Opinions on a '04 Grand Prix GTP

[mjoekingz28]

Try to ignore all the folks bragging and going on and on about how they got a great deal and are therefore superior to you.


You say it is clean under the hood- that is saying something. But look closer, drive it around alone then look when you dont have someone hovering around you (if that is the case). Some folks, I suppose, could unleash a can of engine brite, hit it with compressed water, and then lay on a can or armor all and would probably fool most of us into thinking it was babied.



Again, I ask about the tires. Name brand, up to date tires with good looking tread can tell you something.

 

[crw]

When I get back there I'll have to look at that. At the time I arrived, they hadn't even had it through their incoming inspection.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: crw
>> How handy are you?

I absolutely do everything myself if I can.


Then you are golden, everything on this car is do it yourself minus a tranny rebuild. At 93,000 miles it has tons of life left in it.

 

[Fordai]

I loved everything about my '03. It was fast, roomy, red, and handled great. The steering wheel and center stack were really nice too. Mine also had the really cool HUD. Then the transmission went. I had it rebuilt but never was the same.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Fordai
I loved everything about my '03. It was fast, roomy, red, and handled great. The steering wheel and center stack were really nice too. Mine also had the really cool HUD. Then the transmission went. I had it rebuilt but never was the same.

Have to have the right person do it.

 

[Tzu]

Personally, I think this was the best era to buy a GM vehicle. I always thought the Pontiacs looked great and had a very sporty look to them. Too bad they are gone now. I have an Impala LS with similar specs minus the supercharger part. I agree that the 3800 has to be the absolute best part of the car. I doubt if GM can/will ever make a better, more durable engine than that one. The super charged version of the 3800 would be awesome!

The rest of my Impala does have it's fair share of quirks like the exhaust just fell off, and I fixed already : a broken sway bar, clunk in front end even having engine cradle replaced under warranty, lower intake gasket leak, wheel bearings, radiator shot at 120k miles, noisy cabin from so-so door gaskets, EVAP leaks, and the dreaded transmission maxed out pressure code which implies transmission is shot. Transgo shift kit made it feel better and was pretty easy to do. Trav here helped me on that one! Besides that it is a great car with 28-30mpg in the summer on HGWY. My dad's '12 Malibu 4 cylinder gets the same mpgs as I do with 180,000 less miles and a 6 speed trans???

Style wise, great looking cars. Engine wise, you've got arguable the best engine ever produced in it. Everything else is kinda cheap, but fairly inexpensive and easy to fix. I prefer the style of GM vehicles from '99-2005 era for the most part. Todays stuff looks like everything else.

 

[TmanP]

I really agree with you. Before I bought my Buick, I wanted a 3.8 LS Impala. The styling is unique, but I like it. The 3.8 is the best part of the car, I think. But for the money, a GM W-body is hard to beat. Of course they have their issues (as all cars do). But I do really like the GM cars of this era and I would love a supercharged 3.8 (Considering how well the naturally aspirated 3.8 pulls...). But it's hard to argue with a 5.3... Good luck finding one, I think it would serve you well.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Tzu
Personally, I think this was the best era to buy a GM vehicle. I always thought the Pontiacs looked great and had a very sporty look to them. Too bad they are gone now. I have an Impala LS with similar specs minus the supercharger part. I agree that the 3800 has to be the absolute best part of the car. I doubt if GM can/will ever make a better, more durable engine than that one.


^^This times a million! I think the 3800 was the best engine ever made.

 

[crw]

Thanks for the opinions everyone. I think this week will be the week.

I might be a good driver to these cars. I'm 50, been driving since I was 16, and I've never ever had a transmission go out on me. And, I always drive older, 100K+ miles vehicles. Oh, I take that back, once I had a manual transmission in an '85 Mustang GT go out, but it was very cheap to put a junkyard transmission in it. Are some people hard on their transmissions and "break" them, or am I just lucky?

 

[crw]

I should give this thread a conclusion, since I hate threads that end suddenly. Anyway, I found a 2005 Nissan Maxima with a manual transmission and fell in love. This car is a beast!

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: crw
I should give this thread a conclusion, since I hate threads that end suddenly. Anyway, I found a 2005 Nissan Maxima with a manual transmission and fell in love. This car is a beast!
extremely smart move.

 

[GaleHawkins]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: crw
I should give this thread a conclusion, since I hate threads that end suddenly. Anyway, I found a 2005 Nissan Maxima with a manual transmission and fell in love. This car is a beast!
extremely smart move.


2x on that move.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Throt
My woman owns an '07 Grand Prix, base model w/ 80,000 on the odo. I personally have done work on it and have driven it out of state, I am not a fan. While the 3.8 is revered by many as one of the most solid engines GM has ever produced behind the 5.3L, everything else on them is junk, IMO. It's noisy inside the cabin, rides like a stage coach, seats are uncomfortable, and is always in need of repair. Every other week something is wrong with from the exhaust falling off, to water pumps, to struts, to sway bars, gas tank issues, and now the heat went out. For a car with 80,000 miles it has way too many issues for my liking. GM should've devoted more time to R&D.

But that 3.8L runs like a raped ape.


Is it a GT? Because a true BASE Grand Prix would have a 3.1, not a 3800. (I have seen several...including one with a column shifter.)

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: crw
Well, 93K, real nice condition, leather, sunroof, etc., asking just under $7K, from a top-tier dealer. I hesitate a bit because other regions of the country seem to always be lower, and someone will come on here saying "I wouldn't pay $4k for that!" Having researched prices here for a month, this is about as good as it gets around here.


If it has EVER seen salt, do not offer a cent unless and until you see it on a lift! These cars have enough body cladding that they can be half-dissolved before you actually SEE any rust.

 

[GMBoy]

I put 88k miles on a 2000 Buick Regal GS with the 3.8SC. Great car and I enjoyed it. Only had to do routine maintenance and a water pump on it. Was cheap inside compared to today's GM interiors which are tremendously improved.

 

[jjcom]

I've got an 2007 Grand Prix about to cross over 204k miles. It's been an great car through the 5 years I've owned it.

Around 140k miles the coolant elbows blew out while on the highway. Not great, but the parts are cheap. I purchased new ones at the dealer, since the quality was much higher than the parts store pieces.

Around 160k miles I replaced both front wheel bearings. I got a great "deal" on some GMB hubs, which lasted a year. I ended up replacing with Moog which were great until I nailed pothole. They were under warranty still, which was a plus.

Around 190k miles the low beams started to not work all the time. I replaced the headlight driver module for about 25 bucks. No more issues.

199k miles the PCM went out. Kind of an odd repair there. The car would die randomly and was throwing codes for a failing PCM. Since I don't have the tools to flash it, I had my local dealer replace that piece. They almost didn't want to do it, as the fellow I spoke with had never seen one go bad on those cars. They did replace it and my issue was resolved.

As it sits now, I need to replace the turn signal switch, upper intake gaskets, and resonator. Struts are getting a little rough too. Transmission is starting to show its age as well. It'll start shifting roughly after it gets hot during city driving. It's starting to show its age/miles, but it's still good reliable transportation for me. I keep looking at trucks, but I'll probably fix the current run of issues and run her til the transmission dies. I'm fully expecting 250k miles or more out of the car.

Considering the miles, I feel like I've put a "normal" amount of money into it.