Faults:

I can't say much has gone wrong with this car.

My grandfather bought it new in 1986 from a local Pontiac dealer, and he barely drove it until he died in 1994.

Following that it just sat in the garage until my father bought it off my grandmother, it only had 23,000 KMs on it at the time so it was quite a steal for a car that was 10 years old.

The main problem with this car has been rust, recently it has gotten really bad at the bottoms of the driver's and passenger's doors, as well as around the gas-tank lid.

One thing that has gone wrong is the spark plug wires eventually became cracked, which led to precarious starts and temporary stranding, at times, until we got them replaced.

The plastic of the interior just below the glove compartment has cracked.

Sometimes during long trips in the summer the engine-heat indicator will go on. Rectified by turning on full cabin-heat to draw heat away from the engine.

Not much else has gone wrong though, mostly due to the low mileage on the car itself.

Another problem - not something that has gone wrong, just a problem in general - with the 1986 cars, is the carburetion.

Why is it a problem? Well they are doing mandatory emissions testing in Ontario now, and 1986 was the switch-over point from Carburetion to Fuel Injection. So the carburetted and fuel injected cars of the same year are being compared on the fuel-injected model's level. Therefore the carburetted 1986's will have a much higher failure rate when it comes to the emissions tests, since they don't burn nearly as clean as fuel injected cars.

General Comments:

It's a decent car, if not a bit of a rust-bucket. Would make a good winter-beater I suppose.

As mentioned above about the problem with 1986 carburetted models, my dad's car failed the emissions tests, and so it will be gone by February 2003, unless we can convert it to fuel injection or somehow else get it to pass emissions tests.

If we are able to do this, then I will be the 3rd Generation in my family to own this car.

Faults:

Had to replace brakes at 130,000 and again at 140,000.Fuel sending unit went at 146,000.Fuel lines rotted at 147,890.Just replaced valve cover gasket at 149,000.Doors are really starting to rust now, have to replace them shortly.

General Comments:

This car is great on gas and has excellent get up and go. Even at almost 150,000 miles on the odometer the car still runs and drives like it is brand new.

The repairs I have had to make on this vehicle have been cheap considering the age of the car.

There are a couple of negatives about the car like for instance, the body rotting out.

The dash board and seats are starting to wear and tear.

But overall this has been a really good car and very affordable.

Faults:

Electric ABS pump had to be rebuilt using brushes from a cross-referenced starter motor. Brushes are not available and garages will assume no liability for their labour. No bill was issued. Paid cash. Pump has worked for 8 years.

Re-upholstered drivers seat. $250.

Catalytic converter plugged with bad gas. Engine stalled and would not start. Head gasket had to be replaced. I rebuilt both heads at the same time. Maximum wear in one isolated guide was 4 thou.

Wiring in doors get brittle causing power window/lock failure. Replacing harness too costly. Soldering in new flexi wire with heat shrink lasts about 5 to 6 years.

Timing chain is due for replacement. Engine is very strong at 200,000 miles.

The ERS (Electronic Ride Control) is not available any longer. This is an automatic air-shock ride level control. Lasted 10 years. Pump got stuck on and ran the battery down and burned out pump. Replaced ERS with overload shock absorbers. Finally available. Work beautifully. I miss the ERS.

The plastic coating on the aluminum wheels had to be removed. Spray product worked well. Use a corrosion spray-on rinse-off product 4 times a year. Planning to have wheels machined to mirror finish in the near future.

General Comments:

This car is invisible to most eyes. Only the real car buff notices how well kept it is. No rust. I've repainted it and use the dent doctor when needed. You don't see these cars in excellent condition often. They are abused. "H" rated tires are fantastic. Thinking of taking the 16" wheels off a wrecked Chevrolet Eurosport for even more improved handling. These aluminum wheels looks the same, car for car.

I wish this car had independent rear suspension. A project would be to take the rear suspension out of the late-model Eurosport as well as the wheels.

Steering wheel stereo control is worth keeping alive. My goal is to tap into the pre-amplifier for more boost. Great radio! Way ahead of it's time for the period.

I also have the sliding moon-roof. It needs the cables replaced. About 4 hours labour and $150 for parts are scheduled.