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Pontiac Bonneville
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Good luck. Sorry to hear your SSEI is losing it's luster for you. Seventy K isn't that far away for me either any more. I'm at 59K now.
Ken
Stephen, my brother's been renting an Envoy for a couple of weeks and he loves it. Surprising given that his two cars back home (Los Angelse) are a Volvo 850 wagon and a Subaru Outback. I've been in one and am equally impressed.
All for now - hope it won't be another few months before I come back here again.
ice
Saw the twin of your car today at a restaurant. Very Nice!!
Take care
Ken
Stephen
Now my 17 year old wants me to " do the intake, the sways, and a cat-back" So, at the risk of going over old ground...has anyone successfully done any of these upgrades? If so, can you recommend and give the resources? Air compressor still not working but the car is at the body shop getting the trailer-hitch kiss removed from the seriously easy to damage front bumper.
There has been some discussion about the Ravin muffler system. http://ravin.com. I'm not sure anyone currently active on this site has actually done the replacement.
I'm not aware of an intake upgrade. Other than replacing heads and perhaps going to a roller rocker design camshaft, I'm not sure what more you could do other than perhaps a larger throttle body.
There was also an article on the 2004 Grand Prix in our paper yesterday stating that the GTP would be rated at 250hp. and that it would be available with a Competition Package that would enhance high speed dry cornering with StabilTrak Plus.
For example, after last year's Chicago Auto Show, have heard precious little about the GXP - the one variant that could keep me in a Bonneville. Not that I'm thinking of a trade in the immediate future but, as those incentives stay put and the GM Visa dollars add up...
Now, if only we had the occasional teaser to whet our appetite. But alas, all we hear from Pontiac is about performance parts for the Aztek.
You have to think that the geniuses at GM know what they're doing. Right? ;-P
Now if I can just avoid a repeat of last year when the ignition died and I had to leave the car there for a month.
Should be a great trip. I often wish I could take a day off and just drive north this time of year but the job is all-consuming these days.
www.INTENSE-Racing.com
PLEASE don't make me be the only Bonneville owner there!
Scott
Here are three (remove the spaces... the board won't allow "words" over 15 characters long)
http:// www.spiderautomotive.com/ frontbra.html
http:// www.carbras.com/perfectfit/ pontiac.htm
http:// koolitems.com/autoparts/ Le%20Bra%202.htm
Now, to give the benefit of the doubt, it is entirely possible that the 2003 SE front-end cover has not yet been released because the '03 may be slightly different than the '00-'02 (??). Perhaps in a few months...?
As far as the Rams are concerned, they stink! :>)
My only question for you is, can Warner still drive his SSEi with a broken finger? (if he still has it)
It's gonna be a blast, and I'd love to see some of you out there...
www.INTENSE-Racing.com
Scott
Although the Red Sox sell out most games, tickets are easily obtainable on line at redsox.com early in the year. I usually buy ten games or so during February.
If you are serious about coming east with your SSEi to see the Cards at Fenway, let me know. I'm sure we could arrange a Bonneville meet. Although by that time I may be in a new Envoy :>).
What's the problem with the Cardinals? Just when I thought they had a chance last night, they blew it. In hindsight, pitching around Bonds was a major mistake.
Stephen, I just recently spent some serious time in a deep green 4x4 XL and was very impressed. Very solid and quite responsive, every feature you could want and was stopped 3x by people who gushed over it. Although the interior was quite nice, it still fell a little short of what I would have liked to have seen in a vehicle of its price point. I won't elaborate and, to be fair, I haven't critically scrutinized the competition. On the whole though, I would have rated the "solidity" of the interior materials closer to those of my wife's Grand Prix than to my Bonneville.
To be even fairer - and in the final analysis - I am still quite impressed by the Envoy and would have no trouble buying if I was in that market.
Dan
There is a feature I would want that is not in the GMC; Heads up display. Believe it or not, that feature was one of the main reasons I went with a Bonneville for the 5th time in a row.
Stephen
The good thing I'm hearing (if I hear correctly) is that if you're looking at the Envoy you're still committed to GM products. I can't compare the Envoy with the Bonneville because they are completely different vehicles, but I must admit having some interest myself in the upcoming Envoy XUV with the retractable roof. As much as I love the full-size trucks, the XUV actually seems more appealing to me than the Avalanche because it looks like it will do most everything the Av does but in a smaller package. Still, it won't be a street racer! :-)
My cousin just got a Honda Pilot and really likes it. I drove it and found myself thinking that it is plain doesn't have "that GM feeling". Those of us who are loyal to GM know just what that means.
It seems that when you buy an American made product, you get more of the creature comforts ezrapon mentioned, and give up some build quality in comparison to imports in the same price range. I've been willing to make that choice in my vehicles, however, my wife has had four Japanese cars in the twenty years we've been married. She doesn't care about things like HUD and DIC. She wants quality and the secure feeling that comes with the Toyota Sienna van she has now. My Pontiac dealer offered her a loaded Montana for less money than the Sienna. She could of had a Ford Windstar or one of the Chrysler van siblings which also would have been less money and much more luxurious with more "toys". She was not interested and I don't blame her. She'll probably keep this van ten years and with routine maintenance, will never have a major problem; and it will be worth more money when it's time to trade.
While there, there was a cosmic coincidence of what may have been all of the new generation SSEis in Maine. I rarely ever see a Bonneville of any sort out there except in the high rent area where Ken lives. I was in town at a store and parked next to a silver SSEi. She wound up going out the same road I did when I left town and when I turned off, there was a white SSEi coming the opposite way and all three of us converged on the same intersection at the same time. Those may have been the only 3 new generation SSEis in all of Maine.
Finally, my pristine 2000 without a door ding of any sort and only one small rock chip on the hood now has a series of scratches on the driver's door, compliments of a friend in Maine's mutt. My friend came over to visit and tied the mangy hound to a tree by my car. I could see from the cabin that the dog was close to the car and told my friend that I hated to sound paranoid about my car but I was uncomfortable with the dog so close. He said that there wasn't a problem, that he had tied the dog far enough away. Turns out he was wrong and the dog jumped on the door. I'm hoping the scratches didn't go through the clear and can be buffed out. I'm the type that parks clear away from anyone and here I get done in like that.
I'm one of these guys who pushes and pulls at whatever I can on the dashboard to see if it's flimsy or it'll creak under stress. I've always figured that if it'll creak or give too much when new, it's not likely to get better. The Bonneville passed that test with flying colours. The GP did not but it was such a deal, is a leaser and is for my wife anyway (she doesn't have the same obsessions) that it wasn't a deal killer.
I tried the same thing on the Envoy and was disappointed in the centre console - particularly the piece of lateral dash trim that horizontally divides the console panel. In the Bonneville, it's rock solid; in the Grand Prix and Envoy (and Century, and Regal, and...), it had a flimsy feel. IMHO, creaks will be inevitable.
Only wish I had thought of doing the same test on the Bonnie's doors... >:(
(although in fairness, I've managed to resolve those creaks and the car is, after 30k miles, free of rattles and creaks).
Would I consider another Bonneville? Absolutely. But with all the decent competition out there today, it'd have to win the price war pretty clearly to earn my dollar.
Of course, my BIL just bought a Chev-Cadillac dealership so...
Dan
It sounds like a CTS could be in your future :>)
Stephen
It's too bad it's such a small car, especially width-wise.
Like all coolants the additives in DexCool can deteriorate with useage and time. Checking with a test strip or a voltmeter for electrolysis detects deterioration of the additives. Replacing every two years seems to be a recommendation by many real mechanics and I take that. Since I do my own drain, rinse, add and th DexCool costs only about $10 for a gallon compared to $7 for green stuff, I change--it's cheap.
Some thought the DexCool deteriorated gaskets on the plastic intake manifolds and added to leaks. Different intakes on different GM engines had different problems. So there's a mix of discussion here as if they're all the same. I had the intake changes on mine due to seepage starting. Maybe water pump and some signs of leak around the gasket near the air induction system where water circulates up through the air flow to warm it in winter.
The same plastic manifold on the 3800 had an egr tube of plastic around a hot metal pipe sticking up into it that deteriorated from the heat. Poor design or molding or materials. Apparently replacement intakes were redesigned. Gasket material also was changed.
I'll stick with DexCool because the mechanics I hear say it's less of a problem than the green stuff with it silicates over time. I'll change it myself to avoid the 'bloom' corrosion that forms on radiator tubes that restricts the flow over time.
If you chanaged to DexCool, was the green stuff thoroughly flushed out with rinses before DexCool went it. They don't mix well.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
We'll be taking advantage of the latest GM roll-up,
returning the 2000 SE 5 months early- lease due up in March, 2003- getting the NEW Saturn L200 Sedan- getting a $500.00 Credit from GM (loyalty)Etc. The price was right- only i tried to talk the Mrs into the L-300 (6 cyl)- no good- she wants to down-size and wants better gas mileage.
I was surprised by the interior rear room of the Saturn- had both front seats all the way back- and still had plenty of leg room to spare.
I also liked the folding 60/40 rear seats- and the trunk is also a nice size for a smaller car.
We opted for the Automatic Trans- Optional on the 200L- standard on the 300L, leather appointments(which you must then take both the Comfort Package and the Convenience package)ABS with Traction Control. The color is Medium Blue.
By passed the Sports package and their Premium Package.
all told we'll be cutting our costs down over $100.00+ a month and getting extra features not on the 2000 SE
Leather seats, Heated front seats, auto climate control, heated outside mirrors, traction control and CD player.
Granted neither the 4 or 6 cyl is a 3800 Series II, but both had very nice pick-ups.
All in all, if anyone is looking for a smaller car and still wants to remain in the GM Family, test drive the new L Series Saturn.
Chuck
*(STILL LOVE MY 98 SSE!!!!!!!)*Thinking of getting a few dinks out of her and having her re-painted BLACK* -presently dark cherry.
Don't get me wrong - the Envoy is a superb vehicle. Especially where it counts: under the hood and on the asphalt. My only knowledge of a direct competitor is the Highlander and I think it's a toss-up between perceived quality and features. It's always also useful to check out recommended maintenance schedules and to try to estimate how much that's going to cost.
As for a CTS: love the concept, learning to like the execution, and could live with the size. That's not enough to put me in one though. If they changed to asthetics, I might be tempted - perhaps as a replacement to the GP when its lease expires (in early '05!!!).
Still love the Bonnie though. At 30k miles and trying to decide between holding on or trading sometime next year. The GXP would definitely be a consideration - but my dealer hasn't heard anything about it coming from HQ (it is possible that Canada wouldn't get any if it's a limited production).
In the meantime, am shopping around for tires - gotta replace them before the snow hits (there's still decent tread there but not enough for an Ottawa winter). The 235/55-17 size is a real limitation isn't it? I've narrowed it down to: Dunlop SP Sport A2Michelin Energy MXV4 PlusMichelin Pilot Sport a/s (the most expensive of the lot by far!).
Anybody else find a decent replacement all-season for this size that they could recommend? So far, I'm tossed up between these three.
Dan
Any thoughts about the extended warranty? The GM one is only good for 24k miles (40k kms.) beyond the factory 36k. For me, this represents 16 months of driving. Cost to me will be about $US 700, maybe a bit more. So, I'm looking at about $50/mo. for a little peace of mind. Not worried about the powertrain but there are a lot of electricals on these Bonnies and it doesn't take much.
I've tended to be a risk taker in the past and, over my life, it's paid off to be self-insured. I'm leaning towards NOT extending the warranty.
Your views would be appreciated.
Dan
(hey, this topic has some life again - now, if only Pontiac would give us some news we could chew on...)
Chuck - Sounds like you are very happy with your move to the Saturn. Best of luck with it. My lease isn't up until May. I'm hoping the GM rollup will be extended past the March lease expiration deadline in another couple months. With the incentives, I might be able to get in to an Envoy at no additional monthly cost.
I got the 100,000 extended GM warranty built in to my current lease. The peace of mind has been worth it. I now have over 70,000 miles and just had to replace the passenger rear window motor. I've had other items covered like the driver's heated seat. I don't know if the expenses would have been more than the cost of the plan, but who ever wants to get the value back on an insurance policy. Hindsight is always 20/20.
I'll do some more investigation but I suspect I'm looking at aftermarket firms - and then I'm not so sure.
BTW, saw my first '03 Grand Am the other day. A big improvement to the exterior. Still don't like the dashboard treatment but I've got to give Pontiac some +ve points.
Dan
Where's tpken?
The 100,000 mile warranty I got was back in early 2000. I can only assume it is still available. I hope I don't have to make the decision whether to eliminate it or not in order to keep my next lease payment relatively close to my current one. If I go for the Envoy, I could consider the regular length vs. the XL. I'd have to go for the SLT version in either case to keep the interior and equipment at the level of my SSEi; Leather, DIC, air compressor, etc. My ideal of course is the XL SLT.
Who else is seriously considering an Envoy?
As for your interest in the Envoy, I have been driving an 02 SLT for about 4 months now. It is a very capable and well refined vehicle in every aspect. The only problem I have with it is the comfort of the front seats. There is a horizontal seam where the ribbed leather meets the smooth leather that pertrudes into my back and is quiet uncomfortable after 20 - 30 miles of driving. I'm sure most people would not have a problem with this, especially if you prefer lumbar support, but I find it very uncomfortable. Fortunantley this is my company car and I will be out of it soon. Other than that one minor complaint the Envoy has been a treat to drive, and it gets quiet a few compliments.
BTW, the BFG Touring T/A are very good too, which my remarkable Alero wore.
But I'm curious to know why some prefer leasing over buying.
To me, it makes more financial sense buying, for I keep my cars for at least 5 years, usually a couple more.
Thanks thill381 for the Envoy comments. I'll definitely borrow one from my dealer before making any long term commitments. I frequently take extended trips and require seat comfort. I once had a Dodge Intrepid loaner that was very comfortable until I hit about one hour of drive time. At that point my legs would cramp. I've never had that problem in my Bonnevilles.
I lease my cars due to the following reasons:
1)I can drive a more costly vehicle for a lesser monthly payment.
2)I like to drive a new one after three years.
3)No trade-in or selling hassles.
4)I put on relatively high mileage so the end value would not be that good on a trade.
I realize that buying makes more sense; similar to renting a home vs. buying. But for me and many others, leasing has its advantages.