250k mile SC

1QuikV6

Registered User
Ok, im looking at a very nice and very clean 90 SC black/black with 250,XXXk miles. The gentleman has been using synthetic in the car and it has a rebuilt AOD with a Trans-Go shift kit. My question is...how much life does this car likely have in it? I just started a second job and need it to stay up and running until the summer when i'll have the cash to pull it and rebuild it.

So is it worth it? And do you think it'd be a fair deal to offer him my 94 LX with 128k with 38k on the engine and 80k on the transmission as a trade? its equally as clean and maintained as well as having a few extra mods.
 
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I would only pay 1000-1500 tops for an SC with that high of mileage. If you traded your car for it I would definitely have him throw you some cash. 250,000 miles is a lot for any engine, uness it is a diesel
 
Thats what Im thinking also.... I'll be rebuilding it soon, but not for another few months... And when I do pull it out of the car....well lets put it this way: My 88 had a noisy lifter so we pulled it to rebuild. it went back in with a Cobra intake, GT40 heads, and a Comp Cam. Then dads 66 GT went in for a STOCk resto. it ended up with a 14:1 compression 347 mill making 425 rwhp.

So either way its going to get rebuilt...just not now. I just dont want a headache til then... So do u think hed take the trade?
 
I know how badly you want a SC but unless the hg's have been done and you have a "back-up" ride I wouldn't do it.You know what you have with the LX,so unless you can just out right buy the SC for cash just pass on the deal...there will be others......besides you want a stick don't you? What kind of $ is he looking to get?
Just my .02,
z
 
I would not purchase such a car with intentions of relying on it for daily transportation. The cars are ok for 300K+ but it's steady maintenance from here to eternity with them at that point. BTW, the motor is the last thing I would worry about. I would be more concerned about suspension components, motor mounts, cracks in the unibody, cooling system, ABS, Pwr steering system and engine sensors including the harmonic balancer. Those things are all besides the headgaskets too. The headgaskets are shot in that car. Regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms, they are shot and the slightest thing can be catostrophic to them.
 
Yea, and the ironic thing is, he hasnt been running any boost for about 5k miles. He said the coil went bad and that boost made it act up. I dont buy it but oh well. No, its likely not to be a daily driver. Chances are I'll be driving the GT more and more often.

......besides you want a stick don't you?

yes i do....badly


cracks in the unibody

WHAT? CRACKS??? Youre telling me to expect cracking in the unibody after 250k? um.....WOW

Im just looking at all of my options and shopping around.... There are so many to look at, with benefits and cons to each. Im facing that I'll never find a 94/95 dark blue 5 speed with about 100k miles in good shape. and even if anyone does theyll never sell it anytime soon and never for less than an astronomical price.
 
"Acting up with Boost" is usually plugs/wires, but I still think you'd get taken. There are good deals out there on SC's other than 250,000k. Keep the LX and hold off for a 5-speed.:)
 
Yea...I guess my LX isnt too bad. At least I held off a new HEMI truck last week. No chance in hell a da** DODGE is gonna just walk past me. Im not impressed at all. SLOW!
 
What you mean those Hemi's don't run like they show in the commercials?? :D

I was must pointing out things that are reality on a high mileage SC. You can have bad cracking of the unibody at 100K miles, by 250K I'd be very surprised if it didn't have it pretty bad. SC's are not hard to find in good shape and the price is not all that high. There have been several early model ones with 25K miles go for around $5-7000 recently. That is very reasonable for a car in that condition.

I once thought that I would "restore" a 150K mile SC. I found a nice clean one for $1300 (5spd, totally loaded). After I put about another $1000 into it I realized that it would be about $5000 with me doing all the work before it would be *close* to what I wanted, and that was with a basically stock car! I decided to cut my losses and get out. When I am really ready for that kind of a car, I will buy a low mileage SC for about $5000 and only have to add mods as I feel like it. There is no economy in trying to restore a worn out SC.

On the other hand I drive a 210K mile SC daily. It is mostly a decent looking and riding POS though, and it will stay that way. I'm NOT fixing it up other than regular maintenance and that is enough!
 
Everything other than a cracked unibody I can deal with.... I kind of need a daily beater anyway. This LX is a great car and is served me well for the 35k miles that Ive owned it. The thing is....its nothing special. I have absolutely NO desire to mod it. There isnt a thing wrong with it right now, dozens of people have asked me how i could afford a new car. Then i explain to them that its a '94 and their jaw drops. The 88 GT is much faster but its far from what id like to drive everyday. If i drove it day in day out i'd go deaf.
 
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