Lets see… --I got my red, 1990 2-Door, 3.1 liter V6 Chevy Lumina in 96 or 97 for $300.00 from a friend. It was hit by a tractor-trailer in a parking lot and his insurance company totaled it!!!
After it was officially declared dead it astonishingly did the following:
The driver side door and rear seat window had to be replaced due to the accident. It also had the key snapped off in the ignition that makes it look like there’s no key in it. But just twist it and it starts. (I refer to it as “Key-less Entry”) Occasionally I’ve had to stick a quarter in the slot because it was cold and I couldn’t get a grip on the perimeter ring. And I’ve never fixed that. Also the hood lever was broken and was rigged with vise-grips that are still in place today as well. I got it as a winter rat and it’s been the lowest cost vehicle to maintain that I’ve ever owned. I’ve driven it winters only since 1998 and even sitting all summer the only thing I usually have to do every fall is refill the tires with air (aluminum rims tend to slowly leak) and spend a few minutes getting it started for the first time. Though the first few years of sitting all summer the rear disc breaks and calipers had to be replaced. (One a year) This was a common problem for GM. After that, I had them disabled and the car actually handles much better when stopping since (I drive in 6-18” of snow regularly and sticking rear calipers are more trouble than they are worth). And just to be honest I’ve treated this car like it was going to the junkyard the next day, for almost the whole time I’ve owned it. --- So here goes:
153,00 -Obtained the car with 153,000 miles and fixed driver side door and rear-seat window --- $300.00. I should mention finding the rear window wasn’t simple. The local Chevy dealership informed me there “were” 2 left in the US and the price tag was insane. So I went used, which still took some time.
165,000 -I replaced passenger side rear caliper, and pads on both sides $190.00 for the year.
178,000 -I replaced rear driver side rear caliper and pads on both sides 190.00 for this year as well.
190,000 -The headlights would randomly go out over bumps and such. My mechanic fixed them by wiring the switch into another constant (hot). It was less than a 10.00 fix. I’ve had to reconnect the wire once since then.
203,000 -The radio half died. ----The left speakers went out and the bass fader stopped working. Although I’d like to mention that the reception on this car is the best I’ve ever seen. It picks up radio stations that even the ($2,000.00 +) system in my summer car doesn’t, and by more than 20 miles!!
206,000 -I slammed the car off the road at 50+ MPH. - I was hung over and late to a final exam and crashed it into a bunch of small trees and brush on the way to the test. I had to replace the front right directional unit (28.00 aftermarket) and superglued (.99¢) the passenger side mirror back into on to the mount.
210,000 -The engine started to knock. With no oil changes since I bought it I couldn’t see why. ;) - (check the miles-lol)
216,000 -My brother rear ended a car and had to replace the hood and front end. Bought a front-end w/lights & plastics for 150.00 fixing the fender from the last crash at the same time. Radiator and whole engine compartment was fine.
222,000 -Engine FINALLY went. I got a sweet deal on dropping in a rebuilt one for 500.00 and said why not. I figured it would cost about as much to get another winter rat. (NOTE the engine knocked for 12,000 miles) –WTF? ---- But it’s true.
231,000 -I slammed it into a 4-foot snow bank at 45 mph and had to get a ball joint (90.00) and an alignment. (40.00)
238,000 - I finally HAD to get an oil change. When I started it up for the 2003-2004 winter the oil filter was so deteriorated and rusted that it burst, it was so sharp and rusty I actually had to get a potato to take it off, -hence I had to give it an oil change… still no tune-up.
241,000 - I left the wipers on intermittent one night when I came home from work, and my girlfriend started it up the next morning to warm up. So, with 13 inches of snow on the windshield and not knowing the wipers where on, 15 minutes later when we went to leave for work and the entire directional/wiper harness was COOKED. We drove to work with no wipers, my head out the window to see, and smoke bellowing out of the steering column. Later I came to find out that they want like 80.00 for the directional/wiper switch. That was more than the car was worth in my opinion so I had my mechanic wire in an on/off toggle switch for the wipers 10.00, so now the wipers are either on or off and I’ve got to manually blink the switch for left hand turns. Additionally the wiper motor was also cooked. I bought it from a junkyard and had it installed for 40.00 total.
So in conclusion, I’ve driven this car for the better part of 10 years for next to nothing. Most repairs where due to my own stupidity. I have since bought 2 more Luminas and am happy with both of them as well. I can’t say enough about this make/model of car, and it takes a lot to make me happy.
So if you’re on a tight budget and need the MOST reliable car in the world for DIRT CHEAP find a Chevy Lumina between 1990 and 1994. And to get an EVEN better deal look for one with “slight transmission problems.” I say this because I’ve owned 3 now and have gotten some RIDICULASLY good deals because when the coils/comp goes the car will jump between gears between 45-55 mph on the 3.1 liter and 55-65mph on the 3.4 liter (Z34). The seller thinks it needs major transmission work, which you can use to pick up the car for an insanely cheap price, and then just have the coils/comp fixed for about $100.00 and ALL PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED.
Making this the best ECONO-CRUISER ever made!!!
Recapping my first “Crackerised Lumina” that got me through college:
· NEVER had a key (Turn and go Technology)
· Patented “Vise-grip” hood release
· “Hard-wired Headlights”
· “Manual-Blink” (left-hand only) turn blinker
· “One-Speed Only” on/off wiper switch
· “Mono-Sound --Bassless, Rightless- Sound System”
· “Immortal-Life Design”-Despite Numerous Assignation Attempts.
I have a 1991 Chevrolet Euro sport. It is a wonderful car and I will not give it up. It has been so dependable. It is a beautiful car. It's silver gray with a red streak. I bought it used in 1993. It has taken good care of me all these years. It's body and interior have held up wonderfully. It performs wonderfully on the highway. It feels like a race car. My husband would buy me a brand new car right now, but I will not give up my Euro sport. I have had very little work done on it. It has never let me down. I get regular oil changes and have it checked by my mechanic. I love this car. It will probably outlive me! Diana Smith
Just like you, I've owned a Lumina 1993 3.1L and I gotta say... it was the best buy I've ever made. I'm still a student at 19 years old, so lemme tell you, I haven't made it easy on the car either. After 4 years (bought it in 2000...) the car still runs perfectly apart for a few little repairs like car door handle and like you, I had to rewire my headlights as well. All in all, it is definitely a huge money-saver.
Follow up, I must admit that the Z34 with the 3.4L engine is not nearly the problem free, fix free, car that the 3.1 is. I will not buy another one. You have to get under it to change the alternator!!! Dropped the tranny at 120,000 miles (finding a used one was a nightmare). The lower profile makes it bad in snow. Not a bad car to me, but not what I expected.
I have a 92 Lumina two door that I picked up from a gas station for 700 dollars it has the 3 speed tranny in it with a 3.1L V6. The mechanic said that the tranny was done for, but I knew that all it needed was a new lock up solenoid for the torque converter and the ground wire for the fuel gauge was broken so after fixing thouse two things and puting on four new brake calipers and new rotors this car is now reliable, Best part of all is that the A/C still works!. It also handles better now that I have put on 16 inch wheels with 225/60/16 tires on it from a 93 grand prix. I also gave the tranny and engine a good cleaning as well as a tune up (new plugs/wires, O2 sensor, air filter and fuel filter). and finally I buffed out the paint it looks pritty good now. I plan on taking good care of this car so that it will last me for another four or five years. Good car very easy to work on.
I have a 92 Z34. This car has 161k miles on it and will still ride like Dale Earnhardt is driving it. Front speakers have a bad wiring connection somewhere. Besides that this car looks like it just rolled off the show room floor (garage kept most of its life.) Transmission shifts into first and after that you don't feel another gear. This is the best car GM ever made. Had a 93 Euro that my sister actually drove about 15 miles with a dead water pump. The wiring was melted everywhere and was still running (knocking like it was gonna throw a rod.) You just can't stop these cars if you take care of them. M Stille.
I have a very rare z34,shes a 1992 5 speed standard!She is my baby, and she is mint condition. I store her every winter, (canadian winters are murder!}Shes black and solid chrome rims, this car is my dream, and being a woman don't mean that I can't enjoy fast driving, I would'nt have any other car!!!
I just bought a 91' Lumina for 700$ a couple of months ago and driving this car it seems this is the most reliable. Because I'm only in my mid-twenties and still in college, I've owned a lot of cars in the past few years. Well I hope it last alot longer than my other vehicles.
I have a 1992 Olds Cutlass Supreme, 3.1 with the 4-speed. I've also had the issue with the speakers. First, the right front and rear speakers started crackling, then quit altogether. Then, the left front quit. I was told I had blown my speakers, which was not the case. Upon installing a CD player (tape/radio was standard), the left rear speaker worked again, perfectly. Front speakers (dash mounted) still don't work. I suspect a problem with the radios in these cars rather than the speakers. I also had a 1996 Olds Acheiva, and both right speakers quit suddenly on it. Did anyone get this figured out?
I have a 1991 Lumina Z34. It is my first car. The motor is a real tight space to work on, but it is a joy to drive.
It only has 78,000 miles on it, and I have had no problems yet. I'm only 16 so I'm hoping there aren't any.
The car is in perfect condition, with just a minor ding on the passenger side door that you couldn't even spot, unless you looked closely.
I have seen a lot of bad reviews on the Z34, but I have not experienced any.
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