Oldsmobile Aurora

muckmuck · October 2003

Like they say in golf,"Every golf shot makes somebody happy". I just bought a 3.5 2001 Aurora with 19k miles and another year left on the warranty for $16,500. I have no idea why the prices are so low (I know Olds is going out of business but the General is not going anywhere)but there is lot a better value available for a sports sedan.
These are truly great cars and thank you to everyone for their posts on making, this an easy decision.

stickking1 · October 2003

Hey guys, I don't have too much to add to the discussion but I did forget to mention my wonderful drive from Lansing to Houston in my dad's Regal (non-SC). I might have to risk saying that the ride in his car on the highway might have even been smoother than my Aurora, but it was close...The seats were very comfortable for the 24-hour drive, albeit not quite as comfortable as the Aurora...I still have to find another car seat that fits me as well as my Aurora's driver's seat.

Oh, and did I mention that we got 35.1 MPG on one leg of the trip? Our average for the whole trip was 31.2 MPG. I was totally impressed with the quality of the car, the ride and the power. It's not the Aurora, but you didn't hear me complaining on the way down.

By the way, I still have fond memories of my Delta 88 and my Dad's 98...who both held out to 234,000 miles and 341,000(!) miles respectively. The best part about those cars was when you were driving at 25 MPH, you could touch the gas and you be up to 40 and never even hear the engine rev!...What a cruiser. A sports car? Nope, but man they were smooth..and quiet..and economical..and spacious..and inexpensive to service..and looked good..and rode well..and...Ok, I'm done

-Brian

rjs200240 · October 2003

From a cost per performance (be it mileage, power, smoothness, whatever) the 3800 is incredible. You might keep in mind that the 3.5L V6 from Nissan is shared across the Altima, Maxima, 350Z, G35, I35, and some trucks and minivans. And the engine still costs $10,000 to replace. I believe that the Aurora V8 costs somewhere around $7,000 for a brand new GM replacement, and it is used in only one car. The 3800 is much cheaper than this. So I would fully expect the Nissan V6 to outperform it. But it really doesn't in terms of power (the S/C 3800 is much torquier, and with 260 hp isn't far behind the 265 in the Max, and it is wayyyy better mileage-wise [which does matter to a lot of mid-size sedan buyers]).

On Edmund's, I checked every box (even the engine heater) on a 2004 Regal GS: $31,845, True Value: $29,580, and of course they don't include rebates and such. 2004 Maxima SL: $38,980, True Value: $36,624. Hardly a similar price... And that's without any factory rebates, GM card earnings (Nissan card earnings if you can get one), and whatnot. You are also not mentioning that Buick rates substantially higher in initial and 3-year quality than Nissan does (better than Infiniti too).

Regarding coolant tablets and oil changes, there is one key difference. The Lexus/Toyota people in general were following the service requirements and had problems. The 3800 people in general were not following the service requirements. Whether or not you think tablets are absurd, this is a very important point when making that comparison.

An aftermarket supercharger's cost is really not comparable to a factory one. For one, you have a complete engine and are then changing parts and programming to add a supercharger. For the other, you are using some parts instead of others to do this. I doubt it costs much more to make an 8.5:1 piston than a 9.5:1 piston, a 20 lb/hr fuel injector instead of a 15 lb-hr (I'm making those up), or to use one fuel map instead of another. The supercharger itself and possibly the use of stronger parts in the tranny are the only things that would likely add cost.

rjs200240 · October 2003

Glad you had a nice trip. My Dad had a 1983? Delta 88. Yeah, it was very smooth. Though, you could steer with a pinky, it was so overboosted.

I find the Regal quite comfortable too, though a bit floaty. The seats are also pretty flat, but still comfy.

Henri, your post cracked me up! That's some sweet deal on that 2001. Maybe you should scoop it up! Come over to the dark side!

garnes · October 2003

Please do yourself a favor and Buy the Maxima. Why you even come here "interested" in an Aurora is unclear if a Maxima seems to be your benchmark. They are very different cars.

As for the tablet - well, you probably really don't want an Aurora because it requires a certain additive in the coolant as well and is often supplied by a tablet. A tablet is a common means for delivering a required chemical additive. Some dealers have it pre-mixed for flushing jobs and such. I would not be surprised if a lot of cars (import and domestic) come from the factory with certain additives in the coolant and it has to be replaced when doing a flush. Apparently with the 3800, it was overlooked. It was a small item with some unfortunate consequences. Perhaps you are totally unaware of certain additives for the coolant. Anyway, it's not "Absurd".

Did I say I don't think it's important to keep clean oil in the car???? No. Nice try though. Set up a silly straw man statement and knock him down. Oh - impressive. Didn't you READ that I've actually had my used oil sent to an oil analysis lab??? I've done this twice. I'll say it again, after 3000 miles it was like new. Here is more information - the dirt was 4 ppm on one, and 1 ppm on another. The wear metals were virtually nil. It was virtually as clean as new and still had the viscosity and all. This is why the manufacturers often don't require 3000 mile changes for common driving. The oils are much better than even 10 years ago, the engines are better, and the filters are probably better too. A lot of my driving is city driving too. I wish they were highway miles.

"so you answered the question then of which engine is more appropriate. Unless you prefer to settle for less."

Well I guess you don't have an understanding of context. I've made it clear which cars I own. The Aurora stickered for over 39k and probably sold for 37 - something (I got it used). The Impala was a new purchase - out the door totally loaded in 2001 for about 23.5k. Your "settle for less" comment is ridiculous when put into context. It's sad this has to illustrated. Yes, regfootball you do have a good point about offering this engine in an upper 30's or maybe 40k car. But to crap on every GM model with the 3800 is disingenuous.

More context? Your Maxima nicely equipped has a TMV (edmunds) of over 30k. A new loaded Impala LS is 25.5 TMV. $4,500 is a lot of money. The Maxima costs a lot more than many GM cars with the 3800. I know, you'll probably say I'm comparing hamburger to fillet here. You probably think a Maxima is more on par with an Aurora.

Congratulations on logging those hours on the in-laws car. What part of "subjective" don't you understand? So you apparently hate this engine/car. Fine. I actually OWN one as well as a car featuring an engine that meets the regfootball seal of approval. So there's a constant side by side comparison. Sorry, I like them both.

And again, trading some fuel economy for aggressive gearing and faster acceleration is not engineering. It's not better, it's not refinement.

Why you have devoted so much posting to GM bashing obviously love the Maxima is curious. Again, just buy the darn Maxima.

Here's a suggestion, maybe you could find a 3800 from a wreck or whatever and have it fashioned somehow such that it could be used as a toilet. Maybe the block could be bored out in the middle. The overflow box could be the 1.6 gallon flush tank too. The plastic cover over the intake manifold that says "Series II 3800" could be the toilet lid. Go for it. Maybe it would give you satisfaction and relive that 3800 angst to crap right down that thing everyday.

stickking1 · October 2003

Ha! You are right on the money with the easy steering in those things. I think that only added to the cruiser attitude I had when tooling around in that old thing (mine was an '86).

Now, after looking at my post and others from the last couple of days, I think we have gotten a bit off track. I have always enjoyed the info on various GM news and such, but at heart this is a discussion board for owners and others interested in the Aurora. I'm sure Edmunds has a board that is more appropriate for GM bashing and defending...I myself am not interested in finding it, because I have no desire to read it.

We are passionate about our cars, but let that not steer us away from having intelligent conversations about THE CAR. With the GMForums now closed, we are running out of places to talk about the Aurora...and I refuse to let the quality of this board suffer. I can't stand forum sabotage, and I'm sure you guys feel the same way.

If you are interested in discussing the Aurora then great, this is the place to be. But if you are not, there are many forums more suitable for you. Back to the Aurora, I say!!

-Brian

stickking1 · October 2003

Hey Greg, where did you send your oil to? I have a kit from Blackstone(I think) in Fort Wayne, or something like that...is that the place? They were offering free analysis kits, so I signed up. I have to change my oil next week, so I'll send in a sample. Looks like a cool setup.

-Brian

Henry · October 2003

Well I brought mine for $100 in July 2003. I put in about $200. Car was stolen in August 2003. Car was recovered by police in Sptember 2003.

I dont think I will ever see the car again. I just dont think that with storage coats and the cost of repairing the damage to the car from the theft if is worth the money on a $100.00 car.

So PLEASE PLEASE no more Delts 88 discussions.

stickking1 · October 2003

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist one more post about the 88 when I had seen that yours was stolen. So was mine! (Have I told this story before?) Back when it was my dad's car, he was working for EDS at the Lordstown plant and it was stolen from his hotel lot. The guys at the plant felt sorry for him so they gave him a (brand new at the time) Toronado to drive around in the meantime.(If I remember, it even had the On-board computer with the touch screen) Anyways, the next week, he saw the Delta across the intersection from him! He followed the guy back to his house, then called the police. Wild story...but we got it back. Sorry to hear about yours...That's it, my last post about the 88 ::crosses fingers::

garnes · October 2003

I used POST labs. They are owned by Valvoline. It's a good thing to do at least once - especially before the mfg warranty is about to end. They can detect big problems in the making that are currently not detectable - like a trace of coolant in the oil.

I replaced my drain plug with a magnetic one, so the iron wear metal indicator will be skewed low I guess. But there are a lot of other parameters and wear metals too.

kayaman420 · October 2003

I dont think I ever seen you get that heated before. Your very good at it though. I hope more people piss you off in the future.lol

I score this a unanimous decision for GARNES.

rjs200240 · October 2003

Greg, I keep meaning to do that too... My oil life monitor is at like 19%. I really need to call up the dealer and see if they have that new magnetic plug.

I guess with oil changes being pretty cheap (I do them myself), and with the interval being so long, I should shell out for an analysis. It would be interesting, and as you said can be very helpful.

garnes · October 2003

Kayaman420 - thanks, but RJS is quite tactical and factual when discussing the 3800, the Aurora V8, various other engines, and how stuff works.

garnes · October 2003

Yeah, it's about $2.60 or so. Maybe even in stock. It does pick up some stuff and it's nice to know it was captured.

However, I do wonder about the light iron residue and particles on the magnet. I wonder if they'd be caught in the filter anyway on the next pass through the system. The stuff smaller than 20 microns (regular AC filter) would keep flowing around though.

Also, before I got the drain plug with the magnet, the wear metals were really low anyway. But I guess there is always room for improvement and it costs very little.

Henry · October 2003

I just ried to go to that website and its gone. Period. Nothing. It just says domain name sold.
Why does GM treat its customers with such disregard? You would think the company would tell you where to goto find the new forum. They should take a lesson from Edmunds when they made their switch.

kayaman420 · October 2003

Was that actually a GM sponsored site? If it was it is really bogus that they would close it up and not even leave the threads archived or something.

rjs200240 · October 2003

GMForums was in no way related to General Motors... It was just a forum for people who like GM cars. When I first saw it, I figured they got hacked. Seems odd they'd just close it up. But it certainly isn't GM that closed it up...

hammen2 · October 2003

I found out what happened to GMForums. The site owner wasn't happy with the amount of traffic, and started pushing his moderators. They gave him honest feedback, he didn't like it, so he closed up the boards.

Too bad, there was lots of good information up there. It would have been nice to be able to download/save/archive the message base there, but I guess it wasn't to be.

--Robert

pat · October 2003

Okay folks, let's get back to the Aurora, okay? No need to waste further bandwidth on a deceased message board when we have a terrific one right here which is alive and thriving!

:-)

mg11 · October 2003

Figured I'd ask my little question again before trying the dealer. My hvac/temp lights go on and off seemingly by themselves. Don't light up when car starts, then come on maybe 20-30 minutes later. All other lights and guages are fine and no problem with the actual hvac itself, no problem with passenger side temp controls. Any suggestions?

95mushroom · October 2003

Anyone have any ideas/comments (nice ones) on me trying to install the 02/03 navigation into my 95? I know 02 u couldnt get the bose with it and 03 u could. But I wonder if there is any actual difference? If there is, you think the 03 one would slide right into my Bose system?

Shawn

rjs200240 · October 2003

You need a trunk changer (or something) that can read the maps into the head unit. You also need a GPS feed or else the car won't know where it is. Does your 1995 have this? I didn't think OnStar was around until 1997 or so.

Just take the crazy money you'd spend trying to get that to work, and buy a Corsa and an atlas... You'll be just as happy.

95mushroom · October 2003

u mean the 12-disc? yea I have that. Also yea, On-Star didnt come out till later. I saw an overhead unit w/homelink and onstar on ebay. Does anyone know what hardware Onstar and the nav would require?

rjs200240 · October 2003

I think you'd need a specific changer that can read map CDs. It's not like the map data is embedded in a sweet guitar solo...

As far as getting OnStar to work in a car that isn't designed for it... Good luck! It needs GPS, cell-phone stuff, the buttons, to interface with the radio, a microphone, and it is connected into the car's data. It can be programmed to some extent via the diagnostic port (also via the cell-interface, which is cool), and can send trouble codes back to OnStar. Plus, it gets notified when airbags deploy. I think you would actually save money if you sold your car and bought an equivalent 1997+ model.

If you can do it, great. Certainly look into it since you are interested, but I really doubt this can be done without incredible expense.

hammen2 · October 2003

I'd consider getting a Garmin StreetPilot:

http://www.garmin.com/products/spIII/
http://www.garmin.com/products/sp2610_2650/index.jsp

The advantage of course being that you can remove the unit from your car and install it on your next car. I've helped a few of the sales reps at my work with the lesser Garmin units (handheld), and been pretty impressed...

--Robert

95mushroom · October 2003

I'll emailed some auto part finders and they've replied that it will not fit, though they haven't given a reason.

But from the sounds if it, selling mine for 4k, then buying a new one w/it would be cheaper lol

95mushroom · October 2003

that was my second idea. I was sitting in my car, and envisioned having it pop-up from the top of dash at the push of a button, then retract the same way. I don't know, lol, just a crazy idea.

blynn1 · October 2003

hello.. i know this issue has been broght up in the past but has been hard for me to really narrow down. just got a 95 and as the previous owner stated, the traction control off light in the dash stays on constantly right after you start her up. well this morning when i started it it was off briefly. i pressed the TC button and the light went on and off as I pressed it. but sure enough within another minute the light simply stayed on. I have read everything from wheel speed sensor to hub bearing to traction control module. those of you who have had to address this issue, which did it end up being or did you have to replace all three parts or a combination? and are there any other possibilities that would keep this light on? i DO NOT haveany ABS light going on as some have mentioned in past posts that they had Both lights on. the car was manufactured in 10/94. Any help would be appreciated as Id like to keep the repair to a minimum. thanks

800wattaurora · October 2003

Hello Everyone! I see most of the regulars are still here. RJS found me on cardomain and asked me if I dropped off the face of the planet? J/K. Congrats on the new ride Henry. Sorry about the no write back, never got the message, my computer crashed bigtime shorty after I traded in the 800 watt Aurora (been a while since I typed that) and took me a good month to find the time to load everything back up.

Well did some back reading here on what I missed and I see there was a big 3800 topic going there for a while, I want to add my 2 cents cause If owned both. If you didn't now I traded in my 96 Aurora that I had for 3 years untill I developed a cronic backfire out the intake manifold problem. Henry's "Like a Rock" song was halarious. So I bought an 01 Bonneville SSEi with the supercharged 3800 (L67 powertrain) and I love it. It was literaly an old ladys car, she was 72 and my new ride only had 18K on her, IT's Silver on dark Grey leather and loaded. Got it for a steal at $17,600 window price was $22,900, I'm a good used car buyer!

You know me, I had to put a system in it right away, this time I want all out and did it right. Now 1,450 watts of JL power baby and not one rattle! I entered in a Sound quality competition with the new ride and I couldn't belive that I WON!!! Anyways check out my link at the bottom.

So Those looking for the Aurora vs. SSEi comparison, While I'd be lying if I said I don't miss my Aurora some. Mostly the Corsa sound. I'd love to hear it one more time. Garnes coming to Chicago for any reason? Anyways, The Aurora did have a nicer plush luxurious interior, The ssei is setup more sporty, yes the dash looks a little plasticy but I don't mind it all. Still very nice interior though or I wouldn't of bought it, couldn't even think about a GTP. The ride is very nice and solid feeling in the SSEi as was the Aurora but both are setup up different. The SSEi is diffently setup sporty even though its a 4door sedan like the Olds. The aurora rode like a caddy, nice and smooth. Can't complain with that. I can deffinitly feel the road more now, but again I like thesportier feel. The exterior styling is much more aggressive on the ssei, I like it a lot. Had to get the stock 17 chromes, very sharp.

As for performance comparo. Yes the northstar is smoother and has more oomph in the high end. The L67 is still has a pretty smooth powerband and has WAY more tourque in the low end. When I first got it, I diffently missed my 4.0 with intake, TB and CORSA. But the great thing about the L67 is the AFTERMARKET WORLD OF PARTS. So much stuff out there and it's pretty cheap. First choice was a Cold air intake which is way nicer than the RSM open cone, Next supercharger pulley swap, This two mods combined add 25hp and 50 TQ!!! This totally transformed the ssei, I'd have to say it's way faster than the Aurora was, and mods where only $300. Going to the track in two weeks, figuring off others I'll be running 14.5-14.8's Oh ya. Have a shift kit in my possession and can't wait to get that in. So much stuff out there, Springtime I think I'll get some high lift rockers or a cam and deffinitly getting an Intercooler for my Eaton M90 Blower. There's all kind of stuff, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Oh one of the coolest mods are that you can convert my tranny to Limited slip for about $500 aka, front wheel posi. = 2 wheel burnouts. another thing, Right now the ssei can light up the tires like nothing. can leave +30 ft patch marks, can roll along at 15-20 mph and punch it and it lights em up. The Aurora could NEVER do that.

Anyways, If you can't tell I'm quite happy with my new ssei. Check it out here http://www.cardomain.com/id/taylordssei

See ya guys around, I'm back on the planet!
Taylor

rjs200240 · October 2003

Yeah, you missed the whole 3800 thing. Glad to hear from you! You don't cruise the Bonneville board here? It's pretty good, though no Aurora board (what could be, though?). I usually check it out every now and then. I checked out an SSEi when we bought the Aurora.

There is definitely a world more aftermarket for the 3800. Literally tons of stuff. Plus, there are competing companies for the same product, so you even have choice! Some of those guys with the Bonnies in the 12's are incredible! Most of them don't even have to touch the bottom end! A limited slip would probably help a ton when you get that kind of power going.

As far as the suspension tuning, though. You really ought to take a late 2001 or later (they made some changes from the early 2001 to firm the ride up more) Aurora for a spin. It really does drive more tightly than the 1999 I test drove. I know you probably still would have gone with the Bonnie, but if you get a chance, at least take one for a spin.

Henry · October 2003

I think I am going to give up on my search. It just is not out there in my area for me to find.

I guess i will keep my 95.

garnes · October 2003

Taylor - good to hear from you. That car looks good. That stereo is beyond my understanding and sure looks like a lot of work. Congratulations on being the sound system king. Pretty cool.

When you mentioned the CAI I wondered - "Thrasher" - yep. I remember seeing that a while back. It looks good. Those guys are pretty close to where I live too. I bet it helps a lot, because it's always been my impression that the 3800 air box is extremely restricted. That's very cool about all the stuff available at a good price.

Please give us some track times. The tire ripping stuff has got me envious.

hammen2 · October 2003

Hey Henri, is there a max mileage limit on one you'd consider? How far from Jersey would you go for one? Have you checked cars.com, autotrader.com, wwwwheels.com, getauto.com? I keep an eye on the market - my '98's paid for in April, so I'm looking for either a 2001-2003 4.0 or maybe a supercharged Regal (wife has an '01 GTP w/L67, I could live with that but want a better interior/less harsh ride). I've seen them on there, at least here in the Midwest...

--Robert
69k mi. on his '98 and wants to keep the mileage down.

800wattaurora · October 2003

I sometimes read the ssei board here but their kinda slow, www.bonnevilleclub.com is much better. So I see that GM Formus is gone, anybody know what happened?

I though about getting an +01 aurora but decicded I wanted some change and an aftermarket world for me to play with. It's nice there is competiton for the same parts. I read that one of my bonneville guys that makes limited slips IS MAKING ONE FOR YOU GUYS 4t80e. Should be around $599. I'll let you know when it's released.

It's nice to be stereo king. At first I was missing my aurora a fair amount (pre-mods) after the stereo show, my girlfriend said (keep in mind she didn't really like my Aurora, can you beleive that, I told her she was crazy and that the Olds is a very nice car, better than her 96 accord by far) anyways she likes my new car much better and said the Aurora never one you first place for anything.

hammen2 · October 2003

with info on the other forum (don't want to make Pat mad at me again :-)

I agree that there's not a ton of aftermarket stuff for the Aurora, and what there is, is expensive. That's important to some, to others, it's not. What's most important to you? Ride? Handling? Power (which can be further subdivided into off-the-line as well as passing power)? Amenities/luxury? Reliability?

The Aurora's not perfect (no car is), but I find that it suits me well at this point in time in my life. And I just love the styling - always have. I am a coupon-clipping bargain shopper, so the value proposition (depressed pricing after the death of Olds) is pretty great...

--Robert

jonbgood · October 2003

A good used Aurora w/ low miles and factory warranty left can not be beat for value if it is bought right. Compare it to ANYTHING else out there and most will come to the same conclusion if you like luxury, performance, and styling. Not to mention that the car is very unique and gets a lot of attention. I would recommend buying a good after market warranty as the repairs can be expensive. I still get compliments on a weekly basis on my '99 Classic with chrome wheels. I love this car!

Henry · October 2003

"I still get compliments on a weekly basis on my '99 Classic with chrome wheels. I love this car!"

Okay, rub it in!

95mushroom · October 2003

do an advance search on autotrader.com I found 24 black 99's. Here's a cheap one I found,

http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/vdetail.jtmpl?car_id=100638519- &dealer_id=579423&car_year=1999&search_type=used&- make=OLDS&model=AURORA&transmission=&distance=any&amp- ;address=33442&advanced=y&max_mileage=&max_price=&amp- ;min_price=&end_year=1999&start_year=1999&drive=&- engine=&body_style=&advcd_on=y&doors=&fuel=&c- olor=BLACK&cardist=1093

Call me crazy, but I like a black on tan Aurora better.

mrdubya · October 2003

got a question...does a 95 aurora come with a transmission cooler? every were i look on every type of board everyone says to make your automatic last longer, add a trans cooler, there cheap too. i thought we had one? worth it to add one? (im sure it is if we don't have one, or a small one!)

Henry · October 2003

Thanks for the link. I had found that Aurora in GOshen when I searched Auto Trader. I thought the car was high milage for a 99. It has more miles on it than my 95. Plus I am looking for autobahn, BOSE and roof on the car also.

Henri

Have you seen her
tell me have you seen her?

rjs200240 · October 2003

All GM's with an automatic have a tranny cooler when equipped with an automatic. If you look at your radiator, you will notice two smallish metal tubes that attach to it. These are full of tranny fluid, and run through part of the radiator to cool it. Since tranny fluid tends to run around 300 degrees, and the coolant tends to run around 200 degrees, this works just great.

If you tow a lot, then maybe you'd want an additional, larger fluid to air cooler for the tranny. But if you just drive aggressively or autocross or something, you'd probably benefit more from a power steering fluid cooler first.

Henri, the 1999 I took for a test drive was black on grey, fully loaded (even the gold package), and had if I recall around 30K (you can probably look back at my post from then to know for sure). You shoulda let me know and I could have given you the dealer's number. I'm not more than a few hours from NJ, certainly a fair distance for the car of your dreams...

Henry · October 2003

I tried to search for your posting, but it did not come up. I dont know when you took the test drive but I guess it is too late to contact that dealer now.

Henri

Henry · October 2003

Ebay has a ragtop Aurora that looks pretty good in the pictures. I just can't tell if its white or diamond white. I would have to see the ragtop in person to see if I liked it. I wonder what they did with the back window? You know what I am talking about guys, the tendency of the weather stripping on the back wibdow to separate.

Henri

still searching for fully loaded black on black 99. Its out there somewhere . . . .

mg11 · October 2003

Hey Henry!!
I'm with you as far as trying to find a "perfect 99 Classic" I will be starting my search in the spring of '04. I imagine there are some real good ones out there. I think I'll keep my '97 to make mods with. I like the look vs. the "new" Aurora. I think the ragtop on E-Bay just ruins the look and lines of the car, makes it look too much like a ragtop Continental. Good luck in your search.

95mushroom · October 2003

That ragtop is like 10 min. away city driving. I dunno why here in south fl. someone would want a black top added. Freaking 90 today geeze.

I'm with mg11 on the top away. I think S. FL. is the ragtop capital of the world. lol. I'm pretty sure its just a con for the old people to get jacked at the dealer.

Henry, it sounds if you interested? If so, I be glad it help in anyway. It looks like it has all the options (see 2 paragraph). HTD seats, s/f, gold package, 12-disc (w/the cover, [non-permissible content removed]), and V rated tires (50/50 chance of it being an autobahn).

Henry · October 2003

I would have to see the rag top in person to see if I like it. A ragtop and sunroof combination is something I would definity have to see with my own eyes. However, the next time I see a black 99 on ebay in the "hanging chad" state I know who to call on.

Henri

P.S. It does not have everything. Its missing the BOSE system.

mrdubya · October 2003

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2436939594&category=6404

ab348 · October 2003

Thought I'd pop in to catch up on posts for the last couple of months. Back in the summer I was here asking about the 3.5 in a 2001 Aurora on a used lot here locally that I was considering. Ended up not buying it but got the engine anyway when I bought an '02 Intrigue. That is one sweet engine; I wonder what it would have been like if it was tuned to use premium fuel. I really like my Intrigue 2 months in; it's hard to understand why Olds couldn't sell it.

My boss bought a '96 Aurora a while back and absolutely loves it. I don't see many around here and every time I see it I'm reminded of howw big a car it really was. It seems quite imposing next to my Intrigue. But you can certainly see the styling resemblance as well.

Reading those articles from late 2000 and early 2001 that were posted a while back brought back a lot of bad memories. I blame Olds' demise largely on Karen Francis, who knew nothing about cars or the company and its history. Granted, there were probably a lot of villians who had a part in doing Olds in, but she seems to have been the chief culprit, making the division afraid of its own name and axing models that had a successful history. It's a real tragedy, especially when you drive cars like the Aurora and Intrigue and realize how good they were and how they could have been even better with further development. Shameful.

Henry · October 2003

Well I think I found the car. Its just 1,310 miles away "as the crow flys." Wow, if only Zinc1 were still on the board. He could have me there in an hour, hour and a half (with traffic).

Henri

mg11 · October 2003

Henry, how's the car search going? I keep my eyes and ears open too, it is hard to find a good '99 that is equipped just like you'd want, it seems they all seem to lack just one (or more) of the full package of required options! Maybe by the time I'm ready to shop the pickings will be better. Best of luck.

Oldsmobile Aurora

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles