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Pontiac Bonneville
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Comments
I'd even volunteer my insignificant web site for posting meeting information and photos.
Feel free to use this discussion to work out the details.
:-)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I work with a gentleman who helped arrange a meet last year for his fellow Florida Pantera owners in a nice park just north of Atlanta. Although the Pantera following is much larger (and I would venture to say "different") than the Bonneville crowd, this is the type of meet I think would be a good model to follow. Of course, I doubt we could get nearly the level of participation or interest, but who knows what it could become. Take a look at what they did, and see what you think:
http://www.panteraplace.com/page150.htm
Thank you for your input and interest in this.
Keith and Mike, Pigeon Forge sounds like a nice place. The area looked like a local park where the Pantera club got together. I have vacation to use and I would be interested in going. Would you know how long it would take to drive from Philadelphia, PA to Pigeon Forge? Also, is there any type of permit needed?
Perhaps different locations could be talked for future meets so that members in other locations would be able to attend.
Would an October date sound possible?
Steve
Perhaps the Smokey Mountain National Park office would be able to help you locate a meeting site in the park itself... Check their website for numbers to call.
I don't recall seeing much public park area in
Gatlinburg, since it's nestled into a valley. WE visit the area often, so I'd offer my two-cents worth.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2 1/2 and 40k miles years with my '00 SLE and I'm still a fan. No rattles, the car still looks new inside and out and the balance of utility (i.e. size) and performance (speed & agility) still fits my needs rather nicely.
I recently performed a test that I've done with a number of my cars over the years: accelerating flat-out from a stop at my corner to determine the speed when I pass the next intersection. On my old '92 Mazda 929, that speed was 105 kph. On my wife's '92 Camry, it was 95 (it was a 4 banger w/auto). The other day, I hit 125 kph on the Bonnie. The speed limit on that road is somewhat less...
Not scientific but an indicator of my happiness with the Bonnie's performance - perhaps my standards were low.
I have noticed that if I'm going anywhere from say 20-40mph and I floor it, the car simply doesn't perform the same in that speed range as when I go WOT from a start. Turns out that when you floor it at speed, the increased fuel delivery requirements can't match the increased air delivery and therefore the A/F ratio starts to go lean, causing the potential for knocking. The computer and the knock sensors see this and substantially retard the timing to protect the engine, causing loss of power.
I've had my car a little over 3 years and could never understand this difference in performance.
While I was still driving my last TA, the GXP show car appeared followed by the subsequent production announcement. The V8 was what got my juices flowing—not the styling changes—I actually like the aggressive looks of the current SSEi, body cladding and all, better than the GXP look—personal preference. But I didn’t want to wait for another year for the GXP, the Pontiac dealers were making some pretty attractive deals on the SSEi (still are, especially now since it is going away), and a guy I know was breathing hard to get his hands on my TA, so I popped for this SSEi. So now I am asking myself what more I would be getting if this car was a GXP beyond the V8, 18 inch wheels, an inch and a half lower, etc. For one thing, I’d be adding another 300 pounds for the engine and tranny, and that extra weight and the two extra cylinders would surely knock off a few of the miles per gallon which I have come to like a lot. It would be a tad faster 0-60, and would have better highway passing and top speeds, etc., but that’s not what trips my trigger anymore. I like pulling up to a stop light now with a kid next to me in a Mustang or Camaro. I used to feel like I was obligated to try to blow his doors off on green, but now I just let him blast off. In fact most just look over and see a big Bonneville sled next to them and figure it would be no contest anyway so they just ease off. Suits me fine.
So I’m thinking I don’t need or want a V8 anymore which in my mind is the only really significant difference between the GXP and SSEi. That said, I still want to drive one when they start showing up. But at this point I just can’t imagine that the GXP would be so much more car as to want to make me give up the SSEi.
What the GPers do is go with cold air intakes, revised PCMs and major redos of the exhaust system. Depends on what you want out of the car but I'm not sure I'm willing to do all that. Plus, our cars can't use a conventional CAI since there isn't anywhere up front to poke it through to the outside.
I think that using lower than 93 octane in the L67 triggers KR by the sensors which is why you get the reduced power.
The next time I have to make a WOT lane change on that particular interchange, I'm going to manually move to 2nd gear and see if the higher rpms reduce the problem.
On the subject of mileage...
I just returned from a short (i.e. 6 hrs in each direction) family trip where I experienced something odd with the fuel range on the DIC - that is, I learned that it is limited to 3 digits. IOW, it'll stop at 999 - presumably, whether you're measuring in miles or kilometres.
Well, I measure in kilometres and I tanked up after cruising for several hours at about 75 mph (~125 kph). Just after I tanked up, I was on secondary roads where my speed was more like 60 mph (~100 kph). And my fuel range shot up and stuck at 999 kms. When I it first reached that plateau, I hit the E/M button to confirm that translated into 621 miles. Hit the button again, the number stuck at 999 - just couldn't click over. OTOH, the "English" measurement kept climbing and reached 651 miles before I hit a town and a few traffic lights.
651 miles?? Now that's fuel economy. Over the whole trip, I averaged 31.5 mpg - not bad for a two ton car!
Honestly, it's the way it should be. I'm glad the Bonnie is moving into multi-valve, OHC V8 territory and the GP and Monte SS are getting extra power out of the old Buick 6 (the latter, BTW, will get 240hp according to reports I've read). I'm not exactly racing any of these with my SLE now anyway, so it makes little difference to me.
I have to say that I think the current proliferation of high-hp family sedans is a tad silly but GM has to keep up with what the specs that the competition are posting. Without some serious improvements to the Impala though, I cannot imagine paying a premium price - and then higher insurance & premium gas - for a fast Impala. The Monte SS I understand - and the GP GTP as well. And of course the Bonnie. But an Impala?
We'll have to see what they do to the car.
ice
We had an Audi A3 1.9L turbo diesel for a rental car and did that thing scoot. I "accidentally" laid rubber a few times with it and anything above 2000rpm in any gear(remember manual transmissions?) and it would get up and go with the turbo. I took it up to 200kph a few times which sounds so much more impressive than 125mph but generally cruised at 115mph on the Autobahn.
There are a lot of diesels over there and if US automakers would introduce ones here similar to the ones in service over there, you might see a lot more of them here. Inside the car, you would never know the difference, even when cold.
However, it sure was nice to slide back into the Bonneville this morning. With the 7 hour time difference, I was awake at 1:30 this morning so wound up getting to work at 4:00 am. Needless to say, there wasn't any traffic and so the Bonneville got over 30mpg coming in.
We did see a few Caravans, a Yukon and an Accura MDX over there and they looked completely out of place because of their size. At around $5 a gallon, I wouldn't want to be feeding one of them for very long.
And Diesel IS dirty and noisy. Dirty because even though it emits less CO, it emits more NOx and PM than a gas engine. Noisy because one can undisputably hear it approaching before a gas-power car, even modern ones.
CO matters only to those who believe that it can catastrophically warm the climate. On the other hand, NOx causes smog that can be a severe irritant of the respiratory ways and PM are carcinogenic.
Europe chose watery eyes and cancer, America chose to ignore unscientific theories.
:-D
please email me with ideas at mikemore@rocketmail.com
Thanks,
Mike
Yeah, the fobs are 4 button. But they come in synchronized pairs - depending on which one you use to open the car, certain features will automatically adjust to that fob on an SLE (if you take the trouble to program it). I'm not sure if picking up just any two will allow you to restore that particular feature.
Wouldn't you be better off ordering a pair through the dealership?
fobs ended up backwards, Fob#1, gave settings #2; Fob#2, settings #1 driver.
Don't lose the key however if it's got the internal transmitter, it was over $50, including the programming so the car would recognize it...
I'd ask about key fobs at a caring dealer... The programming used the
ScanTool.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Do the 2002 fobs have the triangular trunk button with panic below?
Not too long now...
:-)
ice
This is interesting. It appears that the GPX powertrain will be some sort of mix and match between the current Caddy SLS and STS. The motor appears to have the same specs as the Northstar as used in the SLS, but the final drive – at 3.71 – is what the STS has used. The trans. is the 4T80E, of course.
I see nothing referring to a version of the TapShift that was introduced on the ’04 GP GTP. I had hoped . . .
With a quoted weight 200+ lbs less than an SLS, and that 3.71, I expect acceleration to be – umm – brisk. If the traction is there. With 61% on the front wheels (18”) this will be a possible issue. But probably not much better than 15.0 sec. in the quarter. Not class leading, at this point – and likely very similar to the ’04 GP GTP. And the ’97 GP GTP. Though clearly the Bonne is a bit larger than the GP.
With less weight than a STS/SLS, perhaps they will be able to improve the fuel mileage compared to the S_S's? Though EPA 18 / 27 for the ’04 SLS is certainly not bad for a 4000 lb vehicle.
One thing that I do not understand is the stated requirement for 92 octane fuel. The 2 Caddy S_S's have been running the Northstar at these HP / TQ level with 87 octane. Strange.
Anyone have any insight here?
The 14 inch front / 13 rear brake disk diameters are an interesting touch.
I wonder what the performance-tuned exhaust system will sound like. A V6 can be tricky to tune for a decent note – but a V8 ought to provide opportunity for something nice. But I doubt they will actually provide a true dual exhaust. “Pleasing rumble” does sound promising. We'll see.
And I wonder exactly what interior changes will have made it into production. I have not seen official pictures, and obviously have no password to access those ob this site. It sounds like mostly minor trim changes.
Thanks,
- Ray
Now awaiting a test drive with renewed interest . . .
Thanks for the link to the GXP. Hope this will continue the Bonneville's future with GM.
I wonder if the Northstar engine would have the intake manifold gasket issue that occurs with the 3800 engine. Would it be possible to place a Northstar engine in Bonnevilles from 2000 on? just a thought...
x64
I was wondering if this sounds like a possible place and perhaps sometime in the fall (late Sept/October). If anyone has other suggestions please drop a line.
Steve