Howdy from Dallas, Tx

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Welcome new members, please make your first post in this section. Say hello & tell us a little bit about you and your car. We're happy to see you here!
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CombatMech
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:38 pm

Howdy from Dallas, Tx

Post by CombatMech »

Howdy all,
In the process of buying a 2013 Caprice. According to the website, it came from Michigan. 80k on the clock. Fairly detailed photos, Didnt see any rust. I've done some research on the Caprice thus far, weak belt tensioners, engine idle hours etc. This wont be the first vehicle I've purchased "sight unseen " Not too horribly worried. I did own an 05 GTO up until three or four years ago and have owned GM products for the last 30 years. This car would be a daily driver, I drive 70 miles round trip to work, well, for the moment. I might move a little closer to the hangar soon.
Any other questions I could ask the dealer? Or other sources of info on these cars?

Thanks in advance.
Chevy guy and airplane junkie

Retired Mech Chief USN
CrashTestDummy
Posts: 2300
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: Howdy from Dallas, Tx

Post by CrashTestDummy »

Welcome!! Have them check to see if any recalls are outstanding.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
2012 Caprice 9C1
1992 B4C 1LE Camaro
2018 Tahoe PPV (her car)
1995 DGGM Impala SS
1985 Firebird - 310 LS1 C Prepared autocross car.
1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge
And some others
Do YOU have my SPID?
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Mooseman
Posts: 1075
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:35 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON Canada
Contact:

Re: Howdy from Dallas, Tx

Post by Mooseman »

Welcome!
2011 Caprice PPV, former RCMP test vehicle, never put into service
Build Thread: http://www.newcaprice.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2419
GammaFlat
Posts: 260
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:26 am
Location: NW Indiana

Re: Howdy from Dallas, Tx

Post by GammaFlat »

Idle hours are pretty important and generally used to determine "wear on engine". Just take the idle hours X 33 and add that to your odometer. If that number makes you nauseous, consider that it only measures wear on engine (and of course accessories like alternator, ps pump, water pump, fuel pump) and not the rest of the car.

The good news is that the nickel content in the cylinder walls keeps them healthy for 100's of thousands of miles. Bearings are another thing that probably won't give you trouble. Valve-train is another matter. Pay attention to the lifters. Look up DOD delete here. With the miles on your car, I'd consider changing lifters one way or another soon. Going over 100K might be dicey depending on how well oil changes have been on schedule. From where I sit, I'll never use the factory recommended numbers on oil changes. I'm afraid manufacturers are all trying to "bring down maintenance costs" by recommending intervals that are too long.

Are you driving it home or having it shipped? My brother wants one of these and depending on the mechanical condition of the target vehicle, we may fly out to grab it (oh golly, an adventure).

I enjoy mine on the highway and get decent gas mileage. I love driving mine to work. As you're aware, spirited driving can cause the "YMMV" thing to bite you. I'm in the process of installing G8 leather seats making my commute "more comfortable".

Forgive me if this is all re-run info for you.
Current: 2013 9C3, deeper trans pan, 12VoltSolutions Remote, Class III hitch, Android Auto capable radio
CrashTestDummy
Posts: 2300
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: Howdy from Dallas, Tx

Post by CrashTestDummy »

Welcome! Our '12 came from Wisonsin, and looked pretty rust-free, too. While working on the car, we discovered:
1. The flex pipes between the exhaust and rear muffler were pretty crunchy.
2. The tops of the rear mufflers is where the welded seam is. One of ours was rusted/split. All this was replaced with a new exhaust system.
3. When working on the aux battery tray, I discovered one bolt that had rusted to the trunk floor. It seems it's open underneath, and subject to spray from running on wet roads.
4. When doing the fuel pump recall (?), the dealership spent over a week trying to get one of the diff cradle bolts out, since that cradle needs to be dropped to pull the tank.
5. The front fascia has a really weird (to me) hanger and bolt setup to attach the front fascia to the front fender. On our car, that area had developed rust on the driver's side, and was a real bear to replace. That attaching bracket is no longer available from Holden. I did get the bracket and replaced the really bad bits, and my body guy cleaned and repainted that corner of the fender.

I figured the car would have some rust, since it came from up north, and I found some, but was relieved that it appeared to be a lot less than expected. I, too, drove mine as my DD and, when I had an office to drive to, also had a ~80-mile round trip. The car was a delight to drive. Luckily, I WFH now, so the car mostly sits in the garage plugged into a Battery Tender.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
2012 Caprice 9C1
1992 B4C 1LE Camaro
2018 Tahoe PPV (her car)
1995 DGGM Impala SS
1985 Firebird - 310 LS1 C Prepared autocross car.
1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge
And some others
Do YOU have my SPID?
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