found an 89 RS convertible the owner claims its in good running condition with maintenance records to go with and it its got a manual transmission. what kind of things should i look out for when i test drive and are there any common problem areas i should check out. going to look at it today so i need advice asap.

thanks guys

 

Start by looking at the obvious things, overall condition...interior, body rust. etc. Check to see that everything works, heater, fans, A/C, lights...
Check the oil and coolant, the condition of those can give a hint as to how well it was maintained.
Look under the car thoroughly for rust. As with a lot of old cars, the floors have a tendency of rusting through. Also look for rust in the rear, the mounting point on the frame for the axle's trailing arm. A badly rusted one can detach at the arm, and that ain't a good thing.
Being a convertible, you want one that is structurally solid and not starting to fold. If the edge of the doors (near the handles) are a tight fit against the fender jamb, then that's a sign of some possible body/frame sag.
Start the engine and see if it puffs any oil (bad valve guides/seals). Listen for any knocks, clicks, clacks, taps, etc. (which it shouldn't have).
On the road, get on it, back off, then get on it again. If oil blows out of the exhaust with the engine under a load, then the rings are worn.
Check the clutch for slippage. The gears should grab hard when you let off the clutch. Watch the tach to see if rpm's climb way high after snapping the clutch out, it shouldn't.

 

wow thanks for the quick reply. cant ask for a much better response than that either. hopefully this car is in a decent shape. if anyone else has something to add that would be much appreciated also but i think i should be good

 

Put the top up to make sure its not 100% duct tape!

 

Damn, how did I ever miss the duct tape hint?

 

Get a z28 or i-rocz. its a better performance car WAY BETTER THAN RS.

 

Just remenber you are getting a 19 yr old car and anything can go wrong with it. And in most cases it will be sooner then you expect. All aside good luck if you get it . A convertible is one of the lower productionnumber of 3rd gen models and is going up in value.