These ain't your Grandma's cars... [very long]

[PontiacEd]

So here is my recent Pontiac History:

It all started with my dad's 02 SLE, which was a company car at the time. He had it from about 2006 till May 2009. Maroon, had the L36 N/A 3800, leather, pretty much fully loaded for an SLE, aside from some power adjustments on the seats.

I only have one pic:

I first had a 98 Tahoe, but was never really happy with it. I started looking around on CL, etc and found a Black '00 Bonne SSEi. Every option but a CD Changer and heated seats. I bought it Memorial Day weekend 2008.

Pics:

I absolutely loved the car. It had everything I wanted (except heated seats), got much better mileage than my Tahoe, ran like a scalded ape and fit my 6'6" build. Unfortunately, less than 2 months later, it met its demise to the back of a pea-hauling dump truck. I was luckily OK, but the car was totalled.

The car got sold through my insurance to a member on Pontiac Bonneville Club, the site I found when I was searching for problems and a forum for these cars. I've been an active member on there ever since. He parted it out and made a good profit on it.

The deal with buying my 00 was that I had to sell the Tahoe (didn't sell in the time I had the 00), so I was back to driving the Tahoe till it Sold, which wasn't till October. 4 days later I drove home in this:

My current car, a 2003 SSEi. It had 139k on it when I bought it (got a good deal on it for the year, last of the SSEi). It has everything but heated seats ; Including: XM, 12 disc CD changer, full power seats, memory driver's setting, HUD, etc.

First thing the car got was new tires, GY Triple Treds (worst tires ever after 20k, FWIW). A few months later I did some mods, including an Intense Racing Fenderwell Intake (tubing leads to filter in bumper) along with a smaller S/C pulley and colder thermostat. I also replaced the Lower Intake Manifold Gaskets, as they're a common failure on these cars. I also wrinkle coated the S/C and valvecovers, for some heat-shedding due to surface area, mostly for the aesthetics.

Pics:

I've done a bunch of mods since then. My mom backed into it, so I got a new front bumper, hood and headlights from our Insurance.

For performance, I've gotten a tune, added a 3" exhaust downpipe and 3" high-flow cat, and gone down to a 3.6" pulley due to knock. I have more mods planned, that will go in another thread.

More random pics:

And now the newest addition, the 2005 Bonne GXP. When dad's company switched from company owned cars to giving employees a car allowance, they liquidated a bunch of their cars. It was either buy the 02 SLE or buy this GXP, and dad decided he wanted something nice, so he got the GXP. It's an 05, has EVERY option, XM, heated seats, HUD, CDX, Northstar V8, 18" wheels, 13" front brakes, etc. It's been a great car. He bought it with 46k, now has almost 90k. We got it in May 2009, my prom weekend, LOL. The only thing that's been done to it is maintenance, new tires (went with Kumho Ecsta ASX's, they sucked, right now has General Altimax Arctic's on Enkei 17's for winter, getting new tires for the 18's this spring), and a K&N filter. Dead-nuts stock otherwise, and that's fine with him.

Pics:

And finally, for my last act....

The two together!!!

Hope this wasn't too long, LOL. And just think, this is just a smattering of the photos I have.

[Ringo64]

Wow, applaud to your dedication to Bonnies! They all look(ed) awesome!

What happened exactly that the first one got totalled? You said it hit a truck but how did that happen? If you don't mind me asking. Glad you were ok from that though

[Twenty]

I want that. Now.

[PontiacEd]

Wow, applaud to your dedication to Bonnies! They all look(ed) awesome!

What happened exactly that the first one got totalled? You said it hit a truck but how did that happen? If you don't mind me asking. Glad you were ok from that though

I don't mind at all. I was leaving my place (farm mind you) and the truck was ahead of me. He was turning left, and apparently was going to let the combines that he was with cross the road, as they had come up the intersection to the right. I didn't see this, as I glanced off to the side, and by the time I saw that it was too late, so I shot it as far left as I could, and luckily just clipped the bed. I'm lucky that due to my height I sit way back, and the whole thing missed my head by mere inches. I'm very lucky to have walked away from that incident.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Welcome to Forever Pontiac!

Another Bonneville member, how did you find out about us?

Also, just a heads up...those Northstar motors are fickle, and have a tendency to shit out headgaskets and water pumps. And headgaskets are STUPID expensive if you don't fix yourself. But if you are fixing it yourself...you might set the car on fire halfway through. my pops has dealt with the headache that is the Northstar (me as well, diagnosing issues)

Not being a downer, I always give fair warnings of quirks and issues with n00ba on cars I deal with on a constant basis.

[PontiacEd]

' date='Nov 15 2011, 09:47 PM' post='61923']

Welcome to Forever Pontiac!

Another Bonneville member, how did you find out about us?

Also, just a heads up...those Northstar motors are fickle, and have a tendency to shit out headgaskets and water pumps. And headgaskets are STUPID expensive if you don't fix yourself. But if you are fixing it yourself...you might set the car on fire halfway through. my pops has dealt with the headache that is the Northstar (me as well, diagnosing issues)

Not being a downer, I always give fair warnings of quirks and issues with n00ba on cars I deal with on a constant basis.

Thanks for the welcome, I heard about it from that other n00b on here, WhiteArrow3800. We've both been on Pontiac Bonneville Club for some time.

I've been over at PBC for 3 years and 13k posts now. I do understand everything that goes with the Northstar. The 04+ engines are better from what we've gathered, but they still have tendencies to do what you said. Glad to see you're trying to help out n00bs, though.

[[ChaosweaveR]]

Thanks for the welcome, I heard about it from that other n00b on here, WhiteArrow3800. We've both been on Pontiac Bonneville Club for some time.

I've been over at PBC for 3 years and 13k posts now. I do understand everything that goes with the Northstar. The 04+ engines are better from what we've gathered, but they still have tendencies to do what you said. Glad to see you're trying to help out n00bs, though.

Then you and I both know how stubborn GM is on not improving designs when they say they do.

The headgasket spelled the end for the 01 Cadillac DeVille my pops owns, and a few months ago, he bought a used 08 Cadillac DTS, with that 'ol 4.6L DOHC Northstar under the hood. I mean, there's an 8.5 year difference between the engineering of those Northstars...but that nagging voice in my head still tells me, "HONOES, IT'S GUNNA EAT HEADGASKETS AND WATERPUMPS, Y0"

And cool the Bonnie crowd is getting word of us. Bring more members!

[Jedi3]

Great looking Bonnies

[valid]

Thanks for the story of yours cars! If I told the story of my family's cars, we'd be sitting here for days

Like I said in your intro thread, my stepmom has a pearl white GXP. Beautiful car and a blast to drive. Both of those Bonnevilles are gorgeous! Nice work. I love that yours in particular is basically stock in appearance; the sleeper look always gets me.

Maybe sometime we'll be able to meet up since I'm in WI! It's nice finding other midwesterners here

[EiGhTySeVeN]

Nice cars. I absolutely love Bonnevilles. I wanted a GXP, but when I couldn't find one I settled on my GTP. I like the SSEI too, but I've never been a big fan of the front bumpers. If I had one I'd throw a SLE front bumper on the front, but that's just me. And I can't tell, but did you clear your upper tail lights? I thought SSEI's always had the orange, and the GXP was the only trim with clear until 05 with the SLE. Maybe I'm just looking at it wrong?

[PontiacEd]

Nice cars. I absolutely love Bonnevilles. I wanted a GXP, but when I couldn't find one I settled on my GTP. I like the SSEI too, but I've never been a big fan of the front bumpers. If I had one I'd throw a SLE front bumper on the front, but that's just me. And I can't tell, but did you clear your upper tail lights? I thought SSEI's always had the orange, and the GXP was the only trim with clear until 05 with the SLE. Maybe I'm just looking at it wrong?

Do you mean the SE bumper? The 00-04 SLE had the same bumper as the SSEi, and the 05 SLE got the GXP bumper.

IMHO, GXP Fascia > SSEi/SLE > SE.

I just tinted the tails, you can't really see the orange anymore. I am working on another set that will be cleared, though. Just removing the amber lenses from the corners and center-section.

[Crimson]

bonneville GXP= one of the best sleepers....cool cars for sure!