I purchased this car from an auction, and it ran what seemed to be fairly well until I completed my 8 mile drive home. That is when all the coolant began to leak from what seemed to be the overflow. Why did my NorthStar overheat.
Maybe the guy who put it up for auction had the same question…Did the electric cooling fan(s) come on? Do they come on when you turn on the A/C? Overheating can be caused by many things from a bad radiator cap to a blown head gasket or cracked head. A good mechanic should at least know the reason in about an hour…
Well, I took the thing to the mechanic, and he did a block test and said that the engine was damaged with a blown head gasket. Also, the radiator had a small leak in it and the mechanic said that the leak is why there was no white smoke coming from it. Well I reckon I’ll be looking for another engine. Thanks
Why should a blown head gasket gasket necessitate a replacement engine?
And now you know why I would not buy a car from an auction. Being able to look at the car (and perhaps to peer under the hood) is just not sufficient to verify that a car is in decent mechanical shape. While there are exceptions to every rule, in almost every case, the better used cars do not wind up at auctions.
A good question kit - Northstar V8s are ‘plastic’ engines ~ alloy block & head.
That engine has a record of both blown head gaskets and problematic replacement i.e. new head gaskets blow due to head / block distortion. Only viable remedy is engine replacement since it’s more economical than head / block machining.
There are companies out there that do nothing but rebuild Northstars.
If you do go for a head gasket remedy NEVER EVER RE-USE THE HEAD BOLTS.
Well now, lets see… I reckon I can find an engine for about 1700.00 (rebuilt). Warranty becomes another issue. Do you think that a one year warranty would be sufficient for that kind of money and engine? Anyway, I called back to the auction house, and I must have caught someone at a bad time to complain. Anyway, he said son, you Can Read right ?? 
Thanks
One year is what’s typical on the market. Yeah, it’s sufficient. If anything is wrong with the engine it gives you plenty of time to discover it and get a replacement.
Remember that the purpose of the warranty is not to earrant the engine for longevity, but rather to warrant that it’s free of defects when you get it.