The van saga soon to end

[epj3]

Well, after having the van spew steam from the radiator cap on my mom yesterday, she took it to the dealer, and it turns out it needs the head gasket replaced which also requires the intake gasket to be replaced... AGAIN.

Yes, again. The intake gasket was replaced exactly 9 months ago. At the tune of about $1000. Now it needs the head gasket replaced, $1200, plus the intake gasket replaced again (since they take it apart), $700.

This might not sound too bad if it wasnt a 4 year old, 58k mile car.

That makes total GASKET repairs enough to BUY A NEW ENGINE. Since the car itself is in shoddy condition (wheel bearing they installed for $800 2 weeks after our warranty ended is making noise again and is out of their 12k mile new-parts warranty.) and my sister and mom never take care of it...hence why I will not let them be in my car.


Anyways, besides even MORE reason for me to hate General Motors, or specifically Pontiac (which isnt just the dealer... www.gmv6-lemons.com), it brings up the question of what car to replace the van with. They arent going to buy anything new unless it's a Grand Am becuase all of the models are either shoddy plastic or just ugly (ie new grand prix). Anyone here own a 3.8 liter pre-04 Grand Prix? Thats what my mom is considering, and even though I hate the fact that they have to get another ponatic (the dealer is going to transfer payments from the van onto a different car), i know the 3.8liter engines are one of GM's only reliable engines.

Do you think the Grand Prix is okay?

If anyone has owned a grand prix or boneville, I want to know if it was an okay car.


This has completely broken all will for me to buy a Pontiac and most GM's in my life. It's just one crappy car after another after another.

[Ben]

lol. this is the reason i will not buy any new american car.

[TrashTrampoline]

I had a 98 Grand Prix GT with a 3800, it rocked! No mechanical problem other than the headlight lenses falling off, but the dealer fixed at no charge. Very fast, decent gas milage, smart looks.

Nice car, got me too many tickets though.

Don't get a Grand Am, its been around for a while and is due for a re-design, don't wanna drive a car thats only 2 years old and have it be the "old" body style do ya?

[epj3]

Originally posted by TrashTrampoline
I had a 98 Grand Prix GT with a 3800, it rocked! No mechanical problem other than the headlight lenses falling off, but the dealer fixed at no charge. Very fast, decent gas milage, smart looks.

Nice car, got me too many tickets though.

Don't get a Grand Am, its been around for a while and is due for a re-design, don't wanna drive a car thats only 2 years old and have it be the "old" body style do ya?

Well, if they are going to make it look like the new grand prix, then I'd rather have them get an older grand am.

[crupdawg]

no van????? noooooo!!!!


my friend had a grand prix, it was a pretty solid car mechanically, not bad looking either. he liked it [Thumbs U]

[Bear6360]

I used to have a Grand Prix as well. Great vehicle.

There's a garage two blocks from my house called Heinrich's. They sell used German cars as well. They had some sort of a 3-series for sale (it appeared to be a '96 roughly) for $8500. I haven't had time to go investigate, though. It might be a good buy.

[epj3]

Well, My mom needs something that's cheap to repair, so she would probably go for a japanese cars like a honda.

They decided to keep the van for now, wait till it's paid off in a few years, then buy a new car... thats NOT A GM!!


By the way, update on the cost of repairs:

Went from being estimated $1200 to $2400, 1500 less than the cost of a new engine [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer] [hammer]

[Bear6360]

They all cost a fortune to repair....just ask CarFix. He gets so much dough workin' on cars, he own 14 cars himself.

[epj3]

Well, we picked it up today without getting it repaired. They want WAY too much money to repair it -- almost the cost of a new engine. They charged us something like $250 to look at it and for parking it in their lot for 4 days. Bunch of bullshit if you ask me.

Anyways, so they took off the intake gasket to check the gasket, and obviously messed it up more. How do I know? It smokes like a mother fucker now. Never smoked before we took it in.

Now, the 5 year old, 60,000 mile van's current location is the driveway, soon to be under a tarp.

[mrferg]

"soon to be under a tarp."

That statement saddens me, that's how the MGB was when it was first decommissioned. 20 years later and now it's a pile of rust.

[epj3]

Originally posted by mrferg
"soon to be under a tarp."

That statement saddens me, that's how the MGB was when it was first decommissioned. 20 years later and now it's a pile of rust.

We already have a few spots of paint thats wearing off. Bhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha [rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl]
[rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl]
[rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl]
[rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl]

[Bear6360]

Your parents should buy this!

http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/icons/yinyang2.gif (http://cars.kbb.com/search/used/cc/standard/results/single/ld/detail.jhtml?paId=130537709&aff=carskbb&src=&cid=&row=1)

[epj3]

Originally posted by Bear6360
Your parents should buy this!

http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/icons/yinyang2.gif (http://cars.kbb.com/search/used/cc/standard/results/single/ld/detail.jhtml?paId=130537709&aff=carskbb&src=&cid=&row=1)

Lol thats VERRRRRY impractical for both of their needs. Hell, my car is impractical for my mom's needs.

For their next car in like 5 years, I'm suggesting a new 3 series (which will be the sedan) or an audi A4.

[Bear6360]

You get a Z4 and give them your car in 5 years. :-D

[epj3]

haha, well bear, maybe i can get a job with you and get a z4!!

[Bear6360]

You would probably be able to afford one...depending on your other bills.

[epj3]

Originally posted by Bear6360
You would probably be able to afford one...depending on your other bills.

Well if i got anything, it would be a 3 series. About the same cost but less for insurance and stuff.

I might not be going to school this first year... so if that happens then I'll seriously consider a job like that. Make money for college without having to pay rent or anything since i'd be living here with my parents for that year. After that, who knows.

[Bear6360]

A Z4 turns a lot more heads than a 3-series...regardless of which 3-series car it is. Believe me. [Smirk]

....and you should've said something sooner about taking the first year off from school. I think we only have one open position in my department left. There were 6.

[Carfix]

Originally posted by Bear6360
They all cost a fortune to repair....just ask CarFix. He gets so much dough workin' on cars, he own 14 cars himself.

sixty five bucks an hour baby.....8-)

[mrferg]

Originally posted by Carfix
sixty five bucks an hour baby.....8-)

:-0 Sweet, so I am going into the right profession!

[epj3]

Nope, networking jobs pay 50 dollars an hour, and your hands dont get greasy and dont have to use that 65 dollars/hour to pay for electricity and stuff[Smirk2]

[mrferg]

meh, I like computers, but I just cannot stand all the BS Windows gives you sometimes.

[epj3]

Originally posted by mrferg
meh, I like computers, but I just cannot stand all the BS Windows gives you sometimes.

Windows? Psssssh if i have to deal with windows when i'm a network or system admin, then forget it. i'm going into cars :-P

Thank god for *NIX!!

[Bear6360]

Originally posted by mrferg
meh, I like computers, but I just cannot stand all the BS Windows gives you sometimes.

That BS keeps some of us employed! [Laugh]

...as for being a mechanic, I've been thinkin' about that lately. I think the demand for mechanics is rising....plus they don't make bad money. Considering all the money you put into a car, that would be more than a salary loss for me for changing jobs.

[epj3]

I'd love to do something car related, unfortunately I think being a mechanic would just get to be a pain in the ass with all the new technology going into cars. People are going to stop getting stuff fixed if it costs too much.

I'd LOVE to be a professional driver, oh man that would be awesome.

[Bear6360]

I doubt the auto technology could keep up with the computer technology you want to deal with everyday. You seem pretty capable of handling keeping up with new trends anyways.

[Carfix]

actually if you guys want to get into something that will pay really well, you might look into auto electrical and computer systems..... that's where the industry is heading..... how many of your friends are driving around in a car with the check engine light on in the dash???? i get $45 just to reset it.... $65 if they want to know why it was on.... takes less than 5 minutes to reset, 10 to read codes and reset.... then we have ABS and SRS system malfunctions.... should i go on?

[mrferg]

That's what I'm learning in class right now, fuel injection, sensors, and computers.

[Bear6360]

I want to learn how to charge someone an hour for labor when it only takes me 5 minutes to fix the problem. [V. Happy]

[Ben]

theres a shop in NY that I might apply for sometime next year. they do alot of porsche race cars and restorations plus all the normal stuff. my cousin worked there for half a year and she loved it....... www.demanmotorsports.com the reason i like it so much is they mostly deal with old cars, which is what i want to work on.

[mrferg]

Originally posted by Ben
...they mostly deal with old cars, which is what i want to work on.

Ditto, old cars are great, that's what I'd like to do too.

[Carfix]

Originally posted by Bear6360
I want to learn how to charge someone an hour for labor when it only takes me 5 minutes to fix the problem. [V. Happy]

you don't charge an hour labor.... you charge a flat fee to scan and reset service engine light..... you charge labor when you go to repair the problem that turned the light on... [Devil]

[Bear6360]

Sounds pretty shady to me. :-\

8-)

[epj3]

Originally posted by Carfix
you don't charge an hour labor.... you charge a flat fee to scan and reset service engine light..... you charge labor when you go to repair the problem that turned the light on... [Devil]

If i lived out there, would you let me use your lifts and tools to work on my car in the after hours? becuase you would kick ass if you did.

[Carfix]

yeah, i let my buddies use the shop on weekends and in the evenings as long as they clean up when they are done

[Carfix]

Originally posted by Bear6360
Sounds pretty shady to me. :-\

8-)

actually bear, most of the local shops charge $65 just to reset the light, they charge around $90 to do a full scan and tell you what is wrong...... a full system scan takes about 45 minutes to do...... it checks each component while the engine is running.... these new cars are amazing...... i can rev the engine up through the scanner.... turn things on and off, get a full weather readout, temp, humidity reading, barametric pressure, and more

[epj3]

I can make the starter spin by shorting out 2 pins in the diagnostics port!! Woot!!