been wrecked (its easy to notice the signs when its on a lift).

good luck with the search

[MrPbody]

Gmack makes some valid points. Driving the car for an "extended period" is more of a "tell all" than anything else. Little things start showing up after the entire car is "up to temperature".

Another made the point that you can buy an old one without running gear, and put in there what ever your heart desires, for about the same money, if you're A: mechanically inclined; B: up to it...

You also ask about "Firebird". You make no mention of what era of Firebird. 1st generation 'birds are getting rarer and more expensive, but have a certain flare and style no other car has (except, some say, 1st gen Camaro, but we refer to them as "poor man's Firebird"). They (1st gen) are also VERY TOUGH cars, and rather easy to repair. The best part of them (IMO) is that they're NOT "Cheviacs" (Chevrolet engines). Virtually everything one would need to restore, rebuild or modify them is readily available.

2nd gen cars are a bit "loose" compared to 1st gen. Still, T/A earned it's "wings" in the 2nd gen body. 2nd gen cars are still fairly affordable unless you MUST have an SD or HO car. Some of the nastiest street cars around started life as a 2nd gen T/A. The chassis is very well designed, especially if you decide to put big power to it. Those early '70s T/As are very good handlers, even when they have 500-plus horsepower. The later '70s cars have more bells and whistles, but also bring a bunch more weight to the table. Many '77-'79 cars had 403 Olds engines, too. If performance is more important, be sure to get the Pontiac V8 version. The Pontiac makes more power in stock form, and the difference in "modified" engines is dramatic between Olds and Pontiac (the Poncho responds well to performance mods like the Chevy does, the Olds does not).

Just had to throw this in, as it appears everyone else is pointing to the later cars. They have their advantages and disadvantages, just like the older ones.

Jim

[Stites]

Good point... what era are you looking for???

I can only speak of 3rd and 4th gens... a friend of mine had a 3rd gen... ran fine with a 305 4bbl, but ran into issues when we swapped in the 450-hp 350, and again with the 625-hp 386. But you can imagine why we had issues.

Now, we both own 4th gen LS1 WS6s, and I have to say mine has been the most reliable car I've owned. 28 mpg hwy, plenty of power in the LS1 engine, and a cushy ride considering what kind of car it is. Now, I doubt you'll find a WS6 for less than $6k, unless you go for an LT1 model. As for my suggestion, if you're going newer, I'd hold out for a deal on an '00-up Formula or Trans Am(hint: autos are quicker than manuals )

[spielightdude]

Ok wow lots to think about lol.

For starters I am looking at either a gen 3 or 4 and sadly I can't drive a stick so an automatic is the way to go for me.

I knew about the oil but did not know about the tranni fluid. good to know thanks