opinions on 97 bonnie

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peter - 07 Dec 2008 21:22 GMT

Hi,

I recent asked about the 97 40th anniv edition of the bonnieville and I
am considering buying another one, (I bought one back in 1997 for 7
years and 150K miles until the head gasket popped).

The car in question, was a lease car which came off lease in 2000 with
~52K miles. appearently to the same dealer who has it now. At this
point it has ~55k miles, the magna steering seems shot and it has no
heat. The car looks in pretty good condition other than the drive train
being oxidized. There were no appearent leaks before or after the test
drive.

So, Is the Manga Steering rack difficult to replace?
I figure the heat is either the thermostat, or the heater core...is the
heater core hard to replace?
It seems unusual that in the last 8 years only 3K miles have been put on
the car, ( would you agree?). and I wonder if the odo could have been
altered, what do you think?

I appreciate your time,

peter

Reply to this Message

Dipstick - 08 Dec 2008 02:27 GMT

A 55K mile '97 Bonnie on a dealer lot should have no issues with
steering or heat unless it has been mistreated.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> peter

Reply to this Message

80 Knight - 08 Dec 2008 06:01 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> I appreciate your time,

I would take a very very good look at the car, and run a Carfax on it.
Being a 40th Anniversary edition, it could be considered a collectors item,
but still 3000 miles in 8 years does seem odd. I also agree with
"Dipstick", that a 1997 Bonneville with only 55,000 miles on a dealer lot
shouldn't have any problems. The heat question could be a different fix.
Does the car have Auto Climate Control? If it does, does the engine heat
itself up? If the car is heating up, but it's not blowing hot air (and of
course, it is full of coolant), it could be the door actuator that controls
whether hot or cold air is to be thrown out of the vents. That is a common
problem on that era Bonneville, with the auto climate control. I own a 1997
Bonneville SSEi myself, and love the car. It has almost 300,000 KM's on it,
and runs like a million bucks. It was sitting nearly 2 days, and the
temperature was -19 when I went out tonight, and it started and ran as
though it were a warm Florida day. They are very very good cars.

Reply to this Message

peter - 08 Dec 2008 12:38 GMT

> "peter" <pm@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
>
> I would take a very very good look at the car, and run a Carfax on it.

I have a copy of the original title which has GMAC as the first owner
who sold it to the dealer in 2000. Appearently, it has never been
titled/registered privately, (altho I am not sure how leasing works).

Can/will a dealer run the VIN to check on the service history?
Here is the VIN, I would appreciate if some one would run a carfax for me
1G2HZ52K3VH278277

> Being a 40th Anniversary edition, it could be considered a collectors item,
> but still 3000 miles in 8 years does seem odd. I also agree with
> "Dipstick", that a 1997 Bonneville with only 55,000 miles on a dealer lot
> shouldn't have any problems.

Yeah, this is why I hesitated to grab it right off the bat. It is
listed for ~$7000 usd, I offered $4K and he countered at $5K which is
the NadaGuide value.

OH BTW, it also have thrown a code which is saying there is a misfire in
cly #2...That could be any thing from a minor tune to head gasket, to
... $$$

> The heat question could be a different fix.
> Does the car have Auto Climate Control?

Yes

> If it does, does the engine heat
> itself up?

Yes

If the car is heating up, but it's not blowing hot air (and of

> course, it is full of coolant), it could be the door actuator that controls
> whether hot or cold air is to be thrown out of the vents.

The door on the Auto Climate Control? under the dash? Is there an easy
way to test it? Is that a vacuume or mechanical actuator? Is it easy
to get at to replace?

That is a common

> problem on that era Bonneville, with the auto climate control. I own a 1997
> Bonneville SSEi myself, and love the car.

I have also seen a couple SSEi's but at a longer distance away...Are
there any addition considerations with the blower? ( I am rebuilding
SWMBO's 95 Miata w/ a JR/SC, so I like super chargers)

It has almost 300,000 KM's on it,

> and runs like a million bucks. It was sitting nearly 2 days, and the
> temperature was -19 when I went out tonight,

Where are you? I guess I wont whine about it being 16F here in CT, eh?
The buick is in the shop so I have to travel 60 miles on my 93 BMW K
1100 LT bike today. funny thing is, with the Gerbing electric heated
gear I have, I end up being warmer on the bike...

and it started and ran as

> though it were a warm Florida day. They are very very good cars.

yes, I really like the one I had and made the mistake of replacing it
with an 04 LaSabre...the Buick really hasnt had any mechanical issues,
(excluding the instrument needles being drunk all the time :) but it
just a far cry from the Bonne...too much of a Florida car

The SSEi's are looking better and better at this point.

Again, thanks for your time,

peter

Reply to this Message

80 Knight - 09 Dec 2008 00:09 GMT

>> "peter" <pm@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message I would take a very very good
>> look at the car, and run a Carfax on it.
>
> I have a copy of the original title which has GMAC as the first owner who
> sold it to the dealer in 2000. Appearently, it has never been
> titled/registered privately, (altho I am not sure how leasing works).

I may just not be understanding properly, but where has the car been from
2000 until now?

> Can/will a dealer run the VIN to check on the service history?
> Here is the VIN, I would appreciate if some one would run a carfax for me
> 1G2HZ52K3VH278277

The dealer pretty much will do what they want. If I were you, I would ask
for a Carfax, and the service history. Shouldn't cost them anything.

>> Being a 40th Anniversary edition, it could be considered a collectors
>> item, but still 3000 miles in 8 years does seem odd. I also agree with
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> for ~$7000 usd, I offered $4K and he countered at $5K which is the
> NadaGuide value.

Depending on the options, and permitting the dealer repairs the heat and
steering problems, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase that car for $5K.

> OH BTW, it also have thrown a code which is saying there is a misfire in
> cly #2...That could be any thing from a minor tune to head gasket, to ...
> $$$

Very true. I'm on my 5th Bonneville, and twice the car was reporting a
misfire. Both times it turned out that a spark plug wire had broke.

>> The heat question could be a different fix. Does the car have Auto
>> Climate Control?
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> way to test it? Is that a vacuume or mechanical actuator? Is it easy to
> get at to replace?

Yup, it's under the dash on the passenger side. You can see it if you pull
the glove box out, and look through a hole on the right side. I find a good
way to test it is to start the car, let the engine heat up, put the fan on
Hi and turn the temperature all the way down. Give it a few seconds, then
turn the temperature all the way up, and see if you can hear the door moving
behind the dash. I found on one of my Bonneville's that doing that
procedure a few times made the door work properly. As for replacing it (if
needed), most people say the dash must be removed. I have seen some who
have replaced the part from going under the dash, but it's difficult.

>> That is a common
>> problem on that era Bonneville, with the auto climate control. I own a
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> any addition considerations with the blower? ( I am rebuilding SWMBO's 95
> Miata w/ a JR/SC, so I like super chargers)

The only problem I know of with the superchargers from the 1996 and up
Bonneville's is eventually the bearings in the nose cone start to rattle,
and need replacing.

>> It has almost 300,000 KM's on it,
>> and runs like a million bucks. It was sitting nearly 2 days, and the
>> temperature was -19 when I went out tonight,
>
> Where are you? I guess I wont whine about it being 16F here in CT, eh?

I'm in Ontario, Canada. It's -9 with the wind-chill right now, so it isn't
too bad Lol

> The buick is in the shop so I have to travel 60 miles on my 93 BMW K 1100
> LT bike today. funny thing is, with the Gerbing electric heated gear I
> have, I end up being warmer on the bike...

Nice.

>> and it started and ran as
>> though it were a warm Florida day. They are very very good cars.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> (excluding the instrument needles being drunk all the time :) but it just
> a far cry from the Bonne...too much of a Florida car

I know how you feel. My 1996 Bonneville SSEi was in an accident several
months ago, so I replaced it with an Oldsmobile Intrigue, which I didn't
like, so I traded that for a Chevy Trailblazer, which I did like, but it
turned out the truck had been in an accident, and was "rebuilt" using
several different Trailblazers. I ended up finding the 1997 Bonneville SSEi
I now own a couple of months ago, and even with almost 300,000 km's on the
clock, I love it. I wanted to use it as a "summer car", so I went out and
bought a Buick Rendezvous for $12,000...Bad mistake. The thing is mint, not
a single problem, but like you said about your LaSabre, it just isn't a
Bonneville. I haven't driven the Buick in almost 3 weeks.

> The SSEi's are looking better and better at this point.

In my opinion, the only bad thing about the SSEi's with the supercharger
compared to the non-supercharged versions, is the supercharged engine
requires 91 octane gas, instead of the normal 87 in the regular engine.
But, if you drive a normal 3800 engine, then the supercharged version, you
likely won't mind the extra few cents a liter for the 91. The supercharger
can really blow you away.

> Again, thanks for your time,

No problem. Like I said, I've owned many Bonneville's, so feel free to pick
my brain if you want.

Reply to this Message

peter - 09 Dec 2008 11:06 GMT

> I may just not be understanding properly, but where has the car been from
> 2000 until now?

at this dealer's lot from what i am told

>> Can/will a dealer run the VIN to check on the service history?
>> Here is the VIN, I would appreciate if some one would run a carfax for me
>> 1G2HZ52K3VH278277
>
> The dealer pretty much will do what they want. If I were you, I would ask
> for a Carfax, and the service history. Shouldn't cost them anything.

i wail ask...but because of what you say above, I was hesitant to ask
the dealer for this info as the car has been in his lot the whole time

> Depending on the options, and permitting the dealer repairs the heat and
> steering problems, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase that car for $5K.

he says he will go thru the car for $7K...every thing should work for %5K

>> If the car is heating up, but it's not blowing hot air (and of
>>> course, it is full of coolant), it could be the door actuator that
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> needed), most people say the dash must be removed. I have seen some who
> have replaced the part from going under the dash, but it's difficult.

this sounds exciting :)

>>> That is a common
>>> problem on that era Bonneville, with the auto climate control. I own a
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Bonneville's is eventually the bearings in the nose cone start to rattle,
> and need replacing.

that doesnt sound too bad. A guy at the local voc-tech school knows
where to get replacement parts for blowers (at least for his blower, I
would guess for others as well)

> I'm in Ontario, Canada. It's -9 with the wind-chill right now, so it isn't
> too bad Lol

suddenly I fell tropical

>> The buick is in the shop so I have to travel 60 miles on my 93 BMW K 1100
>> LT bike today. funny thing is, with the Gerbing electric heated gear I
>> have, I end up being warmer on the bike...
>
> Nice.

>> The SSEi's are looking better and better at this point.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> likely won't mind the extra few cents a liter for the 91. The supercharger
> can really blow you away.

pun intended??

>> Again, thanks for your time,
>
> No problem. Like I said, I've owned many Bonneville's, so feel free to pick
> my brain if you want.

I have to get more info from the dealer, but I have to be careful that I
dont just get it because I want it...it should also be a reasonable deal

peter

Reply to this Message

80 Knight - 10 Dec 2008 23:44 GMT

>> I may just not be understanding properly, but where has the car been from
>> 2000 until now?
>
> at this dealer's lot from what i am told

That is one thing the really bothers me. Why would a seemingly perfectly
good car sit on a dealer's lot for 8 years, yet still manage to rack up 3000
miles? If it was just sitting in a corner, then it shouldn't have racked up
any miles, and if it were being driven by, perhaps the dealer owner, why
only 3000 in 8 years? Something just sounds odd to me.

>>> Can/will a dealer run the VIN to check on the service history?
>>> Here is the VIN, I would appreciate if some one would run a carfax for
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> i wail ask...but because of what you say above, I was hesitant to ask the
> dealer for this info as the car has been in his lot the whole time

I would definitely either ask for it, or have a Carfax run on it yourself.
Like I said above, it sounds odd to me.

>> Depending on the options, and permitting the dealer repairs the heat and
>> steering problems, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase that car for $5K.
>
> he says he will go thru the car for $7K...every thing should work for %5K

I totally agree that everything should work on the car for $5,000. I
wouldn't pay $7,000 for it though, not unless the history is spotless, the
dealer can prove what the car has been doing the past 8 years, and the car
is in absolutley mint shape. And even then, $7,000 is too much, I think.
$5,000? Sure.

>>> The door on the Auto Climate Control? under the dash? Is there an easy
>>> way to test it? Is that a vacuume or mechanical actuator? Is it easy
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> this sounds exciting :)

Only if you like being upside down, under the dash ;-)

>>>> That is a common
>>>> problem on that era Bonneville, with the auto climate control. I own a
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> to get replacement parts for blowers (at least for his blower, I would
> guess for others as well)

They are really good engines, and really good superchargers. The
superchargers themselves are made by Eaton, one of the best supercharger
builders, as far as I know.

>> I'm in Ontario, Canada. It's -9 with the wind-chill right now, so it
>> isn't too bad Lol
>
> suddenly I fell tropical

It's a nice -13 tonight, with that pesky wind chill. Good thing the
Bonneville's heat up quick.

>>> The buick is in the shop so I have to travel 60 miles on my 93 BMW K
>>> 1100 LT bike today. funny thing is, with the Gerbing electric heated
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> I have to get more info from the dealer, but I have to be careful that I
> dont just get it because I want it...it should also be a reasonable deal

Very very true. I have bought far too many vehicles because "they looked
good at the time", or because I was just a hasty buyer. Be sure to check
out everything on the car, and make sure the dealer can provide some sort of
provable answer as to what the car has been doing the past 8 years. Good
luck, friend.

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