with 100k on the engine you should keep the current coolant type in the engine. After a while switching to different polymers or something that will break stuff down inside your engine.

1. Buy Now
2. Post Pics
3. Ask Questions Later


:P

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm really glad to see this website since I thought that there would be no such thing as a Bonneville specific site.

I have yet to see this car, my father checked it out and was going to buy it for himself but knew that I was looking for a new car to replace my recently sold 1988 TransAm GTA [which was mint].

I have a few questions:

- My father said the car is kinda like a gold colour.....so anyone have anywhere I can look at the exact colour of gold he is talking about....I assumed it was like a light champaigne colour.

- My father said that it has aluminum alloy wheels....again kinda vague as I've seen many different stock Bonneville wheels.....any idea what a Supercharged SLE would have on for rims?

- I also found some info that is telling me that in 1996 GM started using Dexcool long life coolant, is this correct?

I'm very excited and have tons of questions but this is all I can think of right now!

Yeah, I think it would have Dexcool in it.

Lemme find Martins' car, Champagne with beautiful rims... http://www.cardomain.com/id/goldsse

You can tell the exact color by looking at the RPO codes pasted to the spare tire cover. Look in techinfo here for the explanations for most of the codes.

Welcome to the club!

Actually, my car is probably a tad bit deeper gold than the 1996 SLE you are looking at. Gold Firemist wasn't an optional color until late 1997 or 1998.

Here'* Allmachtige'* 1998 SSEi in the gold that the 1996 is most likely. Also, you can use his cars performance for setting goals, and if you are really, really serious you can use Rogue'* 8-Ball or BadSSEi'* #'* for your goals -both aren't easily achievable, but are testaments to the potential of the Series II L67 (and any 3800 for that matter).

Kyle'* Gold/champagne SSEi:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/386346

(All I can say is these cars better not be rexes)



And a pic of my car to see the difference in colors (although this pic doesn't show how deep of a gold Gold Firemist is):

Hi guys, I just wanted to update you on the car. Unfortunately I'm not able to get the car into my possession until this Wednesday morning but I went to go see it this morning and took it for a nice long test drive. When we pulled up to the guys house his place was like mansion, huge triple car garage, huge driveway, huge everything! The guy said the reason he is selling the car is because both he and his wife now drive company cars and no longer need a car of their own. He said that any problem at all no matter how little it may be has fixed. He told me that his mechanic even replaced the entire air conditioning system [evaporator & condenser] because the car wasn't cooling to his liking lol! The tires and brakes are all 2 months old.

The guy also had ready the safety and emission test results [HC was at 0.2 against a limit of 200]. I was impressed.

The car is absolutely beautiful inside and outside with everything in working order. I checked the fluids and the tranny fluid was nice and red with no burnt smell and the oil was up to proper level and looked decent. The transmission shifts perfectly, no clunking into gear, no whine, no delayed or slipping shifts. The engine was completely silent and vibration free....This honestly felt like looking over a brand new car!!!

The only drawbacks were that there was a slight scratch on the rear drivers side door and a some paint chipped off the front nose of the fascia when he bumped into a trailer hitch. I believe I can fix that with some urethane filler and factory paint. There were no dents, not even a single door ding [which I was expecting being in the city].

Performance wise I was a little disappointed, although I just came from driving a TransAm for the past 4 years. The guy said that he doesn't run premium gas, he runs 87 octane.......ugh.......so the knock sensor is retarding the timing pretty severely and I imagine that has a lot to do with the performance. He told me that he hasn't changed the spark plugs or wires in awhile, although the car doesn't stutter now I still may change them [Did GM put platinum tipped spark plugs in 96 L67'*?].

The biggest beef I have about the car is that on the test drive on the highway the seemed to be a slight thumping sensation felt through the steering wheel at about 120 km/h. It felt like an out of balance tire, although they were recently replaced so I doubt that would be the problem, but you never know.

Overall all though I am extremely impressed by everything the Bonneville Supercharged SLE has to offer and can't wait til I pick in up this Wednesday.

Oh yeah, The black pouch was in the trunk with everything in it. The brake light were operating normally and performance/normal shift lights were working fine. There was no boost gauge as the car has the SE gauge cluster.

By all means, get 91+ octane in there. You're probably getting a good 8-10* KR with 87 octane.
For the plugs, Platinums are kind of a no-no for the SC'ed engine'*. And be sure to aviod using Bosch products too -3800'* tend to eat em as fast as they go through a tank of gas (or faster).
For plugs and Wires I'd suggest NGK TR55 plugs, and go to NAPA and get Belden Premium Blue wires for a 1994 SSEi.
Reason I say 1994 SSEi is because they are cheaper, and the Series I wires they sell are 8MM versus 7MM for the Series II'*. Really seams wierd, but it'* true. Plus NAPA and Belden do a really good job of warrantying these wires.

For the thumping, you might have a bad strut. Does it have the Performance Ride and Touring Ride buttons next to the Traction Control? If so it has the CCR (Computer Command Ride), which has been known to be problematic. A cheap upgrade for your suspension would be to get new Polyurethane sway bar end-links. NAPA has their own line of Poly end-links, and I put them in my sisters GP, and have to say they we were very satisfied with them (I have Energy Suspension Poly end-links in the front and standard Moogs in the rear (for ride smoothness in the seat)).

So, for starters get 91+ octane in there, new plugs, wires, fuel filter, PCV valve, and of course a Cold Air intake and you'll be very much impressed with the power of the 3.8L V6 (add in the huffer'* displacement and it'* a tad of 5.0L).

does that SC SLE have the CCR? Does it have a schrader valve next to the trunk latch. THe bag in the trunk is awesome

I know that the SC SLE did not have the ride type buttons on the console so I guess it would not have the CCR...but who knows. I did check to see if there was a shraeder valve I will check on wednesday.