buyer questions from an amateur...

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sleeperdsm

New member
my dsm is sold, so now im in the market for a ty (sy it too hard to find)

now there are 3 of them in my area (well within 2 hours) with about 50k on them and for around 13k$ or 12k$.

my MAIN question is if one nice person could link me up with the buyer's guide for these trucks (i remember reading it and it telling you what to look for but i can't find the link)

the link had steps and told of common problems to watch for and signs of abuse and wear. the only thing i really know is to smell the trans fluid and color, check the propshaft boot, and check the body/frame and obviously the turbo/engine oil and coolant, plus a carfax and the buyer's "vibe" with me.

that link or even some good advice would be much appreciated. keep in mind these trucks SUSPOSEDLY have around 50k miles on them so i would think if they were true miles the truck would be in very good condition still..these are stock trucks of course..i would like to avoid an engine rebuild or trans rebuild for the next couple of years if possible.

thank you all in advance..
 
Divergent Lightning

Divergent Lightning

woah
Re: buyer questions from an amateur...

sleeperdsm said:
i would like to avoid an engine rebuild or trans rebuild for the next couple of years if possible.
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If you are worried about that, one thing I would ask most definitely, is if the tranny has been rebuilt, and if so by who. It pays to know who "tried" to fix a Syty tranny. Many have tried, many have failed, miserably.... and the results are usually expensive.

Are these truly bone stock Syty's? I am asking because, I consider my Truck stock even though it has a fuel pump and a chip upgrade on it. Also ask if they are members of this site. If they are, give them a point for being good owners :D
 
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sleeperdsm

New member
ok, im going to look at a wht/wht ty tomorrow, 53 k miles. there is no vin on the add but i'll get it off of him when i see him and post it on here.

btw- all of those links were dead but thanks for the thought anyway.

here is my checklist, maybe even make this a sticky if enough people reply to it


1. oil and fluids check (any discoloration or leaks of oil, burnt trans fluid, levels, etc....)
2. propshaft boot (if it is ripped it is a sign of hard launches or beating on the truck)
3. carfax for proof of miles and accidents etc....
4. any smoke on startup, wot, any time and why (rich smoke doesn't count)
5. check for repainting and/or frame repair (actually get under the truck if need be)
6. ask if and WHERE stuff like engine/trans was rebuilt- ask for phone # and verification if possible
7. check turbo for shaft play and smooth spinning
8. say a prayer or 2 and maybe you'll get a good truck (my method) :roll: - obviously im mighty nervous but im going to try to be smart about this...i would like to daily drive the truck for some time before getting serious about modding it (that would come eventually but for now a chip/supporting mods/free mods would suffice)




ANYONE ELSE WANT TO ADD TO THIS? i think this would make a good sticky since i can't find a link anywhere else, althought i was kind of breif on some of it im sure it could help somebody else besides me if the guru's chimed in...
 
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sleeperdsm

New member
well- that ty was a complete waste...

R title, repainted and repaired. the guy was a complete jerk-off, and i guess since i am a 20 year old kid he wouldn't even take the truck out for a ride- even with him driving. told me if i didn't have $ on me stop wasting his time. dumb motherfucker didn't even know i had 5k$ in my car to put down on the truck if i liked it. he tells me how he "has 15 calls a day on it" and some other bullshit. i just smiled and walked away with him holding the keys and still talking to me. fucking jerk off...

oh well, i'd almost bet the odometer was rolled back and/or there was something wrong with the truck.

on to the next thing...

this experience almost turns me off of even wanting a ty- if you guys are like this guy i wouldn't want to meet any of you.

i may have better luck buying a ws6 trans am...at least that is a 1998 for 15k$ vs a 1992 (ty) for 15k$...
 
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Spinall4

New member
Nice to see some one else converting over from the dsm crowd. Make sure on the test drive to go in tight circles both ways to check the front CV joints. Also make sure you beat on the truck, well at least get on it and launch it once. Alot of trucks are sick, and can't even muster an awd launch, plus this will let you see the reaction of the owner. If he says that you can not get on the truck, he(or she) is either hiding somthing on the truck, or is not searious about selling it.

Be prepared to look for a while to find the right truck. I've been looking for about 2 years now and still haven't found the exact truck I want. I've looked at a rebuilt title (it was flooded) the guy didn't want to let me drive it either, even though I had my grey haired 60 year old dad with me. Ended up getting it up on the lift to find out that it still had mud all over the undercarriage and that it had been slammed onto the bump stops (owner told me that it was the stock ride height, even though I stated that it looked pretty low).

One last thing, even though you are used to driving an awd dsm, these are a totally differnt animal. The low end torque is insane, and I have memorable moments from my first time behind the wheel of a Syclone- I slid sideways through an intersection spinning all 4 tires while my girlfreind screamed her guts out.
 
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sleeperdsm

New member
spin all 4- my name on dsm forums is sleeperstyle.

like i stated before, this guy wouldn't even take the truck out for a drive, with him driving and me in the passenger. he was OBVIOUSLY hiding something.
 
G

GM TURBO

Sell Out
Hell, I'll give anyone a ride in the Ty - even if I'm not selling it.

There's a part of me that says run like hell - but it sounds as though you've done a touch of research and that's the key to one of these headaches.

If you can hook up with an owner in your area to look it over it is well worth it. Most of us know the little places where things hide. What something should really look like and if it can be fixed.
 
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Spinall4

New member
sleeperdsm said:
spin all 4- my name on dsm forums is sleeperstyle.

like i stated before, this guy wouldn't even take the truck out for a drive, with him driving and me in the passenger. he was OBVIOUSLY hiding something.
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Cool, I'm all over talk- I post under "ippkiss"
 
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