i posted my first thread on here last week just saying that i wanted to start lookin for an el camino from early to late 80's and was asking if i could get something decent for under $5000. i got some good responses and i've been looking on jaxed.com quite a bit trying to learn as much as possible about what's out there.
i was wondering if people could give me maybe 5 of the most common things that would go wrong within the first year after purchasing a new car?
i really want to go over all the bases (or at least what i can) when i go to look at a car. although many of the ads out there say how great it runs right now, what are some of the things that can go down the drain quickly? i live near toronto and i plan on buying in the US and driving the car home. this means i'll have to travel at least 8-10 hours just to see the car, and the ride home could pose some problems if i don't know what to check/inspect before i buy.
thanks a lot guys
donny

Here are some common problems that I know about and some that I have experienced with my 84'.

Make sure the title is good. The title and registration are totally different things don't forget. The starter could be bad, causing the engine to have problems cranking/starting. Check the belts, espeically the alternator. Make sure it's all tight, you don't want a dead battery on a long drive or even problems simply starting the car. Engine knocking can happen, meaning a problem with the valve train. Using a higher octane gas can help. Keep an eye on alignment and suspension/shocks as well.

Those are some I know of, other things can be fixed in time. Hope this helps and good luck!

ok well the best way to answer your question is by telling you some of the things that went wrong with my after I bought it. First check the floor pans for any rust it may be hard to spot I didn't notice any on mine until I got it home and pulled the carpet. Check the trim on the rear window for any rust or sign of rust. Check the quarter panels for bondo with a magnet and piece of paper. Check the rear frame rails for rust. also check to make sure the doors close properly.

Check the oil and make sure it is not milky and check the trans fluid and make sure it is not burnt. Also check to see if there is any oil in the radiator.

Check the electrical under the hood and see if it has been messed up or spliced. That can cause real problems. Follow all the wires.

since your as north as you are check the whole frame ie. rear by the bumper and ive heard by the steering box
also take a look at the rubber body mounts make sure they still exist...

check trans fluid see if its burnt check pinion on rear and backing plates for oil leakage look at frame for considerable rust or rotting :smileyb:good luck in your search!!!

Whatever you do, do NOT buy a car from a guy in Dallas that looks like this.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/2614522510_c61fcb2263.jpg

Didnt know DDD has a sun roof :secret:

Frame .... look for rotted out frame behind the rear wheels and look at the underside sheet metal make sure there are not lots of rust. Look at brake lines to see how rusted they are .

Interior . all interior parts can be replaced and found easy enough but if possible check the vehicle after rain or snow and feel the carpet on the passenger side under the dash and behind the seats in the smugglers box and spare tire compartment. This will let you knowif the rear box and the heater cowl leaks water inside the cab.

Engine , like stated check dipstick look for greyish tan sludge which indicates water in the oil. listen for knocks and watch for blue smoke out the exhaust

Tranny , check tranny fluid make sure its got ared color to it and not black

look at tires and make sure the wear is the same on all tires , uneven wear can be caused by wrong tire pressure , front end out of alignment or faulty front end parts .

These are a few things to look at, remember last time the el camino was produced was early 1988 , and by purchasing a vehicle that old chances are you will have to work on it or get some things fixed at some point.

The back window on the gen 5's (78-86) is known to leak. The water leaks down onto the floor and rusts out the floor behind the seats. Checking the floor pans for rust is great advice.

Dont let the person you are buying the car from know the exact time when you are coming to look at the car. Some Cars have problems you can only see or hear when the engine is cold. If they know you are coming they can go out and start the car and warm the engine up before you get there. Or, tell them up front not to warm the car up before you get there and see what they say. Check the exhaust manifolds and see if they are cold before you start the engine. Check the oil and other fluids before starting it. Look for milky colored oil and all the things these other guys mentioned.

Then take the car for a test drive and leave the engine running for a while to see if it has any problems when the engine is warmed up. Check the oil again. Pull the dip stick, hold it in the sunlight and see if it looks metallic. If the oil filter looks too clean on the outside or they say they just changed the oil, they could be trying to hide a serious engine problem. They can also put heavy gear oil in the engine to mask a rod knock but getting the engine hot will thin the oil out and will keep that from working.

Let go of the steering wheel during the test drive to see if the car pulls to one side, get on the brakes a little hard too and see if it pulls to one side. This could be a sign of serious frame/suspension damage or maybe something as simple as a brake caliper hanging up on one side. If it does pull to one side, look a little deeper to see if there is frame or suspension damage.


Most importantly, take your time, dont be in a hurry to get the car you want. There are good El Caminos out there and Gen 5s are not that hard to find. If you dont see the one you want advertised this week, it may be advertised next week. Good Luck

Have somebody follow you down the road and look for dog legging which could spell trouble ask me how i know????

At $5000, you are shopping in the higher end of the Los Angeles market. Pay the extra to fly the extra miles and you'll be money ahead of repairing the rust problems that are twice as bad as you can ever imagine. Engines and transmissions are far less expensive and trouble to replace than frames and body panels. Los Angeles has a good balance of low rainfall, low humidity, minor sun damage levels. There are just a lot of El Caminos here that a lot of people have spent money on and taken decent care of. It also has an airport served from everywhere. A lot of guys have modified them and have trouble smogging them, so the price is cut accordingly. Here are just four current examples, all 5k or less and ranging from stock to modified:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/2129151653.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/2128397361.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/2126223654.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/2126526023.html