T-birds are nice cars I've always like the look of most of them anyway.

 

Told the crown Vic guy to shove his car. T-Bird guy didn't get back to me. So ive added a 94 cutlass supreme and a 94 grand am gt to the list instead. Going to look at the cutlass here in a bit.

 

Hey Mike, I know you're looking for a beater, but as a guy who's nose has been stuck in the '93-'95 style Grand Am in Northern Ohio, just some advice...
Look the car over VERY well.

- First I assume it's v6 (if it's not, walk away, the Quad4's are junk, so unless you are familiar with the Quad4, don't start).
- Second, because of our winters, the N-bodies tend to start bubbling rust above the rear wheels. Inspect the front lower control arms (I had one rust and break on mine), make sure the vertical bushing of the control arm bushing has not pushed out.
- Gas tanks are steel, check that out (if you need a a gas tank for an N-body car, I have on that is ALMOST brand new, it was about 1 year old when removed from a Grand Am we junked).
- Check the fuel and brake lines. They tend to rot BADLY towards the back (right past the rocker panels they bend upwards to head to the rear of the car). See if they have been replaced or how they look. My lines for the most part look pretty good (I just recently replaced a brake line front to back, the other brake line is border how well it looks and the fuel lines look awesome).
- Lastly, check the passenger side carpet for water!!! If there is none, you might want to take it to a hose or car was, spray water on the front windshield. If the carpet is wet after that, there is probably a rusted hole in the firewall (on the passenger side of the car, pulling the carpet back, you will find a rubber/foam sound deadner, reach under that rubber/foam material towards the center console, your hand may eventually contact rusty material, if so, that's a result of the hole I speak of, mine has one and I got about a year of dry carpet with caulking the hole shut, it's just now having issues again).
- Ask if the heater core has been replaced. This era car used a heater core with plastic inlet/outlet tubes, but the replacements are metal (I have a pic comparing the two when I changed mine if you'd like to see). What happens is the plastic tubes crack and leak. Plus side, NONE of the coolant should get on the carpet, GM designed it so the coolant will leak out the A/C condensation drain!!! Changing a heater core on these cars is pretty easy. You remove the center console to get to it. I found the hardest part of the job is releasing the factory spring clamps (as I can only access them from under the car on a v6 model). I've done about 3 cores on these cars. Last one was on mine at EXACTLY 200,000 miles (it honestly blew in my drive way when I got home, I heard it hissing when I turned off the car, followed by a POP and then antifreeze POURING out, I changed it that weekend, took me 1 hour total to do).
- Every '93-'95 Grand Am I have been in has a dash issue. It rattles or squeaks may also vibrate/shake a little at high speeds. Not sure why this is, but sadly it's normal.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Grand Am/N-body line, they actually hold up to our winters MUCH better then some of the W-Bodies (like the '97+ Grand Prixs). My '94 Grand Am body wise has done far better then my dad's '98 Grand Prix (and I have a TON more miles). My satisfaction for how the N-bodies have done around us (based on my '94 and the '00+ ones I know) is why I would like to trade my '94 for an '00+ N-body (Grand Am or Alero).

Sorry for the mile long message. If you look at the Grand Am and have questions, I feel I'm a good resource. I helped maintain about 4 of the '93-'95 Grand Ams (5 if you include mine) and of the ones I helped maintain, mine is the LAST still on the road! I also have access to the paper back GM shop books!

 

Found my beater. Worked out financing today and I'll be signing for it and picking it up tomorrow. He was going to let me take it home tonight, actually, but they'd wash and detail it for me if I leave it, which I did.

I'm trading my Silverado with about 38k on it and I'll be keeping my Monte, and picking up a 2012 Kia Forte EX (in bright silver).


^^^Not the actual car by the way^^^

 

well thats goin in the complete opposite direction lol

 

that's not a bad little ride, should be great on gas..........

 

Well that was a hard left turn lol. Out of curiousity why'd you tell the guy with the crown vic to "shove it"

 

That seems a bit "new" to call a beater lol!
But, if this is a deal that best makes you happy, I say CONGRATULATIONS! Hopefully this will work well for you!

 

My beater is a 92 cavalier with the 2.2L/automatic with 171,300 miles on it. I bought it wrecked six years ago with 76,600 miles on it, fixed it and have been driving it ever since. It gets about 30mpg which really helps on my 60 mile round trip drive to work and back.

I never drive the Monte in bad weather. I either drive the cavalier or one of my 4x4 trucks.

Nice choice on your beater though I don't consider a 2012 car a beater.

Wayne

 

Well for starters, the passenger window regulator was busted - the window wouldn't roll up or down (and it was already open about 5 inches). The cable/regulator isn't that cheap of a part, plus you have to tear the door open and remove quite a few rivets to replace it. So after driving it, I told him about it and asked him to maybe knock a bit off and he told me "No, my cars are priced to sell, and plus, you really don't need that window anyways - it's the passenger side."

Then for title transfer, 30 day tags, title notarizing, etc. he wanted 249 dollars for. 30 day tags are 24.99, and title transfer is 7 bucks. What's 249 for? On top of ~130 for tax. I don't think so.