My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrecker

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b97SSEi
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:37 am
Year and Trim: 1997 SSEi

My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrecker

Post by b97SSEi »

It's been 6 years since I sold my 1997 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. I didn't want to sell it at the time, but I just couldn't afford to put gas in it where I was moving to. In the last 6 years I have bought and flipped a 1994 SE and a 1995 SSEi, but I haven't had one to drive myself.

I may have just returned to the club with a 2001 SSEi that I saved from the wrecker.

I started out going to the pick n pull looking for a windshield washer reservoir for my 09 Kia Rio, ended up leaving with a deposit down on a 2001 SSEi being sold as a builder car.

The SSEi had been in there builder section for a while with almost no interest. If they weren't able to sell it by Friday they were going to place it in the yard to be picked to the bone. (I didn't pay the price on the window in the first few pics)

At first glance it doesn't look like much, very dirty, typical rust under the gas door. However upon closer inspection the car is actually very well taken care of and the interior while very dirty is almost mint. It's also fully loaded with a sunroof, heated seats, heads up display that still works. Turns out it's a 1 owner car. Original owner donated it to the Kidney Car Line because the car was having issues with it stalling and the old man didn't want to spend the money to fix it (was probably told it was an expensive problem to fix).

I ran a code puller and the code it was throwing up was for the TPS. At low idle it occasionally stalls. No big deal and an easy fix.

Tires are basically new, front end and brakes are all good. Got a color matched spray can of paint made up and fixed the rust patch below the gas door.

Haven't had a chance to detail the interior yet but I did get a chance to polish up the exterior.

On the lot
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After Purchase before the Carwash
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After Rust Repair and quick Wash and Wax/Tire Shine
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Benvw99
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Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2014 7:17 pm
Year and Trim: 2005 Bonneville SLE
Location: Selby, SD

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by Benvw99 »

Beautiful color! I really like those wheels too. I hope you get it all fixed up and it treats you well. Supercharger is always a bonus too :)
2005 Pontiac Bonneville SLE in Crimson Tintcoat.
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Previous or other current Pontiac vehicles...
2003 Grand Am SE1 3.4L - Black
2008 G6 GT Coupe 3.5L - Silver
2002 Grand Prix SE 3.1L - Dark Tropic Teal
1998 Grand Prix SE 3.1L - White
ga93sle
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Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by ga93sle »

Nice save!!! Looks like it will make a very nice car with that rust fixed and the interior all cleaned up.
*Chris*
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15 Nissan Altima 2.5SL/2004 Honda Shadow 750 Aero
Previous, 07 GP SE, 06 GP GXP, 97 SSE 40th, 96 LeSabre Custom, 93 SLE, 90 LeSabre Custom
1oldman
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Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by 1oldman »

WOW!!!! Love that color too. The interior looks too good to have been a wrecker car, to me anyway. To repeat a post, "Nice save!" Can't wait to see what you have instore for your "new" SSEi. - BC
In Memory of Brad - 1/21/1977 .. 10/23/2013 ...... Aaron - 1977 .. 2017 .....
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ..... 1992 Bonneville SSE 1SB 170 HP L27 4T60E retired/sold to MattStrike ..... 2005 Bonneville SE 1SC 205 HP L36 4T65E - retired/salvage yard ..... PBCF user 2321
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98SSE
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Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by 98SSE »

Wow, cleaned up real nice!
2001 Bonneville SSEI (His) - Gen V/3.5 pulley/CAI/SD Headers/ZZP 1.9 Rockers/90# Springs/Magnaflow Converter/HP Tuners/180* T-Stat/Trans-Go Shift Kit/TruCool Transmission Cooler/ F-Body Front Brakes/STS Rear Brakes/Tint/GXP Interior September 2015 COTM

2007 Trailblazer SS (Hers) - PCM4Less tune, E-Fans, SLP PowerFlo Exhaust, Hotchkis Sways, PML Tranny Pan, Powerstop Brakes,
"Big 3", Tint

2004 CTS-V (His) - B&B Exhaust, LS7 clutch, HIDs, LED fogs, Powerstop Brakes, Tint

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b97SSEi
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Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:37 am
Year and Trim: 1997 SSEi

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by b97SSEi »

Some before and after of the quick rust repair

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And some Before and afters of the Interior

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b97SSEi
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Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:37 am
Year and Trim: 1997 SSEi

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by b97SSEi »

Engine Bay Before
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Engine Bay all cleaned up
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Bonus all waxed up
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Benvw99
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Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2014 7:17 pm
Year and Trim: 2005 Bonneville SLE
Location: Selby, SD

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by Benvw99 »

While it looks very nice, I'm not sure how well that rust repair will hold up. Everything else looks great though.
2005 Pontiac Bonneville SLE in Crimson Tintcoat.
Image
Previous or other current Pontiac vehicles...
2003 Grand Am SE1 3.4L - Black
2008 G6 GT Coupe 3.5L - Silver
2002 Grand Prix SE 3.1L - Dark Tropic Teal
1998 Grand Prix SE 3.1L - White
b97SSEi
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Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:37 am
Year and Trim: 1997 SSEi

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by b97SSEi »

Benvw99 wrote:While it looks very nice, I'm not sure how well that rust repair will hold up. Everything else looks great though.
Yeah that's just a very temporary patch. I hadn't decided if I was going to flip it or keep it for myself. I'm leaning toward the latter. I'm no body man so I plan on taking it into a bodyshop and having them do a real fix on it.
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nos4blood70
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Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by nos4blood70 »

Awesome! Looks like you found yourself a very nice car. Headlights look pretty nice too, for being a junker car.

Really dig the blue.
-Car Guy Carl
"Penelope" - 2003 SLE - 250k Miles
"Sydney" - 2000 Honda S2000 - 101k miles
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labonnevillastrangiato
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Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by labonnevillastrangiato »

Wow, I can't believe the overall transformation. Great job! How are the mechanical issues?
You should take it back to the junkyard and let them check out what a difference it is!
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1993 SSEi "Red Bonnechetta" COTM July 2014
2003 GMC Envoy SLT
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WhiteArrow3800
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2001 Bonneville SSEi
2009 Pontiac G8 GT
Location: Williamsburg, Va

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by WhiteArrow3800 »

Nice find and cool deal. Glad you were able to save that one.
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'93 SSE "Guinevere" RIP 1993 - 2019
'01 SSEi "Chloe" Mods: Intense FWI | GenV | WBS Intercooled | 3.2 MPS | 1.9 YT Rockers | SSAC Headers | N* TB | TEP Trans | 3.29 FDR | Torsen LSD
DTM Tuned | Dual AeroForce | Solid Mounts | 255 Walbro Pump | Fuel Logs | GXP STB & Sway Bars | CSS Lowering Springs | GXP Brakes | Disabled DRL
Magnaflow Mufflers | Magnaflow Cat | GXP Seats & Trim | 35 % Tint | Cleared & Tinted Tails | repinS Retrofited Morimoto Mini H1 | 19" GT500 Wheels
'09 G8 GT "Abigail" Mods: Rotofab | LS3 Heads, Intake & Cam | Kooks LT | Solo Exhaust | Tien Springs w/ GXP Struts | Whiteline Swaybars | BMR Subframe Connectors
Achievements: Guinevere - 264k mi | 16.27 @ 84.10mph | March '11 COTM :: Chloe - 223k mi | 13.85 @ 102mph | January '09 COTM :: Abigail - 192k mi | 12.85 @ 112mph
MadMex
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Year and Trim: 2001 SSEi

Re: My Return to the Bonneville Club 01 SSEi Saved from wrec

Post by MadMex »

Is your stereo a Bose 8 spkr system. I found one on ebay looks just like yours.
I am wanting to go back to OEM Bose,

I knows:
Bose 8 speakers
Wires in dash to HU were cut by Nephew,
Steering wheel controller do not work with Kenwood sys.

I don't knows
what the bose hu looks like.

That's it.
Thanks in advance.
Bonnie Ville
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