1993 Chevrolet Lumina Z34 review from North America

Alternator died at around 80k, then again at around 86k due to shoddy labor "rebuilding" the original alt. (Please note was the 3rd-party service station's fault, not that of the manufacturer or the dealer.) I got a new alt with a lifetime warranty from NAPA through a different shop, and it has been going strong ever since. The second shop was cheaper with a NEW alt than the first was with a junky rebuild. The first was $490 P/L and the second was $380.

Master cylinder ruptured at approx 95k. Brakes were less responsive and the pedal would go to the floor if it was pushed normally, but brake fine if it was slammed. Simple fix; it took about 2 days to get the part and another day to have it installed. $220 P/L. Brakes have been extremely responsive since then.

Engine seized at around 102k, due to lack of oil. My fault, not Chevy's or the dealer's. I admit it, I'm a dumbass. The oil light was only coming on when the steering wheel was turned all the way in either direction, so I thought it was some electrical quirk and it never occurred to me that the oil was actually low until it locked up while I was driving home one evening. They said if I get a remanufactured engine I should expect to pay at least $2000 to fix it. Fat chance. I'm going to open it up to see if the damage goes beyond the cylinders. If not, I can get a complete piston/ring set from NAPA for around $500 and have a mechanic friend install it. If the engine is completely screwed, I'm going to save my dough and drop a supercharged L67 in it.

Overall, this is an excellent vehicle that has retained its value extremely well. (I bought it in May 2000 for 5 grand, and the Blue Book says it's worth about that much now, Feb 2002.) It has a great sporty look to it and is a lot of fun to drive.

The factory Bose system is clear and QUITE LOUD.

The fuel economy is fair, I think at some point I calculated that it gets approx 20-25 mpg/highway.

I've never modified this car, and I've never lost a drag race with it. (My Sentra got smoked a couple of times though.) I lost one drift race on the interstate, and that was to another Z34 (the driver gunned it before I was ready, but I'm not making excuses).

The stock setup is sweet, and there's a TON of stuff you can do to make it perform even better. I highly recommend this car to anyone who doesn't necessarily want a brand new car, but a reliable one and one that has a bit more power than your typical coupe.