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Pontiac Bonneville
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I've been compiling a list of regular posters here and would like to fill in some blanks (perhaps others are interested in doing the same). It would be very much appreciated if everyone would post the following info:
Year, model, color, your first name if you wish to be identified. Hoping to hear from some of the less frequent as well as regular posters and maybe some lurkers will speak up as well.
Ken (00 SE Spruce Green)
FANTASCP - Chuck - Going back I see you have a white SE with bench - what interior color is it?
JAKEC1 - Did you find out anything about the carbon fiber dash? I have that charcoal gray interior and think it might be a great addition.
The other day, I came across a 300M and we were driving on a highway where the speed limit is 55, yet there are a few stop lights here and there. We were stopped at one and he decided to launch his car at the stop light when it went green. So, when we got to the next light, I figured it was time for a "spirited acceleration test".
Score the first one for General Motors. He pulled away quicker at the light, but once I hit second gear, it was all over. Next stop light, pretty much the same thing. I had to turn off at the next light, but I was totally satisfied with the tried and true 3800SII mated to the 4T65E.
One thing I've noticed about this setup is that if you hit your shift point just right, you come out of first gear right around 4000rpm. I think thats why this car moves so well in second and third gear -- it's right at the 3800 power band. Pretty impressive for old technology.
I agree with Ken -- where has this intense01 fellow been??? His stuff is great. He's the best R&D post in this column. Given me a few ideas I might try once the warrenty runs out.
Happy cruising, Bonneville owners. Hope you don't mind if I lurk from time to time. The LeSabre forum is pretty slow, but then, I expected it to be.
vtech83
'01 Medium Red LeSabre Limited
Gran Touring Package
16" chrome wheels
Have a great LeSabre weekend.
Ken
When vtech mentioned the "old" 3800 Series II, I was just thinking the other day that as nice as this engine is and as tried and true as it is, it still is a 12 valve pushrod engine that is a derivative of the one GM made in the 60s, I would think that the 3.5l or 4.0L that are in the Auroras might be a better setup. Perhaps keep the 4.0L in the Aurora and put the 3.5L in the Bonneville, with a supercharger of course.
Mark
By the way ... you mentioned in an earlier post that you were going to check out the headroom in the LeSabre and compare it your Bonnie. A friend of mind at work has a 2000 SSEi with a sunroof. The headroom is identical. The power seat controls are the same in each car and both seats offer the same degree of movement.
If you get a chance to sit in a LeSabre, you'll know what I'm talking about.
You have a great weekend too.
vtech83
Also, does the fold-down console in the rear seat have any type of flip-up storage compartment?? I thought I saw this in a picture recently.
So far, 0 problems and only one defect involving the headliner around the astroroof, which my dealer rectified immediatly.
My only complaints are a lack of a cruise control indicator, an obscured Driver's Info Center, and the fact that you must have the parking brake off in order to access the DIC. But, they're very minor and don't really affect the overall experience of the car.
One of my favorite features is the built-in air compressor in the trunk. Recently, I ran over some debris in the road at night and got a flat. I used one of those fix-a-flat cans and the air compressor to get back home. Excellent idea, Pontiac!
Well, I'll stop ranting now and just conclude that I look forward to many happy years with this great automobile.
Best Wishes
BTW: Great story with the 300M! I'm sure he was taken back by a LeSabre beating him!
It goes pretty good with White- also its a good color if down the road i ever decided to re-paint the car a different color. - I did like the possibility of maybe going to the midnight blue metallic that SMFRAN has.- that car must look real SHARP!!!- but I wanted a WHITE BONNEVILE for a long time- so I'll stay pat for now- i'm happy!
BTW- on emblems- on the 2000 SE- besides the rear trunk- BONNEVILLE- emblem and the
name PONTIAC on the right side of the rear bumper- also on the left front headlight (on top)
is the word BONNEVILLE.
V-tech- as I am no great lover of Chrysler, (you can check out my posts if you want on the
INTREPRID VS BONNEVILLE Forum ) I found your episode with the 300M very refreshing to
say the least!
Our second car is a 91 Buick Skylark- with a little Tech 4- engine- but a great little car-
We had TWO 1991 Skylarks.- i traded mine in on the Bonneville in 2000- she had over 187,000 miles on her- The one we have now has around 110,000 miles and running great- i use her to commute back and forth to work- about 90 miles round trip each day-.
Just another reason (IN MY OPINION OF COURSE) why GM is better than Chrysler.
Have a Happy,
CHUCK
It is dark bronzemist with the taupe interior.
I learned a valuable lesson though: NEVER pick up your new car at night. No matter what the lighting conditions are, you won't be able to properly check the vehicle out. While I got a great deal from the dealer, the interior was not as clean as it could be. I have a small spot of grease (maybe) just below the speaker in the passenger side door. Not sure how to clean it - I cannot tell if the inside door panels are leather or not (probably not). I don't want to guess wrong and make the spot worse than it already is.
I haven't tried to use the cup holders yet (no food or drink allowed in the *new* car - how long will it be before that rule wears off?)
Two very minor things I would change: between the steering wheel and my hand placement, I cannot see either of the odometers without craning my neck. And, as mentioned by someone else, I would like to use the DIC with the parking brake engaged.
But so far I am in heaven. Now I just have to find a baseball cap with the Pontiac emblem on it...
-Bruce in NJ (not the Boss)
2000 SSEi Dark Bronzemist Metallic
I didn't realize so many folks liked hearing about my horsepower struggles. Here's an update, with only eight days left until National Trails Raceway opens:
I've bolted many aftermarket parts on the engine, but haven't yet been able to hit the perfect tuning combination. Although I did get a lot closer today.
My procedure has been basically trial and error. I make a small change, reset the PCM, and log two 0-100 mph runs in opposite directions on the same stretch of road. (My neighbors love me). Using the Autotap, I have been logging current time, vehicle speed, engine RPM, ignition timing, knock retard, fuel trims, MAF sensor frequency and flow rate, and front oxygen sensor voltage. I've checked many other parameters, but these seem to be the ones holding the keys to performance...
I've been doing lots of experimentation with spark plugs - trying different types - platinum, copper, iridium, etc., and different gaps. Today I learned that my car runs best with NGK TR55IX Iridium spark plugs set at the factory gap of .060".
I've done a lot of experimenting with different fuels - the higher the octane, the better the car performs. I settled on 108 octane VP racing fuel ($7.00 per gallon).
I've done a lot of experimenting with fuel pressures. At idle, and all the way up to around 3/4 throttle, the car seems to run best with the factory fuel pressure of 46 psi. I know they say the GTP's are set to 52 psi stock, but my SSEi was 46 psi. Anyways, at full boost (now 13 psi), I seem to need around 70 psi of fuel pressure for best performance. I see two solutions here. First, I can run the Casper's adjustable fuel pressure regulator at 57 psi, and this increases to 70 psi automatically under full boost. The problem with this choice is that the car smells like a '71 Catalina and runs WAY too rich all day long. The other choice is to use my brand new Vortech SFMU, which I am still trying to figure out how to adapt to the SSEi. It should allow me to run the factory setting of 46 psi static fuel pressure, and set the boost gain to 2:1. At 13 pounds of boost, I should have an additional 26 pounds of fuel pressure, or 72 psi - which I think will be just right. That would give me the best of both worlds - retain full driveability and mileage, and still melt the tires on command.
I can't seem to get enough ignition timing to make the car really perform the way I want it to. Under full boost, I only had 2 or 3 degrees of total timing advance a couple weeks ago. Racing fuel got me up around the 6 degree mark. Fuel pressure experimentation got me as high as 10 or 11 degrees, but I was actually running too rich and losing more power than I was gaining.
My next step is to back up one pulley size, and see if my ignition timing will increase enough to increase my horsepower more than the reduced boost will sacrifice power. The problem is that I broke my pulley puller/installation tool earlier tonight. So, right now I'm stuck with no pulley at all on the car. It is actually slower than a Chrysler 300M.
I have been measuring my performance using the Autotap, and using current time versus vehicle speed to determine actual performance. My best run today was 0 to 90 mph in 12.0 seconds. I think stock was around 15.9 seconds, so I was impressed.
Scott
p.s. - I think I am the only Bonneville owner who hasn't complained about the cupholders yet. For the record, I also think they suck.
Bruce,
Congrats on your new Bonnie! Bronzemist was my favorite color, but I didn't like the taupe interior, so I settled on Galaxy Silver. As far as the cap goes, the Pontiac site probably has one. I got an insulated thermos and a keychain from them.
www.pontiacmall.com
Hey there Cuzin Brucey - it's a great family here! Congrats on that gorgeous SSEi - I love that color combo. Best wishes to you for many years and miles of satisfying driving in your new Bonneville.
Intense01 - glad to see those modification reports again - got to get myself a car mechanics primer and try to figure out what you're talking about! But $7 per gallon for fuel? Out of my league for sure.
Smfran - going to have to start building yourself a carriage house for all those cars you want - you surely wouldn't want any to get wet or dusty between times out!
Have a Bonnie weekend everyone
Ken
Okay, question for everyone: what the heck is a Prado? And why should we care?
Glad to see you back Intense - I think you remind us all that, at the core of this large luxury family sedan beats the heart of a performance car.
see you all soon!
the iceman
cuzinbrucey: If you think you can not remove the grease easily, do not touch it. Make a list of anything that you notice over the next two weeks and make an appointment with the dealer to take care of it. You paid good money for delivery of a new car. It is not necessary for you to clean it.
Don't be concerned yet over the placement of the wheel and your view. Over the next 1,000 miles or so you will be making various adjustments to your driving position until you reach a final comfortable situation. Things will change.
intense: With all your modifications, are you still using the car for standard commuting?
iceman: Prado must be Connolly's cousin.
Has anyone found the personalization of the side view mirrors useful in terms of them shifting position when in reverse? I shut that option off as I don't use my mirrors when parallel parking.
Well got to go now. It's time to break ground on the new carriage house!
SE - 39,000
SLE - 10,500
SSEi - 10,500
Given that Canada usually accounts for 10% of those figures and other exports account for another 5%, you can probably count on less than 10,000 of each of the SLE and SSEi sold in the States.
Personally, I have only seen one other SLE (besides mine, that is) and, if this forum is any indication, then perhaps SSEi's actually outnumber SLE's.
No word on how sales are going in 2001.
theiceman
"best pick" in the IIHS offset crash tests (large family sedan)
5&4 star NHTSA crash test ratings
Intellichoice's (JD Power) "Complete Car Cost Guide Best Overall Value of the Year" among large sedans for 2000.
Guys, we chose well. The only mystery that remains is why Pontiac doesn't (can't) sell more of them. I think lack of advertising, high sticker prices and competition from the Grand Prix are high on the list of explanations.
theiceman
P.S. If Prado is Connolly's cousin, they are distant cousins - perhaps thrice removed. I've been treating the leather to give it a softer, "kid-glove" like texture and it is getting better.
Yesterday, I stayed dead even throughout first gear with my girlfriend in her stock 2000 Ram Air Trans Am. She was mighty surprised, but informed me that she can't be having any 4-door FWD V6 keeping up with her. So as soon as I hit thirteens in the SSEi, I'll have to start bolting some fun parts on her car...
My boost gauge has been pegged since last summer when I first put on the 3.25" pulley, so I can't be sure exactly what happened with my boost. Here are my best guesses:
Stock - max of 5.75 pounds (measured)
3.5" Pulley - max of 8.5 pounds (measured)
3.25" Pulley - max > 10.0 pounds (according to dashboard gauge)
Last Round of Mods - max of 13.0 pounds (measured)
Without the special cylinder head work, and a completely free-flowing exhaust system, I would guess my boost would be in the 16.0 psi range right now.
My next step will be a step backward to the 3.25" pulley. I think 10 - 12 psi will probably be the right number for me.
Regarding Torque Steer, I only feel it when the tires are breaking loose. This is only an issue at WOT under 40 mph, and during the 1-2 shift when the tires break loose. I've got some mighty sticky tires which I believe help out considerably. My philosophy is to keep both hands on the steering wheel under full throttle...
Scott
I wanted to relate one thing I discovered during this long Minneapolis winter. One night after we got 8 or 9 inches of snow dumped on us,I got stuck in a rut in my alley. I got a couple of neighbors to help push but the Bonnie wouldn't budge until AFTER I disengaged the traction control. Then I could "rock" it out with little problem, in fact I don't think I even would have needed anyone to push. Maybe this is only logical but I haven't read much about the traction control. I don't recall ever getting stuck in my '93.
Looking forward to some great (Spring) Bonnie-driving weather....
Anyway, traction control dramatically improves your ability to move and to move straighter when one or more of your wheels loses traction. But it absolutely sucks out loud when you're at a dead stop in an icy rut - it doesn't allow you to rock! It's a pity that your sales rep. didn't walk you through that when you bought it (of course, who'd be thinking of that when you buy in July)?
On that subject, Please Please Please somebody bring an end to this winter!!!!
the (well-named) iceman
Smfran, I see you received your sway bars. You've inspired me to e-mail Saner as soon as I get off of this site and see where mine are.
Please don't be a stranger here - keep us updated on your driving experiences.
Ken
Black, gray interior, chrome wheels, heated seats, no sun roof, no front plate, delivered in January, 2000. Has 13,500 miles and has never been back to the shop except for oil (Mobil One) changes. No squeaks or rattles and she flies.
Smfran- I've been lurking, just haven't had much to say. The Vette is running great, just got back from Florida (dodging snow and ice all the way down and back). Oh, and you guys haven't seen bad cup holders until you've experienced the cup holder (yes... one) on the latest generation Corvette... but then we all have to make sacrifices, huh? :-)
Bill Shelton
Madison, WI
Another advantage of the Bonneville over the Vette is the luggage space. You probably couldn't pack much more than your Speedo!:-) But maybe that's a good thing!!
Got your SSEi on my growing list here - thanks
Ken
GM Car Sales for 2000 by model:
Buick
Century - 143,085
LeSabre - 148,663
Regal - 65,167
Park Avenue - 47,669
Riviera - 58 (didn't know there were any left)
Cadillac
Catera - 17,290
DeVille - 105,694 (not too shabby!)
Eldorado - 13,289
Seville - 29,535
Chevrolet
Camaro - 42,131
Cavalier - 236,803
Corvette - 31,208 (speedo not incl.)
Impala - 174,358
Lumina - 46,753
Malibu - 207,376
Metro - 33,878
Monte Carlo - 66,364
Prizm - 52,116
Olds
Alero - 122,722
Aurora - 28,250
Cutlass - 1,243 (ditto the Riv)
88 - 477
Intrigue - 64,109
Pontiac
Bonneville - 65,606
Firebird - 31,013
Grand Am - 214,923
Grand Prix - 148,521
Sunfire - 82,364
Saturn
L - 94,034
S - 177,355
Selected Chrysler cars (2000 volumes)
Concord - 50,206
300M - 50,682
LHS - 20,982
Intrepid - 143,840
hope this gives y'all something to chew on
theiceman
Kevin in NJ
00' Black SSEi
92' Green SE
Missing color: MartyB4, derrick080, whogault, mlm4, mrobinson3
Missing year: ezrapon, mrobinson3
Missing model: Jakec1
So far I've recorded 24 participating Bonneville owners and 14 are lucky SSEi guys. I have 4 SLEs on record and just 2 of us lowly SE owners. There are 4 for which i have no data.
Have no info: caludencias, jashou, blk2001, snickle
Thanks for the inputs everyone - I hope the list continues to grow.
Bonnie Monday to all
Ken
I think we can put this one to rest - gentlemen, our butts are planted on leather with Jaguar lineage. As far for driving naked to experience the true charms of Connolly leather (as the last article suggests), I think I would personally wait for warmer weather.
theiceman
...er...in a manner of speaking...
Ken
Thanks for the reply. I might look at swapping in some Bonneville seats one day since the leather is the same color. I might have to do the rear seats as well so the upholstry matches everywhere. Too bad Buick doesn't offer REAL bucket seats in the LeSabre. Even the seats in a Regal are a joke -- no lumbar support at all!!
I never actually made eye contact with the 300M dude. I'm sure he went home that night wondering how his big 'ol sports sedan couldn't keep up with a Buick highway cruiser. Actually at some point, I'm sure the 300M would have kept going where mine would have hit the ceiling because of the speed limiter. A 300M with the Performance Package is supposed to top out at 145.
ezrapon:
Yessir, I have the GT package, which includes a 3.05 gear. And yes, sometimes I turn off the traction control to see how long I can smoke the tires. This thing does move. Makes me wonder what is wrong with the 300M, though. The numbers for the car just don't make it on the road. A 250HP/250 lb ft combination should be around 7 seconds 0-60.
iceman:
Pretty good sales numbers on the G-body cars, but really dismal numbers for the F-bodies. I really get torqued at GM for the way they're letting the Camaro/Firebird slide into oblivion. It really seems like GM only cares about making trucks and SUVs. I would like to see where their energies go once the truck/SUV market gets too saturated.
- vtech83
Ken, as cold as it gets up here (try as cold as -40°F with windchill in January), it can also get awfully warm in the summer (try as hot as 100+°F with humidex in August). Basically, there's only a very small window of comfort for the Lady Godiva rides in the Bonneville. Thank heavens for those perforations.
theiceman
ARE WE TAKING INVENTORY ON WHO OWNS WHAT IN THIS TOWN HALL?
IF WE ARE, HERE IT IS:
2001 SSEi
BLACK WITH STRIPES SILVER OVER WHITE(MAKES THE CAR LOOK LONGER)
MILES: 4800
FRONT PLATE(ILLINOIS) LOOKS STUPID!
DELIVERED IN OCT,'00
NO SUN ROOF: $1000 OPTION I Didn't NEED. PREFER THE LONGER ROOF CONSOLE
CHROME WHEELS
LEFT PASSENGER DOOR DOES NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE THE CAR AFTER BEING LOCKED. BUT IT OPENS FROM THE OUTSIDE. GOING BACK TO DEALER, OBVIOUSLY.
ANYBODY WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM?
OTHER THAN THAT, THIS CAR IS FABULOUS!!!!!!!!
If you're talking rear door on the driver's (or passenger's) side, one obvious explanation would be that the childproof locking mechanism might be activated. Since the front doesn't have this mechanism, that couldn't be the explanation if the problem was on the front door. To correct it, open it from the outside, look at the inside lip on the door itself, locate the child safety lock and disengage the little lever. If this is not the problem, take her to the dealer.
Regards, theiceman
I'm compiling a database of posters here in the Bonneville forum. So far yours is the 7th black of the 15 SSEi models I've recorded here. There are 4 known SLEs and 2 SEs posting here and a few unknowns.
Enjoy that Bonneville!
Ken
Cheers! Dan (theiceman)
Ken
our fellow bonneville owners- but we're miles ahead of the OTHER GUYs cars out there-
RE: Chrysler, Ford ETC.
I also agree with you- there has got to be more than us two 2000/01 SE owners out there- Come on guys and or ladies- - add your 2000/01 SE to this site!!!!
As a point of info- my wife uses the car- monday -fri- for work etc- lots of stop and go traffic- generally we average around 20/21 miles per gallon- this week-end i went to Atlantic City- round trip- about 267 miles- car took 10.003 gallons of gas- 26.6 miles per gallon- big improvement on the open highway.( don't ask if I won anything down there- as usually I gave my pint of blood at the casino door!!)
Chuck.