looking to buy, need some advice

[ldyzluvdis06]

well i will be buying a LS1 this summer...:jg: i am putting a cap on the price at 10K give or take A TAD BIT!!! i will be paying in cash so there isn't much wiggle room as i know where i am comfortable.

here is the issue though...my wife and i will be trying for a kid this winter so money will be tight for mods. so i am wanting to buy one already modded. i am usually against this, but my family comes first. but i know if i buy a stock one i will just spend more and more on it.

the car will be a DD (minus winters) and will also see quite a few 1/4 mile passes. i prefer to get a TA but would take a clean Camaro also. im not new to working on/building shit. i have done plenty of clutch installs, motor pulls, built a 450WHP 97 grand prix...but still no expert by any means. i plan on doing a bunch of research and reading but figured id ask for some help to start me off

so the question comes to this:
- how many miles is to many?
- auto or manual for DD and tracking?
- Which rear end?
- What are the best cams?
- What kind of mods should i look for?
- how much nitrous is safe?

and anything else you think i should know. :roflpicard:

[tatertot91]

10k should get you a really nice fbody. Mileage really depends on how well the car was maintained. I've seen ls1s with over 200k on em still running good. If you're doing 1/4 mile and are planning on daily driving the car an auto is most likely the way to go unless you like slamming gears. IMO an M6 is more fun but a stalled A4 is going to be faster going down the track. There are a couple directions you can go as far as rear ends but from all i've heard a 12 bolt will do great in an auto and 9" for manuals. Lots of cam makers out there but i've been hearing lots of good things on EPS cams, supposed to be real easy on the valvetrain. If it were me i'd be looking for a bone stock car, it's nice to get all the goodies someone threw in their car but at the same time you might end up with all the problems they overlooked or might have caused in the process. If i start from the ground up on a car i know exactly what has/hasn't been done and personally i'm more comfortable buying a car like that. Not an expert on nitrous but a well put together nitrous setup should be fine upward of maybe a 125 shot, more of how safe the nitrous is depends on how well the tune is. Finding a well respected tuner in your area is one of the first things you should look into before throwing parts at it. A little added advice i can add is to build the car from the ground up to make sure it can handle the power you want to throw at it. Subframe connectors are one of the first mods i'd look into which really help stiffen up the car.
Look forward to seeing what you end up with. Have fun!

[ibm2005]

You cannot use a transam as a dd with a kid. I know i tried. I said good bye to my z28 for a mini van. It only took 10 years until i got an lsx back. Now i have an 05 gto.

[initechpeter]

There is a nice red one here Iowa for sale. 2000, WS6, Auto, T-tops, with 90,000+ miles on it. They are asking 10,995. I can post some pictures if you want to see.

[2002ssslp]

God luck with the hunt. 10K will buy a nice SS or WS6. You will find 2000 or 2001 with 70K for that price. I like M6 but auto is better for a DD. Go with a Mild cam and not too much gear. no bigger then 3.73 and I like the 9" over the 12 bolt. You have to be careful with NOS because you do not know how strong the bottom end is on a used car. I think 125 shot is about the safe limit. Good luck.

[bowtieguy02SS]

i got a 95 ta, lt1 with 72k for 7k . recently had the $1,500 tune up. distributor, plugs, wires, new fuel pump etc. not an lsx but an f-body none the less

[KahanaReef]

Welcome! Happy hunting