My Brother Got His First Car Today

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
08/21/2016 at 21:44 • Filed to: None

A 2004 Grand Am SE with the 2.2L EcoTec with 163,xxx miles.

Owned it 6 hours and it’s already washed and waxed

The people it was purchased from kept extensive records of everything ever done to it by them. They even wrote down when they put an air freshener in. Fittings were greased every oil change, among other things I don’t think most people actually do.

It’s mid-level option wise. Partial power driver’s seat, sunroof, Monsoon stereo, and probably a couple other things I didn’t know were options. The 2.2L feels pretty good power wise actually.

It’s got a couple normal GM issues. The dash padding is popped up in a couple places and the radio buttons have some wear, but that’s about it. Nothing too terrible though. It's pretty obvious it was taken care of.

It’ll be a good first car for him I think. 3000x better than the Safari.

DISCUSSION (23)

Nibby > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 21:49

I spy an Aston Martin Rapide in the garage...

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 21:50

It’s a miserable economy car, but that’s a hellaciously well-taken-care-of economy car. Your family is becoming a rest home for cream puff cars

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Nibby
08/21/2016 at 21:50

A very dirty Rapide I need to desperately wash.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 21:51

I don’t think there’s any possible way to measure the popularity of first cars, but if there were, I’d have to imagine the 5th gen Grand Am would be one of the most popular.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
08/21/2016 at 21:55

I was honestly expecting it to be a lot more miserable than it is. It’s livable.

I honestly don't know how all these clean ass used normal cars keep falling into our lap.

Nibby > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 21:56

RAPIDE MASTER RACE UNITE!

My mother is on her 2nd one after her 2013 Energi’s lease ended a few months ago. This time she just got a 1.5L Ecoboost SE with leather + nav

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Nibby
08/21/2016 at 21:57

I’m only slightly trying to convince my parents they need a new Fusion Sport.

Viggen > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
08/21/2016 at 21:57

I loved mine. 2001 SE with the 2.4.

Nibby > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 22:01

Do it!

For Sweden > Nibby
08/21/2016 at 22:05

Looks more like a Lagonda to me

BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 22:06

Ooh that’s the Grand Alero, which lost much of the Pontiac’s normal insane cladding for Olds Alero mirrors and doors. The Alero’s demise did much good for the looks of the not-long-for-this-world Grand Am

mazda616 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 22:07

I had a ‘99 GT1 coupe as my second car at age 17. I miss it. I loved that thing. I still see it around town, and it was even for sale on Craigslist not too long ago. Well over 200,000 miles on it by now. I traded it in with 131,000 in 2009.

Mine had the 3400 “Ram Air” instead of the Ecotec, br it was also similarly freakishly well taken care of before I got it.

These cars have their issues but they aren’t as bad as people make them out to be. I never had any real issues with mine.

The dash popping up is very common. I was obsessive about mine and kept the window shade up anytime it was parked, even if it was cold outside or the car was in the shade. I still had some tiny deformation in the corner of the dash pad.

Kinja'd!!!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre
08/21/2016 at 22:14

It looks so much better without the cladding.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 22:17

Are you sure your brother doesn’t have a time machine? That has to be the cleanest Grand Am I have ever seen.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > mazda616
08/21/2016 at 22:18

That looks damn good with the red accents.

His is deformed is the corners, by the defrost vent (so much so it broke the vent), and above the gauge cluster pod. We wanna see if it can be fixed but I doubt it.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/21/2016 at 22:20

It’s in as good, if not better condition than my 70,000 mile S10 that was owned by an old guy who took meticulous care of the truck. A couple scratches and scrapes here and there that can probably be buffed out, but that’s it.

404 - User No Longer Available > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/21/2016 at 22:44

Make sure you keep up with the coolant flushes, known problem with these Ecotecs that the Dexcool will eat right through the water pump. Had one replaced on my Sol under extended warranty, and the job requires a specific pump holder tool, otherwise your timing chain will go out of whack and destroy your engine. Best part is some dealers don’t even know about that tool.