1988 Pontiac 6000 LE review from North America

I bought my burgundy '88 Pontiac 6000 V6 end of April '07 from a dealer. It had obviously been babied by a grandpa. Only 80,000 miles & in pristine condition. Even the paint looked good. All new belts, hoses & catalytic converter. Rebuilt tranny.

A CV boot was busted & the alignment really bad. The dealer had those things fixed week one.

It has a minor drive train oil leak, but the inspecting mechanic said, "Don't worry about it." It's drunk one litre of oil in three months, so I won't. No oil stains on ground.

The cassette player doesn't work. For the age of the car, I'm not shocked. The radio is so-so, too much static. Because the dash is huge, you have to lean too far to adjust dials. Unsafe.

It began surging on hills & about once a week, stalling right after I started it. After mechanics telling me just diagnostics would be $200-300, I took it for a fast boot on the highway. The surging fixed itself. Seems all it needed was carbon blown out. Didn't know you could do that in a non-carbureted engine :-D.

It still stalls about every two weeks. Once I restart (on a simple key turn), it doesn't do it again. Puzzling. I tried higher octane gas & changing stations ---in case of water in pumps---& that hasn't helped.

It took a few weeks to adjust to the stiff suspension & wide wheel base/body for turning. I'm still working on parking. Biggest car I've ever had.

Ugly bumpers. I wish they were chrome instead of painted unibody.

The seats are comfy, but could be more so. Wish I'd found an STE with the luxury features.

This Pontiac has stolen my heart. At first I thought I'd made a mistake due to its size, "grandpa car" image & a couple of problems.

However---I feel 100% safe in it, as if it's a good Texas Quarter Horse. It drives like it's anchored to the highway, even in heavy rain. I have spinal injuries, & know it would take a head-on with a semi to get further damaged in this car.

It beats new Hondas, Mustangs, Toyotas & even Jags out of stoplights. Unbelievable. The V6 feels the tiniest bit too small for the body size, but it GOES. This car has heart.

I feel safe speeding a bit. Cops' gazes slide over me & focus on the little sporties. I've had an incredibly easy time getting through border crossings in this car. I'm fairly young, hip-looking & a musician, but the Pontiac seems to tell authorities I'm conservative. Maybe it arouses fond memories of grandparents :-D.

I like the look of it. It's distinctive among the ugly new boxes. Love the funky green & orange instrument lights & pinstriped burgundy upholstery. Friends comment on its comfort. "It's like a couch."

Not quite as comfy as a Caddy or Lincoln, but I can't afford a V8! It runs so quiet, sometimes I think it's stalled. A guy with an advanced degree in mechanical technology told me the P6000 is one of the best-engineered cars ever.

Re: gas mileage. I spend $35 CDN about every 10 days. My 4-cyl. Chevy Cavalier was $25. Insurance is $20 more per month ($85). For a few dollars more, I have tons more luxury, safety & power.

I plan to own this car until it reaches 400K. Maybe I'll do some rebuilding, too.