GMTruckGuy74

Looks much better (more upscale) with the rear windows tinted. What % of tint was used?? As for the landscaping, nice work!

The selling dealer has included a link to the PA's CARFAX report and it has this tidbit of info on it: I sent an e-mail to the salesperson questioning if they knew what kind of damage was done to teh car and this was her response: So, would this deter you from checking out the car? If not, what areas of the body should I get inspected?

The first GMT-400 two-door SUV I drove was a '94 Chevy Tahoe with the diesel engine. It was pretty cool and I haven't forgotten about it.

Oldsmoboi - Thanks for taking on the leadership reins and for making the new additions and changes you proposed. avant1963 - Thanks for birthing this site for us fans and even in your diminished role, for not letting just some "anyone" take over. NINETY EIGHT REGENCY - Thank you for making a return. I know you had problems in the past with certain posters, but I've missed you around here and I'm glad to have you back. To the posters of C&G - Thank you for making this place great, and for making me spend WAY TOO MUCH of my time here! Let's take this opportunity to turn over a new leaf, forgive for past infractions, and help Drew (Oldsmoboi) and the other Admins to make this site a top-notch GM forum again.

Well, you guys got me sold on the Goodyear TripleTred Assurance tires!! Now I need to start calling around to see what the cost would be for a set for the wife's Pontiac.

This weekend there's a GIGANTIC car show not too far from Bethlehem that I've gone to in the past (an awesome show nonetheless). It's in Macungie off of Route 100 and not only is it a car show, but it's the annual German festival to boot. Here's the link to the show (Friday-Saturday-Sunday): Link to website. Also, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is in Allentown (an awesome amusement park & water park) and is a great place to visit: http://www.dorneypark.com/

I wish I could pay cash for a car!! Not even used can I do that, let alone new. That's one of the reasons I'm considering going used for my AURA SmartLease replacement. In this case, here's a 6 year old, original MSRP of $40k car that has a ton of life left and is more loaded than any brand new car I can afford. But I have a slight stigma about buying used that I need to overcome first, and this car is 40 miles away from me too so it's not like I can just hope on over to check it out. I need to make a decision on what route I'm going to take and soon.

I forgot last week to say that I stopped by my selling BPG dealership on Sunday, July 19 and saw that they had received a 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Targa/Coupe in yellow. Here's the pic I took of it parked in their locked storage yard:

If possible, take "before" and "after" pictures of the Torrent from teh same angle for a comparison. How dark of a tint (%) are you going with?? I need to find out how much this will cost again (to see if they lowered their price ) and when I could get it done for teh wife's G6. It would definitely make the car cooler this summer (temperature-wise, that is).

Thanks for the comments, & insight so far. Does anyone here own a Park Avenue or know anyone personally that does? I know there is a poster here that owns one, but I can't remember his name... BTW, sorry about all of the posts over the years asking about used cars. I will admit that I have automotive ADD and as a result I change my mind quite often (especially if I see a car in person and I get turned off for any reason). With the new cars & trucks I want being outrageously priced, I'm thinking of going used for the AURA's replacement so I get a decent daily driver, something that is reliable and dependable for the family, and at the same time put some of the cash I'm saving aside for a down-payment for a new vehicle purchase 2-3 years from now. Anyways, I've always liked the Park Avenue for being a nicely styled car and for the amount of luxury options it offers. The fact it's a large car means it can handle family trip duty without a problem, offering more than enough luggage space and a comfy interior. I benefit now from the poor resale, but hope that wouldn't work against me in the future for any reason (the risk you take with any car/truck purchase). I'd also like other suggestions from anyone that feels I should be looking at something else too. I'm trying to stay below $10k in price, it must be a GM vehicle, and it should be reliable & dependable. Thanks!!

What a great movie!! I won't ruin it for those still thinking about it

ocnblu... you bought (ordered) your copy at the All-GM Nationals car show in Carlisle last summer, right? I hope you got your $11 worth out of the book if that's your selling price! (it's a good deal YJ, go for it!) And just think, the original price was $75!! I too am disappointed with this book, as it pretty much is an overpriced picture book and not what it was sold on at its intro here. However, I like the pictures it contains and if I want to flip through and just look at them in high quality, then this is what the book delivers on. Such a shame though with what it could have been

Is the supercharger a big concern for long-term reliability and dependability? I've switched gears from the '99 Riv to a '03 Park Avenue Ultra (see the other post I made about it for more details). The Ultra of course comes with the supercharger, and I did find 3 other regular Park Avenues that could fit the bill if you think I should stay away froma SC 3800 V6.

The wife isn't crazy about the Riviera's design, especially the rear, and being a two-door doesn't help either (there's the pesky car seat that my little guy needs to use). So I decided that I should look into finding a 2002-2003 Buick Park Avenue instead. I found four that interest me - (3) 2002 PA's and (1) 2003 PA Ultra. I'm asking about the Ultra. Here it is: 2003 Park Avenue Ultra, 51k original miles, fully loaded (HUD, sunroof, chrome rims, leather/heated seats, etc.) and all for the low-low price of $9,499. My online research indicates that these are a pretty reliabel car and that the 3800 V6 is a great engine to have. Not sure about the supercharged version, but a lot of the owners comments were based on the Ultra (supercharged) models. So, any advice, input, or opinions on this 2003 PA Ultra???

I had Pirelli's in the past - not cheap ones and ones that were recommended by Consumer Reports - and I was not happy with them. I will pass on Pirelli's until Tire Rack starts recommending them for the cars I own. As for Michelins, a good friend of mine only buys this brand for his two cars and he does a lot of driving/commuting. Our '05 Envoy had Michelins and they lasted to the end of the lease/45k (though if I had bought the Envoy outright from the beginning, I would have replaced them by 42k). Michelin Harmony tires are rated #3 on Tire Rack's site, below the #1-rated Goodyear TripleTred Assurance tires. If I'm going to put out the money, I might as well go witht eh best out there.

Happy Birthday x3. to you guys for a great day!!

And here's one from southern NJ craigslist, but with 100k on the odo: 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible: 100k miles, 3.4L V6, Teal, $4,400: Link to more pics and description: http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/1281726295.html

*NOTE: Both are located at the same used-car dealership in Edison, NJ. 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible: 27k miles, 3.4L V6, Teal, $8,500: Link to more pics and description: http://www.autoshopper.com/used-cars/1994_..._NJ-2885949.htm 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible: 39k miles, 3.4L V6, Red, $6,998: Link to more pics and description: [url="http://www.autoshopper.com/used-cars/1994_Oldsmobile_Cutlass_Supreme_Edison_NJ-2900666.htm[/url] Too bad I'm not in the position where I could afford a 3rd (fun) car in my household

It's a shame I'm in no position to buy that wonderful white '87 Pontiac Grand Prix LE that's practically right around the corner from me. Never been titled (the guy's dad owns the Pontiac-Caddy dealership, so it still has it's MCO after 21+ years!), 90,xxx original miles, garage kept & well-cared for. Maybe I better start playing the lottery, and soon

I too would like a more detailed report on your Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires. I am considering these for the wife's G6 - tirerack.com has them rated as their #1 tire for the class - and knowing a little more about them from someone who has them would help me deal better with the high price of these tires

66stang man, we're all friends here... no need to apologize!! I wasn't singling you or any other C&G poster out here. I'm just at the point where I'm getting tired of reading how horrible the G6 is. Having owned one for the past year - it saw 16,xxx miles in its first year of duty and they were all trouble-free (save for some interior trim pieces) - and the fact my wife still loves the car as she did the first day she laid eyes on it - I think the G6 gets a bad rap just because people treat it like a bastard step-child in the GM family. For example, I bought a new 2004 Malibu LT (top of the line at that point) in November of 2003 and outside of some warranty issues for what was basically a brand new GM offering, the car was very reliable & dependable the 3 years & 44,xxx miles I put on it. Why did I get rid of it? It was an appliance - bland and boring and not anything that inspired me to want to get behind the wheel and drive. I should have held out six more months for the G6 (the 2005 G6 debuted spring '04), and there was no reason I had to get out of my lease early for the Malibu other than being enticed by a brand new car and a great pull-ahead offer by GMAC. The G6 to me offered a sportier/athletic look to teh Malibu's dull and appliance-minded styling. What's not fair is that GM allowed Chevy to get an all-new Malibu for 2008 and in turn let the G6 wither on the vine (the MCE for 2009.5 is not worth the news Pontiac made about it). Instead of putting some development money into a refresh of the interior and some decent front & rear re-stylings, Pontiac offered us the Bugs Bunny-inspired GXP/Street Package styling. If GM was trying to run off customers, they succeeded!! For those the absoluteluy love the Malibu, where's the coupe? The convertible? How about a decently-priced station wagon offereing? One-size-fits-all is not the best way approach the market, and for all the accolades the 'bu gets for just one model is what ticks me off. I prayed GM/Chevy would petition for a coupe & convertible version of the new Malibu to replace the G6 line-up, and maybe that news is still to come. But if GM continues all Epsilons as sedans, then GM has only itself to blame for customers choosing the Accord Coupe, Genesis Coupe, and whatever convertibles other manufacturers offer in this size range. I find the G6 interior refreshing and spacious - it feels open and allows for a great view out the front windshield. Sure, the black dash pad could have used some 'break-up" in it, but so could the original '04 Malibu (which IT got for 2008). Anyone out there shopping for a new car should definitely look at a G6 variation (coupe, sedna, convertible). For all the bad talk this Epsilon gets, remember that GM does share parts among all of its Epsilon cars Just to make myself clear, I'm not saying that everyone is wrong about the G6 - it has its notable problems and cheapened trim parts. But so do other cars. Just be open-minded and not go based upon what someone that knows someone that knows someone who has one has to say.

With the prices of the new vehicles I want being very high, I've begun to consider buying a used car that I could take a short term loan on and pay-off within two or three years tops. In the meantime, I would try to save up some extra cash to use as a down-payment on a new vehicle (so figure a 2011 or 2012 model, if I could hold off that long). In my searching, both online and reading the Auto Shopper Magazine, I found a 1999 Buick Riviera Supercharged Coupe at a Philadelphia Chevy dealer that appears to be fully loaded (CD/Cass, sunroof, heated seats, chrome rims, White Diamond Tricoat w/ Taupe leather, etc) with only 63K on it. The Auto Shopper ad states $6,750 and their web site states $6,950 - but there are no pictures posted yet to show. So my question is are these a good used car to consider? The other car I'm considering is a Park Avenue, say '99-'03. I know the benefits of the sedan over the coupe, but I've always admired the Riv's styling since it debuted for '95. Before I'd do anything about going out to see the car, I wanted some advise and opinions from posters here.

If only one vote counts, then I say #4. If the top three votes count, then I say 4, 3, 5 (in that order). Nice job everyone!!

fightingbee - I got your e-mail just a little while ago, downloaded the PDF file, and then tried it out. I just sent you another e-mail with a small problem I'm having; not sure if you can help, but figured I'd ask anyway. Thanks again for your assistance!!

caddycruiser's G6 coupe had some drivetrain problems and was bought back as a lemon; Walt's G6 GT Sedan had issues too, mainly with the panoramic sunroof (to which I know personally of one other, and it seemed to be a common problem) - GM remedied this by discontinuing the panoramic sunroof on all 2007 G6's and early-build 2007 AURAs. My dad's '06 G6 V6 Sedan has had no mechanical or drivetrain issues in his 3 years of ownership (aproximately 45,xxx miles). My wife's car has had two warranty issues fixed in the last year - both interior trim pieces. Where I work, there are Malibus (more of the '04-'07 and a few '08-'09), G6s (mostly '05-'07s), and AURAs are starting to show up (mine was the lone wolf for a while). Of these owners, none have had any major issues (breakdowns, mechanical, etc) and most have had trouble-free experiences with their Epsilon-based cars. To each their own, but I'm getting pretty tired of the G6 put-downs around here - especially by people that have never personally owned one. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sorry about the rant - back on topic... balthazar - sounds like you didn't get to drive anything today, but you got to see an eye full. I always enjoy car shopping when I know I'm going to buy something ASAP. If incentives were better for me (too bad I missed all the great incentives that expired on July 6th) I'd be looking into a loaded Pontiac G8 V6 Sedan right now. My selling BPG dealership sent me another sales incentive letter, this time offering the option to see if I'm the winner of a brand-new 2009 Pontiac Solstice. Maybe on Monday I'll go take a ride and see what incentives I qualify for on that G8...