Buying my first F-body

Terrapin_cruiser · 08-12-2009, 12:23 AM

Hey folks, I'm turning 18 soon and I think its about time that I buy my first car. I've been rolling in my parents cars for the last couple of years and I think its time that I get something to call my own. Thats where The F-body comes into play. I'm looking at LT1 camaros, so my question you you guys is what to look for when I buy one of these cars. Any info you guys can provide would be great, typical problems, when components typically start to fail, and just any other info that is worth thowing out there. Thanks for all the help.

AlanSRT4 · 08-12-2009, 12:31 AM

I just picked up a 94 Firebird and one thing that I should have done is spent a little more time under the car looking for signs of leaking fluids and rust on parts.

Granted I only paid 2,000 for it with an ok motor and tranny under warrenty from a rebuild company.

Take your time and do not rush to much on your purchase from the excitment. If you can find someone that knows the cars to go with you makes it so much easier.

**03slowZ06** · 08-12-2009, 07:28 AM

Same rules apply as buying any car. Look for leaks, loose components, over all cleanliness, and that everything is properly routed. When you test drive the car work it pretty good to be sure the engine and drive train does not make noise and that the motor is strong.

Terrapin_cruiser · 08-12-2009, 12:13 PM

Yeha, I'll be bringing my dad with me who knows quite a bit about cars, and I'm a bit of a gearhead myself. It basically sounds like the typical things that you would look for when buying a used car. So there are no major issues that these cars tend to have?

93formulalt1 · 08-12-2009, 05:04 PM

the worst thing these cars usually have is the opti. haha

bryceslu · 08-12-2009, 09:59 PM

Make sure that LT1 can still knock your socks off with torque...really plant you in your seat. And you should be able to spin the tires right off if you try. Nothing worse than buying and then not realizing the true torque of the LT1 cuz it isnt running right/failing.

Other than that look for something cheap to get into at first. I wouldnt be afraid to start low end to give you the usual LT1 learning curve. You can usually find a decent LT1 for less than 5K depending on year. I bought my first f-body, 94 formula (first car i bought), and was very happy that i bought lower end and older as i learned sooo much and now have upgraded to a 00 formula and can take better care/repair of her.

1994+ uses MAF and has its benefits

95+ i believe used the vented opti..also a good thing.

Do a lot of searching and researching before you buy. this site and others are a great resource to just cruise around in for hours. you would be surprised what you can learn. Hope this helps

bryceslu · 08-12-2009, 10:04 PM

Oh and if you think you have seen most of this site and its information...look again. the stickies at the top of each subforum are a great start.

95Z · 08-12-2009, 10:07 PM

Yes, vented opti is nice. It cuts down on those scary stories.

With this economy you can get F-bodys so cheap, most were secondary/weekend/toy cars and that is the first thing to go when money is tight. I wouldn't pay over 3k for it unless it was a very low mileage car.

jbridwelltransam · 08-12-2009, 10:47 PM

i bought mine right before my 18th birthday man. Be sure to do a lot of shopping and don't get over excited about the first deal you find. I love my car and i plan on keeping it a while, but if i had waited about two months i would have got a car with fewer miles in better shape. Also as 95z said, these things are at a retarded low price wise. You can usually pick up a camaro cheaper than a trans am as well or at least they were when i was shopping. I would get a 95+ prolly go for 97 because it was really the best year for the lt1, i dont know if you can drive a six speed or not but it makes these babies a lot more fun. Also depending on how well the car was treated things can start failing as early as 100k miles, but if well maintained then they can really last a while.

Larsv8 · 08-13-2009, 03:34 AM

Id shoot for a 95 which is the first year of the vented opti. 93s are different from the other LT1 cars in a lot of little ways, 94 has a non vented opti.

As far as rarity's go, purple is a rare color, but that maybe un-important to you.

(Model Rarity)
Z28 = Formula = Trans-am > SS > Firehawk

I would personally set aside a grand for common problem areas to get it into tip top shape.
(plugs, wires, opti, waterpump, power windows)

Good Luck!

BrdwAtti2d · 08-13-2009, 06:09 AM

Ummm that should be Z28 > TransAm > Formula > SS > Firehawk
A lot more TransAm's rolling around than Formula's. In some cases, like 97 for instance, over 3X as many.

Larsv8 · 08-13-2009, 10:14 AM

I was denoting > as having a "greater number". In my eyes, as far as rarity goes, Z28s/TAs/Forms are all pretty common, while the Firehawks and SSs are rare, the hawk being a bit more than the SS.

BrdwAtti2d · 08-13-2009, 10:22 AM

2381 SS's as opposed to 2576 Formula's in 97 for instance. OK if you say so. There are WS6's to consider too

Larsv8 · 08-13-2009, 02:46 PM

Yea but there are 93-95 formulas, and no ss'es, right?

BrdwAtti2d · 08-13-2009, 02:51 PM

True, No SS from 73 to 95, point taken