Suggestions from the car guys please.
BeRad
Posts: 736
I have a chance to buy an '05 Pontiac Grand Prix on the cheap. It was a theft recovery with a clean title. The only apparant problems with the car are:
Fix/Replace front bumper cover (small crack on the left side, not even really an issue)
All glass has been broken (and I work at a glass shop)
Assuming these are the only problems with the car, I could stand to make a really good buck flipping this thing. The only problem is that it is high milage (highway miles probably based on the town it is from).
My question to you: Is there anything specific with these cars that I should check out before making the decision to buy it? Overall do they tend to be decent cars? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Fix/Replace front bumper cover (small crack on the left side, not even really an issue)
All glass has been broken (and I work at a glass shop)
Assuming these are the only problems with the car, I could stand to make a really good buck flipping this thing. The only problem is that it is high milage (highway miles probably based on the town it is from).
My question to you: Is there anything specific with these cars that I should check out before making the decision to buy it? Overall do they tend to be decent cars? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Post edited by BeRad on
Comments
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don't walk... run form this turkey if it has a 3.1 or 3.4 liter engine. The lower intakes come apart after 50k leading to a repair bill in the thousands. If not fixed the engine will hydrolock.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
I'm pretty sure it is the 3.8L
edit:
Looks like all the 05's were 3.8 except for the GXP which is 5.3 -
the 3.8's are ok...The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
My experience with Pontiac is they are good for about 4-5 years, then they are falling apart...TNRabbit
NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
Sunfire TG-IV
Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
Carver AL-III Speakers
Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer -
Um, flipping a car in this market is going to be brutally difficult. Also, with CARFAX and other title history searching services, most savvy buyers are going to see that it was a theft recovery. Also, in most states, a Theft Recovery requires a salvage title and getting a salvage title registered and inspected in most states is very difficult, expensive and time consuming.
In the end, you MIGHT make a benny off of it.
Unless you are getting it for yourself, I wouldn't bother. Then again, the Grand **** is one of the nicer rides GM has been pumping out lately. They've also been making Grand **** for decades and they gotten pretty good at it. Shame it will be no more with the death of Pontiac.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
This is in Canada. AFAIK the carfax thing hasn't caught on here. There is no title whatsoever with the car. It would be as if I was buying a used car. Just safety it and it's good to go.
The main thing I am looking for would be advice on other things I should look out for that might need repair, as if I was buying used from a dealer. I don't know to much about common problems with GM's cars.
