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Pontiac Bonneville
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Comments
You might want to consider taking the diff. that the dealer would charge and instead sinking it into an extended warranty on the used one. After all, you are talking about 32k mi. vs. 36k mi. warranty - or a diff. of approx. 10%. If you CAN peg a value on the original warranty (remember, this is the most reliable part of the car's life), it is not likely any more costly than the value of an extended warranty. In Canada, I can get an extended for another 3/36 for cost - or less than $1000 (I convert everything to $US for you guys). I'd therefore put the value of your dealer's "extra" warranty at only about $100.
Ken's advice on doing the VIN check to clear it of rental status is good but I'd be surprised if it finds anything: SE's were the ones designed for rental fleets; I would be very surprised to find either an SSEi or an SLE in rental circulation.
Stephen
djohn - What is the difference in cost between the two? Also, did you ask the "rental" dealer to give you a reason to buy from him vs. the other guy? Like the full 36 month warranty?
BTW, I've learned from other sources that GM is considering collapsing the Bonneville into the GP line - making it the top of the line GP designation. But they're waiting to see if sales of the new Bonnie will be good enough to keep the line going. Lots of rumours flying around - too many good cars (GP, Bonnie, Aurora) narrow slices of the same market. Bonnie's sales are so far (apparently), so good.
Long Live Bonneville!!!
Ken
Still atoning to Chief Pontiac for not buying the SSEi....
I think the K+N air filter is worth it. It will probably last the lifetime of the car with no replacements necessary. If you also get a few additional horses for the chief, consider it a bonus.
P.S. Thanks for your advice on the K+N filters Stephen. A colleague of mine with a Grand Spam claims he got 5 extra ponies with his. Apparently, he has a dyno....
Ken
Now look at today's Bonneville (particularly the SSEi) vs the car mentioned above - Quantum Leap!
Same for top of the line Olds Aurora vs old style 98, Cadillac DeVille DTS or SeVille STS vs 80's cars.
Major improvement in design and style ignited the return to automotive enthusiasm for many of us who snored through the 80s and early 90s.
Ken
Ken
Took the car to the dealer. They said it was NOT the lock mechanism cuz the radio was on. They could not get it into either lock or unlock mode. So I am stuck listing to 1 station cuz the controls are so difficult to mess with. They said they could have their electrician completely tear it out but it might get costly. Ugh.
I called a radio repair place and the dealer that I bought the car from. The repair place thought they may have been trying the wrong code. Is there a master code? Could this be true? I KNOW this is exactly what happened about 80K miles ago but the service guys won't believe this woman. Geez.
The radio works; all of the fuses appear to be good. Any ideas on what I should do? I drive many miles here in the Texas prairie and being forced to listen to commercials is driving me to the looney bin.
So, I crossed the Bridge to Canada, and switched my DIC into metric mode. A short while later I noticed the HUD started flashing - 199 - 199 - 199 - etc.
So now we know what happens when we max out our 2.5 digit digital HUD speedometer. Hope some of you are amused by my transgressions!
Lee Racing Engines (California) built two engines for the car. One had 570 horsepower, and the other was 670. The crankshafts alone cost nearly $10,000. The blocks were o-ringed. They did custom pistons and custom (homemade) camshafts. The blowers had been replaced with Kenne Bell twin-screw superchargers running 15 - 19 pounds of boost. They built their own double roller timing chains, along with 1.6:1 and 1.7:1 rocker arms. The induction, exhaust, and PCM's were nowhere near stock. I didn't mention the heads because I can't remember what they had done in this area.
I'm not questioning the fact that the feat was an incredible accomplishment. I just feel their 'virtually stock' editorial comments were extremely misleading.
This is how I would re-position the current Bonnie trim levels...
SE: 3800 Series II V6, standard Magnasteer, etc..make it the value leader and reduce the MSRP from $26K to around $24K.
SLE: This car is rare as it is redundant in the line-up? What does it has to offer over the SE? Not much in my opinion, just a bunch of Gizmos. Give the SLE the 3800 S/C engine as STANDARD fare and reduce the price to $26K.
SSEi: Tone down the batmobile looks and drop a V8 under the Hood STANDARD. Give it 300HP at the front wheels and you have a winner. Reduce the price to around $28K and this car will fly out the lots...
'Nuff said.
job on the saltflat Bonneville.Incredible
The Aurora is one darned-fine car and should be kept - but where? Cadillac? They already have the Catera and the STS. Buick? Hard to see it fitting there but I think you'll find that the demographics are closer to the Aurora's than Pontiac's would be. GM likes these flagship cars to bring people and add excitement to its dealerships. Would the Aurora do more for Pontiac or Buick or would it just cannibalize from existing lines?
Given that there's recently been an up-in-the-air-edness about the Bonneville's future, I wouldn't be surprised by some melding together of the Aurora and Bonneville. Teo's musings notwithstanding, if the Northstar makes it way over to the Pontiac line, I've heard that IT might be available in two trims: Aurora STS and Aurora SSE - guesses which of these will have the Northstar. If the Bonneville's sales continue to improve, they COULD invest in re-engineering it for the Northstar but if the Aurora comes over as the flagship, don't count on any further investment in the Bonnie. I'm afraid that the Olds announcement muddies rather than clears the picture for the Bonneville.
Any thoughts on this? (let's try to ignore, for the present, that GM is a company - like most - that's run by its financentric elements rather than enthusiasts)
His SSEi is still under warranty but is already modified: air intake, custom exhaust and SC pulley - he mentionned 3 1/3 in. as the diameter for that. He knows a machinist and had it custom made (on a metal lathe or CNC, one assumes) from cast aluminum. I don't know if the dimension he quotes is inside or outside diameter and I didn't ask him what he's doing about a belt but I DID tell him about this forum - he seemed interested and hopefully, he'll join us.
All speculation is fun and interesting - but when the rubber meets the road, the numbers are going to have to be there because stockholders rule!
Sorry guys - got to stand up for my fellow bean counters (Don't throw eggs at me please!)
Ken
Notwithstanding the Aurora influence, one would assume that (saner minds prevailing, of course) the Bonneville's future will be secure as long as the sales are there. My concern is that the PROSPECT of a line shake-up coupled with the GM-wide sales downturn COULD choke the investment in Bonnie necessary to keep it competitive. I guess we'll get signs of Pontiac's commitment to the Bonneville in about 6 months when we learn what, if anything, will be changing for '02.
Ken
Other than that, the Aurora is a great car and I would hate to see it disappear from the GM lineup completely. Hard to say where it would fit in, though. I don't see Chevy getting it; the Aurora is a little too upscale for that division. Pontiac might land it, but I don't see Pontiac carrying both the Bonneville and Aurora in their product lines.
Buick might find a home for the Aurora, but the styling would have to change a little. Then again, would they have the LeSabre and Aurora in their product line??? Who knows. Personally, I don't know why they continue to carry the LeSabre and Park Avenue at the same time. The LeSabre Limited, fully optioned, has virtually every option the Park Avenue Ultra has, sans the good old Eaton M90, for about $10,000 cheaper
Initially, I think most Olds buyers will start heading for Buick. In light of that, if GM keeps the Aurora, it would probably wander over in that direction. If Buick were smart, they would dump the Rendezvous, and pick up the Olds Bravada. Nice truck.
Enjoy your Bonnevilles, everyone.
- vtech83
If Buick built a LeSabre outfitted with the Aurora goodies (NorthStar V8, 4T80E, 17-inch wheels/tires, REAL buckets with a floor shifter), I'd buy one tomorrow.
I think the Riveria fell victim to a lack of interest in big 2-door cars. Buick should have turned the Riveria into a rag-top; that probably would have kept it alive.
Who knows what GM will do. They still think that Camaro/Firebird owners are going to start buying souped up Chevy trucks. As a former Trans Am and Corvette owner, I can tell you right now that strategy won't fly.
- vtech83
Ken
Please keep us posted on your experiences.
Ken
As far as washing your car, I would opt for the self-service type of wash, the places where you spray on the soap and rinse it off yourself. I've been told that even brushless car washes use harsh detergents and chemicals that can damage your paint.
I've been using the Meguiars Mirrow Glaze line of products for years and have been very happy with the results. Use the #7 Show Car Glaze to bring out the shine and then a couple coats of #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax to protect the finish. They also make a product called #34 Final Inspection you can use for shining your car quickly after a rainstorm or after washing. Only works if you have a good coat of wax on the car in the first place. Get yourself a load of good quality terry cloth towels for polishing and waxing the black beauty.
Zaino polishes also come highly recommended, but you have to order their stuff, it's not sold at any auto parts store. Also, Zaino doesn't have any kind of wax product, so I would be a little concerned about paint protection.
Good luck.
However, I do agree with you that Buick should dump the Rondevous. A vehicle of this type does not fit in to the Buick lineup. But, I also don't think an SUV like the Bravada fits in either. I also don't think it fit in with Oldsmobile and that may be the reason it didn't sell that well.
I'd like to see a larger, sportier "Bravada" as a Pontiac. Something less in size and cost than a Danali/Escalade.
Also, what else can you tell me about the Buick LaCrosse and where can I see the pictures you talk about?
Ya want pix of the Lacrosse Stephen? Check out http://www.speedycars.net/wallpaper/buick_lacrosse.html ... a site which promises to deliver more wallpapers of cars but no Bonnevilles as of yet or buick's own site at href=http://www.buick.com/home/aboutbuick/future.html. While we're on the subject, does anybody have a URL for wallpapers of the current Bonneville? I've cobbled a couple together myself but because I'm starting with low-res pix, the results are just barely acceptable - I need to get rid of the Jag S-car wallpaper (installed to please my wife - although doesn't entirely displease me, it does seem...well, traitorous).
Ya know what else? I was recently do some research on plastics and came across a Greenpeace document on PVC's which - get this! - extolled the 2000 Bonneville as being the first N. American car to use a "soft polyolefin skin" in place of PVC for "full instrument panel design." Apparently, we Bonnie owners are just a bunch of cutting edge environmentalists. Anyway, the benefits of not using PVC is the reduction or elimination of cracking, warping, fading and that window fogging from leaching over time. Hmmm...
The LaCrosse does look like something that may attract a Bonneville owner looking for a change; like ezrapon or possibly me. By the way Roger, if you are serious, have you contacted the deer hunter?