Dropping in to say Hello and to grab all the knowledge I can about SSEi'* I'm looking to purchase one in December. I own a 67 Barracuda and was looking for a daily driver and was about to close the deal on a Dodge Stealth that was until... I drove my Dad'* Bonneville SE. The ride was great!!! Though I do need a little more power hence the SSEi. I really dig the body style of the 92 and up. So what I'm looking for is some much needed direction in what I should look for during purchasing. So drop me a line and any words of advice you might have.

Welcome to the club man!! Its nice to see this place keeps growing and growing! Jeff should be proud Bonnevilles are sweet *** cars, but just some words of advise (in my own opinion, of course )

First of all, the design years (with pictures thanks to fellow members )

'92-93 were the first couple years, and they looked pretty much the same between the 2. The SSE and SSEi'* however looked more like the 94-95 style.

'92-93 SSEi


94-95 the body style changes a little bit, but still the basic shape is there, the main difference is that even now the SE'* have this front grill too (but not fog lights in the center):

'94-95


96-99 the body style changed slightly again, with smoother lines and halogen reflective headlamps. Also the 4T65E-HD Transmission started being used in '97:

'96-99


In 2000, the body style completely changed, exterior, interior, everything! These are the most current, latest, and most bad *** bonnevilles today.

2000 SSEi:


My Advice? You definetely are going to want the GM 3800 Series II engine which started in the Bonneville in '95. By the sounds of it though, your looking stricly for a SSEi (as I would be too ), and the series II supercharged motor didint begin in the bonneville unitl '96. This is good because you will also get the newer smoother body style. If I had a recommendation, it would be to find a '98 or '99 SSEi, or '97 at the oldest. That way you will be getting the 4T65E-HD Transmission with is definetely what your going to want with any type of mods, plud its just better for reliability. Also, if you look around (edmunds, etc..) the newer the year you get between 96-99, the less and less problems they have. '99'* are almost flawless in everything from braking to suspension, drivetrain, etc... They worked all the bugs out, and then of course started all over again in 2000. Anyways, good luck on your hunt, and I hope some of this info helped (I am really bored at work this morning) And remember your always better off with a Pontiac over a Dodge!!! :P

Well first off, WELCOME! I would recommend reading a good portion of the posts here too. Most of these WILL probably answer MOSt of your questions. As an owner of a 92 SE myself, I too love these body styles.

Welcome, As a 97 SSEi owner I can tell you that they are a blast to drive. Mine was a company car when I picked it up and it had 43, 000 miles. Now it has 87,000 and is still running strong today. This site has been very imformative. From experiance I can tell you if you take care of it, it will last. I drive it hard and the only problem I have is the braking. The brakes are a large single caliper and have a tendency to warp and cause vibrations. Other than that I have no problems with it. A 98 or 99 would be an awesome choice as well. As mentioned above they do have the kinks worked out. My >02 worth.