regrets.

[zachz34]

This might turn out to be a little long winded.

 

So I went to track with my LQ1 Z34 about 2 weeks ago. Ran a best of 16.0 @ 87. I was hot, it was humid, and I had a lot of weight in the car that I did not need (read: stereo equipment).

 

Now honestly... I love my lumina to death. It's smooth, I've got the FFP chip, it 'feels' pretty quick (although I WAS disappointed with the 16.0), and the thing has just under 167K miles on it and runs like a CHAMP. The stereo is VERY nice around town, and even better for long trips. The entire car is awesome for long trips. Comfy seats, nice suspension, nice stereo, smooth engine. This car is more comfortable and more smooth cruising at 75-80 than it is at 55-60.

 

My turbo grand prix was a mess. It was a black 1990 with front end damage that I had planned on fixing. I had the car for 8 months and the trans decided to take a shit, or so it seemed. Had a brand new transmission put in along with a new torque convertor and the whole 9 yards, and the same problem existed. It kept wanting to go in and out of overdrive. On top of that, the crossover was shot. The interior was in pretty nice shape, but it had no moonroof, which was disappointing. Neither does my lumina, but I've had two other GP's with the moonroofs, and it sucked that my TGP did not.

 

At any rate... I got tired of fighting with my mechanic over the trans problem, so I cut my losses and sold it to some kid from the next town over that my brother knew. He took the car to a Chevy dealership in Champaign IL, and they replaced the trans again with another new or rebuilt unit and the problem was fixed. Kid drove the HELL out of the car for 3 months, and the thermostat broke, and the engine overheated bad, and he blew the headgasket. He ended up taking it to a salvage yard, and they parted it out I guess. I was pissed that the kid didnt tell me about until they had stripped it, but at least he was nice enough to grab one of the emblems off of the car before he turned it in and gave it to me. I still miss the TGP.

 

I've had a few neat cars. a 1990 Olds Trofeo with the VIC, digital dash, and EVERY other option. THAT car was a neat car. Also had a 1988 Pontiac GTA with the L98 (350TPI), and a T-56 swapped. White with t-tops, that car was simply brutal. And of course my old lowly broken TGP.

 

Believe it or not... over all of those cars, I would take another TGP before any of the others... including my lumina WITH the stereo. The TGP with its trans problems ate me dry in the money department, but jesus... I miss that car. The lumina will be paid off in TWO months, and I'm going through another one of my TGP craving periods.

 

I dont have many regrets in my life, but getting rid of the TGP sure is one of the big ones.

 

Carry on. Just wanted to share a story. :?

[idbeast]

I'll have both of my TSTE's for sale shortly, they go as set.

[digitaloutsider]

I'll have both of my TSTE's for sale shortly, they go as set.

Why are you selling them?! Nevermind that.. HOW MUCH!!?!?!?

[slick]

Should have kept the Trofeo. Those baby's are hot!!

[Jeff M]

zachz34, Sorry the cards are not playing well for you! I think for the heat and humidity (and heat soak the engine gets idling in the waiting line at the track) those are not bad number, the TGP new had worse numbers than that on a hot humid day like that, when the test driver idiot also had the AC running before he did his run (not you!).

 

That was a nice Trofeo you had I know, my wifey had a 1992 we scored for 28% off with 4,000 miles from the GM PEP Lot, she had it until last year when I finally found her something new, took a lot of looking at all kinds of cars (Lincoln LS, Jag X-Type, Acura etc) before she found one to part with her favorite Trofeo, these handled extremely well and road fairly nice though I thought too rough for being a Luxury Olds version. Only thing I really did not like was the common 3800 problems of being a big ass oil leaking mess, everything leaked oil on it, really urked me it had to be this way, and blew the tranny lines twice in the 11 years we had it.

 

Yea I agree, once you had a MoonRoof, hard to be without one, feels kind of closed in without it. I sold my first new 1990 TGP after 4 years to get a Typhoon, spent a few years making the Ty too fast but was always craving the TGP back but it took the need of a few good friends with TGPs and cracked crossover pipes )and wanting to be faster beyond the kit I sold back in 1991-1995) for me to go look for another, found it in Georgia, 65k miles and a good price since I freaked him on GMs price for the crossover pipe (over $1,600 with tax now) and the ABS at $3,200 (though it was the common $100 Accumulator) and the Gauge Cluster at $425 to fix (Shawn shows you how to fix it for next to nothing but some time). BUT that one got duked but some local parts guys who was new/as I to the original Rapid Fires, they got me the wrong heat range and blew a head gasket, rebuild work was poor so had to take the engine out again, net time ARP studs claimed for the 3.1L by a Tech there was not right and took the threads out of one of the head bolt holes, did more work to the engine and since I spend so much time working on other people’s TGPs and testing things to offer them soon I hope, that TGP has sat for 6 years waiting for me to finish it, which this winter I will actually get my hands on it. I know other guys who have had some bad luck, so we know a lot of where you are coming from, but like us there will be a time in the future when thing will play out in your favor and who knows, might be like this one guy I know, had 2 TGPs and his third he scored for a good price with only 29k miles on it, that one I would really like to have 8) !!!

 

Jeff M