Pontiac Bonneville

ezrapon

were you around in the day of Canadian lemans and chevelle's? I remember seeing one or two down here and they had different exterior treatments and weird engines... 67 GTO's with chevy 427's and a half Lemans/Chevelle thing. I used to work on equipment up in Escanaba and Manitowoc. Saw some extreme weather in both places, but seem to remember some nice summer weather... I have blotted the winter's from my memory. I have never let my air work by itself; windows down, sunroof open fan on high for 2 minutes, then close her up for a few minutes on high, kick the fan down (due to noise mostly) and hit recirculate untill I see my breath. I've have never let the fan do it's own thing.

stnel

We had a '64 Chevy Malibu when I was a kid. Are those the same thing as Chevelles. I seem to remember my dad calling it a Chevelle. Can't tell you anything about the engine.

Canadian climate - the only time I've been to Canada was to go to Montreal and Quebec City (in July). That was some nice summer weather in Quebec City. It rained while I was in Montreal so that would naturally make it cooler. Eventually, I'd like to get to the Canadian Rockies - I imagine those summers are really nice!

cjwells

We just got our new Bonneville!!! WOW. It is awesome, we ordered it the first day that it could
be order. Fully loaded the only option we did not get was the engine block heater. We don't
need that here in South Carolina. The car is Galaxy Silver. Love the new rims. Only wish they
offered darker factory tint.

boosted1

Congratulations on your new Bonneville. You will be very happy with it as it is an awesome machine.

We have an 01 SSEi (just tinted the windows)and now have about 2800 miles on it.

You are the first on this forum with an 02 Bonne that I know of. You get the benefit of the redesigned cupholders and the dual exhaust tips. I am very jealous .

Post some pics of your new ride for us.

Enjoy

homer2000ssei

Its a name I made up - my opinion is that it best describes them . . . heres a pic i dug up, i have one somewhere of the rim, but cant find it right now . . . Dennis

stnel

Those are nice looking rims. Guess that's the same thing as a wheel cover. I'm still used to saying hubcaps. I like the 5-spoke torque star on the Grand Prix. I don't know if they have that one on the Bonneville or not. GP has something that looks like a swept spoke but doesn't like quite like yours.

Things are awful slow in the Grand Prix site so have been crashing over here. Guess I'll have to give my computer a rest til things pick up.

john325

Those are pretty cool wheels. Thanks for taking the time to post the photo. My SE just has 5 spoke wheels w/ the ABS notatition in the center (no arrows). They look real good & go nicely w/ the bronzemist.

rb8225

I have the same chrome rims on my '01 SSEi. At first I didn't want to pay the extra for them when I bought off the lot, but now I am glad I got them. They do clean easy & look real nice when shined.

Right after I got my car I stopped at the local AutoZone to pick up a few things. One of the kids that works there has a Contour, all tricked out, lowered, with what have to be 20" rims & tires. When I was at the register paying he asked about the Bonni & the rims; where did I get them? I told him they were the factory stock, & he said they were the best looking factory rims he had seen. He said he had a couple grand into his wheels & tires, and liked mine 'almost' as much as his!

tpken

Christopher - Congrats on that 2002 Bonneville SSEi !!

It's great to have a 2002 owner already. Best wishes for many enoyable miles and years of driving.

Ken

theiceman

I filled up earlier this week and, after a day of driving noticed that the fuel range displayed on the DIC was staying high. The fuel gauge was full and yet the "fuel used" displayed on the DIC was reading typical consumption (we use 2-3 gallons/day). I wondered if it was the heat building up pressure inside the fuel tank.

Anybody else experience this?

evandro

I read on Road&Track about the new Grand Prix and it's touted to be a "transvestite" of a car and a truck!!!

Further, Pontiac will stop making sedans! Will it try to allure buyers from GMC looking for "excitement"?

I wish it was just a nightmare... I'm afraid that soon the only remaining sedans will be imported ones. :^(

homer2000ssei

Two things . . .

stnel - I have always disliked the torque star rims . .tha\ought it was th eweakest point on the GP

end of gP - I saw a picture recently of what was supposed to be the new concept GP. I almost threw up! It was a cross between a sunfire and an assteck ! pure ugly on wheels . . . . I hope it was a mistake.

stnel

I have the GP SE so the torque star rims weren't an option for me. I did get the 5 spoke with 16" tires. The one rim I haven't seen on any GP's yet is the multi-spoke Special Edition.

Looks like the owners of the 1997-2002 GP's will have the nicest looking GP's for a few years! Although I haven't seen a picture of the 2003 yet. I would imagine if Pontiac goes a year or two with low sales, they'll change the style again to something better looking

intense01

Two little tidbits for the racers who are keeping track:

1) I weighed my 2000 SSEi - fully prepped for the strip - 3,740 pounds with no driver, and 3,935 with me behind the wheel.

2) I went to the Pontiac Nationals in Norwalk over the weekend. Best time is now 13.661 @ 100.85 mph.

More to come...

Scott

theiceman

One should never have to precede or follow Intense when one is discussing speed. So I will simply congratulate Intense on his 13.661 and wonder aloud when 13 1/2 is going to fall and if the 13 sec. barrier can be broken. Regardless, one must acknowledge that Intense's is one bad SSEi.

On a significantly lesser plane, I managed yesterday to hit 110 mph in my (regular-breathing) SLE. It was in passing some twerp who was slithering on the road under the speed limit and the three cars between him and me weren't interested in passing. So, at my first opportunity, I found the Bonnie leaping from 50 to 100 in mere seconds (don't ask me how many but it was fast). 110 came soon after (actually, it was 180 kph). I don't often hit those speeds and wouldn't even have attempted that pass in some of the cars I've owned before but the Bonnie was rock solid, vibration-free and confidence-inspiring. I do wish the rev-limiter was set just a tad higher though.

I do love this car.

BTW, that wonky fuel gauge has settled down - must have been a combination of bad gas and the heat wave here. Hmmm...

sixxer

Just wait a month or two and Superchips should have their 'Memcal' programmer ready for the Bonni apparently. Then you can adjust that pesky rev limiter higher.

Stan

ezrapon

did you use the engine out of the wrecked deer killer's car or did you stick with your original. Did you ever change cams or did you stick with the modified rockers... how are they working out? I assume the smoking problem was fixed with the head repair... did you have any other porting or polishing don to the heads? I'm guess in you must have installed the "club" on your steering wheel to keep that mother straight.

pipes3k

I've been wondering what you were up to Intense.
Keep up the good work!!!!!

ezrapon

I would never whine about cup holders, tail pipes, or head rests.... but; as I washed my ssei today I notice the paint was deteriorating badly on the body cladding in front of the read wheels where it flares out near the rocker panels. I expect the front tires are throwing stuff up there. I have 8000 miles on it and am careful where I drive. I don't think the SE's will be affected because of the tires and cladding. SSEi and SLE guys check this out and post if you notice the same condition.

stnel

I'm unsure exactly where you're having paint deteriorating but I assume it's on the side of the car by the tires.

I'm in a catch-22 because the water company came out and drilled a big hole in the street to get to a pipe and just filled it back up with dirt. (It's been this way for 3 or 4 weeks--they start something and don't finish it!) I wash the dirt off when I get back home from going somewhere but will this cause serious damage to the paint? The catch-22 comes from the fact that the water I'm rinsing this off with has rust sediment in it. As far as rinsing off the car, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

Is there anything I can do to prevent paint damage? I'd appreciate any advice.

I don't have a Bonneville as all of you do but as long as paint deterioration came up, I thought I'd ask.

Thanks,
Stacy

stnel

I say dirt but it's actually mud because it's been raining a lot and the amount of mud is significant.

Everytime I post late at night, I tend to ramble so sorry everyone that reads this. Gotta stay off this computer late at night!!

iceman - I know I've already mentioned this to you on the Grand Prix forum and we discussed rust sediment harming car paint but don't know what to do with this new glitch.

bymclaugh

I have a black 2000 SSEi with about 16000 miles on it and have been noticing the same paint deterioration right in front of the rear wheels where it flares out. I figured it was because we live off a gravel road, but it sounds like you drive under more friendly conditions and it's still happening to yours as well. Anyone have any suggestions?

BY

ezrapon

I live in St. Louis and avoid gravel or country roads whenever possible. I usually go to a "brushless" carwash so this damage kind of crept up on me. My old trans am did the same exact thing on the spoilers in front of the rear wheels. The dealer mechanics are on strike here so I can't even ask them if there is any recourse. I'd be surprised if we don't see more posts on this issue.

tpken

Hi guys - I'm in Pa again - my 'home away from home' and have the wife and kids in tow this time. We drove down in the Suburban this time - giving Bonnie a rest before she clocks off wty in 2500 miles! Can't believe I'm there already.

Some of you might be interested to hear this. Chased a gorgeous red 2002 T-Bird through Ct. First one I've seen in person - and it is absolutely spectacular! That retro 56 styling has been widely publicized but the pics do not do justice to this car. When you see that toothy chrome grille grinning at you in your rear view mirror - keep your car between the ditches - you ain't gonna be looking ahead! Every angle is a winner - and so will be every buyer.

Gotta run guys - take care!

Ken

theiceman

your enthusiasm tpken. I'm sure it's a winner - looking forward to seeing my first one up close (preferably in MY driveway)

Dare to dream....

boosted1

Could someone post a pic of this area near the rear wheels. Maybe I could add some of that clear chip protectant before this becomes a problem for me. A picture would help indicate the area that has the problem.

Thanks

ezrapon

bottom of car (rocker panel) right in front of rear wheel wells, where the body cladding flares out. If you have it, it will be very obvious. My car is black and the plastic underneath is a light color so it is more obvious. Light color cars probably have it, but it does not stick out as much.

theiceman

Mine doesn't have it....yet (at . Coke-bottle shapes are infamous for exactly this sort of thing. Clear chip protectant sounds like a good idea - I should have it applied soon. In the meantime, wax is probably a good idea down there (although the idea itself is heresy to Zaino adherents...).

Does anybody have any brand names for a clear chip protectant?

theiceman

Today I saw an SSEi from the late 90's (sorry, I'm kinda new to this Bonneville thing and can't easily distinguish one year from the next but it could have been a '97). The car was in amazing shape and had a 5-spoked wheel design. Through that wheel peeked a set of rusty rear drums.

I had a hard time accepting that a car of recent vintage with that kind of weight and power was sold with rear drums. I got over it pretty quickly once the light turned green and the car took off like a rabbit out of a hole. I wasn't around to see it stop though.

okfrommuskogee

My wife has as 93 SSEI and the a/c started shuting on and of at
times.I drove it on a trip with the temp set at 60 and the fan on
high,and the compressor would come on and off .The temp in the duct
would go from 50 deg to 80 deg for anywhere from 2 to 10 min then
start cooling again. It seems like the hotter the outside temp (95 to
98deg)would get the less time the a/c will run.It finally would not
stay cool at all.Time to open the moon roof! STEAMED IN OKLAHOMA

okfrommuskogee

My wife has as 93 SSEI and the a/c started shuting on and of at
times.I drove it on a trip with the temp set at 60 and the fan on
high,and the compressor would come on and off .The temp in the duct
would go from 50 deg to 80 deg for anywhere from 2 to 10 min then
start cooling again. It seems like the hotter the outside temp (95 to
98deg)would get the less time the a/c will run.It finally would not
stay cool at all.Time to open the moon roof! STEAMED IN OKLAHOMA

ezrapon

ur low on freon and the unit is cutting on and off due to a pressure switch. Eventually it will stop all togeteher. It is a safety to keep the compressor from running without freon which also contains the lubricant.

rb8225

Check it out - I guess Ford has a hit. How about $15K over list?

http://www.detnews.com/2001/autos/0108/16/b01-270556.htm

stnel

I was on a 2 lane road the other day and thought I may have spotted a red T-Bird convertible. We were coming in opposite directions and the only thing I noticed was the t-bird emblem. (I'm pretty sure that was the emblem but not positive.)

tpken - Was the red one you saw a maroon-type red or a bright red? What I saw was a maroon-type red. I will keep my eyes posted if I see the car again to make sure. This one caught me by surprise so now I'll be looking for it and will try to notice the grille to be sure. I'm still about 75-80% sure it was a T-bird.

tpken

The one I saw was bright red - you can't miss that chrome egg crate grill. Happy hunting

Ken

tpken

Hello everyone - I'll be out of touch for a week R&R at camp next week - happy Bonnevilling!

Ken

stnel

Guess that wasn't a T-Bird that I saw. It went by pretty fast but I never noticed that grille. Guess if it was a T-Bird, I would have noticed the grille before what looked like a T-Bird emblem.

theiceman - I have one quick question for you--when you referred to the coke-bottle shape of the Bonneville, does the GP have that same shape. I'm not quite sure what the coke-bottle shape looks like. Thanks!

theiceman

flared fenders fore and aft and slimmed down skirts on the passenger cabin creates that "coke bottle" or hourglass shape. The front of the fenders can be susceptible to sandblasting by road grit - especially if we're talking painted plastic cladding (as opposed to steel).

boosted1

You have succeeded in showing us some pictures of your beautiful 2002 Bonneville.

I am glad you kept trying, it certainly wasn't easy for you.

Thats the first time I have seen the new rims.
Looking forward to those special request photos.

I will post some more pics of my 2001 SSEi.

john325

Photos look great! It took quite a while to get them to load-up on the screen, but the wait was worth it. Enjoy!

stnel

Thanks for the explanation!

cjwells

Update to website address!!

We are having a difficult time posting our pictures... please visit our site to see a couple of pictures... we will have more to follow soon - including some requests! Enjoy... we are!

visit: http://cjwells30.tripod.com

cjwells

Finally! After playing with the website all night... I have finally posted some "special request photos" on our website. Please visit, and click the link to "Special Request Photos!"

Enjoy: http://cjwells30.tripod.com

ezrapon

I'm still less than impressed with the cup holders. The new ones seem to disrupt the symetry of the console and still won't hold a big gulp. My old 92 Park Ave had neat little cup holders that flipped out of the console and held almost anything that you could throw at them and folded out of sight when not in use... the new parks still employ them... wake up Pontiac. Are these the replacement for the 2000 chrome swept wheels or another option?

smfran

I agree with ezrapon. There has to be a better way to configure a dual cupholder that will at least hold my wife's and my Bonneville travel mugs.

streetracer

Hey, guys I drive a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. I constantly blow BMWs away on the highway, in terms of acceleration, braking and even cornering. Yes, they are racing me.

I have heard so much hype about BMWs, I had to go test some. I tested the Z3 3.0 automatic. The Z3 is the highest performance car with the 3.0 inline 6 (330, 330ci, 530). The Z3 is the lightest, and lowest/widest of these cars, with the same HP/Torque and 5 speed automatic or manual drive train. BMW claims a 6.0 0-60 with the automatic. The car is no where near as fast off the line as my bone stock GTP, or Previous Regal GS.

I didn't think the car corned better on the roads driven during the test drive, at 8/10ths driving. What is the deal with these cars ?

You mention this to any Beemer owner and they will call you all sorts of names, and quote an bunch of third party 0-60 and skidpad numbers. I know there are differences between the real world and test track. However, 0-60 with automatics should at least be pretty close.

cjwells

I don't understand what the big deal about cupholders is. They had no bearing on the purchasing decision of our car. It holds most cups. We choose to only drink out of 20oz bottles in our cars
and don't eat in them either. Eatting and drinking in cars are the biggest contributors to the headaches and amount of time it takes to clean a car. Just my 2 cents worth Besides if the only thing you can find wrong with a car is the cup holders then it must be a good car.
My parents had an older Bonneville that had the flip out cup holder. The flip out cupholder broke easy and took up to much room in the console. It is great to be an american:)

boosted1

cjwells..

I have to agree with you, it is great that the only thing we have to gripe about is the cupholders. (I still wish I could fit a styrafoam coffee cup next to my wifes water bottle ...)

I guess we have to find something to complain about, even if it is something insignifcant, like the stupid cupholders.

It is a fantastic automobile...

theiceman

aren't the only items (albeit of low-importance) that fall short on the Bonneville. I would rather they enlarge the glove box (which I use) or beef up the door arm rest (which I would like to use)rather than fool around with the cupholder (which holds my cell phone quite nicely thank you very much).

We should be careful how we rant about these little things - evidently Pontiac is listening.

I'm proposing a class-action suit jointly with 7-11. I'm guessing we can argue the huge impact that the Bonnie's cupholders has on sales of the "Big Gulp".

intense01

Hey guys. Here's a link to my dyno day writeup, along with a complete list of my current engine mods. Please delete the spaces between these four lines to make the link work. Edmund's won't let me post links this long, and I don't know how to shorten them:

http://www.clubgp.com/forum/topic.asp?

TOPIC_ID=6369700&FORUM_ID=3&CAT_ID=6&

Topic_Title=SSEi+Crashes+COFBA+Dyno+Day+Event&Foru

m_Title=ClubGP+%2D+Racing+Stories

Here are a few pictures from the event:

http://community.webshots.com/album/19699991bXgxbGnSnh

And here is me facing off against another L67 at the Pontiac Nationals:

http://ohcgp.clubgp.com/Aug_01_Pontiac_Nationals_Norwalk.htm

I am still using the stock engine for now, but the race motor will be complete VERY soon!

Scott