Hate to say it but that is why Toyota and Honda are selling cars as fast as they can make them and gm ford and dodge wait for Hertz rental car company to buy all the leftovers. They just don't last. They use cheap parts and they are never going to change. My last Honda accord ok its slow but I beat the hell out of it was a 96 180,000 miles on it and traded it in still got 3k for it and it ran well. Original auto od trans/engine only replaced a timing belt/water pump as maint. spark plugs oil changes and only changed the front brakes twice. Never had any of the issues you had. Yes I have seen many camaros withthe exact same issues you mentioned and gm won't change a thing. Best bet buy a camaro already beat up cheap and fix it the way you like it. Buy a good heavy duty race trans from a local builder same for the motor/ rear and it will last longer if you go new then better off leasing it and dump the car as soon as the warranty runs out. those cars will cost you $$ after 40k-80k miles. After that they get cheap.
For someone that gearheads their car all the time. Does that sound like you? That's a powerful motor (like you hadn't noticed) and it's obviously capable of breaking the transmission and rearend. OTOH, it's not something that occurs from driving your car like an old lady. I'm guessing you're trying to take another tenth off everyplace you go. You killed the water pumps from overrevving it; that'd be my best guess. No complaints about tire life? Speakers don't fail like that under normal listening conditions, as in less than jack-hammer volume levels. Although it's probably tough hearing the radio at 150MPH with the top down.
i had a 2002 maro... 3.8L v-6 ...my rear diff always leaked. i finally had it redone at 35kmi. it ran better but it was really lacking traction. i'd suggest a limited slip rear diff. for the rear end. eaton will be niice. i wanted to do that 4 mine. it was a biatch to handle in the wet weather. my rear end died at 35kmi and under warranty. it toook three trips to the shop to repair. i fired the dealer repair shop i bought it from and went to a dealer i trust. good decision.
if the timing chain has not been replaced, REPLaCE IT, before the valves get beaten from old age. it should be done at 80kmi. esp if used with enthusiatic rpms.
i've put on mb quart speakers... they rock!
a tranny suppose to last the life of 150kmi + , even in hard driving !!! was the tranny fluid changed regularly??? i've done burnouts and still had a good shifting automatic coz i changed the ATF every 25kmi.
every 5 years, i would flush the coolant and change all coolant hoses.
tip: u might wanna change the sparkplugs NOW. i hope the previous owner turned them at 40kmi. if not they could fuse onto the heads!!! esp if antiseize compound was not used.
use lanolin leather conditioner on plastic interior to keep it nice.
chevys are great, mine died coz it hit a wall in the rain after a hard spinout. if just kept it home that day, it would be at that much miles right now. (; happy motoring... jayy
I would run it, but I wasn't abusive. I'm thinking that the trans and rearend should be matched to the engine from the factory.
You killed the water
How could I overrev it? First, it's an automatic, and I don't shift, I let the trans do it. Second, the computer rev-limits the car anyway. Again, the engine is stock for the most part, the components that failed did so because of design in my eyes.
First the car is speed limited at 130 MPH (I tested it once), and I primarily listen to talk radio. I guess that could be hard on the speakers, too. But again, shouldn't the speakers be matched to the sound system?
I really don't think that I took my car to any extremes, I just find it odd that it had the problems it did. A lot of the major issues seem to be in engineering and not in the use.
i had a 2002 maro... 3.8L v-6 ...my rear diff always leaked. i finally had it redone at 35kmi. it ran better but it was really lacking traction. i'd suggest a limited slip rear diff. for the rear end. eaton will be niice. i wanted to do that 4 mine. it was a biatch to handle in the wet weather. my rear end died at 35kmi and under warranty. it toook three trips to the shop to repair. i fired the dealer repair shop i bought it from and went to a dealer i trust. good decision.
if the timing chain has not been replaced, REPLaCE IT, before the valves get beaten from old age. it should be done at 80kmi. esp if used with enthusiatic rpms.
i've put on mb quart speakers... they rock!
a tranny suppose to last the life of 150kmi + , even in hard driving !!! was the tranny fluid changed regularly??? i've done burnouts and still had a good shifting automatic coz i changed the ATF every 25kmi.
======== Yep, that wasn't the problem. I've maintained it beyond what is called for. ================ every 5 years, i would flush the coolant and change all coolant hoses.
tip: u might wanna change the sparkplugs NOW. i hope the previous owner turned them at 40kmi. if not they could fuse onto the heads!!! esp if antiseize compound was not used. =========== They were changed around 55. I've owned the car since new. ============ use lanolin leather conditioner on plastic interior to keep it nice.
chevys are great, mine died coz it hit a wall in the rain after a hard spinout. if just kept it home that day, it would be at that much miles right now. (; happy motoring... jayy
2001 Trans Am. New in 01, only about 35,000 miles (long winters up here.)
-one headlight (bulb not the motor)
-clutch pedal return spring
-passenger side power window regulator
-the stock tires barely made it to 23,000 miles.
-stock clutch smoked
I should mention the car has nitrous, 60+ passes at the strip, multiple road trips, three burnout contests, and I generally beat the living tar out of it, but it gets the oil changed every three months, and a full going over on a regular basis.
I'm on the stock rear end, and launch at 5 grand with drag radials, people keep expecting it to grenade. It probably will once I get the new clutch in this year...
hmm... i guess it is about right... except for the tranny. also, there are cases where gm does not get the tranny right. like my 86 lesabre.
i've never liked standard speakers... they never are any good for anything! poor bass and muddled treble.
btw my camaro had 64k miles on it.
what do you think of the 09 camaro? i'm about ready to go for an 2010 prodn year. (=
===
Looks good, as does the Challenger that will beat it to the market. The Challenger is debuting at about 40K, which is a little steep for a car that's getting 13mpg (I know, it shouldn't be a factor, but gas is expensive). As far as I know, there's no MSRP on the Camaro yet, but I'm thinking the SS will likely be right about there as well. I think I'll hold out for the rag top of either car. (wishful thinking)
I have a 2000 LS1 6speed firebird Tran-Am convertible that I bought on E-Bay
4 years ago. Like all my vehicles, I take very good care of it and I do put my foot in it, loving to drag stop lights, run it up the switchbacks on the mountain road to my cabin, and take it out on the interstate every once in a while an blow the cobs out of it, etc. I don't do any excessive brain dead type driving. I'm sure I will have it for many more years to come. If not the best, the LS1 is certainly one of the best most durable V8 engines ever made.
I use CONOCO 5W-30 synthetic motor oil. It's still just like new. Engine purrs like a kitten, much MUCH faster than any Mustang GT or any stock rice burner i've ever caught at a stoplight on the streets or on the mountain road switchbacks. Upholstery, paint, trim still just like new. Drives straight as an arrow clear up to 145mph, not it's top speed, but the fastest I've ever drove it.
Good ol rice eating american powered V8's have always been and are still the best. Anything else is just a rationalization.
The only problem I've had with it is that the plastic clip on the upper drivers broke when I closed the door on it.
You have to be really abusive to tear up any GM small block LT1, LS1, LS? that I've ever seen. Of course, even though we drive the shit out of them, we all think we don't abuse our cars, don't we? .
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