rich_e777 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ok guys, got an offer to buy a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP in Silvermist for $1000. First the bad, in the order of what I can recall Drivers side front end damage that will need at least... Header panel, fender, head light assembly and bumper cover. Possibly more if other body parts are associated with that area. Stop leak has been added to fix a leak that is probably a crack in the radiator, so also possible new radiator $200 approximate 190k miles drivers side turn signal on HUD and cluster light remain on constantly(probably associated with the drivers side damage worn suspension bushings, likes to wobble about. Drivers seat has a chunk bitten? out of it and sun baked dash, but not any worse than the dash in my 21 year old CS Spoiler has clear coat issues Engine cover needs repainting meh not mentionable and it`d ruin the sequence the harness closet to the water pump pulley supposedly makes contact with the pulley when shifting into reverse so engine mounts may be in need of replacement. basic tune up will be required by me anyways and also the supercharger serviced. IIRC from a friends old SC bonnie the oil has to be changed ever so often. ??? all I can think of I noticed in 4-5 more years it will be as old as my Cutlass is now with the majority of its life being unknown. No idea how previous owners treated it. The Good Its freakin supercharged, runs and idles smooth and I was at 55mph in a 30 before I knew what happened:dance: Tires are in good shape but the front need rotating Pull A Part and other treasure yards are LLLLOOOAAAADDDEEEDDD with 2nd gen parts transmission appears to shift nice HUD, HUD, and did I mention the sunroof? Can always be a donor car for the Cutlass The forum`s surplus of knowledge No apparent rust underneath No leaks In 4-5 years it will be approaching the classic-vintage era and being the last 2 door Pontiac GTP can make it as uncommon as a 2d FWD CS Aside from a TPG this is the next W-body I`d like to have. Its $1000 bucks so a bit of work I may? could? possibly be able to flip it.(probably don't want to though but would if I had to) ??? Its got nice curves, dual exhaust, 2 doors, sexy looking side mirrors and Ive only been reading about everyone else`s for almost 10 years now:jeremy: So Ive got about 20 hours until I cannot back out of the deal and wondering is there anything anyone can think of to check out that would be a deal breaker on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Offer $800? I wouldn't pay more than that for a car with body damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 fuck it, even with body damage, that would be nothing less than $1500 here and the underside would have the structural integrity of a tortilla chip. a couple of body panels(easy ones, at that), radiator, a couple of sloppy bushings(that would possibly get replaced at some point with poly versions, do it now), engine mounts and typical tuneup stuff for a rust-free, loaded GTP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_e777 Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Offer $800? I wouldn't pay more than that for a car with body damage. I already got my price set at $1000 cause its me, they were going to ask $1500-$2000. The body damage can be easily be fixed by replacing a few easily obtainable parts and probably in the same color. The engine was quiet, hardly a vibration when you put your hand on it, oh brand new DuraGold battery and brake pads as well as spark plugs and wires. They don't want to put anymore money into a car they don't need a performance oriented vehicle. fuck it, even with body damage, that would be nothing less than $1500 here and the underside would have the structural integrity of a tortilla chip. a couple of body panels(easy ones, at that), radiator, a couple of sloppy bushings(that would possibly get replaced at some point with poly versions, do it now), engine mounts and typical tuneup stuff for a rust-free, loaded GTP? Header panel $45-$40 (if its plastic like the 1st gens, seems like I recall only metal but I could be wrong.), fender $50, headlight assembly $20, pair of tail lights GTP or not(I see two different kinds on some GP models and taking a swag here) $30, hood $50. Radiator is $189 but I`d get a discount and a lifetime warranty. Bumper cover may possibly be saved with a heat gun. bondo plastic filler and a respray. Best part is my Cutlass can be worked on while I drive the GTP to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I don't think that's too bad of a deal, as long as it's something you have time/energy to put into. I'm not the biggest fan of 2nd gens, but it's a loaded GTP... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 You made me get on a computer just because this is so damn long... lol Ok guys, got an offer to buy a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP in Silvermist for $1000. First the bad, in the order of what I can recall Drivers side front end damage that will need at least... Header panel, fender, head light assembly and bumper cover. Possibly more if other body parts are associated with that area. Been there done that. If its not too smashed up, it's just a bolt on. The issue is if it has frame damage, where the fender bolts up to and all. Stop leak has been added to fix a leak that is probably a crack in the radiator, so also possible new radiator $200 and an engine flush. Those things gunk up the head and mess up the gasket. approximate 190k miles Honda drivers get their ricer civics with 250k... Next Drivers side turn signal on HUD and cluster light remain on constantly(probably associated with the drivers side damage This probably has to do with a bad bulb. The DRL may be ran off the turn signal (I know it was on the Buick Regal/Century) causing it to do that. My Cutlass did that when I put in LED lights in the inner turn signal. Swap the bulb and it goes away. worn suspension bushings, likes to wobble about. Once again, check the suspension to make sure it's straight before purchasing. Bent stuff can be fixed but it may put you in the hole. Drivers seat has a chunk bitten? out of it and sun baked dash, but not any worse than the dash in my 21 year old CS The current owner was hungry and had no food. Replace seat with one from another GP or another W body. The dash can be repainted if it's not warped. SEM or Duplicolor will become your friends. I painted my interior. I need to update my build thread to reflect that but once the pics are up, You'll see it really makes the dash look so much better. Pulling the dash is a pain, but shouldn't be hard. Spoiler has clear coat issues You have to sand that down and repaint it. You could probably do it in a weekend. Engine cover needs repainting So repaint it. meh not mentionable and it`d ruin the sequence If you install a removable steering wheel, you should be able to give yourself a quick stroke before work. Don't worry about it, just own up to it. the harness closet to the water pump pulley supposedly makes contact with the pulley when shifting into reverse so engine mounts may be in need of replacement. Shouldn't be as hard as the mounts on an LQ1. basic tune up will be required by me anyways and also the supercharger serviced. IIRC from a friends old SC bonnie the oil has to be changed ever so often. You're supposed to tune them up when you buy em anyways. The exception is a new car off the lot. Use synthetic oil. ??? all I can think of I noticed You'll have to get out the smell of 5 year old farts and bean breath. Don't worry though, Ozium will help. in 4-5 more years it will be as old as my Cutlass is now with the majority of its life being unknown. No idea how previous owners treated it. Change the LIM gasket and the answer will be in the intake valley. The Good Its freakin supercharged, runs and idles smooth and I was at 55mph in a 30 before I knew what happened:dance: A N/A 3800 with a good intake and exhaust can do that too. Of course, you'll never get the whine. Tires are in good shape but the front need rotating That doesn't sound good... lol Pull A Part and other treasure yards are LLLLOOOAAAADDDEEEDDD with 2nd gen parts You won't be saying that in 5 years. transmission appears to shift nice .... for now. HUD, HUD, and did I mention the sunroof? If the stuff for it works that is. And no you did not mention a sun roof. Can always be a donor car for the Cutlass If you were to do an engine swap in the Cutty, you're better off with an S3 long block and putting on the S2 intake to keep the cabled throttle. The forum`s surplus of knowledge Till you run in to some issue and nobody responds except for Shurkey (probably butchered that spelling pretty bad) comes on and tells you to get the FSM for your car, then when you get the FSM and still can't understand the issue, you're stumped No apparent rust underneath Check your rockers. No leaks If it has a plastic LIMG, then expect them soon. In 4-5 years it will be approaching the classic-vintage era and being the last 2 door Pontiac GTP can make it as uncommon as a 2d FWD CS In 4-6 years, Pontiac as a whole won't be a common sight. The same thing happened with Olds. Now you barely see em around. Aside from a TPG this is the next W-body I`d like to have. No Cutty vert, No Z34 Lumina, no 2 door Regal? You're slipping man. Its $1000 bucks so a bit of work I may? could? possibly be able to flip it.(probably don't want to though but would if I had to) Probably would be a hard sell. ??? Its got nice curves, dual exhaust, 2 doors, sexy looking side mirrors and Ive only been reading about everyone else`s for almost 10 years now:jeremy: 1G's are better :p:p:p:p So Ive got about 20 hours until I cannot back out of the deal and wondering is there anything anyone can think of to check out that would be a deal breaker on this? Buy it, fix it up, when you get bored of it, sell it to someone in need or someone who really likes W bodies. I already got my price set at $1000 cause its me, they were going to ask $1500-$2000. The body damage can be easily be fixed by replacing a few easily obtainable parts and probably in the same color. The engine was quiet, hardly a vibration when you put your hand on it, oh brand new DuraGold battery and brake pads as well as spark plugs and wires. They don't want to put anymore money into a car they don't need a performance oriented vehicle. You need to check the suspension and chassis for bends. If anything else is bent, it's a tough fix. Thankfully, GM products of this era were still hard bodies. My old Pontiac took quite the beating. Header panel $45-$40 (if its plastic like the 1st gens, seems like I recall only metal but I could be wrong.), fender $50, headlight assembly $20, pair of tail lights GTP or not(I see two different kinds on some GP models and taking a swag here) $30, hood $50. Radiator is $189 but I`d get a discount and a lifetime warranty. Bumper cover may possibly be saved with a heat gun. bondo plastic filler and a respray. Header panel should be plastic. I've never seen em in metal on a new car. You can get a new fender for $50 or $45 from Certifit. Shop arounnd... I'm surprised you can get the headlight for $20. They're 30 at the yards in my area. The bumper should be $46 or so at a yard. I'd do that instead. Best part is my Cutlass can be worked on while I drive the GTP to work. What exactly is the plan with your Cutty anyways? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_e777 Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Yeah it is a somewhat long title, but some men are longer than others:D 1. I believe its collision was similar to the Cutlass, just superficial damage to replaceable parts. It didn't look bad enough to have bent the frame. 2.Will an engine flush get all of that out? Its still fairly recent the stop leak was put in and I`d prefer a car to seep oil and coolant and fix it with a gasket than that junk. 3. She is certainly more temperamental than a Honda and would require attention I can give it. 4. I do remember now that the ambient light sensor may be screwy as the auto lights come on regardless of light outside 5. No clunks but considering the outside wear on the front tires I believe it will need a tire rotation and possibly an alignment. Ball joints and bearings seem in good shape and there is considerable less roll in it than in my CS which has front AND rear tower strut braces, upped trailing arms and upped front sway bar with greased poly bushings. Repainting things wont be an issue at all, I've done my CS wing twice now just playing around with techniques has taught me a lot. Ive painted some interior and know exactly how Im going to do it to make it look beautiful. Engine cover isn't really all that bad. Most certainly will be acquiring the good metal gaskets for this one if I get it later today and of course it will be meticulously inspected once I get it up on stands and the wheels off. I may change the trans fluid and filter if the fluid appears less red than in my Cutlass. Its worn out 4t60E is loving the stop slip from Lucas ATM. The sunroof or moon roof IDK the difference works nice and I looked into the sides to see if any rust and also looked at the rocker panels first thing. no rust. Ahh Schurkey`s alright, always delivered solid advice when he didn't have to. I never take it personal and see it as one of those times when you think Hey I should have thought of that. And very seldom is anyone stumped here, we may not be able to give the exact answers wanted sometimes but Ive not seen to many help needed threads without at least one good response. That's also another reason I want the GTP, its the last 2 door coupe model with all options I believe and is already an uncommon to rare car around here. Very rarely do I even see base coupe GPs. Shes right up there with the rest of the W-bodies I`d like to have. I couldn't own a CS Vert unless I had a garage to keep it in most of the time, I love them but couldn't stand the heartache of watching one get rained on. Damn I cannot list cars in order of desirability, smoke will start coming out of my ears, eyes get the blue screen of death and I`d sit here al day trying to decid what would be second. I has to get em as they come to me. I`ll admit 1st gens are better looking, sometime I even prefer a LumiCarlo shape to the MC SS one but the GTP coupe is still a sharp looking car. My plans for my Cutlass....I haven't even gotten around to making its own thread in the members ride section since 2008:lol: Shes going to be worked on, fixed and loved for many years I can say for sure, and I`ll do my very best to now FUBAR it up anymore than I already have. Wait I thought the supercharger was a panty dropper? I was going to get a pair of those wastegate-less turbo charging butt whistles for the exhaust and drive around constantly shifting to neutral going down the road so I can rev the engine:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Yeah it is a somewhat long title, but some men are longer than others:D Only under a microscope though. 1. I believe its collision was similar to the Cutlass, just superficial damage to replaceable parts. It didn't look bad enough to have bent the frame. I've learned the hard way that you can actually bend the frame where the fender mounts. That happened to me when someone drove my car and scraped the wall in a parking garage pretty bad. It wasn't horribly bent, but a hammer and some prying lined it back up as much as it could be (going by vision of course). 2.Will an engine flush get all of that out? Its still fairly recent the stop leak was put in and I`d prefer a car to seep oil and coolant and fix it with a gasket than that junk. It should make a good dent in it, just flush out with the bad radiator using the prestone flush, then run straight water in the block, open the petcock and drain it. Make sure when it fills up, there's nothing but water in there. Once it's only water coming out, swap out the radiator. Then flush the engine again. You don't have to do it twice, but I did it this way to my Camaro when it had the dexcool gunk in it. After that the coolant was always green. Even now when i swapped out the engine, the coolant was still green. And I agree with you. Nothing is cheaper in the long run than topping off fluids till you get around to fixing the issue. 3. She is certainly more temperamental than a Honda and would require attention I can give it. I believe this to be a lie. I think all cars have temper tantrums... sometimes they even gang up on you and none of your cars work. Sometimes you borrow a car and THAT stops working too. 4. I do remember now that the ambient light sensor may be screwy as the auto lights come on regardless of light outside. Typical GM problems. My Camaro was a bit screwy too. I deleted the auto lights on my Camaro. They would have stayed if I had some control over them, but when the lights turn on, you can't turn off the headlights when you turn the knob to the parking light position. It was stupid. 5. No clunks but considering the outside wear on the front tires I believe it will need a tire rotation and possibly an alignment. Ball joints and bearings seem in good shape and there is considerable less roll in it than in my CS which has front AND rear tower strut braces, upped trailing arms and upped front sway bar with greased poly bushings. I would suppose a 2G would handle better than a 1G anyways. How are the sway bar links? Did you check the tie rod to make sure it's good and not bent? Repainting things wont be an issue at all, I've done my CS wing twice now just playing around with techniques has taught me a lot. Ive painted some interior and know exactly how Im going to do it to make it look beautiful. Engine cover isn't really all that bad. Yeah, I'm the same way. I actually don't mind painting. It's a good pass time when you have nothing better to do. Most certainly will be acquiring the good metal gaskets for this one if I get it later today and of course it will be meticulously inspected once I get it up on stands and the wheels off. I may change the trans fluid and filter if the fluid appears less red than in my Cutlass. Its worn out 4t60E is loving the stop slip from Lucas ATM. You should pop off a valve cover to see how oil changes were done on the car. If you see sludge, you're gonna have a bad time. The sunroof or moon roof IDK the difference works nice and I looked into the sides to see if any rust and also looked at the rocker panels first thing. no rust. Sunroof is a metal panel. Moon roof is a glass panel. The joke is that you can see the moon at night without letting in a draft. You can't do this with a sunroof. Did you check the subframe, floor panel and strut towers? Ahh Schurkey`s alright, always delivered solid advice when he didn't have to. I never take it personal and see it as one of those times when you think Hey I should have thought of that. And very seldom is anyone stumped here, we may not be able to give the exact answers wanted sometimes but Ive not seen to many help needed threads without at least one good response. Yeah, I have no problems with him either. He really does help out once we get past the phase where he likes to be a negative troll. It's just been stray observations when people ask questions on here. Usually when i have LQ1 problems, it's really Schurkey, Robert, and you replying to my posts. Sometimes Matt or Nate, but I think it depends on the situation. Then again my Cutlass was abused before i bought it, so I'm the one paying the price for that. That's also another reason I want the GTP, its the last 2 door coupe model with all options I believe and is already an uncommon to rare car around here. Very rarely do I even see base coupe GPs. Shes right up there with the rest of the W-bodies I`d like to have. I couldn't own a CS Vert unless I had a garage to keep it in most of the time, I love them but couldn't stand the heartache of watching one get rained on. Damn I cannot list cars in order of desirability, smoke will start coming out of my ears, eyes get the blue screen of death and I`d sit here al day trying to decid what would be second. I has to get em as they come to me. Welcome to my world. I think I want all the GM coupes, all the B bodies, and a lot of other coupes from other brands and a handful of 4 door cars. I`ll admit 1st gens are better looking, sometime I even prefer a LumiCarlo shape to the MC SS one but the GTP coupe is still a sharp looking car. They don't look bad at all, just prefer the 1st gen GP. Although with some wheels, a Ram Air hood, the 2nd Gens can hold their own. And I kinda find the LumiCarlo to be an odd design. Although my favorite one was the 2006-2007 one. My plans for my Cutlass....I haven't even gotten around to making its own thread in the members ride section since 2008:lol: Shes going to be worked on, fixed and loved for many years I can say for sure, and I`ll do my very best to now FUBAR it up anymore than I already have. You should definitely post pics of it! I post pics of my gutted Cutty all the time. Wait I thought the supercharger was a panty dropper? I was going to get a pair of those wastegate-less turbo charging butt whistles for the exhaust and drive around constantly shifting to neutral going down the road so I can rev the engine:lol: Depends on who's panties you want to drop. My generation's females are attracted to ricer civics and drugs. Very seldom do I get attention from em in my Camaro. Although everyone just stares at my Cutlass, and I never figured out why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_e777 Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Nevermind... This thread can be closed now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 What happened? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94 olds vert Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 X2 I didn't get a chance to come up with an awesome comment yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 This entire thread is TL;DR. How were the strut towers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Escobar Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 This entire thread is TL;DR. How were the strut towers? Well now that he made the other thread it's obvious. At the time it wasn't up. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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