This is the only picture I got before my batteries died. I have a roll of film to develop with the rest of the pictures.

I think I might wait for a while. I think I'm compromising with the Bonneville. Yeah, I liked it a lot but I hate that column shifter and I don't care for the color on either of them. Both are also an SE, and I was looking more along the lines of an SSE, so I will check out the bronze one at *&* but if it doesn't really impress me I'll wait a while, see if any other Bonnies come in and if Snell is willing to lower their price.

That yellow balloon is so weak.

EDIT: Mankato members; is the place down by Harley that sleezy little dealership like Blackman Motors, or Riverbend Autos, something like that?

That Impala is beautiful, man. Hold out for it! That dealer price is their inflated "still asleep and dreaming" price, that only the biggest sucker would come in and pay. It could happen, but is doubtful. Stay in the loop with them... give them your offer, and YOU don't budge from it. If they want to sell it, they'll bring their number down eventually. It sounds like you'll have to play hardball with 'em.

I bought my car at Buy Rite Motors in Fairmont. HUGE selection, no where else in the midwest was there a supercharged LSS. They sell good warrenties as well.

Yeah that'* Blackman Motors, havent heard anything about them. Good luck trying to get a deal from Snell, that place is full of jerks. I don't see them dropping the price all that much, maybe 2 grand. MAYBE.

I think it might be blackman, i'm not sure.

I think some of those problems could be solved easily... Dunno about the electrics. However any N/A 00+ will still have the L36, and it is heavier. Albeit newer and possibly more options.

I agree with you on the column shift though, nasty thing on the two cars i drove with it. I think that impala is a good car, and if it'* perfect like you say, you can't argue the price.

Do all the tricks like waiting till the end of the month etc when you go to buy whatever car. They'll be looking for more sales then for sure.

Is that Impala a floor shift?

The Impala is a floor shift but even impala SS club says 18,990 is rediculous. (19,990 was a mis-print on Snell'* behalf) So the plan for right now is to wait and see what Snell does with the sticker price. I'll take another look at it next Tuesday.

Small update: I contacted Snell, and this time my dealer decided she would talk to a couple sales managers. I said my final offer was 14k. Its 1 grand more than a reasonable asking price and the same value as the 03 Bonnevilles I was looking at. I'm giving them 4 weeks to make a decision about it. My final decision is: I've poured too much time and money into my '95 Bonneville, and I just plain like how it looks even though the '03 drives, handles, and sounds better, and it'll be more fun to take mine apart and figure out why the hell its rattling. So it is either the '96 Impala SS for a reasonable price, or a paint job for my Bon and have the wheels resealed. Thats what I have decided. I'm going to be up in Minneapolis all day thursday so I plan on visiting a couple dealerships once I'm done with my work up there to look at some comparable Impalas. But I'm looking at colleges all over Minnesota so I might as well stop in to the dealerships while I'm there. =) I'll still post up the pix of the cars I looked at a week ago once I get the photos back.

Oh yes, and thank you all for your support and feedback, I really do appreciate it.

I was twixt an 01 impala and the 00 bonnie I ended up with...

The B'Ville is MUCH MORE CAR for the cabbage
less than 60k very clean leather interrior and
just in at 8k. (pontiac'* dont hold value well 'tho)

Good luck in your hunt !

As promised here are the pictures of the cars I looked at. Some of the pictures are extremely blurry becuase its an old, out-dated camera so I'm only posting the clear ones.


The Impala


The runner up Bonneville



and a Buick Regal. If it weren't white it would be a contender with the Bonneville.

That Impala is bad @$$, for the right price I would take it too.