Slow day at work... bored.... so.... "Lets post a pic of your daily driver.. or ...

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Dion

Grand Ams have a history of head gasket failures. You might want to get it checked before the engine overheats and warps the heads.

Depends on the motor...

quad 4's were junk also. Oh I thought it was the Intake gasket on those motors not the head gaskets.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by PIMking

Depends on the motor...

quad 4's were junk also.

I am looking for a Quad 4. In particular one from an Olds SCX. Either that or a 383 Stroker ($$$), for my Fiero.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by schteve_d

What the hell is this? An SUV off-pavement? Nice photoshop job, but you're not going to fool anyone.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by PIMking

Depends on the motor...

quad 4's were junk also.

It was that exact 3.4 that had head gasket failures. I had a Montana and it was redone just before I got it so I am not sure on the sysmtoms, but the Dexcool eats the intake gasket. GM doesn't blame the Dexcool but it is the most likely culprit. If your just using oil it's probably not the problem, but it is something to be aware of. most of the time a slow loss of oil in an older car is not worth fixing, and is the result of age worn piston rings and or valve guides. Even if it's not smoking it doesn't mean it's not burning it.

Quad 4's were great when they ran but were prone to failure as well. i had one that calved, and have two friends who are looking for them to replace burnt out ones. The junkyards are full of spent Q4's. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole. A Fiero with a v8 would be great, maybe a Northstar engine would fit in their nicely.

[COGENT]

Originally Posted by Dion

2005 Ford Escape

I have the same vehicle but it's an 07. I already 100k on it and the thing runs like the day I bought it! . I hate the new ones though with all the shinny crap on the dash.

[IliketoPuck]

This is my little lady. Awesome on gas, I went from CGY to P.A. sasky without having to fill up once!

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

This is my little lady. Awesome on gas, I went from CGY to P.A. sasky without having to fill up once!

This summer I accidentally tested the fuel economy on my Grand Am. Went from Calgary to Moose Jaw on one tank and was running on fumes by the end. I normally stop in Speedy Creek to fill, but thought I would be a hero and go the extra hour and a half.

[IliketoPuck]

Haha, I hear ya. Normally I stop to gas up in Kindersley, since it is about halfway to PA, but when I got there I was still above half on the tank, so off we went. Made it to PA with a little under 1/8th of a tank left.

[ricosuave]

Full of diesely goodness...

[alltherage]

In seriousness, I bought this little 01 Civic Si about 4 months ago. I have since tinted the windows and upgraded the speakers but other than that I intend to keep it all stock.

Fun little 5spd, peppy, great on gas, and has some nice comforts like sunroof, electric everything, heated mirrors... I really like it. Its not the cleanest in this pic but here it is:

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by speede5

It was that exact 3.4 that had head gasket failures. I had a Montana and it was redone just before I got it so I am not sure on the sysmtoms, but the Dexcool eats the intake gasket. GM doesn't blame the Dexcool but it is the most likely culprit. If your just using oil it's probably not the problem, but it is something to be aware of. most of the time a slow loss of oil in an older car is not worth fixing, and is the result of age worn piston rings and or valve guides. Even if it's not smoking it doesn't mean it's not burning it.

Quad 4's were great when they ran but were prone to failure as well. i had one that calved, and have two friends who are looking for them to replace burnt out ones. The junkyards are full of spent Q4's. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole. A Fiero with a v8 would be great, maybe a Northstar engine would fit in their nicely.

Yeah I've got the 3.4 in that car. Will get it checked/fixed if required.

I am not looking forward to the repair bill- should be about 2 grand, or 40% of what the car is worth. Still a better investment for me to keep the car running but barely...

edit: not just the headgasket needs work... front brakes need to be redone completely, and some other stuff.

Also, anyone with a Grand AM- does your fan work properly? Mine seems to intermittently not work unless it's on speed 5 (max), and then all of a sudden start up again. Not sure if it's a problem with the fan or the knobs, or the electrical system?

[speede5]

I should have said intake gaskets. Big difference. If you have any mechanical ability and a Haynes manual it's actually pretty easy, I just did my Windstar. If not, well you pay what you have to.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by speede5

I should have said intake gaskets. Big difference. If you have any mechanical ability and a Haynes manual it's actually pretty easy, I just did my Windstar. If not, well you pay what you have to.

Oops that was a mistake on the gaskets, my bad.

I can't find the Haynes manual for the car, but I would definitely try. I love fixing stuff myself when I can- I just don't have the ability to take half the engine apart and all that. Not the right tools and know-how to get it back together properly

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Haha, I hear ya. Normally I stop to gas up in Kindersley, since it is about halfway to PA, but when I got there I was still above half on the tank, so off we went. Made it to PA with a little under 1/8th of a tank left.

It's unnerving that's for sure. By the time I got to a gas station my gas light had been on for almost 40 minutes.

Edit: We were trying to use my brother's iPhone to find a nearby gas station, but because Saskatchewan is stuck in the stone age we couldn't get a strong enough signal.

[IliketoPuck]

I noticed that the signal strength for my phone on the Sasktel network was terrible. 2g with 2 bars if you were lucky. Pops bought one of those mobile internet sticks from sasktel, and it was slower than dialup.

[Nuje]

Originally Posted by speede5

It was that exact 3.4 that had head gasket failures. I had a Montana and it was redone just before I got it so I am not sure on the sysmtoms, but the Dexcool eats the intake gasket. GM doesn't blame the Dexcool but it is the most likely culprit. If your just using oil it's probably not the problem, but it is something to be aware of. most of the time a slow loss of oil in an older car is not worth fixing, and is the result of age worn piston rings and or valve guides. Even if it's not smoking it doesn't mean it's not burning it.

Quad 4's were great when they ran but were prone to failure as well. i had one that calved, and have two friends who are looking for them to replace burnt out ones. The junkyards are full of spent Q4's. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole. A Fiero with a v8 would be great, maybe a Northstar engine would fit in their nicely.

I thought it was only the intake manifold gaskets, never heard of a headgasket problem on those. Definitely easier in a grand am than a montana though, a bit more room to work under there.

The Quad 4, yeah. Great that it eventually spawned the Ecotec, and the SCX HO one with the better camshaft's great....buuut not too reliable. Still have a soft-spot for them, as a Beretta GTZ was the first car I've ever been airborne in (as I held on for dear life). Too bad the computer aspect of it may make it tough to get an Ecotec in a Fiero. They're gonna get cheap since they did put a good few of those in later model J-bodies.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Also, anyone with a Grand AM- does your fan work properly? Mine seems to intermittently not work unless it's on speed 5 (max), and then all of a sudden start up again. Not sure if it's a problem with the fan or the knobs, or the electrical system?

That'll be your blower motor resistor. Should be a very cheap part.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

That'll be your blower motor resistor. Should be a very cheap part.

It generally works, but I'd say every couple times when I first start up the air it doesn't work unless on full... weird. Will try to get the resistor and see if that does the trick (if so, you just made my week).

[-TC-]

mine's like this with no pinstripe and a black leather interior

[BurningYears]

2010 Ford Focus SEL




and my commute ride. (single fixed gear 1970 somthing Norco Monteray)