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Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:38 am
by kevm14
That STS is most likely the V6.
And you better be happy with 14.6 @ 97 because extracting a lot more is prohibitively expensive. You MAY be able to intake/exhaust your way to an even 100 mph trap, but that's probably all she wrote. With the small block, even the now-old LT1, that is not the ceiling. The B-body has substantial hot rod character and the STS V8 has very little, or none.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:49 am
by kevm14
I did a pretty thorough comb of Craigslist to Illinois, for an "STS V8" at $5500 or under. I got two. TWO.
http://roanoke.craigslist.org/cto/5300035017.html
http://lasalle.craigslist.org/cto/5306788331.html
The last one is $4,400 but has almost 200k.
I don't think these are really a viable option right now but maybe in a year.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:12 pm
by kevm14
billgiacheri wrote:Well if the stock performance is about the same, I would take the STS for a couple grand more all day. I wouldn't mind this as a daily driver at all. I actually liked these when they came out, but they didn't do as well as the CTS.
Well the STS is about 0.5 s and 5 mph faster but that's easy to make up in the B-body.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 7:53 am
by kevm14
Price check on the G8 GT.
http://frederick.craigslist.org/cto/5305012557.html
Asking 10000. Looking to buy a house and don't need the payment anymore
Payment? Yikes. Also quite a few modz on this one. Also it's been exercised.
This car will need rear tires to pass inspection.
Cheapest:
http://nmi.craigslist.org/cto/5282381333.html
$8,500 and 200k
This one says it has a lien also. I am noticing a trend.
Possible good value:
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/cto/5338084513.html
$12k with only 57k, rebuilt title.
A couple for $15k
http://macon.craigslist.org/ctd/5335738638.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ ... 19469.html
This one looks like it was modded properly, and probably traps 110+
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5322326071.html
$15k w/ 107k miles. Possibly a good value (headers, cam, DOD delete, tuned)
For a couple $k less, this actually would be a very good way to get into one of these if you want something faster than stock (and no DOD worries).
But it will be years before I can afford to drop even $10k on a daily driver. Probably an easy $20k that the house will need in those years (roof, driveway, trees), and another $5-10k for central air/kitchen/bathroom so add a few more years... So I'm just following the market. I can afford a B-body and could possibly afford an LS-swap, though.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 8:08 am
by kevm14
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 8:20 am
by kevm14
kevm14 wrote:http://roanoke.craigslist.org/cto/5287599504.html
$1,800
1996 Buick Roadmaster Good condition; tires new in 10-2014. Leather cd cruise PW etc. 160,000 miles. Nice car for the money. 23 MPG highway 17 MPG city. 10-16 inspection sticker It needs a fan motor for the heater--a/c other than that it is good. Missing some trim on driver's door and some rubber guards on the exterior. For $1800 this is a good buy.
Guess what. This is down to $1,600.
Now I did reach out to the guy and he told me this:
The car is at Bob's Shell on 419. If you want I can meet you there Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon around 5:00 either day.
Then I told him I was out of state and I heard nothing back after that. I just noticed the price drop so I reached out again. I guess I can understand out of state can be a hassle, but really the hassle is mostly on my end. Though, on his end, it may be annoying since I will have a lot more questions, and specific questions, and also need additional pictures. So he may not want to get into any of that for a $1600 car.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 8:32 am
by kevm14
kevm14 wrote:kevm14 wrote:
Got pics and SPID.
What's up with the steering wheel? That's weird. Also upper wood trim strip on the passenger door is missing.
2.56 car, non-V08. Need to decode to find the rest of the things. Seems pretty clean. Long Island though so need to check for rust. At least it's close. Price is reasonable.
The guy called me today at lunch. Some highlights:
- It has a hitch on it, yet no tow pack. Not a big deal if it's a light trailer but the thought of a 2.56 Roadmaster towing anything of any weight...that 4L60-E is going to hate that
- The only issues that I currently know of are: driver's side mirror, rearview mirror glue failed, wood trim piece on the passenger front door, some aging cracks on the surface of the leather, some dog fur stuff from having animals in it
- Car is currently not registered so, Fleetwood-style test drive unless I get bold and do something illegal
- He stopped driving it due to gas prices, though gas is obviously lower now than when he stopped
- Has had a replacement water pump, radiator, front coil springs (wtf?), some computer (maybe BCM?), an A/C line
- Generally I do think the car was well maintained, FWIW
He wanted to know when I could come look at it. I said at this point the biggest question mark is rust, and having been used on LI all it's life (he is the second owner, did not garage it, and bought it around 80k from the first owner, also on LI), I am skeptical that it will be as clean as I would like it to be.
So the question is, do I waste a day and go look at this thing when I don't really have a day to waste, or an emergency need to replace the Caprice?
He had a caller from PA who was giving him the run-around. So he'd rather deal with me, certainly. The price is negotiable but I don' t know what that means. I should probably not expect to get it for $1300, so probably assume $1700-$1900.
Thoughts?
I got these this week and haven't had a chance to post them until now.
Non-V08 confirmed.
V__03C0.jpg
This was his definition of tow pack.
V__BA12.jpg
Rear seat issues. May be suggestive of overall interior condition, or it could be just the seat.
V__F710.jpg
V__0BF0.jpg
And some undercarriage shots which was nice to get. Not 100% where this is, but I think it's at the rear.
V__5998.jpg
Behind gas tank on body.
V__A3DB.jpg
V__41B6.jpg
V__3229.jpg
So it's cleaner underneath than I thought but the trade off with this car is that it's not as clean as a southern car, and the interior (at least seats) are not in great shape. Also 160k.
Car will not jump, so he is going to trickle charge the battery. Basically, he is trying to work with his neighbor (the owner) to get him to make the car more presentable to sell so I can be sure I want it. Otherwise, I could try to score a deal in a less than ideal state (and take a risk).
I am not really into this car at the moment due to not being as clean as a southern car and the seats. I don't know how I feel about the rest of it (95 w/ 2.56 and 160k). As it sits, this is not a $2,000 car, either. It is, however, MUCH closer than anything else I've been looking at. But I think maybe that's not the priority in this purchase so I really shouldn't put much weight in it. If this car was in NC, would I be interested in it at all (after the pics)? I don't think so.
The location is advantageous really more in case I need to look at the car before being sure I want to purchase. And being on LI, that was certainly possible.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 10:21 am
by Adam
The mystery shot looks like straight up between the trunk and rear bumper. Maybe. You can see bulb sockets in the shot.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:52 am
by kevm14
So here's a couple more thoughts on my purchase decision:
- How long do I think I'll want to hold on to whatever I buy? The answer is, that depends on the car.
- This LI car may be a candidate for owning shorter term (like my FWB). Is that what I want? In fact I don't think it is a long term car.
I think that will help determine which car is the right car, which is something I've been struggling with.
Re: Caprice engine swap?
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 4:11 pm
by kevm14
Edmunds tested the 2005 STS. There's some interesting stuff here. Namely, this review was back when they still did audio reviews. I know Bill likes audio so this might be interesting. And here it is:
Stereo Evaluation
System Score: 9.0
Components: This Bose "5.1 Studio Surround Sound" system is top of the line. The "5.1" refers to the fact that the sound is reproduced through six channels (five plus an ultralow frequency one delivered via a subwoofer).
No less than 15 speakers disperse the sound, including four "personal" speakers located next to the driver and front-passenger headrests, a pair of tweeters on the ends of the dash, a subwoofer on the rear shelf and eight full-range units mounted in the doors, rear shelf, center dash and behind the center console.
A six-disc CD/DVD changer, XM radio and a navigation system are all part of the "Luxury Performance" package our STS had. Like many cars fitted with a nav system, the audio controls are a combination of hard buttons on the center stack and touch "buttons" on the screen. Auxiliary controls on the steering wheel make adjusting volume, changing modes or changing stations/tracks as easy as beeping the horn.
Performance: There is a lot of everything with this system — power, clarity, separation, even versatility. Pop in a 5.1-compatible CD and you'll think you're in the recording studio or even the mosh pit, depending on your musical tastes. If you like to crank up the hard rock, it can handle it as the highs will stay crisp even as the bass thumps you in the chest. Play the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" on this system and you'll see what we mean.
The speakers next to the front headrests help fill out the soundstage, and folks in the back don't get second fiddle treatment as they also enjoy the full sonic spectrum this system is capable of producing.
Although it's an excellent system, the flawless Mark Levinson system found in the Lexus LS 430 just edges it out when you get really crazy with the volume knob.
A great feature of this system is that it allows you to play virtually anything you've got: CDs, DVDs (audio and video), MP3 CDs and CDs/DVDs you've made yourself (CD/DVD-ROM and CD/DVD-R). To play a DVD, the car must be in Park, not a bad idea.
Best Feature: The wide range of entertainment choices — XM radio, various CD and DVD audio options and DVD movies.
Worst Feature: The combination of hard buttons and screen controls takes getting used to.
Conclusion: Bose pulled out all the stops with this system, and the result is a versatile package that should please the pickiest audiophiles. — John DiPietro