new bonneville, what to look for?

[epic_pwn_95]

Hey all,
I am very interested in getting my first Bonneville pretty soon. My brother had a maroon 92 ssei when I was 17 and I fell in love with them. I like the 2000+ ssei and that's what I'm in the market for. I found a 2000 ssei with 147k miles and I am just wondering what I should look at before making my decision. I don't wanna dive into this without knowing what I'm getting myself into. They are asking $5800 for it, which is a fair price, I think.

[2000Silverbullet]

Don't wait. Buy it before someone else snaps it up. Look for the obvious things like leaks test drive it when it is dead cold so you can tell how it's really running to warm up.
Ask for the maintenance records.
Hurry up. It won't last long.

[Archon]

This is a techinfo article written by Fuelforthesoul1999. It appears that the pictures no longer work, but the narrative is good.

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... =57&t=1014

Some specifics: Listen for rattling from the supercharger area which would indicate a failing coupler. Check all windows for proper operation. Look for wet carpeting inside, and in the trunk. Drive on the highway and check for any vibration around 65-70 mph. Ask if the lower intake manifold gaskets have been changed. If it has, was the newer metal framed gasket used? Check for any clunking feel in the steering. Look closely around the fuel door and the edge of the hood for any paint bubbling. Listen for any howling type sound coming from the front of the car starting around 25-30 mph.

Those are some of the more common failures, none of which (except the intake gasket and paint bubbling) are particularly hard to take care of, or very expensive.

[Ken_W]

In addition to the things listed above, check to see how the transmission shifts through the gears; look for signs of slippage.

If the check engine light is on, take it to Autozone or Advance Auto Parts and have it scanned for trouble codes (they will do it for free).

Also check for bubbling paint or rust under the fuel fill door. There will likely be some; it is a question of severity.

Check tires to see how soon you might find yourself shelling out $$$ for new ones.

There are numerous other problems that this car is almost certain to have, but are not considered deal-breakers in this forum because they fall within the range of a do-it-yourselfer to fix at a reasonable cost. Procedures on how to fix these items can be found within this forum:

- Window/door lock problems in one or more doors
- Driver side heated seat broken (light comes on for 1-2 seconds and then shuts off again)
- Clock / radio display light fading
- Fuel gage totally inaccurate or only accurate part of the time
- Headlamps "foggy"
- "Check gas cap" warning light on dash
- Traction control / ABS out

These are small things, but are considered a good omen if the car has them (because they are often missing from used cars):

- Front license plate cover that says "Bonneville"
- Embroidered floor mats that say "SSEi"
- Accessory kit in trunk, in black faux leather bag

Personally I do not consider $5800 to be a great bargain for this car. It is a fair price, but not a run-to-buy price. Depending upon how many issues you find with the car, you might try to negotiate down. From a dealer I think $5000-$5500 is more typical for a 2000 with that many miles. From a private seller it would be more like $4300-$4800, depending upon the number of problems it has. You can check Craigslist to find private-seller cars.

Ken_W

[swampthing]

5800 is too much imo for a 10 year old car with 150,000 miles on it I would think more like 4500 or so would be a good deal

[epic_pwn_95]

Thanks guys

Archon- thanks for the link.. I immediately 'bookmarked' it on my phone

[willwren]

I'll move this to the proper section for you. This section is for posting mechanical problems only.

[repinS]

5800 is too much imo for a 10 year old car with 150,000 miles on it I would think more like 4500 or so would be a good deal

Agreed.

[2000GreySSEi]

- Window/door lock problems in one or more doors
- Driver side heated seat broken (light comes on for 1-2 seconds and then shuts off again)
- Clock / radio display light fading
- Fuel gage totally inaccurate or only accurate part of the time
- Headlamps "foggy"
- "Check gas cap" warning light on dash
- Traction control / ABS out

Ken_W

Amazingly those were all the things wrong with my Ei when I bought it lol.

I agree 5800 is a bit too much, try to talk him down to 4500-4750 if you like it. Remember money does the talking when you buy things.

[00Beast]

The front cover says Pontiac, FWIW, not Bonneville. If your car came from a state that had front plates mandatory it probably wasn't even delivered from the factory with one. Don't really worry about it.



The accessory kit is a nice thing to have, but by no means a deal-breaker.

I agree with everything else posted above, check and make sure the car is mechanically sound.

[BonneMe]

You're in the country so i'm sure they don't come along a lot up there, but in the cities there are probably better cars with as good, if not better pricing. harofreak probably has a better one coming up soon if you can drive south a couple hours....

... I am just wondering what I should look at before making my decision. I don't wanna dive into this without knowing what I'm getting myself into. They are asking $5800 for it, which is a fair price, I think.

Don't wait. Buy it before someone else snaps it up.

really?

[00Beast]

This is MN, SSEi's are everywhere. Making an impulse buy will end you up with something you didn't truly want, and regret. Wait for the right car to come around, and snatch it up.

[human]

I wouldn't pay that much for a car with that many miles on it, but then I usually try to buy cars with less than 100,000.

[2000Silverbullet]

I keep forgetting that eastern cars are junk after a few years.
They last forever and hold their value here out west.

[2000GreySSEi]

I wouldn't pay that much for a car with that many miles on it, but then I usually try to buy cars with less than 100,000.

I wouldnt pay alot for a high mileage car, but I really dont let high miles turn me away from buying a car. There are cars out there with under 100k that run or look worst than a high mileage car. Every car I've owned had over 180k+
, and I havent had any real major problems with them (except my GTP which I had to put a new tranny & LIM gaskets on.) But what really matter is how a car was maintaned.

[1oldman]

Besides the things already posted to look for, if I were looking at buying a used vehicle things I would expect to have to do to it are:

1. Major Tune up
2. New Brakes
3. New Tires
4. Change the fluids (Check transmission fluid - it may or may not need to be changed)

Before you buy, look under the car. Do you see any fluids dripping from under the car? Check all the fluids and their color. It will tell you a lot about the car.Ask about the intake manifold gaskets. Have they been replaced? If not, have they kept the coolant "fresh (flushed and/or changed the coolant). Look around where the intake is bolted to the heads. Do you see coolant?

Good luck. Bonnevilles are much harder to find here. This is pickup truck country where I am. - BC