What should I do with my 89' Grand Safari?

I need to get shed of my loaded 89' Pontiac Grand Safari 3-seat wagon. Its 100% rust free, but low on power- I think it needs a new timing chain. It has great sentimental values to me... I have owned it for years and its been my grandfathers car and my mothers car at one time. I could repair it and just keep it, but I already have four cars and really have no use for this any longer. I would love to see a wagon fan get it, but there seems to be no interest, which is strange, because when I was in the market for one of these in the 1999-2000 period, they were commanding high prices and hard to find... especially the Pontiac models, which is what I was wanting. I would either like to sell to someone to fix it and enjoy it, or TRADE it for a 1971-73 Cadillac 4dr (which was one of my first cars), or a 1973-78 Country Squire, or even a 1990-93 Toyota Celica to use as a daily driver, because all of my current cars are gas hogs. I know the first two I mentioned are gas hogs too, but I would rather have these than the wagon I have now. I like the older 70s cars. I have it advertised and not too much interest for it, so I may be forced to part it out and crush the rest to try to reap some of my money back out of it. I paid $1000 for the car originally, then gave it to my mother who then traded it to my grandfather. He decided he did not want it and wanted to sell it, so to keep it in the family, I BOUGHT it again for another $1000! I have almost $2500 in this car and know I will never get my money back out of it, but would like to get at least nearly 1/2 of that out of it.

So reason I am posting this is for advice.... I have several options I can continue to try to do.

1- continue to try to sell it for cash or trade it for a 1971-73 Cadillac 4dr, 73-78 Country Squire or a 1990-93 Toyota Celica.

2- let it continue to set and rot.

3- pay more $$$ to get the engine running properly, then try to sell again, but for more $ of course.

4- part it out and crush the remains to try to get some $ back out of it (which I absolutely hate to do, but its taking up space for no reason at this time)

Thanks for advice!



What it looked like in 2000 when I bought it...



More recent photo of the car...

 

looks pretty clean

I'd advertise it and troubleshoot it and fix it while you wait.

 

Sorry you're in that boat.....

I've been looking at your listing for a while now, and I'm ALMOST tempted. If it was a late 60's Bonneville, it would be in my garage already (if SWMBO concurs ). Always been a fan of the Bonneville wagons.
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As to what you should do with it, I have two opinions...
1) It's certainly worth $1,000, even with the minor problems it has. Perhaps you are shopping it to the wrong market. Here's good, but the overall exposure is limited. Since you're down to $1,000, have you tried your local 'recycler'?. Also, you may want to inquire around at local mechanic shops. Maybe some employee is looking for something they can fix on the cheap - keep it, or sell it for profit.
2) Fix it so that nothing is wrong, then advertise like it really is - a good quality wagon that they don't make anymore. Sell it for the $1,000 + whatever you spend on it to get it 100% back. Even at $2,000, someone will buy it - they just have to find you.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. If I can get someone to put a new timing chain in cheap, I will fix it then see what happens. I was going to suggest someone put a 350 Chevy engine in it, but I do not want to do that much work to it.

Bonneville wagon? I like those too. In fact, I actually used to own a 1969 Pontiac Executive Safari wagon (which was the mid-line wagon for 69'), but IMO, looked "fancier" than the Bonneville on the outside because it had woodgrain and the Bonneville did not, but it had wider chrome on the rockers I think. I sold mine to a guy in Grand Rapids, Michigan for $600. He said he was going to restore it, but I wonder if he actually restored it, or ran it in a derby. I hope it got restored. The interior was almost like new... the engine was shot. It had a late model 301 Pontiac engine in it and the engine was junk. Here is a photo of it... this was about 7 years ago.

 

Put it up on eBay with a low reserve!

Very good PICS sell cars on any website. Take the wagon out to a park of somekind, get a nice uncluttered area as a background & take good PICS of it. It will sell!

It's a great looking wagon but that one PIC in your driveway or whatever with the bus in front of it doesn't do it justice!

As always, JMO!

Clark

 

What a spot to be in! Nice Trailer hauler like that? You should try to sell it up here! I know we pay more for Gas, but it's probably cheaper to run than a new pickup. You'd probably get your $2,500 back.

http://www.buysell.com/Brand/BuySell/Splash.aspx

http://www.buyandsell.ca/index.php

http://www.lidstonepub.pe.ca/

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/index.htm

 

Thanks for the tips guys.

Yeah, that photo with the bus is not pleasing, but I was just testing my camera when I took that photo. I have some of the car with it by itself. I am going to put on some new tires, get it out and take more photos of it and see what happens.

Norman... I will check out those sites and place it there. Since it is so far away, I doubt it will sell, but I will try. I think that we are over 1000 miles south of the southernmost point of Canada. I know that rust free cars are desired up there. I knew a guy in Canada with a 1990 Buick Estate Wagon AND a 1993 Buick Estate Wagon and BOTH had rusted out floor pans! I was in shock, but I guess all of the salt up there ruins the undercarriage. This car of mine has NEVER been in the salt. It never snowed where it was from 1989-2000 and we rarely get snow here and what little snow we have, I never drove it when we had a little snow- which like I said, is not that much at all... maybe 10 inches all year (if that)? This car has a very solid undercarriage. Not even surface rust on most areas. When I first got it in 2000, there was not even any surface rust underneath, but where it has been setting here, it has developed SOME surface rust on a couple of areas... just from the typical southeast USA moisture/humidity.

Undercarriage:






Do you think this lack of rust will help sell it in those areas?

Thanks

 

Ebay. Might be best.

 

89 Grand Safari

How much do you think it would take to fix? The 2000 picture looks really sweet. Has the body declined alot since then? I almost bought one new. It was totally loaded, white w/ tan interior. Beautiful car. They don't get much respect in the wagon world though. I thought they looked really nice compared to the other GM's at the time. Was 89 the last year?

 

Hello. Not sure how much. I think all it needs is a timing chain. I do not think its that $. Its just low on power for my tastes. The body has not declined that much since 2000, but the woodgrain has certainally went down since that photo. Its not terrible yet, but not as good. I like the Pontiacs as well.. I was actually looking for the Pontiac version. Yes, 1989 was the last year for the big Pontiac wagon and this was a very low production year- only about 5000 I think.... Olds lingered on until 1992 and Chevy and Buick until 1996.

 

The 307 only has 140 horsepower to start with, and wear will only reduce that. I had a 307 in a 1985 Delta 88 Royale Brougham coupe once, I paid $500 for the car and it ran well but had some funky grinding sounds coming from the motor. I drove it 8000 miles like that and finally the timing chain broke on it and I had it replaced for close to $400. Within a few weeks, the car lost all power and idled BEAUTIFUL but wouldn't accelerate off idle. 3 shops, 3 different stories, all different opinions. One said the cat was clogged and wanted $900 for a complete exhaust system, another said the carb was shot and wanted $700 to rebuild it, and the last shop said the distributor was worn and wanted $700 to replace it.

The problem was that the distributor was not tightened down all the way and the timing was WAY off. Cost me $40 to buy a timing light to set it right and took me about an hour from store to home to a clean running car. Sold it for $1200 a few months down the road.

It might be a simple fix. Spend some time with her, get to know the basics of it, and see what you can find. It might be something very simple after all. And if it is the timing chain and you change it out, at least it's cheaper than a new car payment and you'll get more for it running cherry than rough.

 

Thanks for the tips. Yes, that engine was too small for these cars to start with. I may have the car sold to a local guy, but if not, I will check that timing.

As far as engine noise, it runs very quietly and smoothly. I do not hear and rattling or grinding from the engine. Its just very low on power. I did have new converter and o2 sensor installed.

When I get on a highway where I have to pull out, its a slight grade, about a mile long before it levels out. Its only about 50 mph when I reach the top of the hill. I have even depressed the accelerator to the FLOOR and it seems to just "bog" down and have even less power, but still runs smooth. it just does not have any "oomph" to it.

I am supposed to get new tires this week for it and call a guy late next week or the next week... he wants to come look at it and he said if it ran good enough to get it home (25 miles away), he would probably buy it. I do not know what his intentions are, but he seemed more concerned about the sagging headliner, so I do not think he is going to demo it or anything. He may be one of those independent dealers (like a buy here-pay here) and just looking for a cheap car to resell? He acted like he had personal interest in it though, because he said he likes big cars. I hope so, because I really would like to see this car get a good home and someone to restore it and take care of it.

It would be nice if it was simply "out of time".

Was your car also very low on power before that repair? Thanks again.

 

hold it....if this has been said...then sorry....BUT...a few years back i had a 85 Caprice wag....same thing...
..stand on it and it would literally slow down....(f'n POS):banghead3:

..same thing...tried everything...timing ..cat..bla bla bla

Now lemme prefice this by saying..(much to my dismay)...me...a liscensed mechanic for 30 years...of course i looked to see if it was getting gas..

....but...I never replaced the fuel filter....wellll.....
..a NEW FUEL FILTER...and she was her old self again

I sold it...

 

Thanks REV.. where is the fuel filter on the 307 Olds?