Teen drive - grandpa’s 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix

[regfootball]

Not sure if I had posted anything on the car we inherited from Grandpa last December. 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. He gave it to us last December and then his health quickly declined and he passed away in January this year. He must have known something was up. He was 93. He had still been driving it occasionally up until about 6 months before he died. 
 

we did put a bunch of money into misc things and right now it’s throwing a check engine light. Emissions related, they tell me. It’s the venerable 3800 motor. Runs great!  Got a fresh oil change today. So I figured what the heck and got it washed for my daughter as well. A few months ago we got a full interior and exterior detail as well. Somehow, we figured out how to get rid of the many years of cigarette smell. It still looks great, so I thought I would throw up some pictures. 
 

 

[ocnblu]

Something to hold onto, a family heirloom if you will.  I hope your daughter gets a lot of use and enjoyment out of it while remembering grandpa.

[daves87rs]

My neighbor has a silver 2007. Still my favorite GP of the last 20 years or so....

It’s a great shape!

[regfootball]

Well, turns out grandpa’s tires were a combo platter of mismatched brands and a front tire that had gone rogue inside to make the car pull badly. Grandpa always bought cheap tires that were recommended by the tire store and then didn’t rotate often, etc. With the pulling and tire noise and horrible winter traction we upped for a new set of four tires. Goodyear WeatherReady “all weather”. I like snow tires but who knows how long we will have this car. So, the idea of year round tires was more appealing. Normally I avoid Goodyear’s like the plague (yes you will be able to get one good year out of them) but I read enough good reviews from articles and actual owners that I figured I would give them a go. 20 feet with the new tires and it was evident the huge improvement. The old tires still had half tread. The drive home was amazing in comparison.  Actual ability to steer and stop. Wow. We’ll have to see if these stay good over time. 

[David]

@regfootball The years I have had GoodYear, for the most part all weather served me well till I wore them out and upped for better tires. I fully expect these to give you a decent life for what they are.

My biggest complaint with GoodYear tires is the noise they make on cement roads and especially in cement parking garages where they scream bloody murder. Such a noisy tire.

So my question for you as you guys drive the auto over 2021 is how do they do with noise?

 

[regfootball]

19 minutes ago, David said:

@regfootball The years I have had GoodYear, for the most part all weather served me well till I wore them out and upped for better tires. I fully expect these to give you a decent life for what they are.

My biggest complaint with GoodYear tires is the noise they make on cement roads and especially in cement parking garages where they scream bloody murder. Such a noisy tire.

So my question for you as you guys drive the auto over 2021 is how do they do with noise?

 

nearly all other goodyears Ive had have been not great as an all season tire and yes can be noisy.  We'll see how these do.  Any tire compound that is better in cold weather has to be softer, and hopefully that means less noise.

[trinacriabob]

On 12/18/2020 at 3:56 PM, regfootball said:

Not sure if I had posted anything on the car we inherited from Grandpa last December. 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. He gave it to us last December and then his health quickly declined and he passed away in January this year. He must have known something was up. He was 93. He had still been driving it occasionally up until about 6 months before he died. 

we did put a bunch of money into misc things and right now it’s throwing a check engine light. Emissions related, they tell me. It’s the venerable 3800 motor. Runs great!  Got a fresh oil change today. So I figured what the heck and got it washed for my daughter as well. A few months ago we got a full interior and exterior detail as well. Somehow, we figured out how to get rid of the many years of cigarette smell. It still looks great, so I thought I would throw up some pictures. 

I rarely wander over to the members' rides showcase.  This definitely gets my thumbs up.  Most of all, I loved this car's dashboard - far and away more interesting and fun to pilot it than that of its W-body siblings, including my own car.  The price point difference going up a brand is in attention to trim and materials but, underneath it all, the W-bodies with the same powertrains should continue to provide similar longevity ... very good longevity.  I continue to see so many of these on the road.  

Is this an '07?  I believe they carried the last model over for a partial year but may be wrong.  The MC also went out in '07.

I'm trying to reconcile 93 years of age and cigarette smell.  Was someone else younger smoking?   Euell Gibbons, the proponent of eating hickory nuts in the Grape Nuts commercial, lived to be 64.  All my relatives who smoke - all across the pond - surpassed Euell by a wide margin.

The last GP will always be a neat car that people want to own.

 

[trinacriabob]

Yes to 2008 on the GP ... its last year.  I got confused with the announcement of the Pontiac phase out, which was in 2007, IIRC.  MC definitely bowed out in 2007. 

Favorable short write-ups on KBB, etc.

[regfootball]

17 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I rarely wander over to the members' rides showcase.  This definitely gets my thumbs up.  Most of all, I loved this car's dashboard - far and away more interesting and fun to pilot it than that of its W-body siblings, including my own car.  The price point difference going up a brand is in attention to trim and materials but, underneath it all, the W-bodies with the same powertrains should continue to provide similar longevity ... very good longevity.  I continue to see so many of these on the road.  

Is this an '07?  I believe they carried the last model over for a partial year but may be wrong.  The MC also went out in '07.

I'm trying to reconcile 93 years of age and cigarette smell.  Was someone else younger smoking?   Euell Gibbons, the proponent of eating hickory nuts in the Grape Nuts commercial, lived to be 64.  All my relatives who smoke - all across the pond - surpassed Euell by a wide margin.

The last GP will always be a neat car that people want to own.

 

He had stopped the smoking since the early 10's... but between him and his wife (my MIL) they both smoked a lot, and the time they had the car from 2008 until she passed they managed to get it quite smelled up from the smokes.

it is a 2008, but it still doesn't have ABS on this one.  I don't like sending my kid out in a car without ABS but the car is in good shape and all, the new tires will help make it safer without the ABS.