Sold my '88 Cutlass T-top....and replaced it with two more vehicles...ahaha!

So I sold my '88 Cutlass to my friend Laird. He's just like me, a car nut, and loves that it's stock. It will be moving across town to his house and will live in his garage next to the Pacer wagon.

AND I've already replaced the Cutlass. I did a partial trade for my old '81 Citation X-11 Where's that little Poltergeist girl..... It's baaacckkkk


.....and also for his gorgeous 1996 Bonneville SLE. I will have the X-11 play with, and to teach the kids how to drive a stick with, and Misty will have the Bonneville to commute in. Will save the Denali for road trips. The Bonny just hit 80K miles and still looks new. Should be a good commuter for Misty. She only allowed the X-11 back because she too is getting a car...ahaha!

Pics below, but it now has grey factory Bonneville crosslace wheels in place of those 5-star wheels. He just put the crosslaces on with brand new tires. Sweet!




















I'll miss the Cutlass but going to Laird it "stays in the family". He's already planning to do the trans mod and duals on it. Things I had not been able to get done yet.

So lets see, the Cutlass is leaving, but I replaced it with a Bonneville and a Citation X-11, and at the end of the month will be adding the '89 K5 Blazer to the parking lot too. It sure is a good thing the Camaro is going to my Dad's house to live. I about need to put up another carport!

Life is never boring!

-Mike

Oh geez! Who are you, Me???

I gotta say though, that I'd be lying if I said that I didn't see that coming.

Good for you!

...and NO, nobody can have my perfect black leather Bonny seats. If they vanish one night from the new car I will all stalk the forum members!!

-Mike

I always loved those gen Bonnies. We had a '96 that was to be my first car til the trans crapped out and my parents didn't want to fix it. One thing that always bothered me, and I noticed your car has it too is that the radio and gauges are typical Pontiac red, but the climate control is red. That always drive me nuts.

I HATE that too, the green climate control and red everything else. The buttons on the climate control do light up red, it's just the readout that's green.

It's no GXP Grand Prix, but I'm glad to have a Poncho back in the driveway.

Please update signature and we'll start the clock or in this case clocks.

Which one is next to go? I'm going to say the wagon. It will be gone before Thanksgiving.

Are you going to NJ still, to pick up a couple of more? You know that picture of Misty with the knife and the crazed look? Be careful.

Tom

Whoa.

Alright then. lmao.

silverfox103 wrote:

Please update signature and we'll start the clock or in this case clocks.

Which one is next to go? I'm going to say the wagon. It will be gone before Thanksgiving.

Are you going to NJ still, to pick up a couple of more? You know that picture of Misty with the knife and the crazed look? Be careful.

Tom

We leave for NJ on the 25th, so next week. Will be bringing home the 89 K5 Blazer and the '82 Z28. The Z28 is for my Dad however and will be living in his garage.

So the Blazer and Citation will be in the carport. The boat will lose it's carport spot and move into the back yard with the tow dolly and motorcycle trailer. The Bonny will be in the driveway with the Denali. I may start driving the Denali myself since I only have a 2-mile commute to work, Misty's commute is 20-miles. Will keep the miles on the wagon down. The wagon and GTO stay in the garage....always!

Ahahahaahahahaha!!!

Mike, you're missing the point, see below:

silverfox103 wrote:

You know that picture of Misty with the knife and the crazed look? Be careful.

Tom

silverfox103 wrote:

Mike, you're missing the point, see below:

silverfox103 wrote:

You know that picture of Misty with the knife and the crazed look? Be careful.

Tom

Afraid she'll pull a Lorena Bobbit on me?

She gave me a hall pass......because I told her the new Bonny is for "her"

We had a white '95 and a green '96 Bonny in the past. Loved them both, and looking forward to having this one, which is super clean, and optioned just the way I like them. Just wish this one had the power sunroof, but I can live without that.

Shoot I'm excited...I'm going to start driving the Denali and will save my Olds wagon for special events, and with the X-11 I have a car for Joseph to drive without spending a dime.

Geico must think I'm insane though, with all this car changing!

-Mike

Those are the exact seats I have in storage. Maybe I should just put them in my SS.

Dang it - I'm gonna have to look for a Bonnie now! Thats a sweet car!

white wagon
white denali
white Bonneville
white citation

is the k5 white?

cool cars!

benn wrote:

white wagon
white denali
white Bonneville
white citation

is the k5 white?

cool cars!

Yeah and Misty HATES white cars! Ha!c Just worked out this way. Blazer is dark blue...with a white top.

Took a current pic of the Bonny with the new wheels and tires. Laird also added an SSE grill. The black thing on the roof was for his sat radio, and it's coming off.

Really like this car...just wish it had a sunroof. Almost as much room inside as a B-body, plus 30mpg on the highway. I think Pontiac was still trying when they made these cars...they just feel good to drive and ride in.

Too bad it's wrong-wheel-drive! Ha!

new name,.

"Texas White Mike"

phantom 309 wrote:

new name,.

"Texas White Mike"

Yes I'm a really white guy....

The GTO will be purple.....

I do like those bonnies. My mechanic has a black/ tan int SSEI. It's sweet.
I didn't know any of those x11s were still floating around? What does it have under the hood- 2.8 V6?
Also, am I the only one that thinks the bonnie design could hve been transposed onto a B body pretty easily?

I love those Bonnevilles.

cadillac kevin wrote:

I do like those bonnies. My mechanic has a black/ tan int SSEI. It's sweet.
I didn't know any of those x11s were still floating around? What does it have under the hood- 2.8 V6?
Also, am I the only one that thinks the bonnie design could hve been transposed onto a B body pretty easily?

Yep, the X-11 is the 2.8 "High Output" V6. 135hp

And I agree, I still love the design of the 90's Bonnies. The 2000's+ were smaller (based on the Aurora/Seville chassis), and they had issues with power window regulators and yellowed headlights, and the insides had a lot more plastic. Hopefully this will be a good car for Misty. Laird loved it...but when I mentioned I was kicking around selling the Cutlass he started playing Wheeler Dealer. Hahaha!

-Mike

Oh, hard to see it but the car has personalized plates. WYDTRK. Wide Track Pontiac! Laird is letting me keep the plates. Very cool and Pontiac-ish.

Will have to line up all my white vehicles for a pic this weekend. Hahahaha!

-Mike

a citation really!

buickestate wrote:

a citation really!

It's not a Citation...it's an X-11!!

a citation with a decal

Think those goosebumps are really the CRABS!

Flasheroo wrote:

Think those goosebumps are really the CRABS!

Sweet deal, man. Even with that Citation.

135 hp and 2600 lbs....how quick is it? That's a pretty light car.

cadillac kevin wrote:

135 hp and 2600 lbs....how quick is it? That's a pretty light car.

It feels quicker than it is. It's got a cool burble to the exhaust, and it's fun to sit in the car and look over the silly cowl hood. Joseph, my 17-year-old, has already claimed it. I have to teach him to drive a standard now. Fun!

I love the Bonneville's I hope Misty enjoys it. I've been looking for a SSEi, pre 2000 (non-Grand Prix body style) to add to my fleet of daily drivers. My son just got his learners permit yesterday damn I feel old all of a sudden.

Laird was just spotted looking at 22" and a body lift kit at the bling store

buickestate wrote:

Laird was just spotted looking at 22" and a body lift kit at the bling store

Not quite, but he just got a set of new black and white Lone Star license plates on it. Tomorrow it's going to Taylor Muffler for 442-style cat-back duals and then next week it's getting the TCI torque converter lockup mod at Aamco.

He also is ordering t-top shades and some new spoiler pads for the trunk. All things that I planned to do but never had the funds for.

He loves the Cutlass, and I'm happy it's going to stay basically stock looking. Good deal all around.

I'm in the Bonneville today. I like it a lot, but it has a few quirks I've got to sort out. The automatic headlights/twilight sentinal does not work. I never had this problem on my other two Bonneville's....will have to look around online to see what that could be. Also the delay wipers don't work...bet it's that module that I had to replace on the OCC.

The only other issue is the white paint peeled in a few small spots on the trunk, hood, and one spot on the roof. Crappy 90's GM primer. It's all small spots, and Laird touched them up so from a few feet back they do not show up, but now I'm leery about letting Misty take it through a car wash. I see a lot of Bonneville hand-washing in my future.

Other than that it runs, drives, and handles great. Seats are still gorgeous and it's really comfy to drive. Misty gets it for the first time tomorrow. I wanted to drive it a few days to sort it out.

Have not touched the X-11 yet.

-Mike

I got up Saturday morning....way early...and went out to Taylor Muffler with Laird. The Cutlass now has a new cat, 2 1/2 inch pipes, turbo mufflers and chrome tips exiting out behind both rear wheels in Cutlass/Regal fashion. Looks and sounds FANTASTIC. Will post pics soon.

We got done around 11am and Laird let me drive it back to Round Rock with the T-tops off. Ouch. It sounded SO GOOD and was a gorgeous morning. I got home and got to watch it drive away again....burbling this time...DOH.

BUT I'm glad Laird got it. He's REALLY loving it and is working like mad on it.

I just got this e-mail this morning...

Hey Mike!

So Exhaust is DONE. The Radio is in progress (stock Delco but with a working cassette).

I need to get the following done:

1) Belts - Need to call Tron to take it in.
2) Trans lockout wire - ordered. When in I will call the AAmco dude.
3) T Top Covers - Ordered.
4) Spoiler Gaskets - Ordered.
5) Trunk Pop - Need to wire, but have the parts.
6) Door Rust - Need to take it to Neil. You said he gave a $500 quote to repair and install the gaskets? While there I will have him tune it.
7) Re- Do the tint on the doors.

What am I forgetting...??

Here are things I'd like to do:

1) Replace the shift with dual gate or lightening rods
2) Go through the sticky locks then get key fob remote lock.
3) Maybe a security device like a starter kill?
4) Think about a re- Paint sometime?
5) Replace the rear end with a Monte Rear end?
6) Replace the trans? You said the stock was weak...
7) install 22"

Anything else?

Oh and I did make it to the salvage yard too. Found some small trim pieces the Bonny needed, and also nabbed a factory Pontiac CD player with the EQ on it. That Bonny had the cassette with EQ, and I know Misty would want a CD player. Amazingly my $25 salvage yard CD radio works like new. All the bulbs are good and it even plays burned CD's. Was in a '97 Bonny. I installed it in the yard parking lot. Very cool, and looks totally correct and original.

The passenger door mirror was loose on the Bonny, so I took the door panel off and was able to tighten it up, but man those door panels are a PAIN to get off. Lots to remove and in the way, but happily I did not break anything. Misty is in the Bonny today for the first time. Hope she likes it. I know she'll like the mileage compared to the Denali.

The Citation X-11 needs a shifter cable. It snapped. The bad thing is the car has a 5-spd swap, so the only cable that will work is a 82-86 J-car cable (Cavalier/Cimmaron/Skyhawk/ect) Not a single one in the local yard, much less one with a stick. Doh.

Projects!

-Mike

81X11 wrote:

3) Maybe a security device like a starter kill?

Make that #1 over and above the top list.

Olds Weighty Eight wrote:

81X11 wrote:

3) Maybe a security device like a starter kill?

Make that #1 over and above the top list.

I agree. I only used the car for a weekend toy/cruise-in toy. He plans to use it like a real car. You can steal these cars with a toothpick....

Mike,if you have the original cable you can have a new one made for it.Just check the yellow pages or go online.They will need the original first!

Flasheroo wrote:

Mike,if you have the original cable you can have a new one made for it.Just check the yellow pages or go online.They will need the original first!

I'm taking off the original. That was kind of my plan if I can't find one locally.

Laird just called. The a/c compressor on the Cutlass just locked up. Doh.

This is why it's sometimes bad to sell a car to a friend.... That car has hardly been used in the past few years, and the a/c compressor was original...25 years old, still R12...

you'll have to return the citation with the decals

Well Misty is liking the new-to-us Bonneville. Just got this e-mail below. Red Oak is a Dallas suburb, about 2 1/2 hours from Austin, and she has a 32-mile daily commute to work. Gotta love those 3800 V6 engines!

"My gas light just came on this morning….since I filled up in RED OAK!! Drove home and to work all week haven’t put gas in my car since I left there Sunday. I think I like the gas mileage this car gets!"

Looks like Misty needs to work on her parking, Mike. :p


Digging the Bonneville, though.

Part of me wishes it was an SSEi. Meaner looks, seats with more toys, digital compass/trip computer dash, HUD, and the 240 SC engine, but the SC engine requires Premium where the standard is fine with regular, and the air suspension and traction control gets flakey when they get old on these, and this car has neither of those options. Has the leather, buckets, floor shift, digital climate control, nice wheels. About the only thing I really do miss from my last two Bonny's is the moonroof. I DO wish this car had that.

Misty's happy with it....and that's all that really matters. She didn't like our V8 Grand Prix because it got V8 mileage. Glad this one is a gas-sipper.

Toys!

-Mike

Looks like you will putting a fuel pump in the Bonny if she keeps running the gas level down to
empty before she fills up!Need to give her the talk about keeping that fuel pump submerged
at all times.