2004 recently bought near Santa Fe

[vidsal9]

Hello All,
Thank you for the nice archive of helpful posts.
I recently bought a dark metallic grey 2004 SE with 137k mi and dark grey leather. It has a number of problems and I decided to start fixing them so we can use the car for a 2700 mile road trip since these have always been nice highway cars. The car has no rust since it was sold new in Espanola NM and ended up in Chimayo.
Besides a cleaning here's what I've fixed so far:
Battery - revived an old one with vents from my 2500HD diesel
Transmission rebuilt - originally bought with massive leak between engine and trans
Changed the oil - seems to have sat since 2019, but had regular changes prior
Gauge cluster was rebuilt (very few gauges were working properly and since rebuild fuel and oil pressure sensors are prob bad)
Windshield replaced (it was really bad)
Other projects:
Very odd clanking with turning right - will post separately on this, long story that's getting longer and possibly more expensive than any mechanical repair i've ever undertaken myself or paid a shop to do)
Dents - left and right near taillights - can pop out somewhat, but scrapes will stay
Intermediate Steering Shaft - a minor issue
Radio backlight - not sure if replacing entirely
keys - one ignition key and no fobs (need to ask a local locksmith or buy from a vendor here - i have a pile of new fobs)
Trunk noise maybe at deck lid to springs or?
Coolant - needs replacing
Headlight lenses need polishing
Not needed:
Tires - must have been replaced prior to prev owner parking due to transmission leak
Brakes - seem fine
Engine - runs well

[vidsal9]

Here are some pictures of when I trailered the car home due to the transmission leak. It also slipped even when full maybe due to the previous owner running it too low. The last one is from a few days ago.
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuNDBY7eMa0/ ... %2529.HEIC

[luke_dubs]

Welcome!

Make sure you run through the common problems list on this forum, it can help you out in the long run. For example, the radio backlight really only goes dark if the small bulbs behind it burn out. There's a descriptive post on here showing what to do.

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 25362.html

[95naSTA]

Looks like it's in great shape with it's location history it'll last a long long time.