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I am wondering what to look for when buying a 1995 SSEi with 185k on it.
I know to look for rust in the normal places and pull up the carpet in the trunk.
Let it run for a long time so engine knocks can be heard.
Anything else?
I would love to take this car home but for the age, miles, and money I NEED to make sure
this one is not a lemon or has some problems
Is there anyway to test out the engine or tranny to see if they are going anywhere anytime soon?
Any help greatly appreciated

A lot of this is common sense, but check it out
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... =57&t=1014

Lower intake gaskets, oil/coolant leaks. Worn tie rods, cv joints, bushings etc. Creaking suspension.

The most common place I've noticed rust forms is in the rear door jams.

Drive it, any unusual noises that you hear and can't pinpoint the source, walk away.

Make sure to check everything electrical. All the window motors, all the heating and AC positions, make sure the lighting and horn and radio and all indicators function properly. If there are any electrical problems, inspect the grounds under the carpets for corrosion, and look for possible water leaks as the cause.

Owning a 97 I would say check to make sure that it idles at a stable RPM. Also yeah the motors for the power windows do fail quite often. My driver window one is dead but a trick is to remove the switch panel with the power window switches on it and smash the hell out of the motor with the back of a screw driver while pressing down on the power window switch. Lets see...brake lines are probably rusted out if they haven't been replaced. And all the usual stuff you can think of.

if you're debating about it this much, i think you should find a different one.

Personally I would avoid it. Not all, but some Series 1 L67s tend to fail at 175-200k. I've looked at far too many S1 L67 cars over the past 2 months that have engine noise when they claim it was the supercharger. Yeah...near red area of the oil gauge and the bottom end clattering is not a supercharger. One dealer thought I was stupid and tried to say that the oil pressure gauge was for the supercharger. Not only that but you have to check to see if the tranny is 100%. A lot of dealerships are shady and will put Seafoam trans tune or Lucas trans fix in the transmission to cover it just long enough to get it off the lot, same thing with the old "high viscosity oil in the engine" trick to quiet the engine.

I would keep the mileage at 140k and under if you are dead set on a 92-95 SSEi.

From the standpoint of someone who has owned all three series engines...

The 92-95 L67s have their merits. They do provide stronger low-end torque, and make stoplight battles pretty fun. The '95s are the most interesting in that they are a hybrid of S1 and S2 parts (S1 block and S2 crank) based on the research we've run across recently. However, parts availability of S1s are becoming thinner. It's very hard to source a low-mileage S1 engine nowadays, no matter if it's supercharged or not. Rebuilding them are also going to be more expensive.

S2s (and the similar S3s) are much more plentiful in the junkyards and in the aftermarket. Refitting an S2 to an S1-powered car isn't hard at all, despite what other people think. S1 PCMs can be re-chipped to run an S2, or an S2 PCM can be refit as well. S3s are cheap to come by in the junkyards since nobody is buying them up yet (I got mine for 400 bucks and only 2k miles on it).

Series 2 and 3 engines are the way to go for longevity and easier repair. It's the main reason why I made the switch.

So what is all involved in swapping a series 1 for a series 2
Is it mostly plug and play?
Are the mounts the same, sensors, pcm?
How does the tranny hook up with the series 2 can I keep my series 1 tranny?
The best engine I could find around my area meaning about 30-45 mins was a 95 supercharged
They wanted $350 for it with 190k oh and did I mention the supercharger was gone and the top of the engine was open for who knows how long.
Sorry off topic but I was just what how much trouble it would be to do the swap from 1 to 2

Going to S2 isn't hard. The only mount that's different is the bracket for the torque axis mount. S1 trans will bolt right to it. Electrically you will have to make modifications, and depending on what PCM you want to stay with dictates what you will have to do. Exhaust will be S2 downpipe. Everything else will match up ok.

Honestly, it all depends on what year car you settle on. The older the car, the more electronic modifications needed. But it's enitrely doable.