Thread: Need Some Input On a GP

In the search for a car for my wife, a 1996 SE GP w/3.8 popped up and I wanted to get some input here.

It has 119k. New fuel pump, new tires, alignment done. It looks to be in good shape though I have not went yet to physically look at it. They want $2995 for it. My wife likes the GP, she doesnt care for mine as she say, and I quote, the power scares me. She doesnt like that it will take off so quickly more or less. So I figure a 3.8L without the blower or modified would be better suited for her. But I am not familiar with the 3.8L in that model year. Is that a Series I or Series II motor? What tranny does it have in it?

Basically Im looking for info on the thing or input more specifically and whether or not that is a good price. Truthfully, if there was nothing wrong with it and I could walk out for $2250 - $2500 I think I would take it.

Input anyone?

I think I may have spotted the first issue. I dont see a 3.8L option for that model year. If that has the 3.4L in it I'll drop it like a hot potato. I really dont care to have anything to do with that particular engine. 3.1L would be okay, the wifes Grand Am had that in there and we got nearly 200K out of it.

Toasty, we must have been typing at the same time.

Yeah, I would have to be a good boy and not mess with this GP. If it has the 2.8 or 3.1 I would be a little interested in it if it was in good shape. My last GP had the 2.8 in it, my wifes GA had the 3.1 so Im familiar with both engines enough to take care of them.

The 1996 SE had the 3.1 V6 160hp/185tq. The 1996 GT and GTP had the 3.4L V6 which is not a very reliable engine (as you already seem to know).

With that said, I would take a look at it, but I wouldn't spend more than $2200 - and that is if its in great shape (mechanically/cosmetically).

Otherwise I would search for a 1997+ SE or GT with the 3.8L. Gosh I love the 3.8 - GM's best motor by far. The 2.4L Twin Cam was also nice too in the Cavalier Z24's... I never had any problems with mine, but that's a different story for another time.

Good luck finding a car for your wife!

yeah, Im not touching a 3.4L. God Himself would have to tell me to buy it with the 3.4L before I would even let the thought go through my mind.

The 3.1L I have no problems with. 160hp would be just what she needs for commuting around town. Heck, if its in good enough shape it might make a good out of town car and save the miles on the GTP.

Thanks for your input.

Are you serious? It would bolt up? Is the 96 3.1L going to handle the turbo?

Oh God, stop it Scott, stop it, its the wifes car, must resist, must resist.

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

Are you serious? It would bolt up? Is the 96 3.1L going to handle the turbo?

Oh God, stop it Scott, stop it, its the wifes car, must resist, must resist.

You sound like Dave!! lol He can't leave a car alone!!! We have a 02 Trailblazer and he hasn't touched it cuz I won't let him lol. I just wanted a car that I can get into and just drive it, I do love my cars. I did tell him that he could put a Supercharger on it cuz I hate passing someone and flooring it and not taking off like I wanted it to.

Originally Posted by 2Fast4U

You sound like Dave!! lol He can't leave a car alone!!! We have a 02 Trailblazer and he hasn't touched it cuz I won't let him lol. I just wanted a car that I can get into and just drive it, I do love my cars. I did tell him that he could put a Supercharger on it cuz I hate passing someone and flooring it and not taking off like I wanted it to.

Thats my wife, shes telling me all time "The car needs the oil change. Just change the oil, dont touch anything else". When the oil is draining from a car, Im looking at an engine and Im running scenarios in my mind and she has picked up on that and takes preventative steps, LOL.


Ive always told her that if we ever won the lottery she'd probably never see me again. Not because I would leave her but because I would be in a custom build shop with all the tools one could imagine and I would be content experimenting, making stuff, trying things out.

Some one once asked me what heaven was like and I basically described my dream garage/shop. When Jesus said he was going to prepare a mansion with many rooms I basically took that as a multi-car garage.

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

Thats my wife, shes telling me all time "The car needs the oil change. Just change the oil, dont touch anything else". When the oil is draining from a car, Im looking at an engine and Im running scenarios in my mind and she has picked up on that and takes preventative steps.LOL

Dave always thinking what he can do to it, but he isn't under the Trailblazer that much I'm the one that changes the oil on it. He does when I don't feel like it. Dave says the same thing if he won the lottery he would have a huge garage out in the country. I love that he can work out of the house it would be so weird if he had a shop somewhere, if he did we would always be there bugging him lol. Abby loves being able to go into the garage to help him work on a car usually putting the lug nuts back on the car and asking whats that?lol.

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

In the search for a car for my wife, a 1996 SE GP w/3.8 popped up and I wanted to get some input here.

It has 119k. New fuel pump, new tires, alignment done. It looks to be in good shape though I have not went yet to physically look at it. They want $2995 for it. My wife likes the GP, she doesnt care for mine as she say, and I quote, the power scares me. She doesnt like that it will take off so quickly more or less. So I figure a 3.8L without the blower or modified would be better suited for her. But I am not familiar with the 3.8L in that model year. Is that a Series I or Series II motor? What tranny does it have in it?

Basically Im looking for info on the thing or input more specifically and whether or not that is a good price. Truthfully, if there was nothing wrong with it and I could walk out for $2250 - $2500 I think I would take it.

Input anyone?

Sweet the car looks like mine. I paid 1600$ for mine with 158,000 miles on he old 3100 now it has 160,400 miles with no problems.
I would not pay more then 2400$ for it.
The 3.1 should be good for at least 200K

Scotty unless it was a swap car then it has the 3100 engine in it. We had two 95s just like the car in your pic, the first one got the L67 treatment and the second one was going to get a turbo 3800 but I got tired of being a car porter in my own driveway so we sold it cause I was tired of tripping over an extra car lol. Both cars with the 3100 drove very nice and smooth and got pretty good mileage, its just rediculous though that I took a 16.5 car and turned it into a 12.7 car and it got the SAME gas mileage city and highway!

Ya these cars really don't get that good of millage 14-18 tops in the city. The 3100 will take every thing you do to it and keep ticking. Is the inside clean

I havent seen it in person yet. I called the lot its on today and the guy I spoke to said he had been driving it a few days back and forth to home to make sure it was all good and said it would not start on him either yesterday or this morning so they concluded it was a bad fuel pump and its in the shop getting that replaced. He said it was supposed to be out tomorrow and I could come look at it then if I wanted.

I just wanted to get some input from here first. And I agree, I dont think I would pay more than a couple grand for it and it would most likely be a short term car anyway, year maybe two tops because the wife is set on getting a small CUV at some point so I would probably keep this GP around as a back up cause Ive always like the look of that body style.