Andrew04ME

It's been a while. Back in high school i used to come here everyday. And then when i figured out i couldnt afford an F-body while doing college, i stopped coming. Now im a month from graduation and in need of a toy.
My friends manual transmission went out in his truck, i asked him what he was driving = his brothers 94 T/A Formula. He said his brother is trying to sell it because he lost his job and he's living with his parents again. Now i come into the picture. He wants 2 grand for it. I'm thinking of giving him $1800 pending a test drive which i'm doing Saturday.

Here are the details:
LT1, 118k, Leather, T-tops, automatic, cassette, leather, no rust (from what i could tell doing a once over), no mods except for cowl hood which i find ugly

The car had an $800 service last year, however my friend wasn't sure what it was for but im guessing it was the Opti.

What should i be looking for during the drive besides trans slippage, hesitation, usual stuff?

I think $1800 - $2000 is a fair price...

Any input is welcome / appreciated

Andrew

97WS6SCharged

Look for the usual stuff. Check the fluids, look under the car for leaks. Make sure all the accessories work. Make sure the head lights still flip up. Listen for any funny noises. Drive it for about 30 minutes then stop at some place like Autozone and see if you smell anything burning, and ask them to scan it to make sure nothing is wrong with it. When you get back, wait about an hour and recheck all the fluids and look under the car again to see if any were lost during your drive.

Good luck with it.

1FASASZ

i dont think autozone will scan obd1 cars, at least they dont were i live

Andrew04ME

I forgot to mention that the ABS or brake light is on. I forget which one.

Does the price seem fair if the car checks out and drives well?

Fatdog

Just take it to a dealer,and have them go over the car.Could be the $75.00 you will ever spend.

b-stevens

That price is a steal if there arent any major mechanical defects IMO.

I have that much money in my bank account, I would almost consider buying it

Where are you located? Maybe somebody in the area with datamaster or freescan or anything like that could check how its running...

Andrew04ME

I'm in the Indianapolis Area.

SS Mark

A trans am formula huh? You gotta pick one, might be the trans am without the highrise wing. Not sure what they were called. Trans am GT maybe?
-Mark

bigfoot2471

That price is really good. i paid to much for mine i paid more then that and mine has cosemtic problems. if you look around at other cars you will find that they are all selling for quite a bit more. sounds like a good deal to me. however for the price you want to really look hard. if you know the guy he probably wouldnt low blow you like that with hiding a problem but who knows. good luck

allmotorta

If you offer him anything less than $2000 for that, you're insulting him... If you don't want it, please let me know (PM me), I could find it a new home within a few hours I'm not too far from Indy.

jasons93z

Its easy to scan an ob1 your self. You stick a paper clip in the first to slots in the harness underneath the dash, then turn the key 3 times w/o starting it. The read how many time the SES light blinks. Grab a haynes manual and see which codes arise.

jasons93z

I second that. That car is worth about 4500 if its as described. 2k is already a steal. PLUS, the man is BROKE. Give him a break

Andrew04ME

Firebird Formula. Sorry, im exhausted...

Unfortunately, when its comes to money, im super cheap. This is a big purchase for me, but i need a graduation gift. So i'm going to bargain the best i can. I just hope im not let down. I've already envisioned checking the oil and it being extremely low, or no coolant in the reservoir. The body is solid however, so thats a plus. I've driven other 4th gen f bodies before so i know what to expect, which is good. So hopefully the engine is strong and the trasnmission shifts crisply. If all checks out, ill certainly post some pictures for you all to see...

Andrew

texasTA

Be sure to take it on a test drive and DRIVE it. If it is an a4 which you state, a rebuild on one of those is like 1600. So be sure to test the tranny at different speeds. Be cruising and give it a "generous" amount of throttle. Make sure you don't feel any slip. Also, take the car up in the RPMs to make sure you don't have any misses or hesitation. An OPTI swap can get up there in $$$ very fast.
Check for the usual leaks. Intake manifold (rear), rear main seal, etc...
Also, check the door jambs, under hood and in the trunk area to make sure the car hasn't been painted. If it has been painted, you better get a car-fax to check for wrecks or even salvage title on the vehicle.

Other than that, good luck. If you can get the car for 1800, DO IT. But like stated above that car's value is probably closer to 4500 - 5000

Andrew04ME

I almost forgot... I read on this website

http://shbox.com/1/dlc2.jpg

that you can't flash codes on a 94 with a paperclip. Ive done it before on my brothers s-10 so it wouldnt be a big deal. Any ideas?