Looking at buying a GXP

[Steelworker26]

Car has 36,078 miles on the OD. Single owner, carfax looks good. Selling for $13,990.00

Owned an SSEI for 9 years and had 197k on the OD. Then it got totaled.

Been reading a lot on this thread about the GXP. I like the platform but am not too excited about the size 5 dress.

There are a lot of cars out there but they just seem plain.

I dunno. Any advise from you former/current owners?

[CMNTMXR57]

Sounds like you've read all you need to read about it since you used my analogy of size 10 engine in a size 5 dress. Decision is in your court.

The low mileage is GREAT for a N*, but you do have to be cautious because it is now a ~9 - ~10 year old car (you didn't give which year it was), with only that mileage on it. Sometimes that's almost as bad as one having 200k on it because that means it's sat for a long time.

[repinS]

If you're the kind of person who does their own work and isn't afraid of a big woman in a tight dress, go for it.

I definitely enjoyed owning mine, and the extra aggravation/time when taking it apart wasn't a big deal for me.

[Steelworker26]

I changed everything that could go wrong with the SSEI "myself" with the help of this website. If it is humanly possible to do it myself I would rather do it because I take twice as long to be sure I do it right. Wiring harnesses I would be temped to cut and wire nut back together

I get the sitting in the garage deal being bad. It is an 04.

The little kid in me says get it but the seasoned guy says be careful what you wish for. The horror stories from skregal gives me great pause.

After owning a bonny for 9 years I think it becomes too hard to go with something else...when the car good. When the car is bad I would happily drive it into a bridge embankment.

[repinS]

The electrical and chassis/suspension/brakes issues that go wrong on the GXP will be mostly the same as the SSEi, so if you're used to those, you'll be fine. Just add some more complication with the powertrain in terms of working area.

[CMNTMXR57]

The wiring system/architecture of the car is the same (class2), for the most part regardless of whether it's an SSEi or GXP. Are there nuances, yes. But like above, the core of the car is the same and it really boils down to the big hardware in a small hole.

[Steelworker26]

So...if you all had to do it over again...would you? I know that is the most loaded question ever...but I am looking at guys who have a much higher tolerance for pain because we have all owned Pontiac's

I am almost done with my decision as in...either I let her go and figure out what I can live with or get it.

[CMNTMXR57]

Yes. I always look for GXP's still.

But let me temper it a little. I'm looking as a secondary/utility vehicle, kinda like my Suburban is. Not a day to day, plan to keep for 5+ years, and rack up 100+k on it kind of car. I'm also a former mechanic and have had a bit of GM experience, so taking apart a N* powered car isn't an issue for me.

If I were looking for it to be a daily, expected to be uber reliable, vehicle that I paid someone else to work on? Probably not.

[bobgto65]

I was in a similar situation a year ago. My 02 SSEi had 198,000 miles and was starting to have a lot of issues. So I found an '04 GXP with 32,700 miles for $9000. I have to replace a couple tie rod ends and the fog lamps to get it to pass inspection. I had the wheels refinished from the curb rash and a new set of tires (Continental Extreme Contact touring tires) as the original ones were dry rotted. There is no vibration at highway speeds. I have driven it 11,000 trouble-free miles in the last 15 months. I had the dexcool changed when I bought it (you are supposed to do this every 5 years) because I do not think the 2 previous owners ever did. The only issue was a coolant smell in the engine compartment with no sign of leaks in any of the gaskets, no coolant in the oil and no sign of leakage into the cylinders. But I was adding coolant every 2 weeks. After I put the GM pellets in the coolant, there have been no problems with coolant loss or odors. It is nice to drive the car on the highway or local roads. It runs on regular and the gas mileage will be worse than your SSEi. You are already familiar with the common issues these cars have so expect more of the same on the GXP, with more likelihood of coolant and oil leaks and the motor mount going bad, but a much more heavy duty 4T80E transmission (The strongest FWD tranny ever built by GM) so likely no problems there. And there are really no performance mods to add power. The engine likes to run at high RPM and lacks the low end torque of the 3800 so the rear axle gearing is a little higher and it runs about 2250 RPM at 70 compared to 1950 for the SSEi.

I had to do it again, I might have second thoughts. You can get a well optioned V6 G8 for the same price you are paying for the GXP Bonneville. The technology in the Bonneville is circa 2000 and the car is 10 years old. I did add an infotainment system, back-up camera, Bluetooth, Sirius XM, touch screen, and my onstar works. I expect now I will keep it for a few years and it is sharing DD duty with my G8 GT. The interior of the Bonneville is much more well appointed than the G8 but the ride and handling of the G8 are far superior not to mention 361 hp vs 275 and better gas mileage, also on regular.

[repinS]

I would buy mine again in a heartbeat. Granted, it had a fresh top end rebuild with brand new heads and studs replacing the head bolts (look up the Northstar Performance kit).

[94SilverSSEi]

I would do it again in a heartbeat, for the right car/deal of course. BUT I would definitely go as low mileage as possible.

Can't say exact mileage for the GXP but my Cadillac was getting the same or better MPG than my SSEi. Granted it has 3.11 gears vs the GXPs 3.71 but still. And the Northstar runs regular instead of premium so I was actually saving money believe it or not.

[repinS]

I was saving money too. The premium for premium in Canada is larger, so I was getting 5% worse economy on average, but paying 11% less.

[nishnobguad]

I LOVE my GXP, it's not my DD so maybe that's why I love it so much, haha! There are alot of quirky little things that annoy me like the fog lights that keep going out and are almost impossible to change but imo it's totally worth it. It's probably my most favorite car I've ever owned, the novelty has NOT worn off yet. I've had mine for almost 2 years and only put about 15k miles on it. I actually parked it this winter, I've never done that. I usually drive my cars into the ground, but not this one. I use full synthetic oil and premium gasoline something else I've never done! I love the sound of the engine even though I have factory exhaust, it still has a little roar. And the power is awesome for such a big car when I need to pass a car... or show off. Haha!

[Steelworker26]

If you all knew how much I value your alls opinion...

My wife is out of it. I have done a tremendous amount of research on the G6, G8 and GXP.

I wish the G6 was not so plain, I wish the G8 (v-6) was not so expensive unless high miles. I wish I could find a comparable SSEI with low mileage. Most of all I wish GM was not a bunch of idiots and never discontinued Pontiac.

While I am at it I wish for a pony

Regardless to all, I hope the membership stays strong here. Kindof fun to be in a click.

[CMNTMXR57]

What about a G8 GT? Those seem pretty reasonable in price (not sure of your budget). Most likely a G8 GXP is going to be out of any budget unless you're looking at a high mileage example.

[Steelworker26]

What about a G8 GT? Those seem pretty reasonable in price (not sure of your budget). Most likely a G8 GXP is going to be out of any budget unless you're looking at a high mileage example.

Trying to stay around 13K.

The G8GT which on the outside is about as good as any car can get style wise is over 120k miles for that price.

I found one for $14 k with 65k miles but they were real qwerky when I asked about the car fax.

I have lived too long without a car payment to want a huge one again...even though I would look good in a G8.

Not dead set against the G8 yet by any means. The dealer wants $4700 down on the GXP I was looking at because it is a 10 year old car to get the best financing. I get it but...

[bobgto65]

This car has a rebuilt title. Its a V6 but has a lot of options http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/4480363560.html
If you took it to a good body shop and had it checked to see if the frame is straight, it is a great buy. The seller says its straight but I would check anyway. Here is a link to the accident pictures.
http://www.autobidmaster.com/carfinder- ... _GROVE_NC/ I do not think the rebuilt title is a big negative especially if you plan to keep the car.

[Steelworker26]

This car has a rebuilt title. Its a V6 but has a lot of options http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/4480363560.html
If you took it to a good body shop and had it checked to see if the frame is straight, it is a great buy. The seller says its straight but I would check anyway. Here is a link to the accident pictures.
http://www.autobidmaster.com/carfinder- ... _GROVE_NC/ I do not think the rebuilt title is a big negative especially if you plan to keep the car.

Thanks for the info.

[00Beast]

I just can't see anything over $10k for a GXP, no matter how low miles. It doesn't help that I'm looking out the window at one that is blowing coolant out of the tailpipes at a high rate due to the infamous headgasket issues...

[Steelworker26]

So as of Saturday afternoon I officially am a very happy idiot. I bought a 05 GXP with 24K miles on the odometer from Pa. I live near Columbus, OH. It was pretty surreal trying to get this to all work out but it is done now. I was shooting for the car in memphis but it was sold before I could gather all my resources and find the time to make the drive.

Of all the things I have read about this car from the web and here - nothing prepared me for the power/pickup speed. My first serious drive was getting on an on-ramp in Pa near Allentown which was little more than a parking space in length. It came up as a surprise as I was navigating around a sharp corner and it was like I had a snap decision to make...do I jump in front of a white mustang being closely followed by a tractor trailer unit? I hoped and prayed that this GXP was like my SSEI and I romped on it for the merge. I quickly found out it was nothing like my former SSEI. The response time was NOW. My SSEI was fast and great pickup but this is much faster to me. (I had almost 190k on my SSEI so maybe it was the wear n tear.

As we started our journey home to Ohio I started messing with the radio. I knew it was a monsoon going in and I was not happy with it. I loved my Bose. When I test drove the car two weeks prior I hated the sound of the Monsoon but only had a few moments to doodle with it. On this drive home I was really disappointed with the sound. I played with the settings for base, mid, highs and it just sounded like crap. Sad as I drove I just said...I will rectify that with aftermarket. 10 minutes go buy and I say...I wonder if the bal/fade is off? So I hit the balance and it was set on the left side 50%. I set it to middle and it sounded much much better. I then checked the fade and it was 80% back speakers, I set it to middle and I almost drove off the road. I could not believe the quality of sound! The monsoon had two additional speakers in the passenger doors (8 speaker vs bose 6) that I found when detailing the inside. I did not know this. In my most humble opinion the monsoon sounds better by a decent margin. The both sound superb but the Monsoon has a lot more depth and clarity at higher volume to my ears.

The Pa Turnpike was shut down so we had to take the southern highway through Maryland. It was like driving in the Smoky mountains. Long steep grades abound. This car was in its element. It acted like there was no strain at all.

Leading up to buying this car I was slightly disappointed with the dash. I loved the SSEI dash appearance especially at night. The white fascia on the GXP was not my favorite (kind of like my T&C minivan) and I was not too excited what it was going to look like at night. My wife drove it for most of the trip while I led in my company midget car so she got to see it at night during the drive. When we got home we unloaded and then the whole family jumped back in to go out for a celebratory dinner. When I started the car up the dash lit up and I wet my pants.

Sunday my family and I cleaned the car for 6 hours. The previous owners were chain smokers and the interior was yellow in spots. The car was garaged for the vast majority of its life but the last year it was outside. I don't think they washed it once. I spent 80 bucks on cleaning supplies and stuff for our carpet shampooer. The interior is immaculate now minus a few spots hidden where they dropped a lit cigarette and let it burn for a while under the driver seat. It still has a very light smoke odor and the windows will need washed again. I have a detailer lined up to clean out the vent system who does our work trucks. He really makes the trucks look great and removes all traces of smoke smell so we can eventually remove the 6 vent air fresheners and three hanging fresheners.

I will be painting this car soon. It is black and the driver side is immaculate but the passenger side was keyed last year on every panel and it was brushed against by something that did not dent but marred the paint. It needs a new hood where the owner curbed the car and it blew the passenger shock through the hood denting it significantly on the outside and popping a hole on the inside.

So I need a new front hood, fix the muffler where they backed into something pushing the passenger exhust in 3 inches (I think I can fix with a torch), fog light on driver side out, and an intermittent low coolant light on startup that does not throw a code and goes away after about a minute and a paint job. I will also be tinting the windows.

Like I said...I am an idiot but I cannot keep from smiling so much my ears hurt.