Any 3800 Series II S/C owners here?

[MercenaryForHire]

Why sure, we can look at a second car, dear.

Four doors? Okay. Subdued styling? Sure. Relatively new, and good creature comforts? Of course. How about this lovely Buick Regal GS? It's a nice car, and they depreciated quickly.

No, no, honey. We don't want the LS ... it had some ... uh ... engine recalls. Yes, that's it. Something about a lack of boost. :evil:

Any owners here want to clock in on the long-term reliability of theirs?

Edit - Changed the title to get more people in. I started with the Buick because they're cheap and tend to have been driven gently by old people.

- M4H

 

[AStar617]

2/3 of ATOT was in elementary school in '97, so getting long-term reliability help here would be a surprise to me... but a good luck bump nonetheless.

<---former '84 Regal owner

 

[DougK62]

Good car. Cheap and lots of old people buy them initially so they're generally well cared for on the used market.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've got a 2003 LS.

Lack of boost in the LS? I think not....200hp for a car that size is plenty. I can pass most-any 4 banger rice on the road.....which is 80% of commuter traffic.

As for the 2003, it got the JD Power ratings for reliability....you can search on the Century because it's the same car, only with bucket seats and a supercharger. (gs model)

 

[pnad]

Love that GM 3.8!

Check out clupgp.com. Plenty of high mile cars there. My trans started slipping a little on the 2-3 shift and had it replaced with aftermarket warranty. (79k miles) Sold the car to a friend and he drives it 120miles daily with no issues. Now has 115k.

 

[tfinch2]

GM 3.8? You can shoot it with a 12 ga. and it will still run fine.

 

[Mermaidman]

Good choice. Our Intrigue with the 3.8 only had minor issues.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
GM 3.8? You can shoot it with a 12 ga. and it will still run fine.

Kinda the AK-47 of engines.

 

[UpGrD]

Nice/safe car. I got into a head on with a 76 Lincon in my 98 Buick Regal . I was able to drive away (although it was totaled), the Lincon's engine was pushed back into the fire wall. That 3.8 gave that car allot of power.

 

[blackrod]

blackrod suggests not buying an american car. the fit and finish on them are just embarrassing.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: blackrod
blackrod suggests not buying an american car. the fit and finish on them are just embarrassing.

MercenaryForHire agrees, but concedes that you get what you pay for. MercenaryForHire also does not wish to pay the premium that foreign cars command for a second vehicle.

Edit - MercenaryForHire has also edited his thread title.

- M4H

 

[GnomeCop]

I agree with the 'rod

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: pnad
Love that GM 3.8!

Check out clupgp.com. Plenty of high mile cars there. My trans started slipping a little on the 2-3 shift and had it replaced with aftermarket warranty. (79k miles) Sold the car to a friend and he drives it 120miles daily with no issues. Now has 115k.

did your tranny get regular ATF service? slipping tranny can be a fairly serious issue.

 

[SynthDude2001]

For what it's worth (probably not much), I have a car with a Series I S/C 3800 (1994 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi), and it's been very reliable overall. I've put almost 20k miles on it since I bought it in 2004 (at 130k total now), no major mechanical issues. I plan on driving this thing into the ground over the next several years. Definitely fast enough for me, and still runs as smoothly as it did when I bought it.

 

[BillGates]

I'd kill myself before I'd ever drive a Buick.

 

[Heisenberg]

I have a 99 Grand Prix GTP. I haven't had any issues with my engine or transmission. The thing still runs like a top. The L67 is a really solid motor despite what some people here will say.

 

[AStar617]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: blackrod
blackrod suggests not buying an american car. the fit and finish on them are just embarrassing.

MercenaryForHire agrees, but concedes that you get what you pay for. MercenaryForHire also does not wish to pay the premium that foreign cars command for a second vehicle.

Edit - MercenaryForHire has also edited his thread title.

- M4H

Dude, don't feed the trolls (especially the unoriginal ones). :roll:

 

[slag]

I had a 97 GTP (series 2 sc) and it was a very very good car. Interior was not as refined as i would like and the car was big, but it was a very very good car mechanically.

You cannot go wrong with the drivetrain on these cars. If you get one, get it with heads-up display.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Seems like there's a lot more GTP than GS owners.

I don't have a problem with driving the "old man's car" - matter of fact, I'd probably buy the tweed cap and driving gloves just for the hilarity of it.

- M4H

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Seems like there's a lot more GTP than GS owners.

I don't have a problem with driving the "old man's car" - matter of fact, I'd probably buy the tweed cap and driving gloves just for the hilarity of it.

- M4H

I want to see pics of that. :laugh:

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Seems like there's a lot more GTP than GS owners.

I don't have a problem with driving the "old man's car" - matter of fact, I'd probably buy the tweed cap and driving gloves just for the hilarity of it.

- M4H

I want to see pics of that. :laugh:

I'll even put on the Grandpa Glasses (small, rounded, low on the nose) and then proceed to walk all over high school rice.

- M4H

 

[Ilikepiedoyou]

I have considered getting a park avenue or lesabre to replace my civic

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Seems like there's a lot more GTP than GS owners.

I don't have a problem with driving the "old man's car" - matter of fact, I'd probably buy the tweed cap and driving gloves just for the hilarity of it.

- M4H

I want to see pics of that. :laugh:

I'll even put on the Grandpa Glasses (small, rounded, low on the nose) and then proceed to walk all over high school rice.

- M4H

You'd also have to smoke a pipe.

 

[blackrod]

Originally posted by: AStar617

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: blackrod
blackrod suggests not buying an american car. the fit and finish on them are just embarrassing.

MercenaryForHire agrees, but concedes that you get what you pay for. MercenaryForHire also does not wish to pay the premium that foreign cars command for a second vehicle.

Edit - MercenaryForHire has also edited his thread title.

- M4H

Dude, don't feed the trolls (especially the unoriginal ones). :roll:

blackrod does not understand. blackrod is not original? blackrod is not a troll, blackrod is blackrod.

blackrod would like to know what is mercenaryforhire looking for in a car? is a small japanese car not going to meet mercanaryforhire's needs?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: slag

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Seems like there's a lot more GTP than GS owners.

I don't have a problem with driving the "old man's car" - matter of fact, I'd probably buy the tweed cap and driving gloves just for the hilarity of it.

- M4H

I want to see pics of that. :laugh:

I'll even put on the Grandpa Glasses (small, rounded, low on the nose) and then proceed to walk all over high school rice.

- M4H

You'd also have to smoke a pipe.

Ooh, forgot about that. What other Old Man-nerisms would I need to pull off?

- M4H