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2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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    b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Wow 10 months! It has been a long time.
    I just emailed teo and told him you are posting again.
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    cookie01cookie01 Member Posts: 369
    I could turn in the lease today and only have remaining the payments due until the end of the lease. No penalty for early return. But you still owe the remaining.

    So driving another car during the week keeps the mileage down so I can keep the car through the end of the lease without paying 20 cents a mile over charge. (or something like that)
    And I was going to need a car after the lease was over anyway... so here it is.

    It's not so bad really. Kinda cute and reminds me of my very first car (which was a Honda Accord as well, only older.)
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    tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Cookie - are you going to lease something else or drive the Honda for a while and wait for 2003s to come out?
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    copychickcopychick Member Posts: 62
    Is not that I am a "copy" but refers to what I do for a living, which is writing advertising copy.

    Just thought I'd clarify, that I am DEFINITELY the REAL thing!
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    hvan3hvan3 Member Posts: 630
    Why not turn in your lease and get another Impala? 0% financing and a great discount on 2002 Impala LS!!
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    tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    You're the Genuine Article Copychick - no doubt about it! Best wishes with your great Impala LS. Better be certain that you use only 'genuine GM parts' though - no 'copycat' parts!

    Have a great fourth. It's going to be a scorcher here in New England. 3 days in a row here of 90 degree plus weather - gonna be a Sizzler!
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    nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    cookie - Good to see you back! Sorry to see that you'll be sans Impala shortly; why not buy it at the end of the lease, and drive it forever!!

    copychick - Speaking of ad copy, many of us here (including cookie and "the poster formerly known as teo") were used by Campbell Ewald for quotes (and photos) in the 2001 Impala brochure.
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    spider717spider717 Member Posts: 106
    The Temperature readout on the DIC goes into triple digits. Uggg....
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    spence30spence30 Member Posts: 52
    I have a 2000 ls with 66,000 miles. Is your LS loosing coolant, or do you just smell it. My resivoir kept getting low, and the coolant light came on. I had to replance the intake manifold gasket, and get the coolant flush... All told $400. The dealer should be able to make a quick diagnosis of this, it took them 10 min to find the propblem on mine.
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    spence30spence30 Member Posts: 52
    It's about time someone else tried the dunlops on thier impala. I put Sp Sport A2 on mine. the ride is much better then the eagle GA's. I don't think I will get 50,000 miles out of them though...
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    johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    I had had the Dunlops on my 98 Grand Prix GTP before this 2000 Impala LS. At about 45,000 miles, the original Goodyears were replaced with BF Goodrich T/A's. Okay, but noisy. The Dunlops are quieter, handle better and look great. On the other hand, the Goodrichs got me nearly 50k miles. I too, doubt the Dunlops will get that far. But then, by then I will probably have bought either a 2004 Grand Prix GTP, a 2003 Impala with the 3800 Supercharged, or a Mazda6. Time will tell.
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    copychixcopychix Member Posts: 7
    Pretty cool that you were included in the brochure. Wish I had a copy of it--I only have the one for the '02.

    I made an incredibly embarrassing mistake today with my Impala. Didn't realize that when DH was driving it over the weekend, he'd turned off the "Cruise" on the windshield wiper lever. Tried to use the cruise control on the way to work this morning and it didn't work! By the time I got to work, I was having visions of having to bring my Impala back to the dealer for this "problem."

    At least I had enough sense to bring the car booklet into work with me so I could double check and make sure it wasn't some stupid thing I'd done. Sure enough it was;) Needless to say, during one of those rare periods during my crummy commute home when I could actually use cruise control, I made sure to take advantage of it.

    Hope you all enjoy the long weekend (and my heart goes out to those who still have to work on Friday--my last place of employment will be open on Friday, which figures since they're a bunch of greedy slavedrivers. Sure glad I'm outta there.) I have big plans for washing my car and playing with the new puppy (who has not had an opportunity to wreck the car yet.)
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    cookie01cookie01 Member Posts: 369
    When I leased my Impala I was in a situation where I couldn't afford loan payments and was just on the line with the lease payments, but needed a car right then.

    When the Impala goes (mid Nov I'm guessing) I'll drive that little Honda around and finish paying off some bills (probably 6months to a year) Then I will look forward to seeing what Chevy has done to the LS for 2003 (including the V8, which my hubby says I don't need, and he's right.. but...)

    There is a very short list of other cars I'll look at too, but for what I see right now, a new LS in late 2003 is very likely.

    Anyone have opinions on that new tail light cover thingy? I've only seen it on T.V...
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Strange thing, I haven't seen any Impalas so far. There seems to be a lot of Japanese cars here, for some odd reason. ;-)

    Mini mini (micro?) vans are pretty popular, as are sport wagons. A few BMW's and MB's. I haven't seen any Jaguars yet. The last time I was here, I saw a few Cavaliers with Toyota badges.

    For the most part, only Yakuza (mafia) drive American cars.
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    larryhartlarryhart Member Posts: 23
    Hope you're not coming back via LAX.

    Catch a game at the Tokyo Dome (aka "Big Egg") while you're there, I'm a big Kintetsu Buffaloes fan :-)
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The Buffaloes play in Osaka Dome, I believe. I'm staying in Osaka, but I'll be going to a Tigers game at Koshien Stadium, the oldest pro stadium in Japan. It has REAL grass, brick, ivy covered walls.

    Still no Impalas. I did see a couple of Jags yesterday, an original Mini Cooper, and a PT Cruiser, of all things!
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    night_owl1night_owl1 Member Posts: 760
    We've been working on that. They are hard to come by and pretty expensive. I like the look, but I don't know about forking over the $$ they want for it. Maybe I'll get the vinyl one.
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    crosley4crosley4 Member Posts: 295
    are the cars right hand drive there?

    I know the PT cruiser is built in right hand drive.

    Never seen a right hand drive new design Impala

    Tony
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    lrcobralrcobra Member Posts: 82
    I put the Bridgestone's on my LS and can really tell a difference compared to the Goodyears. A lot quieter ride and a smoother one also. I hope I get the mileage out of them I got out of the Goodyears though.
    Hello Cookie--been a while!!
    LRCobra
    aka-Silver Bullet
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    johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    From today's Chicago Tribune, a brief quoted portion of Mateja's column, to stay within the fair use copyright restrictions. To see the rest, go to http://www.chicagotribune.com/mateja I believe registration is required:


    QUOTE: Ritter won't say, but the betting is Impala SS could appear in '04 as an '05 model. Sources said there's debate whether to offer a front- or a rear-wheel-drive Impala SS or a FWD Impala for the masses and a limited-edition RWD SS for enthusiasts. Also considered: a Chevelle SS. ENDQUOTE

    Not mentioned, but I think RWD would be a HUGE selling point for the police car market. Ford is in some trouble there, due to the number of gas tank explosions and resultant publicity, especially in Arizona and New Mexico.

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    impalaboy2001impalaboy2001 Member Posts: 117
    I plan on removing the wiper arm assembly to paint them, I was just wondering if there is a torque value for the one nut holding the arm down??

    Thanks

    Chris

    http://members.cox.net/2001impala
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The cars in general are RHD. The Caveliers are RHD. I believe the PT Cruisers I saw were LHD. I may have assumed though. Next time I see one, I will check.
    I saw a GMC van the other night, LHD. The BMW's and MB's I've seen have been a mix. Since most US brand vehicles aren't even made in RHD, chances are any US brand vehicle I see will be LHD.
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    b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Anybody having problems with their paint jobs?
    Lots of very small chips on the hood with the primer showing through.
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    bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    I have several stone chips on the hood of my Navy Blue '01 LS. One is particularly bad - it goes right to the sheet metal. These have happened even though I always have either the hood guard or the bra in place on my car. Very annoying.

    I also have a couple of small chips near the trunk from very slight bumps of objects against the paint. I'm amazed at how easily the paint chips on that section of my car.

    Oh well, I keep telling myself it's just a car. It's just transportation. It's not a show car.

    Now I've got to go put on another coat of Zaino ;-)

    Brad
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    impalay2k_mimpalay2k_m Member Posts: 10
    On my 2000 LS I've noticed numerous paint chips on the hood and one on the rear trunk lid. They were easily fixable..used some touch up paint and patched it up.
    Paint chips are expected sooner or later..considering I do a lot of highway driving and stones and other debris flying off those big semi trucks.

    The paint on the impala seems to chip very easily. Or maybe all GM products coming out of the Oshawa plant have subpar paint for some reason. I just hope that the paint doesn't peel off leaving just the primer as in early 90s GM products.

    Local newspapers have confirmed that the Oshawa plant will make the next generation grand prix. Does that mean the impala production will move elsewhere?
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    copychickcopychick Member Posts: 62
    I do think these cars chip easily. In addition to the chip I got from whoever bumped my bumper, there's a chip in the front bumper, and I don't even recall it touching anything. It's a bummer, because the car is a light color and eventually these will show (right now, I'm probably the only one who sees it, neurotic owner that I am;)
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    dennisw3dennisw3 Member Posts: 17
    Anyone who has put aftermarket wheels on their Impala still have the plain black steel ones? I am in need of one wheel if anyone would like to sell.

    email to DWoodAudio@aol.com
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    norbnancynorbnancy Member Posts: 118
    I have about a dozen paint chips on the hood and front fenders and a few on the sides. I don't think that is out of the ordinary for 2-1/2 years and 32000 miles in a rural area. The chips touch up easly. Found something new on my 2000 LS, at least new to me. With the key out of the ignition, push the odometer peg and hold it. The mileage will lite up. Hold it some more and the trip miles will show. This feature was probably included for the convience and benifit of service personnel. Is it the same on the 01 and 02? Enjoy the ride.
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    iexplore2000iexplore2000 Member Posts: 237
    Hello Everyone,

    I am fairly new to this forum and initially signed on a few weeks ago when I first purchased my 2002 Chevrolet Impala LS sedan. So far I must say that this is one solid machine! I have ~1,300 miles on the odometer and so far everything is flawless.

    I noticed that many of you mentioned that the paint chips easily on the Impala. As a standard routine, I usually will order a front end protector by Colgan Custom to protect the vehicles finish since I do a lot of highway driving. I have used these for years on my vehicles and it definitely protects the fit and finish from rock chips, tar and other road damage. In addition to the 2 piece front end protector, I also purchase a set of mirror covers! Ironically enough, the Colgan Custom order arrived yesterday... just in time for my road trip to Ohio today. I must say that after installing the "bra" and mirror covers, the vehicle looks REALLY sharp. Not overly done either I might add.. the overall appearance is clean and adds a little sporty flair to the vehicle as well.

    I have owned many front end protectors by various manufactures and by far, the Colgan Custom bra is the absolute highest quality on the market today. The backing is made of this felt material so that it will not scratch the vehicles finish. Also, I find myself leaving the protector on in rain and snow (being sure to remove it for a thorough cleaning at least once a week). The outside is made of a heavy grain breathable vinyl that has a very striking appearance.

    The total order from Colgan Custom had a cost of ~ $130 for the 2-piece sport bra & mirror protectors. If interested, I advise that you check out their website in order to obtain additional information. Additionally, If anyone is interested in seeing a picture of what the outfit looks like, please let me know and I will take a digital camera image to send to you.

    Good Luck!

    IExplore2000@aol.com

    PS: Did anyone's 02 Impala come with a coin holder? Both my salesman and myself checked several other Impala's at their dealership and none contained a coin holder, but the indentation were present in the center console? I actually had to order one from the parts department and it cost me $22!
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    johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    The deletion of the coin holder is part of GM's (and Mr. Lutz's) program of cost cutting by deleting features the customer won't miss. Yeah, right, as you proved. On the other hand, GM made about 11 bucks or so on this transaction in profit on this coin holder transaction, so maybe so!

    They cut enough features out of the next Impala and they will push me right over to Mazda6!

    Best be careful, GM! They already got a backlash over the original plan to greatly reduce the standard availability of ABS! And they retreated somewhat!

    Unfortunately, I bet the slots for the coinholder go next.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    That piece of junk coinholder is $11????. I hope they don't start using even cheaper materials for the interior. OTOH, they probably won't. I don't think any actually exist.
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    nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    I NEVER use my coinholder; it actually just takes up space that could be used to store cassettes/CDs in my armrest - maybe I should list my coinholder on eBay as part of my early retirement plan!!!
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    iexplore2000iexplore2000 Member Posts: 237
    Well.. actually my cost to order this piece at the parts department was $22! For those whom drive on a daily basis to meet with clients, a coin holder is a critical neccessity for me since I find myself always having to feed the parking meters. I think that the coin holder does a better job of holding a roll of quarters as opposed to having that role in my pocket! I cannot see how GM could save that much $$$ from eliminating a coin holder? I am still surprised to see that the hood uses strut arms as opposed to the standard prop rod found on my new $38,000 Envoy! Tooo many ways to save a buck! Ohh Boy..

    Thanks!

    IExplore2000@aol.com
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    duraflexduraflex Member Posts: 358
    The hood on my wife's Toyota CAMRY chipped like crazy in the very first weeks she had it. Her commute was over 250 miles a week - mostly on the PA turnpike. Turned out that the hood was not painted like the rest of the car. It was noticeably thinner (fewer or lesser coats of paint). The dealer repainted the hood twice. They didn't get it even the first time. Since then, it chips a whole lot less and when there is a chip it no longer reveals the white primer.

    My 2000 silver Impala never chipped as easily and the paint is holding up very well. I have never waxed it per se but have hand washed it regularly with Meguiars car wash which has some wax in it. I use a good quality lamb's wool hand mit and no swirls or scratches.

    Looking at Venture minivans the other day, I see that the fully loaded Impala is now about over $27,500 !!!
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    cookie01cookie01 Member Posts: 369
    My navy blue with 31,000 has several hood areas where white/grey is showing through. I bet in the silver car this wouldn't be such a big deal. But I do wish the paint went a bit deeper. On the rear bumber I have my only actual nick on the car, where I backed over a medium sized rock. The bumper area is blue all the way through and I just sanded down the scrape a bit and it looks just fine, no one would notice it.

    As for the coin holder, I wish I still had mine, I would have mailed it to you for free. It was so cheapy. I just throw the coins in the armrest and off I go. Sometimes they rattle a bit, but that cheapo plastic thing would rattle more!
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    copychickcopychick Member Posts: 62
    Right before I pulled out of the dealer's lot, I realized there was no coin holder in the console. The salesman went inside and got me one. For me, it's a necessity because I have $2.80 of tolls every day, preferably in coins. One of these days I'll sign up for EZ Pass and won't need to have so much change on hand.

    I don't even like the design of the coin holder. It's a pain trying to dig a dime out of there--half the time I have to press on it repeatedly to get the coin to come out. It's amazing (and sad) that they charged iexplore $22 for that.
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    hvan3hvan3 Member Posts: 630
    When I bought my 2000 Impala LS, it didnt' have the coinholder. The dealer ordered one for me for FREEEEE. No one should have pay for a coin holder.

    A $22 coinholder at retail means that the dealer cost is $11. GM cost is about $5.50
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    macgyver24macgyver24 Member Posts: 36
    My Impala has a great coin holder that is always easy to get to. It's called the ashtray. ;D
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    iexplore2000iexplore2000 Member Posts: 237
    Actually, prior to purchasing my Impala I owned a 2002 Pontiac Grand AM GT. In this vehicle (and the same applies to my 2002 Envoy), GM's idea of a coin holder is simply a u-shaped gutter channel made out of rubber that sits towards the back of the console! Yes.. I couldn't believe that they wanted you to place coins in there! I did for awhile but I quickly noticed that the coins would shift around when stopping & going and every now and then a few would commit suicide and jump from the gutter to the bottom of the console! Ha, ha..

    In order to rectify this problem, I went over to JCPenney and bought as I commonly like to refer to it as an "old lady's cigarette pouch." You know.. the pouch that old ladies usually carry their cigs and lighters in? The pouch usually has a twist-type clasp that holds the cigarettes in place. I immediately bought two of them (one for Envoy and one for Grand AM) and so far they work GREAT with the exception of all the coins being mixed together. Therefore when I saw the indentations in the center console of my Impala, I immediately ordered one.

    Now, not only do I have my trusty cigarette pouch, but I also have my custom fit coin holder that sorts quarters, nickels and dimes. Additionally, you should see the look on employees faces whenever I pull into a McDonalds and whip out the cigarette pouch to dig for change. Usually they respond with, "That's a GREAT IDEA!" Just my .02 cents!

    Thanks!

    IExplore2000@aol.com
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    It's ironic. Even though I find the interior quality way below par for even a Korean econobox, while many of the Impala owners here feel it to be excellent, I do find the exterior paint and clearcoat to be of excellent quality, thick, hard, and glossy, even though so many here are unhappy with their's. Ironic.

    I don't have one chip on my hood or bumper. No thin spots anywhere. Although, in an obvious cost-cutting move, they didn't clearcoat the door jambs or door edges. That's kind of petit, n'est pas?
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    tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Gary - you still in Japan???
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    I just flew back this morning. (and boy are my arms tired.)
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    lrcobralrcobra Member Posts: 82
    I bet you always wanted to say that didn't you?
    Silver Bullet
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    atbearatbear Member Posts: 322
    I do agree with garypen about the paint, mine is flawless and I've been on many different types of roads and behind many 18 wheelers.... I like the interior, but I can understand why it would be called cheap... but I love my coinholder, mine works perfectly, and I use it all the time...
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    copychixcopychix Member Posts: 7
    Gee, I don't find the interior cheap at all. At least not compared to all of my previous cars.

    My first new car, a Toyota Tercel, had one of the cheapest interiors I've seen--the button on the glove compartment was crooked, and that was just for starters. My Honda Accord wasn't much better--the sun visor cracked off early on (cheap plastic screw thingy held it in--Honda later switched to metal) and it was $85 to fix it. In my Subaru Outback, the plastic area under the dash (the part surrounding all the controls) ripped out and came loose and rattled within days of getting the car and it took 2 or 3 visits for them to get it right. I won't even begin to list the stuff that cracked off in both of my Saturns--they've got to have the crapiest interiors of any car I've owned (not to mention the crooked plastic exterior, where none of the parts line up smoothly.)

    All in all, I'm finding my Impala to feel much more solid both on the inside and outside (despite the 2 little paint chips previously mentioned).
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    mediumfrymediumfry Member Posts: 239
    Mediumfry here. 'Been out a while. Looks like a couple new chicks are making the board interesting.

    Impalaboy if you're still working on the popping from the front, have them consider TSB 02-08-61-001. I'm still struggling with a click/pop/creak that is heard AND felt in the floor and steering column. The TSB involves putting an adhesive around the steering gear mounts (on the cradle) to hold the sector in more securely. With 33,500 miles on my '01 LS, I'm anxious to find a permanent fix before the warranty is expired.

    Good luck.
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    socalchevsocalchev Member Posts: 20
    I purchased the the Langka Touch up paint kit. It is supposed to help remove the glob appearance of the the factory touch up paint. Anybody use it before? Tips? Ouch! That first chip or scratch hurts....
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    nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Those of you who may have visited the "rank the cutie"-type sites, should find this entertaining...


    http://ami.iamcal.com/index.php?site=%21+A+A+A+A+A+A+COOL+OLD+IMPALA

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    night_owl1night_owl1 Member Posts: 760
    I have used it and it works pretty well. To get a really invisible repair, you need to do a little more work. I did an article on it a while back. Go to the How-To section for more info.


    http://www.impalahq.com

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    phollanphollan Member Posts: 14
    My '01 LS with 14K miles has had a few front end problems. In December I had cradle mount bushings replaced to fix a clicking noise. In April, I had the brake caliper pin kit to fix a rumbling noise when I hit bumps at low speeds. This week I just had tie rod ends replaced to fix knocking noises when hitting bumps. I could also feel the bumps in the steering and brakes. There were also rotor problems.

    Now for the first time in almost a year, everything feels and sounds the way it should and it's GREAT!!! I have driven about 200 miles since the last work so I can't be certain everything is fixed permanently.

    I just wanted to post this in case it helps someone else. I'll be very happy with this car if these problems are behind me.
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