HELP ASAP 1987 purchase advise
11-23-2005, 12:27 AM
#1
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HELP ASAP 1987 purchase advise
The 1987 Vert that I am looking at will be on loan to me for the long holiday weekend, anything I need to check out I can when it is with me. Does the car have any codes for me to check and see if I have any problems. The cr rund very well but I can get a longterm drive over the weekend. Thanks in advance.
11-23-2005, 08:38 AM
#2
Team Owner
check the condition of seals - leaks (oil, coolant, transmission, power steering) - and doors/top/hatch.
Check the engine compartment out closely. Check the PS hoses and the rack and pinion, making sure the boots are not torn up. Check the brakes, master cylinder, calipers.
Check the engine harness, make sure there are no cut wires. no ugly splices, nothing odd with the connectors. There will be some aging here, but you don't want to see worn out things everywhere.
pull some plugs and make sure they are clean.
The car should start easily, drive smoothly and be rather quick. If it feels sluggish and/or the exhaust smells icky, that would be a red flag. I would suspect the cats, mainly, the pre-cats, for being clogged.
check the suspension, the car should not pull, it should ride consistantly. No quivers in the front end, no shimmy's. Check the wheel bearings and the u-joints. check the rear end for leaks. also, there should be no howls from the drivetrain. If it happens on a certian piece of road, that's just that... check the springs. Make sure there isn't any sign of delamination (much like wet plywood). Check the shocks. The ride should be controled, the car should not wallow in corners.
Check the ball joints. There is a grease fitting that is visable on the lower control arm for the lower ball joint. if that is flush, they must be replaced ASAP.
check the tires for wear. They can tell you a ton! if the insides are all torn up, that would be a bad alignment; and perhaps a bent frame - run a carfax on it.
I would jack the car up and check underneath for any stains, leaks and even signs of a recent cleaning. If it's TOO clean and shiney, it could mean that the car has leak problems.
leaks are very common on the L98 and LT1. Check the manifold base, both front and rear. It is common for some oil to weap there. Check for coolant leaks on the intake, too. It's a wet intake, so coolant is passing through it. Other common areas are the front main seal, the rear main seal and the valve covers. Check the oil pan and the oil filter and filter housing.
Temps... this is a huge issue of debate, but the way it SHOULD be is once it hits about 228, the fan will come on, and cool it down to 215. That's it. If you are cruising, the temps should not go over 200. The oil pressure should be over 20 at idle, and no more than 60 at WOT (once up to op-temps).
The interior... check the climate controls, the ac compressor should be rather quiet. you will know it's on, but you should not hear it making loud noises... check the power features/options (windows/locks/seats/antenna). check the audio system, if it's toast, you will know! It will buzz, hum and generally sound like ****.
The body should not have any cracks in it. The 1987 structure was updated to resist stress cracking.
that's all I can think off.
Check the engine compartment out closely. Check the PS hoses and the rack and pinion, making sure the boots are not torn up. Check the brakes, master cylinder, calipers.
Check the engine harness, make sure there are no cut wires. no ugly splices, nothing odd with the connectors. There will be some aging here, but you don't want to see worn out things everywhere.
pull some plugs and make sure they are clean.
The car should start easily, drive smoothly and be rather quick. If it feels sluggish and/or the exhaust smells icky, that would be a red flag. I would suspect the cats, mainly, the pre-cats, for being clogged.
check the suspension, the car should not pull, it should ride consistantly. No quivers in the front end, no shimmy's. Check the wheel bearings and the u-joints. check the rear end for leaks. also, there should be no howls from the drivetrain. If it happens on a certian piece of road, that's just that... check the springs. Make sure there isn't any sign of delamination (much like wet plywood). Check the shocks. The ride should be controled, the car should not wallow in corners.
Check the ball joints. There is a grease fitting that is visable on the lower control arm for the lower ball joint. if that is flush, they must be replaced ASAP.
check the tires for wear. They can tell you a ton! if the insides are all torn up, that would be a bad alignment; and perhaps a bent frame - run a carfax on it.
I would jack the car up and check underneath for any stains, leaks and even signs of a recent cleaning. If it's TOO clean and shiney, it could mean that the car has leak problems.
leaks are very common on the L98 and LT1. Check the manifold base, both front and rear. It is common for some oil to weap there. Check for coolant leaks on the intake, too. It's a wet intake, so coolant is passing through it. Other common areas are the front main seal, the rear main seal and the valve covers. Check the oil pan and the oil filter and filter housing.
Temps... this is a huge issue of debate, but the way it SHOULD be is once it hits about 228, the fan will come on, and cool it down to 215. That's it. If you are cruising, the temps should not go over 200. The oil pressure should be over 20 at idle, and no more than 60 at WOT (once up to op-temps).
The interior... check the climate controls, the ac compressor should be rather quiet. you will know it's on, but you should not hear it making loud noises... check the power features/options (windows/locks/seats/antenna). check the audio system, if it's toast, you will know! It will buzz, hum and generally sound like ****.
The body should not have any cracks in it. The 1987 structure was updated to resist stress cracking.
that's all I can think off.
11-23-2005, 08:43 AM
#3
Race Director
In sales we used to call it the "warm puppy" close. They know that once you get that puppy home and fall in love with it that you will never give it back.
Good advice from Andy. Take the car somewhere where you can hand wash and dry it. This will allow you to find any flaws in the body.
Good luck!
Good advice from Andy. Take the car somewhere where you can hand wash and dry it. This will allow you to find any flaws in the body.
Good luck!