1998 transam vs. 2002 grand prix!

[harryfalls]

i have the option to buy a white 98 trans am for $6200 dollars or an 02 grand prix se for $5700 dollars. the transam has 108,000 miles with a new engine recently put in it and it has passed the maryland vehicle inspection. the grand prix has 98,000 highway miles. the grand prix and trans am are both white and they both have highway miles mainly. i'm looking for whichever one is the best deal based on these specs. i have about 2 days to decide, so i'm asking the experts for help. which should i get?

[Mr. Luos]

What is wrong with the Trans Am that it is only $6200??

[harryfalls]

the family that is selling it want's to get a family car and they say the trans am is eating them up on gas, so i guess they just want to get a fast sale.

[Mr. Luos]

Well....something is up.
Motor needed replaced?? Why? I know guys that have 125,000 on their supercharged LS1's. No problems.
It is a Trans Am, or maybe just a Firebird?

[harryfalls]

it's a trans am. i'll ask them more questions tomorrow. but even if the old transmission blew. by it having a new transmission installed would that make this car a great deal or should i stick with the grand prix?

[Mr. Luos]

I need more details.
Who did the swap? Did they replace the motor with a GM crate motor? Auto or stick?

Find out what you can for me, and post again. I check daily.

[harryfalls]

i know that it is an automatic but i'll find the other stuff out tomorrow.
thanks for your help.

[harryfalls]

the transmission in the firebird was rebuilt and not replaced. the grand prix is an se model. the grand prix had one owner and the transam had three and two were in the past three years. i mis posted, the trans am is a 97 formula.

[Mr. Luos]

1997 Formula. Quite the difference there.

Good cars still though. LT1 is a good motor. Still close to 300 horsepower and killer low end torque.

If you choose the Formula, make sure you drive it like it was meant to be driven. Make sure the tranny shifts hard and smoothly. No weird noises, no odd shifts. Motor is probably fine.

Really depends on what you want in the car. The Formula is easily the faster of the two cars. The Grand Prix would be better in snowy conditions, being it is FWD. Formula is RWD.
Good luck!!

Any other questions I might be able to help with, just ask.

[harryfalls]

i just called the guy up and he said that it was a trans am. carfax has it listed as 97 pontiac firebird formula/trans am. i like the trans am body a lot better than the grand prix, but i don't want to make a poor decision just on style. they both seem to be great cars to drive. if the 97 trans am is a far better car than the 02 grand prix i am willing to invest in it.

[DarkblueTA]

Originally Posted by Mr. Luos

Well....something is up.
Motor needed replaced?? Why? I know guys that have 125,000 on their supercharged LS1's. No problems.
It is a Trans Am, or maybe just a Firebird?

Agreed. Find out what happened to that car.

I am one of many with 120K on the odo and a blower on the car. Somethings up if they needed a new engine

[Twizted_3KGT]

I thought Formula and Trans Am were two completely different things. i wouldn't go w/ a slow huge grand prix over a 97 Trans Am. Unless I had a family to think about fitting in there, or if I had to care about gas mileage. I'd go with the Trans Am.

[harryfalls]

the formula and trans am are two different cars. it's just that carfax had both names listed and it confused me. i don't know much about pontiacs.