Thread: What do you NOT like about the '97-'03 G.Ps?

I like the modern interior of the new ones, not so much in the 97-03's, and i really don't think the body is as aggressive looking as the newer ones.

the sock headlights suck the big one and the paint on em isnt always the best. ive seen some that look amazing and some that look terrible. i know that is also a matenience thing but still not to impressed

Not a rear wheel drive and the engine is sideways

lmao, hence then engine sideways...genius.... Anyway they rot pretty easy in ohio weather, and like to chip pistons, and the oil pan is a MAJOR pita. Atleast theres tons of em in the boneyard to jack parts from!

Originally Posted by Pittman06

lmao, hence then engine sideways...genius.... Anyway they rot pretty easy in ohio weather, and like to chip pistons, and the oil pan is a MAJOR pita. Atleast theres tons of em in the boneyard to jack parts from!

right! I hate salt btw O_O my worst enemy

mine leaks water in thru the sunroof.

That GM never puts any quality into anything they build. When I bought my GTP, I knew exactly what would be wrong/go wrong with. Never fails. Radio display doesn't work, had to glue the weather stripping on(which GM never glued in on over a million cars) to stop the floorboard from being full of water. Had to replace head gaskets, intake gasket, sc gasket, valve cover gaskets, speakers, and of course, my headlight lenses are glazed. I wet sanded and buffed them, still didn't help much. Still, I buy GM and american cars to spend my money where I earned it. May not be the best, but we need to keep the last of our good paying manufacturing jobs here! I live by that and will die by that. Even new GM cars aren't much better. You think they are until you work on them every single day. They just look like they a lot better quality.

For instance, on a new malibu, in order to replace the s**t quality CD players they use WHEN they fail, you have to pretty much remove all the trim on the dash, from side to side, even as far as dropping the glove box completely out. not just popping the lid out, you have to remove ALL the screws in the frame of it, just so you can remove the dash piece that covers the radio and hvac controls! ?

Oh and Cobalts! WHEN the dash vents break..... You have to remove BOTH a-pillar trims, unbolt the pass. side airbag, remove the far front dash panel with the defroster vents, then remove all the trim that seperates the upper part of the dash from the lower part, after that you have to remove the trim that surrounds the radio and hvac controls, and unplug the 4way hazard switch which is the biggest b***h to do cause the release clip is on the TOP of the switch, not the side where you could easily get it. Next you have to remove all 12 screws that hold on the ENTIRE dash pad and jockey the airbag around so it fits through the opening of the dash pad. Finally you can pull out the dash pad and pop out your broken vent and pop in your new one! WOOHOO! Have fun putting it back together!!!!!!! Jesus Christ! lol Repeat steps in reverse! But........ I still buy american made stuff. There sure isn't any problem with how it was assembled. They just need to fire their engineers and hire some that have PUT CARS TOGETHER AND WORKED ON THEM! Not some scrote bag fresh outta college who has never touched a wrench. Sorry, I just want to be able to say that GM makes the best cars on the planet. I love my GP and the 2000 T/A I had, and both 2500HD GMC Duramax diesel trucks I've had. Just wish they actually put quality into them.

Haha theres already a thread just like this. Learn to search noob.

http://www.grandprixforums.net/f14/w...our-21964.html

if parts were designed to last forever no one would ever make any money! And 1/2 the people on here who work in shops would be cut in half. Our poorly made american crap is what puts food on the table for a lot of us (and pays to fix our poorly made american cars that we buy to keep the cycle going) so its kind of a give and take. That and i can't stand most of the foreign crap thats in the same price range. You can pick up a 100k GTP, loaded and in pretty good shape for the same price as a 95 4 cylinder camry with no options...yay fun car right there. Thats all i'm saying about that. There affordable, most of the time pretty damn fun and keep our economy goin, and thats why i buy american!

Headlights suck, tail lights are ass ugly (imo), Grand Am GT got the sportier look though we're the ones packing the actual (stock) power, and the public eye (normal aka stupid people) tend to respect them more regardless. Like all GM's, button paint tends to rub off, crack, peel, or such other. A/C compressor tends not to last long enough but is a super pain in the ass to get out.

Originally Posted by matt5112

Ummmmmmmmmmmm headlights, all plastic ones haze. When you wet sand and polish, you need to apply clear coat to prevent them from hazing again.

That weather stripping has a metal clamping device in it... which rusts and fails. Originally it would have stayed...

Cars are designed to go together, not come apart.

Just sucks when the parts aren't designed to last.

Doesn't matter when they are way too far gone like mine and millions of others. Needs a durable UV protectant clear finish applied to it.

Like I said, a premium all weather adhesive lasts more than a 1/16' piece of standard non coated steel exposed to the elements (good for 2 years or 1 harsh winter). sorry if i didn't use the proper grammar.

Exactly. If you use better plastics, and use less or non corrosive metals such as stainless steel or aluminum, you will have a part that is DESIGNED TO LAST! Build all your sheet metal out of aluminum and tell me when it "rusts through". You wont live that long. That's overkill, but just an example of what i mean. All aluminum would be too expensive.

HAHAHA, what car doesn't have to come apart after its made? NONE, unless your car burns to the ground or totalled after it rolls out of the plant! It's a machine..... they break!

everything

Originally Posted by matt5112

Parents Acura... 2001, 310 000 KM's and all they've done is plugs/wires and engine oil and air filter.

Nothing else besides the brakes and shocks have needed replacing.

If only GM could make a car that would last that long...

agreed! other carmakers do it. why doesn't gm? Ford got tired of rear hatches rusting through on explorers. So..... they started making the hatch out of aluminum. I think it's the explorer they did that on. One of their suvs anyway. problem solved.