bonnie becomming a classic

[ricosuave420]

hey since pontiac is no more, will our bonnevilles become classics? bc i found out that in 93 only 5% of all bonnevilles that were made were ssei supercharged and its got the series 1 L67 engine, so i would think eventually it will become collectable, what you guys think??, o and if anyone says well u dont have the origonal radio or it has the aftermarket cold air intake, you dont know me very well, i have the old radio and the complete old cold air intake system in my room and both can be easily re-installed

[repinS]

Doubtful.

Unless you want to wait until well after you're dead and gone from this earth and it's the only 1993 Bonneville left. It's a normal American front-wheel-drive sedan that depreciates like a rock.

[ricosuave420]

yea but how many other sedans from that age came supercharged?

[repinS]

I don't think it matters. In the grand scheme of things, you're still looking at a mainstream American sedan. It's gonna take a LONG time before you're going to get any sort of return on investment with this car becoming a 'classic'. Any value beyond that is purely sentimental.

[94SilverSSEi]

Yeah but how many people say ugh that's ugly that's a grandpa. I tell them it's still got a ton of power and it's a sport luxury sedan. Then when there still sitting at the stop light making this wired buzzing noise that is coming from the four cylinders grinding and I'm a quarter mile away sitting on my cushy leather Bonneville seat they realize. That it's not a grandpa car.

Point here although there are many that love these cars including myself. There are also many others who couldn't careless and it isn't exactly a sports car either.

But I'm with ya. We got our '94 in the garage with 128k awaiting engine. And it'll prolly be there for quite a while but we are going to have this car FOREVER!!!!!
Good luck and I wish you the best of luck and hope u can keep yours FOREVER

[lowrider0308]

It is not a collectors car. Keeping the stock parts is a waste of your garage space if you think your car will be "rare." In case you have not noticed, there is a search function on this site. A lot of your questions have already been answered multiple times.

[sandrock]

I'm keeping my '97 for many many moons to come. But not because it's "1 of 1". Quite frankly, even compared to my Impy SS and the Grand Prix I own, it's very comfortable on the highway, and yet will handle like a go-kart (relatively speaking that is) when I need it to. It's paid for. I also put in a "new as you can get for 400 buck" engine (only had 2k on it) meaning it will be perfectly serviceable for at least another 10-15 years, if not longer.

I know several people who feel the same way about their Bonnevilles. It's not sentimentality. It's not collectability. It's the fact that in the ways that matter the most, they are superior to the new models of today...reliability, ease of service, and safety.

[wake]

It's the fact that in the ways that matter the most, they are superior to the new models of today...reliability, ease of service, and safety.

true dat

[1fatcat]

Very well put sandrock.

[Water 97SSEi]

I don't see any of the modern FWD Bonnevilles being a classics, but give it 25-50 more years and you might see them gain a bit in value just for being older cars in good condition. However owners of the Pontiac G8 GT/GXP, Solstice Coupe, and recent Trans Ams may want to keep their rides in mint condition as those will probably be worth a considerable amount.

[wjcollier07]

My opinion - See: Brad's Post

[sandrock]

Sometimes "newer" doesn't equate to "better". That's the point I was trying to make with my earlier post.

I like the style of the 2k models. I like some of the features they have as well. But compared to the previous gen, the build quality went backwards. I don't have ISS issues to deal with (Well, I do on the other Ws I have), I have AL7s, I have less plastic, and my used parts are easier to come by.

I do see *some* Pontiacs becoming more valuable...the G8, the newest G6 convertible, the Solstice, maybe any GXP. But before they become more valuable, they'll come down in value just like any other GM vehicle. What determines their worth is the supply and demand of them. Only when people want them and other people have them but won't let them go, then you will see prices come back up.

[BlackHawk99]

That's what I was getting at too, in a round about way. I've made it pretty well known that I'm not a fan of any newer cars on the market - GM, Ford, Chrysler, whatever it may be. I'm not loyal to anyone brand, but what I am loyal to is my pocketbook, ease of repairs, reliability, and a scosh of styling. Oh ya, I like good gas mileage too. I just haven't been able to find that combination in anything else. So, I stick with 3800s - more specifically the H and W bodies (albeit the GTP isn't really my thing). I'm still keeping my eyes open for a nice 97-99 Bonneville with an L36 to "steal". Soon enough I'll find a desperate seller and I'll be back to where I was once...where I'm most comfortable.

[bonneville dan-o]

on the other hand the people who were driving '69 Camaros and what not didn't expect them to be worth anything either. they were just your regular car of the era.

I'm not saying that Bonnevilles will become valuable, but ya just never know.

[LeSabreUltra]

Eventually becoming valuable? I dunno. But having an older car is still cool.

There are a bunch of 40-60 year old cars that aren't particularly valuable as collectors cars. But you'd still turn your head if one went by in nice condition. It'll be that way with these too. I don't care about collector's value anyway, I never plan on selling mine.
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[two bonnies]

Just my 2c. RepinS is correct.

A few things go into making a car a "classic". Please know that this doesn't mean that Bonnevilles of any vintage aren't great cars, they are. But being a "classic" is different.

Usually, the car needs to have a strong youth myth around it. Think Mustang, Camaro. Or it needs to be a very exclusive car at the time of production. The Bonneville has neither of these, with the exception of the 1958 and 1959 model runs, which were exclusive, but even those don't go for much more than $30-40k. It is a super-mass produced, middle of the market car. Even the rarest late production runs (think GXP or the 05 SLE) were still into numbers that preclude any uniqueness value until far into the future. In other words, the car needs to stir up some "good ole days" attitude for someone. What is the general public perception of GM in the 90s and 00s? Not good ole days, more like "bailout days". Its hard to predict the future but I would guess that most people would have a bad taste in their mouths for the 90s, 00s GM.

Second, why would the 00 or 92-99 gen become valuable if, for sake of argument, the 1981s or 78s haven't become so? In short, there is no mystique (youth myth or otherwise) and no exclusivity factor. Otherwise Bonnevilles from the late 60s and 70s would already be collectibles.

Third, killing a brand usually leads to a fall in the value in the short term. Think Oldsmobile. I loved the Auroras and know many people who did, but they are no closer to being a collectors car than my old 91 Grand Am.

So if the 1993 Bonneville becomes a collectors car it will simply be that you (a) held on to it, (b) it has low miles, (c) is in great condition and (d) it is 2090.

But I will hold on to my GXP for a very long time for the best reason I can think of: because I like it. Screw the market. I put value on owning a Bonneville GXP and that's all I care about.

[Ol' Timer]

So if the 1993 Bonneville becomes a collectors car it will simply be that you (a) held on to it, (b) it has low miles, (c) is in great condition and (d) it is 2090.

And there are less than five 1993 pristine Bonnevilles in existence.

[Black Pearl]

In my opinion the only Bonneville that has any chance of being a collectible is the GXP. In order for that to happen, it would have to fit the definition of a collectable, which is a low mileage, low production car. Rico, we've already been over this question, here and there. You asked about your car, NO WAY. It has over 170,000 miles. You could replace the drivetrain but then it's not original and the cluster still has high mileage. This is a main stream grocery getter that we have turned into an obsession. It shares the same production platform with how many other models? It's not a collector and never will be

[lowrider0308]

I think your dead on.

[SAMzGXP]

i think it will be one day...
but none of us would be alive to witness it