I'm getting ready to look at an nice 95 camaro z28 LT1 this weekend and im wary of the potential problems this old of a car could have i.e. timing belt, water pump, transmission. I was just wondering if anyone had any insight as to this year of camaro and what i should be looking at when i take it for a test drive. P.s. 109000 miles on it.

 

Doesn't have a timing belt, It's a Chain. I believe the only main concern would be the Opti.

Auto or Manual?

 

agree opti is one to be wary of but if its not acting up its hard to tell if its bad. ask/look to see if the water pump leaks and ask if it has went bad recently, bad water pump will leak on the opti and cause it to fail. watch to see if the service engine soon light comes on. ask if the car has been scanned for trouble codes. if so tell us what codes was found? if u can stop by a auto zone and have them scan it for u.

 

it is an automatic. Not to be slow but can you explain what the opti is. Im new to all this.

 

The optispark (aka opti) is the distributor for a Gen-II chevy motor (aka LT1/LT4). It is a cam driven system that uses a high resolution and a low resolution optical sensor. By comparing the data between the two sensros the computer is capable of determining the rotation of the motor to a 1 deg. accuracy. The problem with the opti is that it is extremely moisture sensative and has a tendency to fail due to moisture related problems. Better yet, the water pump sits right above the opti, so a leaking water pump is a common cause of failure of the opti. If the opti is going bad you'll notice misfires, backfiring through the intake, hard starts etc. If you're taking the car for a test drive make sure the SES light isn't on and doesn't come on while driving and that the car is running smoothly. Regular idle when the car is cold is around 800rpm and when the car fully warms up my idle is usually around 500-600 rpm. Other than that make sure the car feels as if it is running normally, no weird noises etc.

 

A word from someone who's gone through 2 optisparks already....don't make the same mistake i did and get the job done at just any shop. the LT1 is very special and requires patience and a whole lot of knowledge. a dealership is gonna run some extra $$ but they will guarantee the work..if the opti on the car is good now, it would be safe to have the water pump and seal replaced by a GM dealership anyway just to be on the safe side.