Hey all, I have enjoyed the comments and posts, now I am seeking some of your expert advice in helping me with my son's first car. We have both always liked Camaro's, I wanted one, could not make it happen in my youth, however my son has a shot and I would like to help him out. Fact is, that I was not much older than he is now when I had him and I am very proud of his accomplishments. He is a Jr. at Penn State and nothing has been easy....from the grades to paying for college....he is a real American story.

We have been looking for his first car, not limited to Camaro's, yet limited to a budget and that it was a coupe with a 5 speed. The budget was less than 3500.00 and the requirement for a 5 speed is that they are more reliable and less costly to fix than an automatic. Considering our budget, we know were going to be into some miles so the manual makes sense.

We came across a 1994 Camaro 3.4 with 5 speed, very well equipped, not that it mattered but it has T Tops and leather, it seems clean. The car has 120K and a clean body / interior. Everything is stated to work for the exception of an ABS and Emergency Break light. The seller is telling us that the ABS light comes and goes, however he never notices anything different with the breaks and that the Emergency Break light is related to a cable. As far as the current owner (about 1 year) knows, the clutch has not been replaced.

I am going to check the car out and wanted to know if there was anything key to look over. Also, if there is any advice on this model/year/setup that we should watch for? Being as it is, old, higher mileage cars are commanding high prices and if the right deal shows up, I want to be prepared.

Thanks to anyone who cares to share,

Mike

 

look for a deal on a 96 or newer with a 3.8. 6 speed would be best. may find a bird easier.

 

How much are they asking? And craby is right if your going with the v6 go with a '96 and up as they had the more desirable series II 3.8L as opposed to the 3.4L. As with any used car bring it to a mechanic, sprecifically one familiar with 4th gen f-bodies. Pay $50 to have the car looked over and it could save you $1000's.

We can sit here and tell you check the oil, look for condensation in the filler neck, weird noises in the rear diff. etc. but a good mechanic should spot everything we tell you and more. Once you get familiar with these cars you learn the common problems and how to troubleshoot them.

 

^^ wow spelling fail at 4am, specific not sprecific lol **** im shotttt

 

I wouldn't pay more than $3,000 for a car with that many miles. This is assuming the paint is near perfect and it's loaded with some extras. $3,500 is high mileage Z28 money, although it would have to be an auto.

 

Finally, a person from PA who's close to me!

Check out the classifieds on Pennswoods.net - Come for Speed, Stay for Service There are usually 7 or 8 4th gen Camaro's on there. Careful though, a lot of them lie or have really dumb mistakes. I saw one recently that had the 3.4L V6 and, according to them, a 6 speed automatic.

Unless, it's a pristine, low mileage, 5 speed car, $3500 is high for a 3.4L V6. That's more like $2500-2800 in our area.

 

+1 on the 3800\5 speed (6 speeds are V8s) 96-02. With a 3500lb car the extra 35 ponies is very noticeable but not too fast for a young guy. I plan on letting my daughter use my V6 until she decides for herself what she wants.

The other down side with the 3400 is when they dropped that motor from the Camaro the motor was done so any used parts you may buy are going to be 17 years old. On the other had the 3800 series II motor was in the Camaro till 02 and continues to 04 in other configuration and many part from the 3800 series III motors parts interchange including the engine itself. I realize for most people it does not matter but for me knowing that 5 year old motors with 35,000 miles on them are all over the place for less than 1K is a big selling point.

FYI the 3800 is more powerful than the 3.4 and in this heavy car it will get better highway MPG. I can hit 30+ MPG in my 3800\5 speed. Also the 3800 SII with the T5 5 speed is considered by many of us mechanics to be one of GM most built proof drive lines. The only real common issue is intake gaskets. If you are near Allentown or Lansdale I can check the car out for you as long as you can bring it by. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

 

If he's any where between Erie and Indiana, I could look at it. Haha. Nothing like rolling up in a Camaro to look at a Camaro.

Also, check Ebay. You can see dozens of cars on there and restrict it to however many miles you want to drive from your own area. Makes finding cars really nice.

 

Thanks for the comments.....

On the price, the guy is asking 2500. I am from the Lansdale PA area, the guy selling the car is about 30 miles away, in Northeast Phila. Normally, I try to stay in my local area, however there is not much for sale in this price range. I agree, the 3800 is a better motor, however finding a manual with the 3800 under 3500.00 is not easy. I know the 3400 has been around, my neighbor has an 05 Equinox with this motor.

What about the ABS and emergency break light, any big red flags? Also, the guy says he is not sure about the clutch, he bought it about a year ago, so he does not know if its original. What am I looking at to replace a clutch when it goes?

Thanks

Mike

 

its a brake light and could be anything from a sticky switch for the e brake to a failing brake. the abs could be the center brake light out or a failing speed sensor wire harness but could be the abs unit. the cost for these would range from a couple bucks to a couple grand depending on the problem and if a shop is doing the work or yourself.