new to the site and new to owning a beretta..

[slohoe]

hey i live in ohio and i just bought a 1988 gt with the 2.8l 6 in it with a 3 speed auto.... is there anything i should know about these motors... also the car has 150,000 miles on it and runs great just needs paint....

[Barry]

Just keep an eye on the coolant level to make sure your not burning any or losing any into the crankcase.

Well this is the showroom so post some pics!

[Money pit Beretta]

Hi and welcome! Do what Barry said, those lower intake gaskets can start leaking. Watch out for a missfire because of a bad coil. Most of the time that means that you need a new ICM. Oh and sometimes the PROM chip will go out. Grab a spare at the JY if you can. Or get one from WOT-Tech for a little more power. With that many miles things will need to be replaced, don't let it get you down.

[slohoe]

well here she is.... no rust at all....

[Money pit Beretta]

Well, it looks like you need a few things, but other than that it's in goood shape for an early car. I think someone on here was selling a console lid in gray. Be sure to check on the body by the rear springs for rust. Keep that fire wall cover, those things are hard to find in good shape. Change those plugs and wires when you get a chance. use some dielectric grease on the wires and anti-seize on the plug threads(AC plugs only and the lowest ohms wires you can get). Oh and watch for water leaks in the floor pan(get some floor mats).

[slohoe]

thanks man.... yea i only paid 500 for it.. runs great... i drove it an hour home when i got it.. ran like a champ... even out ran a civic that same day...lol... yea the interior is the worst part of the car...

[Wanako]

nice, I like me some early models, I've got an 87/88 myself.

Do what Barry said. These motors have a tendancy to leak coolant. Make sure to check your gaskets, like your head gaskets, Lower Intake Manifold gaskets and the Timing Chain Cover gasket. Yup, coolant runs through the TCC, as I just discovered myself. I also would recommend a good cleaning of that engine bay. Some degreaser will do wonders. These motors are not fast but if taken care of, they will be faithful workhorses. I know this, mine has 254,000 miles and still going quite strong. Good luck with it.

[Money pit Beretta]

Dang only 500 bucks, that's a good price. What are your plans for this car?

[slohoe]

well since the body is in good condition maybe just a show car wit some go fast but not much... since the motor does have miles on it and i dont want to re build it... lowere it paint it rims... stuff like that...

[Money pit Beretta]

Are those 14in wheels? How low do you want to go? Don't forget about a strut tower bar and a shock tower bar. They help more than you would think. Cavalier Z24 bar for the front(about 20 bucks at a junk yard,bolt holes must be lined up, the offset one will not work) and the MRZ shock tower bar for the rear(about 85 bucks from MRZ). I you want a CAI you can get one here. http://www.stylusscustoms.com/intakes.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Be sure to get a K&N.

[slohoe]

yes those are the stock 14s... and im not sure on how low maybe 2.5 to 3 inches... and i was reading about the strut towers on here.... i had one on my neon i had and i was amazing... might have to pick one up....can you get headers for this car... also was wondering about port and polish.. is it worth it... i can do my own p and p but just dont want to rip everything apart if its not worth it...

[Money pit Beretta]

Watch out man, I see that you get snow there and you don't want to get stuck because you went too low.
Look around here. http://www.wot-tech.com/shop/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You could do a 3X00 top end swap, but that would take alot of work.

[slohoe]

what is the 3x00 swap....

[slohoe]

http://www.compcams.com/Cam_Specs/CamDe ... id=57&sb=2

what you think about this....

[Money pit Beretta]

I think that was the one I wanted to put in my 3.1 build(90GT). It could be almost pointless to put a cam in a engine with alot of miles on it. If you want to stick with the 2.8 here is a site. http://www.engine-parts.com/GMV6/gm28stroker.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That cam you listed would work great with the stock shift points of your trans. At WOT it shifts at 5200 right? I had a 3T40 and you have a TH125. It's been a long time, so I have to try to remember all this.