I just got some new Bridgestone Potenza G 009'* (or "Goo" 9'* as the shop called them - WTF) tires for my ride, and I LOVE them. Combined with my new energy suspension bushings this car handles like a champ. They've gotten very high reviews and I would give them equally high ones. Plus I think they look cool too . Total cost including mounting, balancing and valve stems came out to $91 per tire. (I could have bought them cheaper on tirerack.com but then I would have had to pay for the mounting, balancing, etc. so it more or less balanced out and I supported a local business in the process which is always good).
Here'* a link to the tire:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e1=yes&place=0

Here are the pics: I was going to wash her up but rain is in the forecast starting tonight and going through Monday.

Wheel weights on the INSIDE next time I promise!!

I like the tread design - they're directional if you couldn't tell. They look pretty aggressive I think





On to the sad part of this post (It was hard to take pics without the other car in the background and somehow I think you guys would be curious about the other Bonneville in the driveway)...


Replacement mirror and scrape on bumper

Scrape over rear wheel and beginning of rust :(


Here'* the background
My family bought our first Bonneville back in the early 90'*. I believe it was pre-1992 based on what I remember from the body style, but that was a long time ago and I was about 10. After that car, my dad bought a used 1997 SE in majestic teal. It'* purely base model with grey cloth bench seats and a column shifter. After driving that car for a while and liking it, in 2000 my mom got another '97 (at the time we thought it was just an SE with some more "bells and whistles" but since then with the help of the club I realized it'* a 40th Anniversary SLE no less - it was missing the C-pillar badges until OlBlueEyesBonne got me the hook up this March) Eventually my parents got new cars: a 2000 Durango for my Dad and a 2004 Murano for my mom. Now that my brother and I are in college we inherited the Bonnevilles for our cars. I wound up with the SLE (I'm older ) and my brother has the teal SE.
Every time I see his car I'm more and more thankful the cars ended up in the hands they did. Last summer I changed his oil for him and got out 1.5 quarts of BLACK junk I'm 90% sure he hasn't done it more than once since. No washer fluid in the reservoir, missing lug nut covers in a lot of places (entire rear passenger wheel and the nuts are rusty) and other bumps and scrapes around the car. He'* got a husky and the car has a second carpet of hair and other wrappers and junk. I don't want to bash him too much - some people just don't take interest in cars- but it makes me sad and even scared thinking about him with my car – I probably sound a little crazy but I’ve fallen more in love with it every day. It'd be nice if I could get him in the club, but he just doesn't have the interest in the car as is evident from what you can tell. I should work on it though; any other Bonneville brothers in the club?? Over Easter I showed him some things I've done with the car and he showed some interest. I’ll try to pursue things further and see if I can give him the bug but so far I’m the only one in the family.

i like the 40th cars

too bad they didn't make it to 50 Years :(

looks great though

Looks sharp. I came across a 40th identical to yours with 96k miles on it for $1k, but it needs a new front end and air bags. I know where there is a 40th SSEi in the same color, with a good front clip with bags for $600, but it'* 250 miles from me and I just don't have the time for a project like that, even though it would be worth the work, both for making it a daily driver or for resale.
I wanted to get G-009'*, but came across a sweet deal on some V-rated 235/55/16 Daytons so I passed this time on the G-009'*.
As for Bonneville siblings, one of my older brothers has a 1997 SSEi 40th with the gold package, my oldest brother had my old 1990 SSE until about 2 months ago, and my younger brother has a 1998 Oldsmobile LSS which basically as Bonneville SSE.
My brother with the 40th likes to add little doohickusses to his car like Sirius Satellite, and good tires, but detailing, and other maintenance is embarassingly close to non-existant.
The brother with the LSS has added blue high/low/fogs (car is blue) and Sirius as well as having had me put a 180* t-stat in, gutting the air box, and ceramic brake pads, but he does give it a wash every 1-2 weeks and is pretty good about making sure it has oil changes at 3K, but never later than 4k. He really likes the ivory interior and gives the leather a cleaning and conditioning every 3-4 months and vacuums it monthly (which is what I should be doing now).

wow, you've been around of anniversary cars - SSEi'* no less - RARE!! Those rebuilds would be tempting!

I like your 97 alot, and especially in that color. Nothing like new rubber either. I think that you should give your bro a beating for not looking after his Bonne. My younger bro wanted to get an SSE like mine, but in black. that ended up falling through, but I have the feeling he would look after it the same way that your bros' has to his, and I would more than likly be in the same spot as you for looking after it for him. Do you remember if the first fam Bonne was an SSE? the one in my sig was my familys first, we bought it new in 89 we must be around the same age, becuase I was around 10 when we got ours too. But things happen, and I had to replace it with the 91. I still love this car, and would love to get a 97 anniversary to park beside her.
Do you have the original floor mats with the aerohead logo too?

Based on my dad'* Bonneville buying preferences, I would guess it was an SE we used to have as well. I'm 22 now and like I said, I was probably about 10 - if that - when we had it. I can't say how LUCKY I feel to have this car and I baby the heck out of it. I don't think there'* any other Bonnie I'd rather have than a 40th SSEi (you could maybe talk me into a GXP ) so I feel pretty lucky to have ended up with an SLE Before I got my C-pillar badges the only thing tipping me off to the 40th package was these floormats but the Y40 RPO put a HUGE smile on my face when I saw it!

nice mats! and Interior color too. Mine is identical. The chrome TS'* that I have will be going on my Bonne soon, they came off a 97 SE anniversary. Someone had already scooped the arrowheads on the pillers, but the floor mat arrowhead was the only one that I could get. Again nice ride.