1996 Pontiac Grand Am - Three Times And Always A Charm: Why I'm Buying My Third Pontiac Grand Am!
I'm a two-time Pontiac Grand Am owner and looking to buy my third! So am I a die-hard fan of this vehicle? You bet, and for many good reasons!
From its sleek and sporty look, roomy interior, high gas mileage, and low maintenance costs to its extra comfy lower lumber support for my formerly crashed and aching back, its been a consistent and compact companion to me while affording my tall stature the room it needed not to feel squashed within a small compact car.
I bought my first Gran Am new in 1986, which gave me NO problems at all for a full 17 years!! No kidding! My second 1994 Grand Am I bought used our personal mechanic who also loved the make and model, but had opted for a larger car for his family.
After having a tragic multi-car accident in a snow storm, getting out of my car... (more)
I'm a two-time Pontiac Grand Am owner and looking to buy my third! So am I a die-hard fan of this vehicle? You bet, and for many good reasons!
From its sleek and sporty look, roomy interior, high gas mileage, and low maintenance costs to its extra comfy lower lumber support for my formerly crashed and aching back, its been a consistent and compact companion to me while affording my tall stature the room it needed not to feel squashed within a small compact car.
I bought my first Gran Am new in 1986, which gave me NO problems at all for a full 17 years!! No kidding! My second 1994 Grand Am I bought used our personal mechanic who also loved the make and model, but had opted for a larger car for his family.
After having a tragic multi-car accident in a snow storm, getting out of my car and then getting hit by another vehicle as a pedestrian, suffice it to say I felt nothing but dread when I had to buy and drive a new car. I had a LOT of must-haves on my list for that new car.
After having driven safely in my FIRST Pontiac Grand Am for soooo long, it finally had the inevitable transmission problem for which replacement costs could have almost paid for a new car. So I bought another one instead and put my first one to bed.
While I loved the ride my 1994 Grand Am gave our family, it was my 1986 Pontiac Grand LE that left a indelible picture etched in everyone's memory.
My father and I found the car one evening gleaming in the parking lot of a dealer. We test drove her at night, switched on the lights, and glided through town in that elegant little machine. We both fell in love and I bought her brand new right t... (more)
While I loved the ride my 1994 Grand Am gave our family, it was my 1986 Pontiac Grand LE that left a indelible picture etched in everyone's memory.
My father and I found the car one evening gleaming in the parking lot of a dealer. We test drove her at night, switched on the lights, and glided through town in that elegant little machine. We both fell in love and I bought her brand new right then and there.
The next morning, my father woke me and said, "Take a walk with me for a minute." I was still giddy over our purchase as he walked me down our front walkway to the street. Then he turned me around to face up the hill at our driveway that led out to the other street on our corner.
There, in all her glory, was my special edition two-toned deluxe Rosewood Grand Am... as purple as purple could be! OMG! I learned quickly to LOVE that dear old "wine-colored" car, lol. My best lovin' car ever!
Of course, I've learned to play things safe since then. I buy cars only in the daytime, lol, and I only buy WHITE! Boring, yes, but safe... inside and out!
So, if you're thinking Pontiac Grand Am... you're thinking the right thing! No doubt!
Here are some of the positive things that I loved about both my first and second Pontiac Gran Am babies... and why I'm shopping for and test driving my THIRD Grand Am.
First and foremost, after that first nightmarish wreck (followed by 5 years of physical therapy), I wanted to feel SAFE driving a car again. I was shy about getting a small car once more, so was pleasantly surprised to find the Grand Am "felt" heavily tied to the ground (as both very old and newer versions still do). It was that substantial feeling when driving the Grand Am, plus its laser sharp maneuverability and handling... (more)
Here are some of the positive things that I loved about both my first and second Pontiac Gran Am babies... and why I'm shopping for and test driving my THIRD Grand Am.
First and foremost, after that first nightmarish wreck (followed by 5 years of physical therapy), I wanted to feel SAFE driving a car again. I was shy about getting a small car once more, so was pleasantly surprised to find the Grand Am "felt" heavily tied to the ground (as both very old and newer versions still do). It was that substantial feeling when driving the Grand Am, plus its laser sharp maneuverability and handling, that made me feel safe in a small car again. Whenever something happens on a highway that I need to quickly avoid to stay safe, I know a Grand Am will quickly respond with the brakes, quick turning or instant gas I need to get out of the way and safely on my way.
The fact that they're always so pretty, sleek, and sporty looking is just icing on the cake for me.
While my first Grand Am gave me a sporty ride to impress all my college buds for a few years, it quickly transitioned into a great smooth and sophisticated ride to give my real estate relocation clients a smooth, peaceful and classy ride around the metro area when helping welcome them as newcomers to our area.
Then, once I had a family, it easily transitioned into the affordable family car I needed, piled up with kids and friends for every scouting, camping, baseball, and soccer practice imaginable.
My 1994 edition was equally as smooth, sporty, convenient, gas efficient, and low maintenance as the first.
Unfortunately, the bizarre sap from an odd old oak tree literally destroyed the exterior of the car and caused the aging rubber around windows to deteriorate, finally allowing huge leaks inside the car.
If not for the buckets of water that poured in through the deteriorated rubber sealing and filled the floorboards with water, I would still be driving that baby now!
As far as cons go, here are some of the occasional or intermittent problems or concerns I had while owning both tho... (more)
My 1994 edition was equally as smooth, sporty, convenient, gas efficient, and low maintenance as the first.
Unfortunately, the bizarre sap from an odd old oak tree literally destroyed the exterior of the car and caused the aging rubber around windows to deteriorate, finally allowing huge leaks inside the car.
If not for the buckets of water that poured in through the deteriorated rubber sealing and filled the floorboards with water, I would still be driving that baby now!
As far as cons go, here are some of the occasional or intermittent problems or concerns I had while owning both those cars, as well as the things I'm looking out for when buying my THIRD Pontiac Grand Am. Also, since I KNOW these cars will outlast 90% of what's on the road currently, I really don't care about buying new cars anymore. Apparently Pontiac KNEW how to make these babies last longer than anything but a Volvo.
So here are a couple of those problem areas you might run into.
First, when I bought the first one new, it ALSO had a leaky windshield that I discovered when my brand new wet carpeted floorboards got soaked. At first, I thought I had spilled something... done it myself by accident... but after the jute from the carpet started to smell long after I had cleaned up what I thought had been my spill, I took it to the dealer while it was still under warranty.
They found a hairline crack in the area between the windshield and the rubber sealing. (Hmmmmm, maybe that's what happened with my second one. Wow, never thought about that before). The dealer quickly replaced the window, sealing, and carpet and it NEVER troubled me again after the 3rd month of owning that car.
So considering the second Grand Am also finally succumbed to a "window sealing" problem, you might want to take extra care to make sure all your sealing are intact and there are NO leaks or traces of leaks or tell-tale signs of leaks in one you purchase.
The only other recurring problem I personally had, I think was much more indicative of my "safety" concerns than of the car's typical condition itself. Having suffered those tragic accidents, I tend to ride my brakes... a LOT! Staying away from anything or any other vehicle that could possibly send me back to a hospital, lol.
Sooooo, ALL my cars, not just these two, must have their brakes redone... maybe more than usual. And because the Grand Am was soooooo quiet once you rolled up the windows, I never heard that "squeal" indicator you normally hear when your brake pads start wearing thin.
So suffice it to say, because the Grand Am is such a quiet ride inside... and I tend to use those brakes more than most folks... I usually found that I had completely torn through the pads and met steel upon steel BEFORE I noticed my brakes were SHOT! This happens on ALL my cars, lol, but it did happen more than once on both my Grand Ams, so just make sure you roll the windows down every once in a while, lol, or either make sure you have nice neighbors who'll tell you your brakes are gone BEFORE you hit the steel on steel stage.
No worries about hitting the brakes and nothing happening, however. No, they ALWAYS worked like a charm! It's just that the ride is so quiet that you just don't hear that squeal warning, lol.
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