would you take this car?
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,335
Likes: 6
From: Midwest
would you take this car?
car in question is a 1996 pontiac grand am 3.1 v6 auto tranny 120,000 highway miles. I think it has a blown head gasket,water is getting into the engine. it was my mom's car,but when it had this problem,she parked it and bought herself a new ford ranger 
well,the car is taking up space in their driveway,and she wants to get rid of it,she is thinking junk yard. I told her to put it in the paper for best offer or something,she surely would get more for it then the $50 the junk yard would give her. she doesn't want to mess with that,just wants it gone. she said she would give it to me free if i want to fix it. If I were to do it,I probably would just find a used motor and swap motors. the body is in decent shape,a couple little dents,but nothing major,and it needs some work on the power locks and windows. would you take this project on,or should I pass? I drove the car to florida when it was new,and I was happy with the way it drove then. if I took it and got it running,it would be a much better vehicle than the dodge caravan I use now to haul the kids around when it is my weekend with them . opinions/thoughts appreciated. thanks,Ben
well,the car is taking up space in their driveway,and she wants to get rid of it,she is thinking junk yard. I told her to put it in the paper for best offer or something,she surely would get more for it then the $50 the junk yard would give her. she doesn't want to mess with that,just wants it gone. she said she would give it to me free if i want to fix it. If I were to do it,I probably would just find a used motor and swap motors. the body is in decent shape,a couple little dents,but nothing major,and it needs some work on the power locks and windows. would you take this project on,or should I pass? I drove the car to florida when it was new,and I was happy with the way it drove then. if I took it and got it running,it would be a much better vehicle than the dodge caravan I use now to haul the kids around when it is my weekend with them . opinions/thoughts appreciated. thanks,Ben
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 252
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From: Illinois
Personally, yes, I would take the car. I would pull the top end apart and check all gaskets (paying particular attention to intake gaskets).
If you find it's too far gone you wouldn't be out too much and you could still get $50 for at the jy.
If you find it's too far gone you wouldn't be out too much and you could still get $50 for at the jy.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 799
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From: State of Misery (Missouri
How mechanically inclined are you?
Not counting for time (or else you always lose money), if it's in decent shape, I'd swap motors, make sure it drives well for a while, then sell it. Or if you live elsewhere, part it out and then junk it.
Not counting for time (or else you always lose money), if it's in decent shape, I'd swap motors, make sure it drives well for a while, then sell it. Or if you live elsewhere, part it out and then junk it.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 734
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From: Lancaster, CA
My son's Pontiac 3.1 got coolant in the oil. I thought it had blown a head gasket. I took it apart and found that the heads were ok. It turned out to be the intake leaking. All that work for nothing. I wish I knew that the 3.1 was famous for intake leaks.
Ed G
Ed G
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Damascus-Boring, Ore
Originally Posted by Ford_Six
If it just had coolant getting into the oil, and wasn't puffing a ton of white smoke, I'd check out the lower intake gaskets.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
When I was still playing bolt spinner for a living, I had a wall of shame in my bay. There were about 15 GM four and small six cylinder timing sets, and nearly a dozen 3.1 intake gaskets. I only worked there about six months.
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2005
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Id fix it, the 3.1 in my 93 lumina was a beast.I got the car with 200,000 miles and put 30,000 more on it.Drove the hell out of it and couldnt blow it up.I hit 6,000 rpms everyday for 2 years straight and still runs great.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
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From: Marengo, Iowa
The 3.1 in my wife's Grand Prix ran 207,000 miles in her car until she rolled the car, now it has been in my dad's Regal for 6 months of regular running, no problems. I did the head gaskets at 180,000 miles due to improper compression test readings. The cylinders had hardly any wear on them, and the engine runs just as good as it did at 100,000. It's a slightly different design, as the 3100 is an update to it.