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Nice ride but the car overheated twice, once going up and once coming back. There appeared to be no reason for it over heating. I noticed the car throws off a lot of heat. Must be that big OLDSMOBILE 307 iron engine. I think I will have my mechanic drain, flush and refill the cooling system. The car is 20 years and 107K miles old.
I am thinking that will fix the problem. Any other thoughts from you "Classic" car guys?
Using the "how much gas does it take to fill-up the car" approach for estimating milage, I got the following results:
around town driving = 9 - 13 mpg
highway no A/C = 23.5 mpg
highway with A/C = 16 mpg
I find the mileage differences to be dramatic. The idea that the car would double its milage on the highway verses around town is NEWS TO ME.
Because this reading was taken on the way up to Syracuse, I dont know what effect, if any, the topograghy of the land had on the numbers. I went through mountains (Poconos)and the 23.5 is based on the trip up. I have yet to fill the tank to get the no A/C numbers for the trip down. The 16 mpg is based on the trip back.
WINTER HEAT - This is not really a concern of mine. I dont drive the convertible during the winter (except to cirulate the fluids and maintain the tires).
I just thought I'd let the board know that my Aurora has finally flipped the odometer past the hundred-thousand mile mark. I've had my '95 Autobahn black/black for almost 4 years now and have put 22,000 miles on it in that time. I have enjoyed every minute of owning this vehicle.
Here's a list of what I've done:
KYB GR2 struts up front
New AC-Delco air shocks in the rear
Cross-Drilled and vented rotors on all 4 corners
Both front wheel bearing assemblies
Lower control arm bushings on both sides
Fuel Pressure Regulator
Re charged the A/C
Serpentine belt tensioner pulley
Next on my list is to change the spark plugs and wires along with the O2 sensors.
At the rate I drive this car, it will take me around 20 years to rack up another 100,000 miles!
LOL
I just had struts replaced but did not solve problem. Any ideas?
anyways, i got a dk blue 2001 alero gls, 3.4v6, leather, moonroof, monsoon soundsystem, chrome rims. there alot nicer inside than i thought it would be. you can definatly tell its a step down in overall quality/features over my 95 aurora, but i like the layout more...the stereo is really good in it too... the rears 6x9
s are setup as 2ohm subs, so its got some good bass, much nicer than the stock setup in the aurora. v6 has alot of power down low, but not TO much up top, but like the aurora it has its sweet spots. they make headers for them, which are supposed to help ALOT, but anyways.....im staying with olds at least! ill check back from time to time
I'm still not ever getting rid of the Classic, though... :-)
--Robert
Would you guys do the trade, and if yes, how much would you be willing to pay in additioanl cash with the trade in?
1) performance chipped the car
2) thicker sway bars
3) rebuilt transmission
I just dont know if I am losing 40k miles just to make the same repairs all over again on this car as I put the 40k miles back on the "new" car.
Knowing what you and I know about '95 Classics, I would not consider trading a known '95 (yours) for an unknown '95 unless it had less than 10,000 miles and cost nothing additional.
If you want to trade, go for a '98 or '99.
Les
Might just be better off keeping what you've got and saving your $$$ for a later-model '98 or '99.
Hammen, I'd love to hear more thoughts on the GTO, so feel free to express them here, especially any things you prefer in the Aurora or in the GTO, etc.
Henri, I wouldn't do it. Hold out for a black 97-99 like you wanted. Miles don't hurt as long as the car is kept up, so who cares about 30k fewer miles.
Ride preference is definitely the Aurora. The GTO is a real sports car, and so you feel just about every bump (concrete roads/expansion joints can be a killer). Of course, this is a little better now that I lowered the tire pressure from 60 lbs psi (!) to 35 - evidently they ship them from Australia that way, and it's not on the dealer's PDI checklist to inspect tire pressure, so they don't.
For acceleration, handling, and (stock) exhaust note, definitely the GTO. The GTO interior is very nice - but the Aurora holds up extremely well here (my '98 is now 7 years old, and I've been driving it for 3 1/2 years, and the only rattle is when the cupholders are extended). The GTO seats feel like gloves, wrapping around you so that you don't slide around in hard cornering (something the Aurora seats don't do - can slide around a little bit). The Aurora seats are more plush, but I'd rate overall seat comfort for long drives to be equal. The GTO seats are color-coded to the outside of the car (yes, I have plum-colored seats and gauges to go with my Cosmos Purple car).
Braking performance on the GTO is pretty good, too. The GTO is no light car (about 3800 pounds, close to the Aurora), but the handling is superb. Of course, the GTO's lack of 2 doors and small trunk (that's where the gas tank is) give the space/room edge to the Aurora. If I had the option, I would have purchased the Holden Commodore (4-door version), but, since Lutz didn't succeed in having that brought over as a Buick...
The Blaupunkt stereo is decent (6 disc in dash) but I still like the "cleaner" sound of the Bose in my Aurora (12 discs in trunk, not nearly as useful as the 6 in the dash). There's no factory sunroof for the GTO, but you can get one from Webasto for about $1500 (Holden sells 'em that way in Australia). The GTO does have a DIC (I keep it on displaying the current speed under the gauges, like a pseudo-HUD), but I wish I could more easily display the mileage/average speed/range in the secondary displays, rather than having to scroll through.
Car is extremely composed at speed (haven't had it over 90 yet, kept it under 4k rpms). This would make a good Autobahn vehicle. Low-beam headlights need adjustment, high-beams are the best I've had on any car. Getting used to the huge key/fob (all one unit - key and fob. The key can be removed if it breaks, but the fob is sealed. The fob's battery is trickle-charged by a contact on the fob, and a metal ring around the ignition switch. This supposedly works well in Oz).
Back seat room in the GTO is surprisingly good (it's a 2+2, and I've had 6' tall adults in back). Getting in and out is the pain (world's slowest seat motor to slide the driver/passenger seats forward).
Gas mileage is superior on the Aurora (average 22-24 per tankful with non-reformulated gas, versus 18-19 on the GTO with reformulated gas).
I miss the chrome wheels on the Aurora. Way down the road, probably will get the standard rims polished or chromed, rather than buy different ones.
The GTO lists for "around" $33,500. They're not moving (about 5400 sold, not sure how many north of 10k were produced out of the 18k they could have produced), and, with the '05's coming out in December/January with the 400 hp LS2, hood scoops, and bigger brakes, dealers are trying to move them NOW. There's presently $3500 in rebates PLUS 0.9 (36 mos), 1.9 (48 mo), and 2.9 (60 mo) financing. Throw in the GMS discount (which many dealers are giving even if you don't have a GM employee in the family - how they're doing this, I don't know), the extra $1k in GMS incentive, and GM card dollars, and you have the performance bargain of the year. I went with the Cosmos Purple because a) I like the color, b) I'm sick of black, and c) the color is the rarest of them all, and won't be available next year.
There's an extremely health aftermarket for the LS1 as well (since the engine is used on the C5 'Vette and later Z-28's and Firebirds). Lots of chip/ECM upgrades, headers, exhaust, pulleys, a supercharger (!), et. al.
With the deals out there on the '04's, and expectation that the '05 pricing will be closer to $35k, there's no reason for anyone really to wait (since there will be little aftermarket for the LS2 at first).
I probably won't do much with the car, mod-wise, for a couple of years. Biggest thing I miss from the Aurora is the temperature/compass/auto-dimming rearview - will probably buy a Gentex one and install it on the GTO next spring (when I'll break down and buy another XM Radio kit and install it in the GTO). Probably going to wait until the end of the factory warranty before I do things like sunroof and other mods.
--Robert
I guess there is LIFE after Aurora.
Live long and prosper.
--Robert
I'm sure now that the sign of the end of the modern performance boom is over. Now you can't even tell if real turbos or not.
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The more I've seen CTS-V's and GTO's on the road, the more I think if I were inclined to get such a car, I'd go with the Goat. I like the CTS's style less each time I see it. And of course the GTO is substantially cheaper. But I think a C4 (one that sounds like 95mushroom said, but without anything in the exhaust tip) calls me and the Aurora and Regal and 200SX will have to last a while...
BTW, the GTO is still very hot in my book.
I'm prepared to assume that the Gabriels may not be as nice as the KYB's, but I would save a decent amount of money and a whole lot of time...and I am just concerned about getting an OEM-standard replacement at this point. The sets are $150.00 each and are lifetime guaranteed. This way the only other thing I would have to purchase is a set of lower control-arm bushings that also need replacing.
What do you think?
-Brian
--Robert
Just wnted to give you some sort of feedback.
GTO/CTS-- IMO the new direction of Cadillac is not too impressive. Styling and looks wise I mean. Just doesnt look like Cadillac to me. Everything they make now is so jagged looking and just flat out overstyled. But thats just me.
GTO- Performance and Engineering wise is GREAT. But GM failed bigtime on the style department. If you could create a more boring looking HIGH PERF car .....IDk... Just not fun to look at. Really just looks like a rounded off Grand Am coupe.
GM needs to fallow Ford when they decide to go retro. The GTO doesnt resemble the classic GTO in any sense or manner. Where as Ford with the Mustangs and especially T-Bird have nicely captured the look of the old classics with technology of today.
First, retro sells, but only for a short period of time. Just look how sales cooled after the initial burst for the New Beetle, PT Cruiser, and Thunderbird. Retro doesn't last for long.
Secondly, look at the GTO heritage. The GTO started life as a Tempest with a big motor. The car was a "sleeper" and, over the years, as the styling changed, it morphed into something a little less subtle.
GM is taking the same approach with the new GTO. It is a bit "sleeper" in that it really resembles the last-generation Grand Prix (like my wife's old one - like that styling better than the current model) in the front. For '05 they've upped the HP and added hood scoops and a new rear fascia. For '06, who knows? The old GTO's didn't stand still, from either styling or performance. GM was limited in what they could do since the only RWD platform they could use was from Australia, and they couldn't make too substantial body panel changes and yet get the car here quickly (less than 24 months from green-light to delivery). The next-gen GTO in 2007/2008, built on a new RWD platform engineered in Australia and used extensively throughout GM's full-size lineup (and built somewhere in North America), will have more "traditional" muscle car styling cues, and hopefully higher sales volumes.
I personally like the rounded look more than the slab styling of the 300C, so I don't find the GTO styling offensive. Listen to one running (awesome stock exhaust sound), sit in one of the best GM interiors you can buy, and take one for a test-drive and you'll be hooked. I'm not normally a new-car buyer, but the GTO hooked me on the first test drive - and, with the awesome incentives out on it (low finance/lease rates, plus $$$ back), it's the performance-car bargain of the year right now.
--Robert
--Robert
So my question is, with everyone seeming to be replacing front shocks, what have you all found to work the best?
I've read KYB, Monroe, and now Gabriel? The first two I know about, but not the last. I was probably going to go with KYB, but wanted to know what you guys thought after having a few months with your new shocks.
Thanks for all input.
Also, how many hours did it take to swap out?
Equipment needed?
Thanks
Greg
'96 Aurora Autobahn
Can't forget the guy at the shop. Thank you
And, and of course, I would like to thank all the little trips that made this possible.
Zinc1 - I Love you Man!
Henri
I'm glad to see some posts here that are not in the Problems & Solutions thread....
John
95mushroom, I count the date I got the car. It's a 10/01 build date, and probably was done a week or so before I picked it up. It's been a perfect 3 years!
John
Thanks