There is a Syclone at a local dealer. I will look at it tommorow. What sould I look for? I will take some pics, any request?

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99 Lightning black #2022, cd,tow package,bed rug,roll-n-lock, stock
(13.73 @ 99.74)
98 Cobra coupe laser red
best stock et 13.43 @ 103
one run w/ 3.55 gears 13.34 @ 102 no other mods
former Chevy fan still have a few
72 SS454 11.6 @ 116 (slicks open headers)
68 Camaro 12.2 @ 116 (street tires closed exhast)

 

Oh,what would you consider low milage and reasonable price?

 

Ask about engine(see if its a rebuild) ask about owners(ie how many),ask about mods, definitly see any completed work orders they have on the truck(ha that's a joke!,it's a car!). The trucks(Typhons as well) had a bunch of problems(not unlike our L's) and can be pricey to fix.That's just some off the cuff stuff.As for reasonable price and mileage,I had a guy at a dealer in IL e-mail me about one in their showroom for $16k,has 39000 k on it.This is a good price($15 would be better ) for the miles on it.I had another guy call me about one w/ 85k on it for $20 grand! NO WAY!
Keep me posted,
Brett the "Hitman"
99.5 Lightning(stock...so far)

[This message has been edited by Hitman31 (edited 01-11-2000).]

 

Well, you didn't ask me, but I owned a Typhoon for two years, so I got the full experience. Here are a few things that you should look for.

When the truck is cool, climb under the truck and check the driveshafts, the front rubber boot, and look for leaks from the differentials, rear main, or tranny. To check the driveshafts, grab them and do your best to twist them. If they move a lot or feel loose, you're going to be replacing them soon, which is big bucks for the the front one. Check the front boot to see if it's cracked. If so, dirt may have gotten in and will ruin the front propshaft too.

With the engine running, take off the oil filler cap and look for smoke coming out. Smoke indicates the motor has bad rings or valve guides. After that, hold your hand over the filler neck. A lot of air indicates blow by. Don't buy the truck with either condition. Turn the truck off and check the oil. If you see milky white bubbles, there is a busted head gasket (At best) and if the oil smells like gas, there is a fuel problem. Listen to the motor while it's running. If you hear a slight ticking, that's normal injector tick. If it is loud or metallic sounding, that could be a major engine problem, no need to look further.

Drive the truck at 70 mph and feel for vibration. Vibration can indicate a bent wheel, or if accompanied by a droning sound or grating sound, could indicate a bent prop shaft. A bent wheel isn't good, but a prop shaft is even worse. It's about $650 to replace.

Find a mall parking lot or something and crank the wheel all the way to one side and drive in a circle, listening for clicking sounds. Repeat this with the wheel turned the other way. If you get a clicking, the truck has a bad CV joint.

Next, check the turbo. While still in whatever parking lot that you found, put the truck in neutral and rev it to around 3K rpms WHILE you are holding the brake with your LEFT leg as hard as you can. This will set the brake. Let the motor idle down to normal and put the truck in drive, still holding the brake with your left leg. With your right, start applying accelerator pressure. Somewhere around 2200 Rpms, the boost gauge will swing positive. You should be able to get at least 5psi of boost if you are holding the brake hard. If you can't, there is a turbo or wastegate problem. Let off the gas and let the truck idle down, then remove your foot from the brake.

After your drive, check for bubbles in the radiator fluid reservoir. If there are bubbles, that's another sign of a blown head gasket.

As a final issue, check the body cladding around the wheel wells. It has been known to rub through the paint on some trucks, and rust will form if it is.

Hope this helps guy!

I'm at work and don't have a lot of time to proofread, so you'll have to excuse any problems with sentence structure or spelling.


[This message has been edited by Typhoon (edited 01-11-2000).]

 

I owned Syclone #2424 for 6 years. Second owner. Original owner was my neighbor. The little Sy was a lot of fun. I loved it. Sold it to buy my Lightning (and absolutely no regrets, of course).

What the gentlemen recount above is correct and good advice. As to fair market value, you see Sy/Ty's advertised all the time in AutoWeek for anything from about $12,000 to over $30,000. When I sold it about 6 months ago, mine had just over 24,000 miles on it, was stock, and looked, ran and even smelled like new. I sold it for $15,600 and consider that a fair price.

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Mike Philpott
Orlando, FL
'99.5 Black Lightning
SVT #2190 - Build Date 6/9/99
NLOC #361
6 CD Changer, Class 3 Hitch, A.R.E. LSII Lid, BedRug Liner, Invinca-Shield/3M Scotchcal protective film, Wyldman's Clear Lexan Fog Light Covers, 16% Window Tint, LoJack, Val-1, Sal's PSP Chip & Air Filter Kit

 

I looked at it since Hitman had shown interest in getting another. This is not one you want. $18,900 (they said they could go $500 off BFD), worn driver seat, 39,000 miles, trans must have been out because they left the inspection cover off , scratches and swirls out the wazoo.