looking into buying a car - 1998 pontiac grand am

[slade]

I'm looking into splitting a car with a friend (who, unfortunately, doesn't have much money to spend) and a grad student on campus has a 1998 pontiac grand am, 140,000 miles, for sale for $1125. Apparently the brakes/cooling system needs to be checked and may need to be repaired. i'm slightly afraid that 140,000 miles might put this car at the end of it's life cycle, and we could end up having to put too much money into repairs. however, the asking price is about half of the blue book value. Does AO have any advice regarding this car, or have a better suggestion with a cap of about $2,500? *waits for Lohman*

[Lohman446]

I'm looking into splitting a car with a friend (who, unfortunately, doesn't have much money to spend) and a grad student on campus has a 1998 pontiac grand am, 140,000 miles, for sale for $1125. Apparently the brakes/cooling system needs to be checked and may need to be repaired. i'm slightly afraid that 140,000 miles might put this car at the end of it's life cycle, and we could end up having to put too much money into repairs. however, the asking price is about half of the blue book value. Does AO have any advice regarding this car, or have a better suggestion with a cap of about $2,500? *waits for Lohman*

V6 = intake gaskets, not that big of a deal (make sure you use the updated Fel-Pro gaskets. Should have a lot of life left in it at 140K. You know how to do brakes.

Quad 4 = 140K miles more than it should have ever run

[ManInBlack]

I wouldn't touch a Grand Am with that many miles. Try looking for a Honda or Toyota. They can be found in that price range and have much better reliability in general.

For research, maybe try autos.msn.com

[slade]

V6 = intake gaskets, not that big of a deal (make sure you use the updated Fel-Pro gaskets. Should have a lot of life left in it at 140K. You know how to do brakes.

Quad 4 = 140K miles more than it should have ever run

I think it's a 4 cylinder.

This is what I was worried about. I didn't think grand ams around that year were all that reliable.

An older civic was the first thing I looked at, but it would have been nice to find something for sale on campus. the problem is, there isn't much we could get when my friend is limited to spending $1500 at the most.

[punkncat]

I owned a 96. Is this the 4 or 6 cylinder?

They produce a lot of power, and are great fun to drive although a touch unreliable.
The 6 cylinder is a bit better motor as far as dependability and whatnot, but that quad four is a beast as far as power and revs. Good gas mileage if you stay out of it.

The cooling system is a sealed system. If there is a leak anywhere it MUST be fixed in order for it to pull water from the overflow. Otherwise it will actually push water out of the system and overheat quickly. The water pump is a pain in the butt to get to as well as the thermostat. Common problem with those was the radiator which stopped up easily. It will certainly be bad if anyone ever put stop leak in it.

The brakes were another weak point. Many were outfitted with an antilock braking system which makes the master cylinder very expensive. The rear brake slaves had a bad problem with seizing up, and the front calipers often quit "floating" on their pins causing abnormal brake wear. The other problem was that the brakes were WAY underdesigned for the power and handling the sporty models provided and had many problems related to overheating. Especially warped rotors, glazed pads, etc.

Overall if you are looking at it for a beater, it runs and only costs 1100 bucks you probably can't go too wrong. Just don't put a lot of money in it.

[warpig13]

As I am too looking for a car, I am looking at Hondas, Acuras, and Toyotas.

Im leaning towards the Acura Integra because my unlce used to work for an Acura dealship and they had top-notch customer service.

But i wouldnt touch that Pontiac with a 10 foot pole.

[Lohman446]

The idea that high mileage (over 100K) imports are more reliable than American autos is a myth.

A) Most imports receive better maintenance than American vehicles.

B) All the major magazines "reliability" ratings are based on rather limited service lifes.

Can a well maintained Honda run to 300K (or better)? Sure, but so can many American vehicles.

[warpig13]

The idea that high mileage (over 100K) imports are more reliable than American autos is a myth.

A) Most imports receive better maintenance than American vehicles.

B) All the major magazines "reliability" ratings are based on rather limited service lifes.

Can a well maintained Honda run to 300K (or better)? Sure, but so can many American vehicles.

Im not denying that, because any car can run a long time as long as it's very well maintained. But as you said, most imports do get better overall maintenance, hence why I suggest an import.

[rifleman wi]

I owned a 96. Is this the 4 or 6 cylinder?

T
The brakes were another weak point. Many were outfitted with an antilock braking system which makes the master cylinder very expensive. The rear brake slaves had a bad problem with seizing up, and the front calipers often quit "floating" on their pins causing abnormal brake wear. The other problem was that the brakes were WAY underdesigned for the power and handling the sporty models provided and had many problems related to overheating. Especially warped rotors, glazed pads, etc.

Overall if you are looking at it for a beater, it runs and only costs 1100 bucks you probably can't go too wrong. Just don't put a lot of money in it.

yep, the wifes old 96' Grand Am had this problem, she would be rolling at like 5 mph out the driveway, tap the breaks and they would lock up, good thing it never happened on the freeway..

[Coralis]

I had a 92 grand am that finally died with 230k on it. It had the quad four in it and i beat the crap out of it but a friend of mine had a 96 and his was nothing but trouble so go figure .... I guess that really doesnt help much does it ?? I guess you just need to take a test drive and see if what you want. On a side note buying a car with a friend is usually a recipe to losing a friend.

[Fred]

My family had a 96 Grand am with the V6... Engine was strong, great gearbox for the highway (though it was missing the 3rd pedal I demand), but its brakes, A/C, and other suspension stuff was a constant hassle above 100k miles...

The car was also falling apart, Pontiac's trim/build quality was horrible at the time, between popping clips, plastic just disintigratings, switches breaking, window motors... so many small things kept breaking that the car was just not worth keeping.

[Thordic]

I know quite a few people who owned GrandAms of around that age (including my gf) and not one of them was happy with their car.

[skife]

my parents gave me a '94 grand am as my first car, it came with 150k on it or so, maybe less, maybe more.

i drove it for 2-3 years and the only thing i ever did to it was put breaks on it. granted, it wasn't much to look at and it needed a tuneup but it still got damn good mileage and when i got in, it always started.

3100 v6 / auto tranny

i ran the car to 201k before i drove over a flooded road, it sucked water and hydrolocked. i pulled all 6 plugs, swapped them with new ones and it fired right back up, i should have changed the oil first, ran a bunch of water through the motor and it killed the oil pump i think. changed the oil, and the oil light was still on. it'd start and run for about 10-15 seconds then die was a sad sad day.

[Lohman446]

I think it's a 4 cylinder.

This is what I was worried about. I didn't think grand ams around that year were all that reliable.

An older civic was the first thing I looked at, but it would have been nice to find something for sale on campus. the problem is, there isn't much we could get when my friend is limited to spending $1500 at the most.

It is highly unlikely to get a well maintained and cared for car for $1500. That being said, if I was buying a car with questionable maintenance I would go for a GM V-6 or Ford 3.0 SOHC (Taurus). Stay far far away from the 2.7 and interference engines popular in Honda / Toyota.

[skife]

It is highly unlikely to get a well maintained and cared for car for $1500. That being said, if I was buying a car with questionable maintenance I would go for a GM V-6 or Ford 3.0 SOHC (Taurus). Stay far far away from the 2.7 and interference engines popular in Honda / Toyota.

i agree on the 3.0 vulcan i had one in my abused '92 tempo and i beat the hell out of it, it used a quart of oil from lima ohio to cedar springs mi and when warmed up it rattled alot. but it always started right up and ran like a top.