1993 Pontiac Bonneville

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I am looking for a car for my 17 yo son. We have looked at several cars including a Taurus wagon that I had a thread about a couple of weeks ago.

So now we are on to the Pontiac. It is owned by a 90 yo widow who just happens to be my Dad's neighbor. It is an original owner 35000 mile garaged Florida car. I have not seen it but Dad says it is in "like new" condition.

I have tentatively agreed to buy it for $2000. I know that there may be sludge issues and am aware of the fact that 20 year old vacuum lines may not be in the greatest shape.

I won't have any pics until after I decide to buy it or not but what do you guys think about this?

I value your opinions and you guys always seem to throw out something that I had not considered so fire away.
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BUY IT!!!!

It's a Series I 3800, so it's about bombproof. No Dex-Kill issues to worry about with the '93 Series I. I'd still replace the LIM gaskets for peace of mind, though. There are TONS of them in the junkyards around you, so used parts are plentiful and cheap.

And, there are very active online forums for the Bonnevilles, with tons of information about the car, and how to fix any part on the car. I do mean any part, as with the age and various condition, questions about every part have come up.
 
What a great 1st car - the proverbial little old lady car. Big, safe, reliable...if you don't buy it, then please post the phone # - I'll fly down to buy it!
 
There are hardly any vacuum lines on that car, get it.

If you have a 4T60 trans (no E) I would put an adjustable vacuum modulator on it, a "red stripe" for $10 from advance auto. The stock setup is, IMO, too slushy. Do a pan drop and change the filter, but not the gasket, even though a cheapo new one is included in the box.
 
Hot dang, a rolling couch! Spent many a quality hour rolling down the highway in my then-GF now-wife's 1995 Bonneville (and more than one quality time in the back seat IYKWIM). Frankly a very reliable car, comfortable and a decent amount of pickup when you need it. Probably way too fast for a 17 year old - the 3.8 liter has ample power to pull that boat.

Access to the rear spark plugs was horrible, it leaked from one of the fuel injector rail fittings until we discovered the leak and eventually a leaking IMG (thanks, Death-Kool!) hydrolocked it. But we drove the snot out of it until then, took it on multiple cross-country roadtrips and it was a dependable car even receiving only a modicum of maintenance typical of city cars.
 
IIRC that was the year they had no EGR on them. If that is the case they had some pinging issues and ended up burning vales and ended up with some head issues. Still a great car just make sure it is not pinging and repair anything that needs attention to make sure it no longer pings. Those were great cars and amazing engines. I have been looking for one of those and would never pass up one as good as that for any reasonable price. +1 on the tranny filter but not the gasket. Would not hurt to use Maxlife ATF in it as well. I used MerconV in mine and it shifted perfectly till I sold it at 155K.
 
One more vote for Buy It Now! If you're concerned about sludge from years of short hop driving, for its first fill go with something like Shell Rotella in 10w30.
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Originally Posted By: 71Chevyguy
IIRC that was the year they had no EGR on them. If that is the case they had some pinging issues and ended up burning vales and ended up with some head issues. Still a great car just make sure it is not pinging and repair anything that needs attention to make sure it no longer pings. Those were great cars and amazing engines. I have been looking for one of those and would never pass up one as good as that for any reasonable price. +1 on the tranny filter but not the gasket. Would not hurt to use Maxlife ATF in it as well. I used MerconV in mine and it shifted perfectly till I sold it at 155K.


1992 was the year with no EGR. 1993 was when GM installed EGR to correct the issues you mentioned.

Maxlife ATF in the 4T60 is a great idea. It'll help that old transmission hang on longer, especially in Florida with a teenager behind the wheel.
 
Well the consensus seems to be to go for it. I kind of thought you guys would like it.
I am taking the family to visit my Dad this Saturday so we will get a chance to check out the "Bonnie" then. I will report back with pics and let you all know how it turns out.
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Thanks for the replies.
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I might have had the same motor or a variation of it in a 1988 Olds, 3.8l V6. Loved it as it was sporty / peppy with great mpg. It wasn't even broke in when we went from MI to FL (720 miles on it) and I drove 75 mph all the way to Atlanta straight getting 24 mpg.
It even had a nice exhaust note.
 
Well the Bonneville was not quite in showroom new condition but it was good enough for me to buy it. This is not my kind of car, it's a road sofa with a slush box. My kid likes it though, and my wife seems happy too.

When I looked the car over two things stood out: A blemish to the rear door on the driver's side that appears to have been touched up with rattle can spray paint and a droopy headliner.

That's it.

After taking it for an extended test drive, it drove and rode just as it should have and wallowed properly in turns and over bumps.
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Seriously though, I could not find a fault other than the two cosmetic issues that I noted.

So Junior has his first car and here are a few pics as promised:

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That's right. Nearly 20 years old with under 30,000 original miles! Amazing. The first order of business will be an oil change with PYB 10w-30 and a Purolator filter.
 
That thing is mint! At least in those pictures, it sure looks excellent.

Looks like an SE trim based on the steelies and hubcaps. That would also explain the "rolling couch" sensation driving it, as the SE has the cushiest suspension.

For other maintenance, I'd look at doing the coolant, ATF, and plugs/wires. The overflow tank looks gross, and the wires look like they've been leaking a little bit since they're brown. Gosh knows what the ATF is like, so siphoning out the old for new should help for peace of mind.

I hope your son enjoys it, and gets many more years of use out of it!
 
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