Beaten, not babied, for sure!

[cwilliamsws6]

My neighbor has a 2001 Trans-Am base (non-WS6) and I was helping him out installing some new sail panel speakers and looking at the Monsoon amplifier.

He has had the car since it was new and I see him driving it around town all the time and obviously seen it in his garage. He's a machinist so he's done things like make his own catch can and make his own transmission cooler plus other odds and ends. Engine is stock and original otherwise..

Anyways today was the first time I'd actually been inside the car, after I got the speaker wired in he fired it up and I had to do a double-take when I saw the odometer...

397K!!!

 

[tahoe_hybrid]

those 3800 series 2 last forever I had a borken transmission and revved that engine hard that was the only thing that worked and the brakes They STOPPED hard too like car accident hard...


they stopped making them because they lasted too long (i think series 3 had Super ultra-low emission vehicle)


so it was not because of emissions

 

[cwilliamsws6]

Not a 3800.

It has the LS1, it's just the "base Trans-Am" and not the WS6. It doesn't have the ram-air hood or other goodies the WS6 did.

 

[addyguy]

I can believe it, they were a very reliable engine, even under high-performance applications.

Good on him getting use out of that car!

 

[Anduril]

Well, I guess I don't have to feel bad about buying one with high-ish miles.

 

[cwilliamsws6]

I want to buy one after I graduate and I already have my dream cam swap engine build planned out too.

I would try to find one of the higher mileage, sub-$8k ones because I plan to build a 6.0L truck motor and swap that in anyways.

 

[Railrust]

397,000 miles?? You've got to be kidding me??!!

If this is true, this is very cool...a car driven that far, and a hobby car at that. Love to hear that. Too often people turn these things into garage queens.

 

[cwilliamsws6]

I'm not 100% sure how many miles ours had when it was sold but it was a garage kept show car and only driven weekends usually. All I do know is it had less than 20K on it, and the factory fill washer fluid was still in the reservoir lol.

When I find and buy one of my own in the future I'm going to daily it, or every-other-day drive it.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Here's to 400k

 

[ThirdeYe]

That's awesome! Hopefully my LS1 Camaro can last that long. They feel so cheaply made though that I feel like the rest of the car will fall apart before the drivetrain does. I've already had problems with the window motor, cd player, door handle, power locks, suspension (bushings, etc.), driveshaft seals, power steering pump, alternator noise, pulleys and tensioners, and the visor fell off while I was driving and I've only owned it for a little over a year. I had a 3800 powered Firebird before this and had a few issues with fit/finish, but not quite as many as the Camaro. Granted, it had only 76,000 when I bought that one.

 

[daves87rs]

Very nice!

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted by ThirdeYe
That's awesome! Hopefully my LS1 Camaro can last that long. They feel so cheaply made though that I feel like the rest of the car will fall apart before the drivetrain does. I've already had problems with the window motor, cd player, door handle, power locks, suspension (bushings, etc.), driveshaft seals, power steering pump, alternator noise, pulleys and tensioners, and the visor fell off while I was driving and I've only owned it for a little over a year. I had a 3800 powered Firebird before this and had a few issues with fit/finish, but not quite as many as the Camaro. Granted, it had only 76,000 when I bought that one.


That's because it's a general motors vehicle. I don't know of a single person with a fairly late model gm vehicle that doesn't have electrical problems.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Yes, those LS1's last forever if properly maintained. I have 66,000 on my Corvette and it runs great but there are lots of them out there with over 200,000. 397,000 miles is a milestone for sure.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I miss the original SBC V8, and the Gen II, They had a personality that the LS didn't.

Not saying it's a bad motor just ..... I'm and old hot rodder I guess.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Those were some of my favorite cars,that body style Trans Am and Camaro. WAY cooler than the current ones. I always loved the ergonomics of the interiors. Good for him that he drives it and enjoys it! I see no logical sense to ever keep a car as a garage queen. I want to enjoy my cars while I'm alive,NOT keep them mint for the next owner to enjoy while I just stare at it.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by tahoe_hybrid
those 3800 series 2 last forever they stopped making them because they lasted too long


That's what we always said too. Everyone I know or knew (including us) who had one drove them forever it seemed. They were indestructible engines. Smooth,quiet,excellent gas mileage. My 87 Olds Trofeo had 350,000 miles on it when I sold it. My dad's 90 Olds Delta 88 had a little over 550,000 miles on it when he sold it (mine on Castrol GTX and his on PYB). I think my gf's 98 Olds 88 had around 250,000 miles on it when we sold it.

 

[CBR.worm]

We had a couple of those cars in the family. I wouldn't say they got much less reliable with miles, but they went through non-mechanical parts pretty quickly even when new. That being said, it's cool to see someone spend the time it takes to keep any car in good condition for that amount of time and miles.

 

[mfewtrail]

Originally Posted by tahoe_hybrid
those 3800 series 2 last forever I had a borken transmission and revved that engine hard that was the only thing that worked and the brakes They STOPPED hard too like car accident hard...


they stopped making them because they lasted too long (i think series 3 had Super ultra-low emission vehicle)


so it was not because of emissions


Series 3 were SULEV, Series 2 were ULEV.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
I miss the original SBC V8, and the Gen II, They had a personality that the LS didn't.

Not saying it's a bad motor just ..... I'm and old hot rodder I guess.


They did sound better, just like the Ford 4.6 sounds better than the Coyote IMO.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted by ThirdeYe
That's awesome! Hopefully my LS1 Camaro can last that long. They feel so cheaply made though that I feel like the rest of the car will fall apart before the drivetrain does. I've already had problems with the window motor, cd player, door handle, power locks, suspension (bushings, etc.), driveshaft seals, power steering pump, alternator noise, pulleys and tensioners, and the visor fell off while I was driving and I've only owned it for a little over a year. I had a 3800 powered Firebird before this and had a few issues with fit/finish, but not quite as many as the Camaro. Granted, it had only 76,000 when I bought that one.


That's because it's a general motors vehicle. I don't know of a single person with a fairly late model gm vehicle that doesn't have electrical problems.


Sums up a 3rd gen Dodge CTD quite well also, Not saying the 4th gen F-body is the pinnacle of reliability by any means. I've owned a 3rd gen CTD & currently own a 4th gen F-body.