First time Pontiac owner.
Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 1:39 pm
Hello everyone.
My name is Aaron. I grew up in northern MN but now live in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, MN, I'm a truck driver, private pilot, and am a fan of anything with a motor. I attended the University of North Dakota studying Commercial Aviation, then went to the Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia where I got a BA in English and drama.
I purchased my Bonneville a couple weeks ago for $500 for my wife and 3-year-old daughter so they don't have to deal with a two-door, and to have a second car in case the Cougar dies. Since then I've already drawn a lot of very useful information from this site and given the work the car needs, will probably be drawing a lot more.
It runs okay, but will need a new radiator ASAP, new brakes, new belt tensioner and/or supercharger pulley bearing, new plugs, and possibly the LIM. Other than that it's in okay shape with very little rust (which is the main reason I bought it). Unfortunately, in MN rust is a very serious concern with a used car, and I rejected 4 GM mid and full-size cars based on excessive rust alone before I settled on this one.
I have owned many cars representing just about every possible niche of the car market. I'm not a Chevy guy, or a Ford guy, or a Honda guy, I'm a fan of all cars, regardless of where they're made and I'm a firm believer that it's the car, not the badge, that matters. As a result, you won't hear me being a GM or Bonneville fanboy. Instead, I'll try to be fair, balanced, and open-minded in all my opinions.
I'm looking forward to engaging with you guys.
Sincerely,
Aaron (hobbie2k)
Here's a list of every car I've owned or driven regularly (ie, company car, family car, etc) in order:
01. 95 Nissan Altima GXE 2.4L I4 (learned to drive in this car)
02. 72 Ford F-250 Ranger Trailer Special 390ci V8 (my first car, bought for $1, threw a rod two weeks later)
03. 90 Nissan 240SX Hatchback 2.4L I4 5speed (learned stick on this car, destroyed when I hit a deer)
04. 88 Chevy Celebrity Wagon 3.1L V6(everything broke on this car except the engine, tranny, and suspension)
05. 92 Lincoln Continental 3.8L V6 (everything worked on this car except the engine, tranny, and suspension)
06. 91 Nissan Sentra SE Coupe 1.6L I4 5speed (ran great, 40mpg, only 1 repair from 90-170k, a wheel bearing)
07. 80 Datsun 280C 2.8L I6 (purchased for $300 in Australia, got me around the city for a year before thieves crashed it)
08. 91 Hyundai Excel 1.6L I4 5speed (Australia, girlfriend's [now wife] car, not cool, but at least it means she drives stick)
09. 81 Toyota Celica Coupe LT2000 2.0L I4 (Australia, good looking, reliable, fun to drive, outrageously slow)
10. 03 Toyota Echo Hatch 1.3L I4 (Australia, company car)
11. 91 Nissan Silvia 1.8L I4 5speed (JDM import to Australia, destroyed when I was rear-ended by a BMW)
12. 88 Nissan Cima-Cedric 3.0L Turbo V6 (JDM import to Australia, destroyed when someone made an illegal turn)
13. 82 Datsun 200B Wagon 2.0L I4 (Australia, even slower than the Celica, but still scary on mountain roads)
14. 94 Nissan 240SX Convertible 2.4L (fun in the sun, rear-ended by a truck right after dropping $3000 on new tranny)
15. 93 Toyota Camry LE 3.0L V6 (spun bearing at 88k...WTF!?)
16. 86 Buick Regal 307ci V8 (spent more time in the garage than on the road)
17. 93 Jeep Cherokee Country 4x4 4.0L I6
18. 93 Honda Accord Wagon 2.2L I4 5speed (one of the best cars I've ever owned, still want another one)
19. 05 Chevy Malibu Maxx LS 3.5L V6 (surprisingly spacious, unsurprisingly ugly)
20. 06 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0L Turbo 6speed (6th gear and 30mph uphill, no problem!)
21. 07 Chevy Cobalt LS 2.2L I4 5speed (laid-off, sold Jetta and Maxx, went cheap)
22. 89 Ford Crown Victoria Wagon 5.0L V8 (ran good, big on outside, small on inside, ice racing with the mother-in-law)
23. 05 Kia Spectra 2.0L I4 (company car, decent transport)
24. 07 Ford E-150 4.6L V8 (company car, cargo van, 8mpg)
25. 08 Toyota Corolla 1.8L I4 (company car, decent transport)
26. 08 Ford Fusion SEL 2.3L I4 5speed (very good car, just couldn't afford the payments anymore)
27. 88 Ford Ranger 4x4 2.9L V6 5speed
28. 96 Mercury Cougar XR-7 4.6L (still own it)
29. 85 Ford Falcon GL 4.1L I6 (Australia)
30. 93 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi 3.8L Supercharged (and here we are)
My name is Aaron. I grew up in northern MN but now live in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, MN, I'm a truck driver, private pilot, and am a fan of anything with a motor. I attended the University of North Dakota studying Commercial Aviation, then went to the Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia where I got a BA in English and drama.
I purchased my Bonneville a couple weeks ago for $500 for my wife and 3-year-old daughter so they don't have to deal with a two-door, and to have a second car in case the Cougar dies. Since then I've already drawn a lot of very useful information from this site and given the work the car needs, will probably be drawing a lot more.
It runs okay, but will need a new radiator ASAP, new brakes, new belt tensioner and/or supercharger pulley bearing, new plugs, and possibly the LIM. Other than that it's in okay shape with very little rust (which is the main reason I bought it). Unfortunately, in MN rust is a very serious concern with a used car, and I rejected 4 GM mid and full-size cars based on excessive rust alone before I settled on this one.
I have owned many cars representing just about every possible niche of the car market. I'm not a Chevy guy, or a Ford guy, or a Honda guy, I'm a fan of all cars, regardless of where they're made and I'm a firm believer that it's the car, not the badge, that matters. As a result, you won't hear me being a GM or Bonneville fanboy. Instead, I'll try to be fair, balanced, and open-minded in all my opinions.
I'm looking forward to engaging with you guys.
Sincerely,
Aaron (hobbie2k)
Here's a list of every car I've owned or driven regularly (ie, company car, family car, etc) in order:
01. 95 Nissan Altima GXE 2.4L I4 (learned to drive in this car)
02. 72 Ford F-250 Ranger Trailer Special 390ci V8 (my first car, bought for $1, threw a rod two weeks later)
03. 90 Nissan 240SX Hatchback 2.4L I4 5speed (learned stick on this car, destroyed when I hit a deer)
04. 88 Chevy Celebrity Wagon 3.1L V6(everything broke on this car except the engine, tranny, and suspension)
05. 92 Lincoln Continental 3.8L V6 (everything worked on this car except the engine, tranny, and suspension)
06. 91 Nissan Sentra SE Coupe 1.6L I4 5speed (ran great, 40mpg, only 1 repair from 90-170k, a wheel bearing)
07. 80 Datsun 280C 2.8L I6 (purchased for $300 in Australia, got me around the city for a year before thieves crashed it)
08. 91 Hyundai Excel 1.6L I4 5speed (Australia, girlfriend's [now wife] car, not cool, but at least it means she drives stick)
09. 81 Toyota Celica Coupe LT2000 2.0L I4 (Australia, good looking, reliable, fun to drive, outrageously slow)
10. 03 Toyota Echo Hatch 1.3L I4 (Australia, company car)
11. 91 Nissan Silvia 1.8L I4 5speed (JDM import to Australia, destroyed when I was rear-ended by a BMW)
12. 88 Nissan Cima-Cedric 3.0L Turbo V6 (JDM import to Australia, destroyed when someone made an illegal turn)
13. 82 Datsun 200B Wagon 2.0L I4 (Australia, even slower than the Celica, but still scary on mountain roads)
14. 94 Nissan 240SX Convertible 2.4L (fun in the sun, rear-ended by a truck right after dropping $3000 on new tranny)
15. 93 Toyota Camry LE 3.0L V6 (spun bearing at 88k...WTF!?)
16. 86 Buick Regal 307ci V8 (spent more time in the garage than on the road)
17. 93 Jeep Cherokee Country 4x4 4.0L I6
18. 93 Honda Accord Wagon 2.2L I4 5speed (one of the best cars I've ever owned, still want another one)
19. 05 Chevy Malibu Maxx LS 3.5L V6 (surprisingly spacious, unsurprisingly ugly)
20. 06 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0L Turbo 6speed (6th gear and 30mph uphill, no problem!)
21. 07 Chevy Cobalt LS 2.2L I4 5speed (laid-off, sold Jetta and Maxx, went cheap)
22. 89 Ford Crown Victoria Wagon 5.0L V8 (ran good, big on outside, small on inside, ice racing with the mother-in-law)
23. 05 Kia Spectra 2.0L I4 (company car, decent transport)
24. 07 Ford E-150 4.6L V8 (company car, cargo van, 8mpg)
25. 08 Toyota Corolla 1.8L I4 (company car, decent transport)
26. 08 Ford Fusion SEL 2.3L I4 5speed (very good car, just couldn't afford the payments anymore)
27. 88 Ford Ranger 4x4 2.9L V6 5speed
28. 96 Mercury Cougar XR-7 4.6L (still own it)
29. 85 Ford Falcon GL 4.1L I6 (Australia)
30. 93 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi 3.8L Supercharged (and here we are)