Thinking really hard about it...

[Sheep]

hello everyone this is my first post and i havent got a trans am yet but my step mom offered it straight up for my 89 Cherokee pioneer and since im only 17 and working for close to min wage gas money is a little tight as it seems to be going up past $3.00 without any sign of stoping here in utah.

i just have a few question before i commit to it. i know its been taken care of very well becuz my dad is there to watch over the vehicles. and the body is in perfect shape.

i believe its around a 1989 im not exacly sure tho.

1. it has a V6 in it and my jeep has a I-6. i get about 15mpg around the city if i drive it nicely. what kind of MPG would the V6 in the Trans am get? would it be that much more then the jeep?

2. is there any serious problems that come up with the year range? its got a few cosmetic problems(the left blinker doesnt click off automaticly. and i think one of the window motors keeps going out) but engine wise is there any serious problems?

3. is there a certian milage i should expect it to break down completly or is this one of these cars that as long as you take care of it its going to run forever?

4. if i get it im going to want it to go fast...faster then it already goes so im going to want to add things. how hard is it to find preformance parts for this year range?

[NviouSS]

first off welcome. second, trans ams are LT1 v8's not v6's

[Formula9788]

he siad its around a 89...TBI and no LT1...read the post more carefully. Sheep, please figure out what size the engine is and then we can help a lot more.

[Sheep]

oh sorry, after looking around a little bit i noticed that i can search for firebird and find V6 stuff and search for trans am and find only V8 stuff.

i thought they were the same car

or am i just completly wrong and the only way it can be a V6 is if someone put it in there aftermarket?

i dont know much about these cars or pontiac for that matter but i plan on doing the same thing i did with my jeep and learning as much as possible as quick as possible

[Formula9788]

so is it a firebird, a formula, or a trans am?

[Sheep]

firebird

[Formula9788]

v6...20-30mpg depending on your driving habits, stick or auto, mechanical condition, and so on. My lt1 regularly gets 23 MPG mixed on 93 Octane

[Sheep]

its an automatic:( but i guess i wont mind too much i just like being able to shift through all the gears. and it runs like new not sure exaclty how many miles it has on it but im sure its 200+

[Formula9788]

wow thats alot...but its a start. I just wouldnt hot rod it too much with that many miles. I am not sure whether it has a 3.1 or a 2.8, but either way i know kids i went to school with that had them with over 250,000 on them when they died. When it dies you can drop a 350 TBI in it. Its a win win thing if it looks good

[Sheep]

yeah im not sure if its a 2.8 or 3.1 i would bet its a 2.8 tho.

and like i said before i dont know much about these cars so i dont know the difference between a TBI or a LT1 or LS1 or whatever else these things have in them but i plan on learning

[Formula9788]

cool. What time is it where you reside anyhow?

[Sheep]

it is 1:05am here, i dont like daytime too much traffic and everyone is in a rush so im usually not up during the day unless i have to work

another question. is it possible for it to be fuel injected? i thought it was but a guy i was talking to at work said the only ones he knew about were carburated.

[Formula9788]

i think they had TBI 2.8's in them. So yes they are fuel injected.

The only reason i am up is cause its nearing the end of the semester at college and i have to catch up on all the stuff i slacked at earlier. Will be up till i go to school at 7am. lol

[Sheep]

sounds exciting, dont lecture me after i say this but i droped out of high school and i dont have to work till 11 a.m. so i can stay up pretty late without having a problem

[Formula9788]

no lecture here...i go to college mondays and wednesdays all day long and work from 12pm-10pm everyday that i dont go to school. Hate that shift. seems like it uses up my whole day (b/c it does)

[five7kid]

It's sequential port injected, if V6. And 2.8 if 1989.

Don't plan on big performance upgrades. The 2.8's have inherent weaknesses that were fixed with the introduction of the 3.1l the next year. If this one fails on you, the best bet is to get a later 3.1 engine (it basically bolts in place of the 2.8), or 3.4 engine (a little more complicated than the 3.1 switch, but not that bad). Regular oil changes and taking it easy are the two best ways to keep it running.