BuckeyeGT Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I am strongly considering getting a 98 m6 trans am in the next couple days. when inspecting the car, what should i pay close attention to? i know t-tops tend to leak, but thats the only problem i know they commonly have. any input would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimpsy1647545505 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Hey man...not to direct you to another forum by any means...but http://www.fbody.com has a lot of useful info on camaros and firebirds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 If you plan on modding it in any way, don't get a 98, for simplicity sake. If you can swing it, got for an '01-02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckeyeGT Posted July 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 If you plan on modding it in any way, don't get a 98, for simplicity sake. If you can swing it, got for an '01-02. most likely couldnt afford one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 There's nothing wrong with the '98s unless you run a lot of boost, then tuning becomes a PITA. Other than that, go for it. No, BTW, LS1s are killer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinHawk1647545499 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 99's are about the same price plus more advanced in the computer area (not as many set backs in tuning compard to the 98s) only thing better the 01-02's have then the 99-00 is the ls6 intake and no egr crap that you can get rid of. check out http://www.ls1tech.com best site for ls1 stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUTAN TA1647545492 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 99's are about the same price plus more advanced in the computer area (not as many set backs in tuning compard to the 98s) only thing better the 01-02's have then the 99-00 is the ls6 intake and no egr crap that you can get rid of. check out http://www.ls1tech.com best site for ls1 stuff. If you are worried about that you can repin your harness and use a newer PCM. It takes @3-4 hrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiumss Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 99's are about the same price plus more advanced in the computer area (not as many set backs in tuning compard to the 98s) only thing better the 01-02's have then the 99-00 is the ls6 intake and no egr crap that you can get rid of. check out http://www.ls1tech.com best site for ls1 stuff. DITTO... 99+ have better blocks too. If the car is really clean, is in overall great shape, and the price is right, go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUTAN TA1647545492 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 My 98 made @470 at the wheels and Anthony is over 500 with no block issues. I would not worry about it unless you are building a max effort car. I believe it was an oiling issue with the 97-98 blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 The only oiling issue I was aware of were sporadic failures of the stock oil pump. Pick up a $125 SLP or $100 LS6 unit and be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrousbird Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Hey man...not to direct you to another forum by any means...but http://www.fbody.com has a lot of useful info on camaros and firebirds LOL, that site has been a shit-hole for many years. I'd take any info you would find on there with a grain of salt, at best. Honestly, it's one of the worst F-body sites on the internet. I suggest checking out camaroz28.com and ls1tech.com for your needs. And T-tops really don't have overly common leaking issues in 4th Gens. As with any 4th Gen, check the power window motors, as they love to die on a regular basis (luckily the motors aren't very expensive). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 No, but they suck to replace. Contact Buckeye (Scott) as he did mine for cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitrousbird Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 No, but they suck to replace. Contact Buckeye (Scott) as he did mine for cheap. WTF are you talking about?? They are easy to replace. Look up the member Shoebox on CZ28. He has how-to guides; one of them is the power window motors. He has a method where you drill 3 small holes, which allow allows access to the rivets. Drill out the rivets, replace with bolts, and you are done. Works like a charm, and is how the factory SHOULD have done it to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyctsv Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 WTF are you talking about?? They are easy to replace. +1 - not a difficult fix for sure. The 01-02s also have upgraded rod bolts. If you are planning to put a cam in it and run the redline up higher than stock you might want to consider stretching for an 01-02. Again, unless you are shooting for max power, like 500+ HP, the 98 wuill be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckeyeGT Posted July 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 im trying to do a cam, intake, exhaust, spray, ls1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 You'll want to hit cofba.org for more platform specific info. Lots of good guys there, and not all of them hit CR. These guys took care of me when I had my 2000 Z28. There isn't a more knowledgeable bunch of guys in town for LSx motors. IMHO in straight line performance, the Fbody is a beautiful car. Its a torque and HP monster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98fiveseven1647545503 Posted July 15, 2006 Report Share Posted July 15, 2006 98s do quite well. Mine has served me well pinion seals tend to leak some to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinHawk1647545499 Posted July 17, 2006 Report Share Posted July 17, 2006 the 98 blcok can only be bored .005", the 99+ can be bored .010 over so basically you can clean the bores twice with a 99+ and only once with a 98-97 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted July 17, 2006 Report Share Posted July 17, 2006 LS1: what to watch out for me in my ls2. *grin* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1647545496 Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Differences: 98,99,00,01,02 This is some basic info on the LS1 that i've gather from all of the internet and put into one list: 1998 1. Had differnet casting heads which had perimeter bolts and valve covers. 2. Ignition coils were mounted to the valve covers one at a time. 3. The water temp gauge actually works. 4. Only LS1 year to not have an oil life monitor 5. WS6s had single outlet exhaust (all others had duals) 6. Steering wheel controls were completely different part with indentations on the buttons, and were better built 7. Only year that Purple, Gold, and Green were available 8. Some very early Trans Ams came with LT1 style headrests (see my sig for pictures) 9. Rear hatch release was poorly designed and often caused problems releasing mechanism 10. Early model 98 Monsoon stereos didnt have capability to control 12-disc CD changer 11. 1998-1999 automatic transmission LS1s could be started in 1st gear even with the shifter in 2nd. Starting 2000, if you put the shifter in 2, it would start off in 2, even from a stop. 12. 1998-1999 LS1 cars had a smaller throttle body cam, which caused the throttle to open to WOT faster than 2000+ cars 13. 1998 cars had 28 lb fuel injectors from the factory 14. 1998-2000 cars had a larger cam than the 01-02 cars 15. 1998-1999 cars had more restrictive exhaust manifolds 16. 1998-2000 cars had an LS1 intake with EGR 17. 1998 and some early 1999 cars had blue outside rear view mirrors (Trans Am only) 18. 1998 only LS1 blocks had a much smaller cylinder sleeve that only tolerated a .005" hone 19. Last year F-body to use the old 15.5 gallon fuel tank. 20. Only year LS1 F-body to contain a gascap with a tether long enough to actually hang from the fuel door while open 21. Only year LS1 F-body to not contain the famous GM black box used in the event of an accident to record up to 5 seconds of pre-crash data 22. 1998 only cars had a different PCV system with the PCV valve located above the passenger side valve cover 23. 1998 only cars did not have an idle adjustment screw on the throttle body 24. 1998 cars have a completely different PCM from 99+ cars 25. A production shortage of F-body cams caused the use of a C5 cam to be installed in F-body LS1s for a very short time 1999 1. 1999-2000 cars switched to 26 lb fuel injectors 2. Cylinder heads and valve covers redesigned to have center bolts instead of perimeter bolts. Other than that, the heads were the same. 3. Redesigned cylinder sleeves that allowed for a small bore, up from .005" in 1998 models. 4. Midyear model change to a cheaper steering wheel audio control button without finger indentations, and cheaper built 5. 1999 cars continued the LS1 intake with EGR provisions 6. 1999 cars continued more restrictive exhaust manifolds and larger cam 7. Only year that Hugger Orange was available (Camaro only) 8. 30th Anniversary Trans Am available with special blue and white paint package and blue clear coated WS6 wheels 9. Switch to larger 16.8 gallon fuel tank to meet new emissions requirements. 10. Gascap tether was shorter and could no longer be used to hang on the gas door when open. 11. Company wide change added black boxes to record up to 5 seconds of data before a crash 12. Rear hatch release was redesigned with stiffer spring that released the hatch better 13. Water temp gauge was redesigned to work basically as a dummy gauge and only show an overheat condition. 14. An oil life monitor was added to all LS1s, thus changing the gauge cluster a little to show the oil life reset swtich 15. 1999-02 cars had a different PCV system with the valve located to the side of the intake manifold 16. Early production 1999 Trans Ams still had the blue outside mirrors, but a midyear change went to the non-tinted ones 2000 1. Redesigned exhaust manifolds for new emissions standard actually flowed better and created a little more HP. 2. 2000 continued use of LS1 Intake, EGR, smaller cam, and 26 lb fuel injectors 3. Added rear child seat safety hooks to interior per federal requirements 4. Very early run of WS6s had "salad shooter" style rims. A production change switched back to standard 5-spoke WS6 rims. 5. Camaros got redesigned 10-spoke base rims, and SSs came with new 10-spoke rim design 6. First year of Monterey Maple Metallic paint 7. Charcoal (grayish) interior was replaced with Ebony (almost black) leather interior 8. Cloth interior cars got new rainbow colored cloth patterns 9. Camaros only got the Pontiac steering wheel with optional audio controls 10. Throttle body cam was increased in size to slow the speed at which the car reaches WOT 11. Automatic transmission cars were reprogrammed to allow a car to start off in 2nd gear from a stop when the shift lever is put into 2. 12. The last year a WS6 Formula was offered 13. Starting 2000 intake lids contained a seperate breather filter 2001 1. A small percentage of 2001 and 2002 LS1s actually had LS6 blocks which had a different part number and a darker metal cast 2. Starting 2001, all LS1s came with an LS6 intake manifold without an EGR system 3. Advertised HP output was changed from 305 to 310 on base LS1s and from 320 to 325 on WS6s and SSs 4. 2001-02 cars have a smaller cam from the Vortec truck engines to increase low end torque 5. 2001-02 cars had 28 lb fuel injectors like the 98 cars (albeit different part numbers) 6. WS6 cars had a redesigned 5 spoke rim which was more wavy 7. WS6 cars got less suspension upgrades from a base Trans Am suspension than previous years 8. Manual transmission cars all came with the Z06 clutch 2002 - Last year of the F-body 1. 35th Annivesary edition of the Camaro, and Collectors Edition Trans Am available 2. 2002 LS1 head gaskets redesigned. The new ones are a pressed metal, as opposed to the graphite ones and are no longer specific to the side of the car theyre installed on 3. 2002 cars continued with the LS6 intake, 28 lb fuel inectors and smaller truck cam 4. 2002 continued the use of an LS6 block in some LS1 F-bodies 5. A factory supported optional 345 HP option could be ordered from SLP 6. Manual transmission cars continued use of the Z06 clutch 7. Some 2002 model F-bodies came with a revised rear view mirror that had the map light buttons on the bottom, rather than the front. compiled by constrictor98ta (mike) from ls2.com http://www.ls2.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22679 another link that might be usefull http://www.ls2.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=323156 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Rob, you forgot the slave cylinder and master cylinder change in 01-02 Here's a little more on the cam varations: 98-00: 198/209 .500/.500 119.5 01-02: 196/207 .467/4.70 116 Also, I believe some got LS6 style heads, look for casting number 241 I believe. 243's are LS2 style, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1647545494 Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 save your money and put a 347 or a 408 in your mustang you'll be pleased with the results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMeanGreen Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Or do the same with an LS1 and be even more pleased Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1647545496 Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Rob, you forgot the slave cylinder and master cylinder change in 01-02 Here's a little more on the cam varations: 98-00: 198/209 .500/.500 119.5 01-02: 196/207 .467/4.70 116 Also, I believe some got LS6 style heads, look for casting number 241 I believe. 243's are LS2 style, correct? NO 243's are LS6 style heads the same used on the LS2. the lS2 just doesn't have the sodium filled valves. The 97-98 LS1 heads were 853 castings as well as the 99-01 but the 99-01 flowed better. the 01+ LS1 had 241 castings. no F-body ever came with LS6 heads as far as i know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 no F-body ever came with LS6 heads as far as i know. Werd. Some had the blocks, but not heads. Oh, and Rob. You've got too much time on your hands at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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