Anything to look out for when buying an Impala SS?

[DonnieShort]

I'm going to get my wife a 96 Impala SS and am wondering if there's anything in particular to look for ( or to look out for ) when looking and test driving the car. This is going to be a daily driver. Thanks!!!

 

[strikeeagle]

Yup, watch out for the extra 1,000 pounds...

 

[DonnieShort]

Originally posted by strikeeagle
Yup, watch out for the extra 1,000 pounds...

I'm not expecting it to be very fast...considering what's in the garage. Just looking for a nice big family car.

 

[Raymond Bunch]

Originally posted by strikeeagle
Yup, watch out for the extra 1,000 pounds...

Unless it's already a Turbo Charged one Some of them are in the 10's

No really, I would suggest getting one that's low miles, no mods and use basic commom sence just like when buying a Turbo Buick.

All though just noted from a buddy, he said to look out for the rear intake manifold seal, they tend to leak and oil get everywhere on the LT-1's. There's also a recall on these seals from what I hear.

Also the Opti-Spark Ignition module is real prone to water/debrise damage since it's location is on the front of the engine, they just tend to go bad over time if you don't keep them maintained.

Transmissions are pretty much bullet proof, and the rear ends are the week spot if your planning on putting any real power to the ground. Otherwise, very nice cars in general and hope this info. helps you out a little

 

[SLOW_85]

My wife bought a 94 Impala SS brand new. Been pretty problem free.
Main costs been the tires.
The 96's have improvements.
Might want to check out:
http://impalassforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

 

[DonnieShort]

Thanks Raymond!! That's the type of info I'm looking for. Being that it's an LT1, I had concerns about the optispark. I had heard things about those going out. But this is going to be a driver for my wife, no mods are intended....well maybe an exhaust system or something but nothing major.

 

[DonnieShort]

Thanks Bob!! How have you liked your SS?

 

[Raymond Bunch]

Originally posted by DonnieShort
Thanks Raymond!! That's the type of info I'm looking for. Being that it's an LT1, I had concerns about the optispark. I had heard things about those going out. But this is going to be a driver for my wife, no mods are intended....well maybe an exhaust system or something but nothing major.

Donnie

Your more than welcome But who are you kidding, once you start the modding, you can't stop Well, until the wife steps in that is

 

[SLOW_85]

Originally posted by DonnieShort
Thanks Bob!! How have you liked your SS?

Wife has always loved it! Good cruising car.
Makes a good family car.Mother-in-law has a 95 model.
We've had good luck with both.

 

[BlackBuick84]

Originally posted by DonnieShort
Being that it's an LT1, I had concerns about the optispark.

I'm not positive on this, but the optispark on the 93-94 F-body's were the ones to be weary of. The later years had less problems. I'd imagine its the same w/ Impys.

 

[S10xGN]

We bought a '96 (new) and just sold it for a new Caddy CTS. Eight great years and 65k miles. Some other things to be wary of are: the exhaust manifold studs - they're prone to breaking off at the head due to the heat cycling. Some SS's have dash (odometer) problems (easily repaired resistor grid). The seats flat S\/CK on long trips (no lumbar). Corrosion under the battery tray. Plug changes are 2 hours, plug wires are all day!

 

[DonnieShort]

Great info guys!! We are going to drive and check out the car tomorrow afternoon. I'll let everybody know how it goes.

 

[MotorMouth]

The problems with the opti spark was in the years 93-94. They were a non vented one, in 1995 they switched to the vented one. It used vacum from the motor to help keep the inside clean. The earlier ones did not have this. The problems with the earlier ones was with little pieces of dirt and dust getting inside of them and inevitabely (sp?) ended up blocking the optical sensor or the optical plate. There is a little eye inside that looks at a plate with 360 holes in it that the computer used for precision timing. If one of these holes was to get blocked with dirt it would not see that hole and go on to the next. Well, you can see the trend here that eventually (and it did not take long) the timing would be gone and the motor dies in short order.

I used to own a 1997 SS Camaro and had all of the normal LT1 problems.

*Water pump. These are a special pump from GM (if u have to replace it use GM, you will thank your self in the long run) and they are a bit pricey. They run off of a small gear that comes out of the front of the timing cover. Nice if you blow a belt the motor still cools.

*Intake leak. Most LT1 motors are notorious for leaking oil on the rear passanger side of the intake. This is an easy repair and there are many sites dedicated to this fix.

*Plugs and wires. This is a PITA. Make sure to devote a day to plugs and wires and be paitent.

*LT1 motors are a bit noisy in the valve train area. I wondered for the longest time if I had one or more lifters going in the motor but no matter how many times I adjusted the valves it was always there. After talking to other people with these motors they said the same thing. Noisy valve train.

Other than the minor things they are a good motor and respond well to mods (not supercharging though, the stock 2 bolt motor tends not to last long with 10.5 to 1 compression from what I have seen)

If I could get it to fit in the garage I would love to have one, very nice car!

Brian

 

[Vsix]

I have a 96 Impala SS dark cherry met i bought it from the original owner very well maintained and very high miles to date 240,100 and the valve covers never been off i did some normal mods and this car is dead reliable runs very low 14s and don't leak a drop of anything its my daily driver too

 

[klrv6]

5 Rods hanging out of block

I used to work at a dealership that let sales"people" drive new cars home. This one guy would always take the fast cars on the weekend, he would take these to the local strip and race them, the trick was he would rig up a NOS kit in the trunk, wires and hoses running under the car. Keep in mind the cars still had all factory floor coverings and window stickers. A friend of mine said he was boasting how the 250 shot holds up in the new (then 96) Impalas. That monday it was at the shop, waiting for a new motor Five of the eight rods made it out of the block!! His manager was pissed. He told us he was taking off from a stop sign and next thing he knows kaboom the engine exploded I would see these come in for mainly trim and ignition issues. Run a carfax on it, most of the ones with trim issues were from idiots a bodyshops underestimating the love a person has for a car, they would just throw mouldings / trim on. I did have to fix one that had a passenger door wind noise at 105MPH!! My sevice manager told me there was only one way I could tell if was really fixed The owner drove and the service manager and I went on a little ride.

 

[green95ss]

I have had 2 1995 Green Impala's, and have loved them both. I will politely disagree with Raymond Bunch regarding the transmissions. Behind a stock motor, they may last up to 120K TOPS, unless you're lucky. With a modified motor, expect to rebuild quite often.

The rear pinion seal is another place to keep an eye out for leaks. There is a new design for the seal, which the car you are looking at may or may not have the upgrade.

There is also an incorrect gasket on the rear differential cover from the factory. It does not have holes in it to allow fluid to flow through the axle tubes, causing premature axle bearing failure. Buy the Fel-Pro rear gasket with the two holes in it, add the GM friction modifer to the gear lube, then go do some figure-8's in a parking lot and you'll be all set.

Thanks,

Guhan

 

[Bobtempest]

95 SS

They are nice to play and travel. Love those brakes!
I have a really nice 95 SS for sale for $14,500 bottom line. Functional Ram Air with double fiberglass hood, 1 year old show paint in original dark cherry, original rims, custom exhaust, vette engine covers, Nittos, tach, CD, TTA exhaust tips,ect Email for more pictures or call me 334-270-7977 I have not tried to sell it locally yet. I hate to see this car end up with 22" "wagon wheels"
94,000 when the cluster was replaced with one from the boneyard to fix the fuel gauge.
I drove it to a show last week.

Bob Hinson
Montgomery,Al

 

[gn85]

Not trying to hijack a thread, but how much can one be had for these day???

 

[SilverSleeper]

Also, make sure its real!
There are quite a few SS wannabes out there that have taken their caprice and added stuff to it. You can buy a lot of the Impala parts from GM (wheels, grille piece, rear window trim, taillights, etc). Its like being able to tell a GN from a T type. The interior is the hardest part to copy, as is on a GN.
I went looking for a car years ago, and was looking at caprice and Impalas. Well, lets just say I got a funny feeling when I happened on a few Impalas for about 9-10g's. Of course, they were advertised as Impalas, but did not have the interiors to match. Couple of them were ex-cop cars made over. They had nice interiors put into them, but they werent real SS's.
I would love to own one someday. I gave a thumbs up to a guy in one on my way to work a few days ago. The dark green and the black cherry are awesome colors on that car.

 

[Little6pack]

Yeah Look out for the HIGH Prices