Looking at a 97 V-6 Convertable.
 

I am trying to go see a low milage 97 V-6 five speed convertable a few hours away from me, This car has the 3800 series II V-6 and the T-5 trans correct? Questions are what should I inspect closely, and what real world MPG should I expect to get highway?

I am hoping to get around 30mpg.


I am looking for a fun to drive commuter car for the expected 5 hour drives I may have to make fo work this summer,and I think this car might fit the bill so to speak, I would be traveling Sunday evening, and returning home Friday nights. So the car would have to me able to handle me and a week or 2 worth of clothes, and some light tools.

Thanks

30mpg is possible, but you're really going to have to be light on the throttle. 24-26mpg is probably more realistic for normal highway driving.

Well after some wrangling over price, I finally pulled the trigger and Paid $6500.00 for a 43,000 mile bright red V-6 5-speed Convertible with the sport pakage that gets rear disc brakes and dual exhaust. Probably a bit to much, but what else can you get for that money that should be that fun to drive, top down sunny days, RWD with 200hp? I will post some pic's after I pick it up this weekend.
I can live with 26 mpg, better than the 16 my truck is getting, and this will definatly be more interesting to cruise around in!!!!!

congrats Jeff
missed this post until after the sale
I would have encouraged you but see you didnt need it.
I have owned (and still do) several 4 gens,my first one that I love dearly is a one owner low miles 97 red Y-87 droptop.
I get around 21 in town and over 30 on highway.I changed the exhaust(already had duals) to a TA muffler tail pipes and quad tips,added SLP CAI. Car is just fast enough to be fun yet sporty enough to keep a smile on your face.
Keep the weatherstripping up or it will leak.
GL with it,I paid same for mine many years ago with around 50K on it.
the Y -87,which yours has also,had duals, 342 posi rear with discs same steering as V-8s.Your 5 speed should get a little better highway MPG.

My 02 gets around 25-27 with 10% cow piss, 30-32 with no ethanol. That's with an auto trans.

Well I made it home from NW of Chicago with the Red 97, the car is alittle scraped up, looks like it spent some time in a police impound yard, (the guy I bought it from never had the title transfered from the local Police auction he bought it from.) Needs a few things, passenger side mirror wont adjust, missing the drivers side sun Visor, Drivers side headlight motor makes a grinding noise after retracting, but does not pop back up (I know how to do the cheap fix on this, but will probably get a replacement metal gear.) The rt front blinker is inop due to a melted bulb socket, and the display on the indash CD player quit on the drive home, was working when I picked up the car. Also needs a drivers side tail light, cracked, and the rear filler panel between the tail lights is scraped up.
But the good news is only 44,000 miles, the engine, trans, and clutch seem tight, got almost 30 mpg on the trip home at almost 80 mph average, handles and stops well, and the interior is in good shape. Only 1 minor air leak at speeds over 60. So far I am happy with the purchase.
Thanks for the encouraging words, I did enjoy the trip home, though I suspect the car has the wrong wiper blades installed, as the blades work well were they contact the windshield, they just don't contact that much of the windshield.

Cool firebird, i drove a new firebird back in '97 with the Y-87 it was pretty peppy back then for a V-6 i wish i could find myself a clean hardtop '96 and up firebird!

Jeff.....I know this is an old thread, but did you ever get the wiper problem fixed? I just bought my grandson a 97 convertible with the same problem. We first tried new blades which didn't help. We then put new arms on, and that made the drivers side work perfectly. The passenger side still only sweeps the upper portion of the windshield. The blade lays flat when parked, but the lower half lifts off the glass when operating. Hope you have the answer......John