The porous block issue would have surfaced long ago this SS is 15 years old , I don’t think it would last this long.

 

I'd go for it. It looks like it needs paint, but if the body's straight and it's mechanically sound, it should be fine. I'm guessing there's some flexibility built into the seller's asking price.

Look for rust along the inside bottom of all four doors. I had it on mine, but it's not an expensive fix if you catch it in time.

My '08 SS 5sp, which I bought in December 2021, is my daily driver, and just turned 60,000 miles. It has its quirks, but it's a blast to drive. It has a bit more than enough power and handles our twisty rural roads quite nicely. And it has room for all sorts of stuff. At the moment I'm hauling carpentry tools for a remodeling project. Plus, it looks cool, imho.

I recommend keeping a few spare parts on hand, particularly a set of the lower control arms (LCA). I found one side on rockauto, but then couldn't find the other side anywhere, for months. Ultimately I found one and payed twice the price of rockauto, but having both gives me peace of mind. LCAs seem to be really hard to find, so I like having a pair on hand for the eventual need for replacement. Btw, I just checked rockauto and they don't show the GM part. They list the AC Delco LCA for both sides, but they are stamped steel instead of the aluminum, and do not fit the SS. Be advised.

I only run premium fuel in mine, since it's "recommended" and get around 25 mpg in mixed driving. Sometimes more, but usually around 25. On the highway I drive at just under 80mph. I think the fastest I've driven it is 110 mph. It felt very good at that speed. Supposedly it will go up to 155 mph in stock form!

Let us know what you decide!

 

With the stage1 tune Premium fuel is a must!
the GM LCA’s are obsolete, no worries OTTP has the correct bolt in ball joints available

 

"porous block" does NOT mean holes in it or leaking. It means tiny bubbles in the casting that got opened up when machined. The only time that would cause problems is if they were so large that the gasket doesn't seal. An example of GM technical speak being misunderstood by the masses.
The other possibility is one of the starter bolt holes that was supposed to be a blind hole was drilled through, making for a tiny leak. Fix was some silicone tape on the threads.

 

Thank you all for the info. I went and drove it today and I'm on the fence. I confirmed it has the 91 required sticker. Didn't hear or feel anything with the engine/transmission that seemed out of whack. It was pouring rain, so I didn't crawl under to look at anything there. Stuff I did notice.

• Sounded and felt like the front suspension is probably all original. So I'm figuring new struts (and shocks), sway bar bushing, sway bar links. Did not do the LCA check. (I've replaced all of that on mine except the LCAs, so I'm comfortable with doing those replacements myself.)
• The driver seat would not move forward or back. The rest of the power adjustments worked.
• Probably needs new brake pads all around. Not sure about the rotors. Had some squeal from the back when stopping in reverse. Just felt softer than mine.
• Needs a new windshield.
• This one is my maybe/probably deal breaker. The exhaust is obnoxiously loud inside of the cabin. I would expect it to be louder than my 2.4, but not like this. It's the only SS I've ever driven, so I don't have anything to compare it to. My question is, is loud normal? Or is this an aftermarket muffler?

Again, thanks for all the feedback. You guys are awesome!

 

What did the code reader say about the I/M monitors? Any codes? Could be a broken flex pipe or some other exhaust part rotted out.

 

I completely forgot to take the code reader unfortunately. I'm going to guess they will read not ready since the battery is new. But I will for sure when I go back to follow up.

 

Followed up on a couple of things and decided not to move on purchasing this. Just got a bad vibe. Had a little bit of one on the test drive too. But anyway, thanks for all the feedback! Hopefully another shows up.

 

Loud exhaust noise could be a gasket, or flex pipe , or obnoxious aftermarket exhaust

 

Another 2008 SS came up for sale. Mostly I'm liking this one more than the last. That exhaust was terrible. The one thing that's got me on this is that there is a whining coming from the passenger front wheel. The sound is relative to the speed. The owner was thinking it was the bigger tires rubbing something. I felt around and couldn't feel anything at all rubbing or close to rubbing. Wheel hub maybe?

Things I noticed from the list everyone came up with before.

• Brake rotors are definitely aftermarket drilled and slotted.
• It does NOT have the 91 required sticker on the fuel door. (It has the premium recommended sticker.)
• All IM tests were green. There were several other codes.
  • P0622-00 Generator F-Terminal Circuit
  • C0561-71 Systems Disabled Information Stored - Invalid Data (power steering)
  • C0800-03 Control Module Power Circuit - Low Voltage
  • C0800-12 Control Module Power Circuit - Low Input
  • B1325-03 Control Module Power Circuit - Low Voltage
  • B3060-00 Unprogrammed Transponder Identification Code Received
  • B3935-57 Transponder Authentication

I haven't looked up any of the codes yet.

Thoughts?