I need 411

[Professur]

I was strolling through a used car lot (the same place I got the Mirage at) and spied a nice little set of wheels. A '91 sunbird. Some rust, mostly cosmetic. 2L 4 cylinder engine. 5 speed stick. Previous owner obviously knew something about cars, coz many parts show yellow grease pencil (scrap yard). The sticker price is $1150, but a short chat with the salesman got me an offer of 1000 flat, including taxes. Now I've bought here before and got a really good deal from him then. What i need in a good review of the 91 Sunbird and the 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. One look at the engine tells me that it's a piece of cake to work on. Very open, lots of room, and a carb. But I think it might be a little underpowered. I know it needs a tuneup and new brakes. But I'd do that wether it needed or not, just because it's used. Clutch feels good, little play, and the takeup feels solid.

 

[s4]

The price is not bad if the body is good and it runs ok. You didn't mention how many miles are on it. I would guess 120-140k will be the extent to which it will be usable unless it was well maintained.

Cars with a stick have a lower value than cars with an automatic. I don't know about the 2.0 motor, but I've lots of experience with the 2.5. They last about 100k miles and are bad about head gaskets getting blown, cracked heads, and rods knocking. Check the oil real good and make sure it does not look milky. See what the oil looks like. If it is black, it may have been a long time since it's been changed. Look for pieces of crud on the dipstick. That could indicate any additive. I would also have it running and get down on the ground listening for lower end noise.

Look the tires and exaust over. One thing that can hide engine noises is if it has been warmed up. If possible, try to start it when the motor is cold.

It's up to you. I don't wanna butt in. I was just telling you some of the things I look for.

 

[Professur]

You're not butting in. I asked for opinions, and you gave me one. I should be thanking you. In fact: Thank you. See.

So you don't think it's a safe deal?

 

[s4]

It depends on how long you want to use it. If it's in good shape and doesn't have a lot of miles you might get a few years of good driving out of it.

If it has high miles, I would seriously think it over. It really depends on how long you hope to drive it and how many miles each day. When something goes bad on it, a lot of other things may follow. That 2.0 motor is extremely small. You will probably get good mileage, but I don't know how well it holds up.

Another thing to consider is if you do any winter driving. Check the heater and see if it puts out good heat. If you can test drive it, you might look to see if it has any coolant leaks or gets hot.

I drove GM cars for years, but I hate to say it. I've never gone back since I got my first Ford. I've been driving a Taurus for years. Those late '80's Taurus models are nice cars.

Here are some links I found that might be of interest. I found one the same year on the web for sale. It's the first link.

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1991/pontiac/sunbird/index.html
http://www.carsurvey.org/review_14318.html
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2096.htm
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/914808_en.html
http://carpoint.msn.com/Vip/UsedSingleYear/Pontiac/Sunbird/1991.asp
http://www.autogiant.com/pontiaccrash.htm