Should I Get This W-Body? (Updated with more details on page 2)

[89GranSport]

Ok, so my dad and I were driving by a local dealer, and we spotted a green Monte Carlo Z34. The Z34 has the ducktail spoiler, black leather interior, no sunroof, and 110K miles. I don't know the year because the doors were locked and the registration stickers weren't on the windshield. It needs some minor exterior work, nothing major. I wish I knew the year, so I could know whether it has a LQ1 or a L36. I have to wait for the dealership to open on Monday to find out more details about the car. The good news is, my dad is good friends with the dealer, and the dealer has always been very kind enough to give our family great deals on his trade-ins, so I might be able to get a good deal on the Z34. So as of now, I'm considering buying the Z34 (pending more info on it) if the price is right and the engine and transmission are good. So has anyone owned a '95-'99 MC Z34? How reliable are they? More specifically, how reliable is the LQ1?

 

I only have enough cash and room for one car, right now. So if I buy the MC Z34, I would have to sell my Regal. If the MC runs good and the price is right, should I sell the Regal and buy the Z34? Or, should I just keep my Regal? Thanks everyone!

[Jonathan_C]

This is a tough call - I never sell a decent car because 1 - I get attached to them, and 2 - You never know if the replacement will be better or not on reliability. I guess my suggestion is only you know how badly you want the car, and if you don't like the lq1 motor, don't buy it if it has one. (I have a 93 z34 with the lq1 by the way so I'm no way trashing that engine.)

[Hal H]

Here's the lowdown:

 

8th digit in VIN: if X, then it has LQ1 3.4

 

if engine code is K, appears to be 3.8L

 

10th digit is model year:

 

'95 =S

'96 =T

'97 =V (last year for LQ1)

'98 =W

'99 =X

[Cully77]

Did it have wheels like mine? then assuming it's still stock, it's a 98-99. If it had the more rounded wheels it's a 95-97.

 

Mine has been pretty reliable as the L36 usually is. Had one major problem that probably could have been prevented if I had known what the symptoms meant (noticed squeaking from belt area but stupidly didn't get it checked out). I sheared the Idler pulley on the highway

 

better pics here in my intro thread

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=68158.0

[89GranSport]

Thanks everyone for your input. Thanks Hal, for posting the VIN codes. I swung by the dealership and checked out the VIN, the Z34 is a '96 with the LQ1. The more I look at the car, the more I like it. It hardly has a speck of rust on it. My dad thinks he knows who the car belongs to, he thinks the car belongs to the wife of a guy who works at the dealership, the guy trades in his cars every now and then. So my dad is going to talk to the guy Monday morning, when the guy comes in to work. I'm trying not to get too excited about the car in case it has engine or transmission problems, but I'm hoping for the best, just got to wait until Monday.

 

Edit: I also snapped some pics of the car when I went to look at the VIN.

 

 

 

 

[jeremy]

that's a 95-97.....so it will have the LQ1 ....

[Cully77]

Cool, it's kinda hard to tell from the pics but the leather looks like it's in decent shape. But who puts a bumpersticker on the hood!? How many miles do you have on your Regal?

[ManicMechanic]

Definitely has leather and it looks like the trunk lock has been punched out. I would check it out but expect mechanical problems.

[89GranSport]

Cool, it's kinda hard to tell from the pics but the leather looks like it's in decent shape. But who puts a bumpersticker on the hood!? How many miles do you have on your Regal?

My Regal almost has 123K miles. It isn't a bumpersticker, it's a magnet that says "Losers" LOL. The leather appears to be in good shape.

 

Definitely has leather and it looks like the trunk lock has been punched out. I would check it out but expect mechanical problems.

Yeah, the trunk lock needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, I also expect there to be mechanical problems.

[Euro]

it's an LQ1.....expect engine problems if it's sitting in the back of the dealer's lot with no plates.

 

I'd keep the Regal IMO

[55trucker]

Is your Regal an '89 GranSport...(as is your nic)?....if so, I would imagine that is the 4 seater?, not the rear bench.....up here that particular model doesn't exist anymore at all. A rarer car than the '96 Z34.

[89GranSport]

Is your Regal an '89 GranSport...(as is your nic)?....if so, I would imagine that is the 4 seater?, not the rear bench.....up here that particular model doesn't exist anymore at all. A rarer car than the '96 Z34.

Yeah, my '89 Regal is a Gran Sport. But it doesn't have the four seater package, it has a rear bench seat.

[AL]

also make them give you a center cap for that back wheel... not a big deal but an OCD thing of mine

[GOT2B GM]

mileage would be a major deciding factor for me. Don't listen to the LQ1 naysayers, unless if you're afraid of a bit maintenance.

[Euro]

what kind of dealer is it? I'm always leery of buying cars from a "sales and service" little dealer like that. Usually means the owner didn't want to pay for the repair, so they sold it to them.

[Pontiac6KSTEAWD]

Keep the regal..

[Cully77]

If your set on a 5th gen. they're usually not too hard to come by, and relatively inexpensive as well. I'm sure you could find a 98-99 z34 if you'd rather too. Unless you're looking for a fixer-upper.

[89GranSport]

I'll update this thread tomorrow when I find out more details about the car.

 

mileage would be a major deciding factor for me. Don't listen to the LQ1 naysayers, unless if you're afraid of a bit maintenance.

What kind of maintenance are you talking about? Do you mean basic maintenance, like changing the oil, checking the fluid levels, getting tune-ups, that sort of maintenance?

 

what kind of dealer is it? I'm always leery of buying cars from a "sales and service" little dealer like that. Usually means the owner didn't want to pay for the repair, so they sold it to them.

It's a average sales and service dealership that sells new and used cars. But the dealer has always been honest to my family, my dad used to work there. He is friends with just about everyone who works there. The dealer has always told my dad if something was wrong with a trade-in we were interested in.

 

If your set on a 5th gen. they're usually not too hard to come by, and relatively inexpensive as well. I'm sure you could find a 98-99 z34 if you'd rather too. Unless you're looking for a fixer-upper.

I've never really given much thought about Monte Carlo Z34's before, so when I saw this one up close, I liked it a lot. If things don't work out with this Z34, I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for another one.

[Euro]

what kind of dealer is it? I'm always leery of buying cars from a "sales and service" little dealer like that. Usually means the owner didn't want to pay for the repair, so they sold it to them.

It's a average sales and service dealership that sells new and used cars. But the dealer has always been honest to my family, my dad used to work there. He is friends with just about everyone who works there. The dealer has always told my dad if something was wrong with a trade-in we were interested in.

 

Ah ok, well that's good then.

[89GranSport]

Well, I got more details about the MC. The car belonged to the person my dad thought it belonged to. He talked to the owner's boyfriend, and the 1st-2nd gear switch needs to be replaced in the transmission. My dad got a quote from a mechanic, and it looks like it would cost around $500, my dad threw out a offer of $500 for the Monte, and the guy said he would talk it over with his girlfriend (it was her car). The car has 110K miles, and since the transmission is going to need to be pulled to replace the switch, we figured it would be easier and safer to just rebuild the transmission while it's out. We haven't gotten a quote for a rebuild yet. So have any of you guys had your transmission rebuilt, if so, how much did it cost you. The deal isn't final yet, and we don't own the car, but I wanted to add up the costs and then decide if I want to buy it. Also, since it's a LQ1, as far as I know the timing belt is the original, around how many miles does the timing belt usually need to be replaced?

[Euro]

timing belts usually go out at like 60k ish? If that's not right, then they should be replaced every 60-70k or so. I can't remember exactly, someone else will chime in with that.

 

 

And auto trans rebuilds are anywhere from 1900-2500 bucks.

[Jonathan_C]

I hate to say this. but honestly I think in the long run, the Regal is nicer and more desirable. You can always find a 1.5 gen W and probably one that needs less work. If you had a way to store a car at all, I would suggest picking it up if it is cheap and repairing it. Right now, the chevy isn't nice enough for me to recommend ditching a 4 seater GS. Keep the Regal nice and work on getting to where you can have 2 or 3 (or 6!) cars. Unless you can find an outside storage place for cheap, they have them here for like 20 bucks a month, not a bad deal, just borrow or buy a car cover - you're going to need one eventually anyway

[Regal_GS_1989]

LQ1 maintanence isn't that bad. I've never done a Timing belt, but other then the regular stuff, (oil changes, coolant changes, plugs and wires) there is nothing bad about it. The alternator can be a bitch the first time you change it, but after that, its not so bad. There is a write up in the FAQ section that makes it easier to do.

 

But, i wouldn't give up the regal for a Monte like that. Then again, I also just gave up a 1992 cutlass international coupe in order to keep my 89 GS.

[89GranSport]

I hate to say this. but honestly I think in the long run, the Regal is nicer and more desirable. You can always find a 1.5 gen W and probably one that needs less work. If you had a way to store a car at all, I would suggest picking it up if it is cheap and repairing it. Right now, the chevy isn't nice enough for me to recommend ditching a 4 seater GS. Keep the Regal nice and work on getting to where you can have 2 or 3 (or 6!) cars. Unless you can find an outside storage place for cheap, they have them here for like 20 bucks a month, not a bad deal, just borrow or buy a car cover - you're going to need one eventually anyway

Yeah, I'm going to keep my Regal and pass on the Monte. After adding up the costs, and thinking about the Monte Carlo's condition, it would be far more costly for me to fix up the MC than it would be for me to fix up my Regal. I was only originally interested in the MC, if it didn't have any mechanical problems, and only needed cosmetic work. The only thing that sucks about my Regal is trying to find parts for it, almost all of the J/Y's near me have crushed most of their first gen Regals. But come this time next year, and another car comes along like the Monte Carlo did, I might buy it, fix it up, and use it as a DD and still keep my Regal. Because next year my parents are building a new garage, so we'll have a place to store our cars and fix them up. Plus, my dad and I have been wanting to restore a car together, so next year, hopefully we'll have an opportunity.

 

timing belts usually go out at like 60k ish? If that's not right, then they should be replaced every 60-70k or so. I can't remember exactly, someone else will chime in with that.

 

 

And auto trans rebuilds are anywhere from 1900-2500 bucks.

Thanks for the info!

 

LQ1 maintanence isn't that bad. I've never done a Timing belt, but other then the regular stuff, (oil changes, coolant changes, plugs and wires) there is nothing bad about it. The alternator can be a bitch the first time you change it, but after that, its not so bad. There is a write up in the FAQ section that makes it easier to do.

 

But, i wouldn't give up the regal for a Monte like that. Then again, I also just gave up a 1992 cutlass international coupe in order to keep my 89 GS.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I always heard other LQ1 owners talking about the LQ1 being reliable and a good engine, as long as it is maintained. So I was always curious at what kind of maintenance they were talking about.