Im about to go check out a 2009 sedan SS/TC with 38k in my area, i was curious to see what to look for on the car to indicate its been taken care of. I currently have an 07/SC SS and i missed a lot of stuff when i bought the car,a lot of little things that are wrong with it, and one bigger issue in the clutch slipping. I've never had a turbo car, but past supercharged cars. Thanks in advance.

 

Is it completely stock? does it have any mods like charge piping or CAI's. Make sure the body is put together right. I bought mine and the front bumper was loose and the clips werent snapped right on the rear bumper. Curb rash, you know. Check the door swithc bezels to make sure they are flush on the door. The vinyls not faded. The RPD works fine if it comes with it. Sun roof works and doesnt leak. Tire life. The sub aint blown. Stuff like that. Commen stuff.

 

x2

 

Im back from the dealership. The engine had an "Injen" intake, I cant tell if theres a charge pipe because im not sure what the original looks like. The turbo definitely sounds louder than my friends stock TC/SS. Also there's brand new shiny exhaust on, im guessing the car had exhaust and they took it off, to make it stock. There were no Check engine lights on, but i thought the car wouldn't allow mods like an intake or what not without a tune? The front bumper has been replaced, i couldn't see any frame damage or radiator damage, etc from the front. Is it normal for the bumper to hit a lot of stuff? I know my car is low, but this one seems lower. The car has a sunroof, but i didnt check if it was LSD yet. I couldn't see much because it was dark, im going back tomorrow to negotiate more.

 

Also, the tires are brand new. I didnt check the sunroof ill have to remember that. The transmission and clutch feel 1000x better than my 07, much much smoother. and no wheel hop.

 

Make sure you do a leakdown and compression test on it. Better to spend $100 than inherit thousands in damage.

 

Can the dealer do that?

 

The tires aren't anything to worry about if it has 38K on it .... stock rubber is pretty soft and goes quick . The car can run a intake without a tune ....but it won't do much other than skew the fuel trims . If it wasn't tuned for the intake the original owner only got a sound mod out of it .

As far as front end damage ...the SS/TC's sit higher than a SS/SC stock for stock.......when i traded in my SC and parked next to my TC it sat noticeable higher. If it looks like the front bumper has been replaced I would look at the intercooler .... it doesn't take much to break the plastic end tanks ...so id be surprised if it took a hit and didn't need to be replaced.

Here is what the stock charge pipes look like

The other thing i would look at is the downpipe ..... a stocker should have 2 cats on it..... if they did have a catback on it ...odds are they had an aftermarket DP on it as well . The new style bung for the 2nd o2 won't set a check engine light even if the it's cattless ...just a heads up.

When you test drive it ...put it in 4th at 2000 rpm and go WOT with trac off ....its will tell you what kind of shape the clutch is in ....and ofcourse check how much boost it makes in 3rd. Good luck

Is the car at Lee's Summit Honda ? If so it also has a pretty large radio antenna on it for some reason ....that will have to go 8)

 

Lol yea thats the car. The antenna is hideous. Thank you for the picture of the engine compartment, that will help me out a ton. I'll update later today and check the car out in the light more.

 

They can. They probably won't want to. It's a very easy task on a 4 banger like ours.

 

Hello Trock,

Something I am thinking about on my end would be to ask about warranty information. The Injen intake you mentioned might disqualify it from any warranties although it’s a newer vehicle. It would be a good thing for you to learn up front.

Best,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

 

I ended up trading the 07 in for the 09. My first impressions of the overall better build quality is great. The car feels much more firm and "together" with less rattles and bumps. Its not as raw, much smoother shifting. I love the seats, very supportive. I plan on maybe getting the GMS1 or a tune, if their is anyone local in my area. Get a shorter antenna, and tint the windows a little more. Thanks for the advice everyone.