The guys from The Fast Lane get the opinion from a master mechanic to see if their recent Trans Am purchase was a complete mistake.
Instant gratification is sometimes what a buyer feels when they purchase a car online. But the risk involved in such a transaction is much higher than buying a car locally. Then, there’s taking a hard look at what’s really going on with it after getting it home and possibly catching a case of buyer’s remorse.
After the excitement of buying a 1995 Pontiac Trans Am SLP Comp T/A online for $6,600 and driving it 2,000 miles back home, the guys from the YouTube channel TFLclassics face the possibility that it may need a lot of work. In the video, they ask a master mechanic, Toby, to determine if any expensive repairs loom large in the Pontiac’s future.
Digging Deeper Into The Pontiac Trans Am’s Known Issues
On the 2,000-mile trip back to Colorado, the car’s LT1 5.7-liter engine leaked oil, despite having run fairly well. In addition, the starter seemed to be going bad. What’s more, the tires are old, there are strong gasoline fumes sometimes, and the rear suspension is rubbery.
Toby says that replacing the starter is straightforward. Under the hood, though, the main concern remains the oil leakage. While the car has many aftermarket parts, such as an upgraded intake system and brakes, they don’t seem to be problematic.
Also, the Pontiac’s lack of maintenance records is rarely a good sign. Another concern is that the car had been sitting for some time after the previous owner drove it hard.
Up On The Lift, The Trans Am’s Problems Become Clear
It turns out that the oil leak seems to be coming from the timing chain and the crankshaft seal. Remedying this will take a good bit of work, especially since oil turns up in random places underneath the 4th-gen Trans Am.
Rear suspension work is seriously needed, including replacing the shocks, coils, bushings, and bump stops. There’s also a gas leak near the fuel tank, which require a lot of effort to remove and repair.
All told, Toby recommends addressing the oil leak and the rear suspension problems first. When he hears the price of the 1-of-164 Trans Am, which incidentally has 100,000 miles on it, he doesn’t seem too impressed. He thinks that it’s worth about $4,000, given the amount of work it requires.
So even though the cost of repairs might offset what the TFLclassic guys paid for this muscle car, they’ll ultimately have fun once the classic Pontiac returns to its former glory.
