Car Search Over!

"C62030" (c62030) 02/24/2016 at 18:05 • Filed to: None

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Finally picked up a new (to me) car yesterday. It is a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix SE Coupe, and it is lovely.

First, the problems, of which there are several but they’re all pretty small. The biggest little problem is the oil pressure gauge, which is constantly pegged just over the top of the scale and refuses to move, even after we changed the sender. The low fuel light likes to blink on and off of its own accord, even when there’s plenty of gas, you have to slam the driver’s door a little for it to close all the way and there’s a very small crack in the windshield but it’s on the passenger side so I barely notice it. My little cassette aux adapter is also stuck in the tape deck, so I’ll have to fish that out somehow.

But then the good things, of which there are many: the power everything (seats, mirrors, locks, etc.) all work fine. The cruise control is excellent. The interior is mostly spotless. Pontiac’s ridiculous yet delightful steering wheel buttons all work too, and the stereo is actually very good for a quite cheap 25-year-old American car. The injected 3.1L V6 makes the same 140 hp as my friend’s 2014 Corolla S, but actually makes a reasonable 185 torques for a little car like this, so it feels pleasingly quick off the line, and actually gives a little bit of wheelspin when you floor it. The steering is good, if a tad wooden, and the suspension soaks up bumps well, though it’s still pretty stiff. All the lights and such work, and the body is pretty much perfect - no dents and only a couple very small scratches that I could find. It also sounds very throaty.

The very best thing, though, was the price to mile ratio. I paid $1150, for which I got a car cover, license plate bracket and spare keys (and the previous owner thankfully kept every single document for it right in the glovebox). The mechanic I bought it from even changed the oil for me on the spot. And it only has 116,000 miles on it, which was a nice surprise, and I plan on putting on many more.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:10

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I think that’s the most early 90's / late 80's thing I’ve ever seen. Congrats!

Takuro Spirit > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:10

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Nice! I used to co-own a Cutlass Supreme coupe of similar vintage. Suspension was rough on that thing too. I think it was GM trying to be “sporty”. Those heavy doors cause the hinges to take a beating, pin kits should be cheap and easy to install.

Hopefully the oil pressure gauge is just stuck, the rest seems like easy problems to live with.

C62030 > Takuro Spirit 02/24/2016 at 18:12

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Absolutely. I’ve put about 130 miles on it since I bought it yesterday evening, and so far nothing’s irked me. Standard cheapish-car road noise, but the radio drowns it out. I’m loving it so far.

Danger Ranger XLT > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:12

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That color is perfect, and the steering wheel buttons/dash pod combo encapsulates everything I love about early-nineties cars.

C62030 > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/24/2016 at 18:12

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The steering wheel makes me feel like I’m in Star Trek and I love it.

Takuro Spirit > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:13

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Oh, and the torque steer is AWESOME on those cars! I almost forgot how much fun it was to try and go straight at full throttle, even with such a measly hp output.

C62030 > Danger Ranger XLT 02/24/2016 at 18:14

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My various family members all own American cars from the 90s, and they are all this color. It’s like a tiny, underpowered taxi fleet.

C62030 > Takuro Spirit 02/24/2016 at 18:15

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More fun to drive a slow car fast, right?

LongbowMkII > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:15

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Nice find. Very 90s. Very cheap. I didn't imagine that there were any 91 Grand Prix in this good of shape. Be prepared to replace the lower intake manifold gasket!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:15

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NP

Urambo Tauro > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:16

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This has got to be my favorite body style among the FWD Grands Prix (did I pluralize that right?).

BeaterGT > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:16

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Stereo buttons all working? That’s awesome! I wonder if you’ll be able to break even when you sell it.

Wobbles the Mind > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:17

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I love the color, the steering wheel, where the cruise stalk is, and the wiper operation system. So sweet!

NinetyQ > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:18

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Welcome to the Grand Prix coupe club! In May, I’ll have had mine for 10 years. It has almost twice as many miles though, and is 5 years newer.

Bytemite > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:20

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This looks like its FWD...and auto.

I don’t like it.

Danger Ranger XLT > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:24

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I really dig those early 90s colors, nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Also, I just remembered two of my uncles had Pontiacs from this time frame. I don’t recall the the exact models, and theirs were red and black, but those cars probably explain my soft spot for them.

JeepJeremy > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:24

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Damn

That’s a cool car. I remember them feeling so futuristic when I was a kid.

Nice purchase!

Chariotoflove > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:26

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Fantastic! Love that steering wheel. It must feel good in the hands. Enjoy!

Under_Score > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:27

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I love that color, those exterior door handles, and the steering wheel buttons! It’s even got automatic seatbelts; I’ve never seen those in action before.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:27

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That’s quite a steal for a car that seems to be working well and is surprisingly, in great shape.

JRapp: now as good as new again > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:28

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Nice.

And the problems all sound fixable.

The oil pressure gauge is likely the gauge itself. I’ve seen that go bad on a couple of GM cars or the era in the past. try banging on the gauge cluster to get it to move.. it may be a pain to replace though.

The fuel light may be related to the fuel level sender in the gas tank.. I’ve replaced the whole fuel pump and sender assembly on a slightly newer Monte Carlo for similar reasons.

The door, it’s likely the hinge pin bushings need replacement, which is causing the door to sag a bit.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:29

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Oh my god that is awesome. You lucky dog. One of the best 90s bodystyles ever.

shop-teacher > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:31

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Buttons! So many buttons!!

Nice buy!

Doug DeMuro > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:38

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Man, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one of those in that kind of shape. And look at that steering wheel!

C62030 > NinetyQ 02/24/2016 at 18:38

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Well, that’s heartening to hear. Great picture too!

C62030 > Under_Score 02/24/2016 at 18:39

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Two things there I should say - the seat belt assembly is entirely contained within the door, which I’ve never seen before and think is cool, and the doors do this cool thing to make up for no keyless entry where the keyhole lights up when you pull the handle at night. The color is awesome too.

C62030 > BeaterGT 02/24/2016 at 18:39

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If I take good care of it I think I might actually get close.

C62030 > Chariotoflove 02/24/2016 at 18:42

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The buttons will amuse me endlessly. They’re too big to reach without stretching your thumbs out of their sockets or moving a hand off the wheel, and since it was from the era of “Well, since we can’t put buttons on top of an airbag, let’s just get rid of the whole airbag” I’ll have to rely on just the seat belts when it inevitably wraps itself around a tree in an entertaining wave of torque steer.

C62030 > Bytemite 02/24/2016 at 18:43

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It is indeed both those things. I still like it. RWD would be really fun, though.

C62030 > Doug DeMuro 02/24/2016 at 18:45

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The wheel is fantastic. It’s approaching almost British levels of “Ehhh-good-enough-just-build-it.”

Matt Nichelson > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:47

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I had a white one, same trim and year, when I was a sophomore in high school. It was the 2nd car I ever owned. Those seats were so damn comfortable. Unfortunately I only had it for a few months before I rearended a truck going to work and totalled it. Hopefully you’ll get to enjoy yours a tad longer than that!

Bytemite > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:48

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Convert yourself now!

RWD, manual. NOW!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:49

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Is this the car? NO WORRIES, I’m just stalking you.

https://missoula.craigslist.org/cto/5446214597…

C62030 > Matt Nichelson 02/24/2016 at 18:50

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Hahaha, I’ll do my best!

BobintheMtns > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:55

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My best friend had one of these in high school...... I remember we thought it looked like a spaceship inside at night cuz of all the buttons... Oh Pontiac...

NinetyQ > C62030 02/24/2016 at 18:57

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Well, the disheartening part of it is that in that 10 years, my expenses on it, not including gas an insurance but including original purchase, have probably added up to almost the original MSRP of the car. I’ve had to replace the engine and transmission, get that second transmission rebuilt, ran over some trees when I was 17, and plenty of other random stupid maintenance things. But in the second half of my ownership of it, it’s been pretty reasonable really. Hopefully yours has better luck.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > C62030 02/24/2016 at 19:04

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“The mechanic I bought it from”

Uh oh.... I hope your experience is better than my experience with cars bought off of mechanics.

In my experience, when a mechanic is getting rid of a car, it’s usually because it needs some expensive/difficult work in the near future.

But if you get a year of use out of it without major repairs, you’ll have gotten your money’s worth.

C62030 > Bytemite 02/24/2016 at 19:13

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I think I’ll make a video of myself autocrossing it and continuously scream “FRONT WHEEL DRIVE AUTOMATICS FOREVER” and laugh while I do it.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > C62030 02/24/2016 at 19:20

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Love the car. Just one question: how on earth do you operate the wipers?

C62030 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/24/2016 at 19:24

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This also took me a minute: you have to set the slider up, which changes the interval but also just turns them on, and the splash and mist appear to be separated into two buttons. It was just the lack of an on/off button that confused me at first. But it means the controls are more accessible the way they have it here, which I like over having them on a stalk.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > C62030 02/24/2016 at 19:37

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Wow.

C62030 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/24/2016 at 19:43

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I’ve never written a paragraph about wiper controls before. This is a learning experience.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > C62030 02/24/2016 at 19:53

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Isn’t it ever? I almost bought a GTP before I found my C1500. RWD, a V8, and $800 in your pocket is a convincing argument for choosing a Sierra over a Grand Prix.

C62030 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/24/2016 at 20:01

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It is a smart buying decision. I have no use for the truck dimensions, though. This car’s actually about perfect size-wise. There’s a lot more room inside than one would think.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > C62030 02/24/2016 at 20:04

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Fair enough, not everybody wants a big truck. To each their own!

Chariotoflove > C62030 02/24/2016 at 20:08

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Hehe, you really think that amount of power will generate that much torque steer? I never felt that much in those cars, but then again, I didn't go looking for it. :)

Chariotoflove > C62030 02/24/2016 at 20:10

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My ‘88 cutlass supreme had the belts entirely in the door. Wonderful! I miss that so much.

C62030 > Chariotoflove 02/24/2016 at 20:20

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I test drove a ‘90 98 Regency and loved it. Unfortunately it was in nowhere near as good a condition as this, and someone got to it before we did. Drove like a dream, though.

Quadradeuce > C62030 02/24/2016 at 21:36

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My first car was a 1990. I loved those wiper and headlight controls. You could just slap that general area to activate them. I loved that car. Finally died after 200k miles (engine for overhauled once).

The Transporter > C62030 02/24/2016 at 22:00

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My second car was a red ‘92 GTP. Quite a quick car for its day. Changing the back three spark plugs was a bitch, though.

gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun > C62030 02/24/2016 at 22:10

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That’s the attitude :D

Speed > C62030 02/24/2016 at 23:13

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Lovely!

My buddy had one in college we called the “Kicker” because of his ridiculous sound system set up. I loved bombing around in that thing.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > C62030 02/29/2016 at 12:22

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I’m liking this WAY more than I should. DAT TEAL!!!