1985 Pontiac Sunbird 2 door coupe 1.8 from North America
Summary:
Great car, wish I still had it
Faults:
Blown head gasket, worn out camshaft, water pump, 2 lifters.
General Comments:
I obtained this car in 2010 as my first car. It was given to me by a member of my church, and at the time it had a blown head gasket, worn cam, two bad lifters and a bad water pump.
It was a two door 1.8 liter model, a very nice looking car, also performed pretty well with the small motor size.
I fixed all the above problems myself, as I am very knowledgeable with cars, and it was very reliable afterwards.
All up until I had learned that the engine block was cracked and had gotten bad enough for the motor to overheat, and there was nothing I could do.
At age 19, I didn't have the money to buy another motor for it, and attempted to sell it at a very low price.
With no buyers and me being very hard up for money, I had no choice but to haul it to my local scrap yard, with great interior and an almost perfect body.
I'm still beating myself up today for taking my car to get crushed, and wish I still had it. If you come across one for a reasonable price while looking for a vehicle, I would highly recommend looking into it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th April, 2011
1st Nov 2008, 14:53
The overheating while idling probably means that the electric fan is not turning on. You probably need a new fan switch, which I think is located near the thermostat on the engine.