Quote:
Originally Posted by unstable bob gable
Thanks guys. Hey V I thought you were the guy who had bad experiences so I'm listening up.
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The biggest problem comes down to sources for aftermarket parts. Since they are old enough now, most parts are no longer available through GM and there is practically no aftermarket support for many of the unique pieces.
A single front strut for a car with "road sensing suspension" is $650+ from GM if you can even find one. Replacing heater cores involve pulling the entire dash, console and front seats. just swapping in an aftermarket radio can cause issues if not done with the proper adapter harnesses since it will trigger the security system and disable the car.
Now, the Park Ave Ultra I mentioned, has the comfort and old man status of a large caddy, but with the 3.8L S/C that's also in the Grand Prix GTPs. There are many more companies making parts to support the 3.8S/C than the Northstar.
It also all comes down to the specific car though with caddys. If you know the history of the car, and its cheap enough, it may be worth taking a shot. But once head gaskets get involved, or the computers start to get funky, you gotta be ready to bail and move on. I had about 2500 total invested in my 99 STS. It then needed a gas tank so that's where I cut my losses. I sold the motor and a few other parts and have so far made back about 1400. I still have the transmission and the rest of the car with a clean interior that I will continue to part out in order to make back my other 1100 and then some.