Is 155k miles too much?

**ezwip** · 02-26-2014, 07:07 PM

Hello all. I have an 02 Z28 which I love but it has a lot of miles. I've had a lot of hate from people since buying this car, and I even had a boss tell me to sell it when I asked for a raise. I bought it with 50k on the dash and have now driven it to 156k. In the last year neglecting maintenance caught up with me. I've replaced the fuel pump, water pump, maf, spark plugs, ac, steering column, brakes, tires, battery, and a few other things as well. I'm not upset with this as the car is paid off and it was very good to me up until this point. I also left that job and got that raise in the process. I'd love to keep this car but the rear end needs rebuilt, the window motors are out, and I feel like the T-56 needs some love as well. I'm willing to tackle those problems as summer approaches, but what else should I be cautious about? How much farther along would having someone rebuild this motor get me? I'm not rich so I don't want this to turn into a huge money pit, but at the same time I do want to keep it just to smite the haters. I'd love to make my car look like some of the ones hat I see posted here but is that just complete insanity at 156k? Keep in mind that I am not a mechanic, I do have one that I trust, but he will bust my balls if I walk in there asking him these questions.

**Guerrillakilla13** · 02-26-2014, 07:38 PM

Why do they all give you a hard time?

You gotta keep in mind, these cars are getting pretty old at this point. They're also made by GM. lol i've had my huge fair share of problems too, but the only thing i've needed to worry about at this point are the broken AC and the fuel pump (fixed), as well as a broken window motor. Keep everything up to date on your car (fluids, brakes, etc) and only small stuff will break. LS1's are great motors and they'll keep you going for a really long time.

**pajeff02** · 02-27-2014, 02:22 AM

Sounds like you covered about everything. I suppose wheel bearings may become an issue at some point. I assume you have swapped out the belts and hoses somewhere along the way too. How about u-joints?

**ezwip** · 02-27-2014, 03:47 AM

I also did some pulleys, the belts, hoses, radiator, and temp sensor. I've done more than I realized lately. The car looks good it is clean and mistly highway miles. You could pop the hood and wouldn't see dirt. If I did a rebuild the guy is a Ford guy he will bust my balls regardless but he is family so I trust him. Before I plunge into fixing the trear end I just want to see if someone says anything to stop me in my tracks. I can go get a fifth gen, but it seems like evwryone has one these days.

**Firebirdjones** · 02-27-2014, 03:49 AM

All that stuff you mentioned is pretty typical on any 12-15 year old car. It's just stuff that has to be done at some point if you drive and enjoy the car on a regular basis. Only way to avoid repairs like this is to buy a new car every 3-4 years, then you live with $500 a month car payments, higher insurance, taxes, and all the other fun stuff that comes with having a brand new car. So in my opinion it's a wash, and you could even say it's cheaper to keep the old stuff running

It's completely up to you. Alot depends on how capable an individual is with a car. If you have to pay someone to do the work all the time then having an older car isn't that appealing. Then again, having that hefty car payment isn't appealing either.

Don't worry about the grief, some people are just born that way. I have chevy's, ford's, pontiac's, in the stable so I see the difference in opinion every time I take one out. I don't really care and neither should you

**ezwip** · 02-27-2014, 03:53 AM

I finally have a job where I can put money into this and I don't want to send it to a graveyard when it looks and runs better than the day I bought it. I don't want to buy a crate engine though the ones I like are crazy pricey and I have one here. Yet I do want to increase the power if I redo the rear. What can I replace on this engine to resurrect it?

**Firebirdjones** · 02-27-2014, 04:01 AM

At that kind of mileage (155k) some would say it's a gamble to start opening up for speed parts (I know I wouldn't) But people do it. If the bottom end is sound enough, a head/cam swap is probably the most popular. Even a cam swap alone is a nice bump in power along with all the simple bolt on's that go with it.

It's all pricey, no way around that. Personally I'd leave the engine buttoned up with maybe some simple bolt ons like headers, exhaust etc...and just keep enjoying the car until the engine shows signs of needing replaced. At that point I'd do an engine swap of your choice and the previous bolt on parts would transfer over.

Either way, rebuilding or replacing the engine is going to set you back $4k-$6k easily, which really isn't out of the ordinary. It's just not cheap to play with cars, especially LS engines.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 02-27-2014, 07:14 AM

Personally, I wouldn't spend any money on rebuilding your existing 10-bolt rear end. For what it costs to rebuild, you could easily find a used one in good condition and just do a complete swap. They can be had for anywhere between $150-$300. With that said, if you plan on keeping the car long-term and want a worry-free rear end, I would suggest a 12-bolt or 9" as a replacement.

As FBJ mentioned, the latter option is expensive and will run you around $2500.