Well I just recently bought an '85 Trans Am. It has a freshly rebuilt engine (I saw the paperwork) it has a Python alarm system, a new interior, brand new tires and rims. Everything on it worked except the tach (easy fix).
I test drove it 3 times, even had my dad test drive it before I bough it. The engine ran completly smooth, the idle was perfect no excessive engine noise or anything.
Drove it around town for a day (picking up family members and dropping them off places).
Next day going to school i fired it up and now its knocking like it has a bad rod.
I can't figure it out, I drove it with decency, kept my foot out of it and only 1 day later it has a bad rod. I didn't redline it once.

Does anyone know if there are other explanations? Only thing I know is if you redline em once to much you can throw the rods.. but I didnt red line, not once...