Looks like new. Only draw back is the unpopular diesel engine! http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5006756025.html 1981 pontiac bonneville odometer: 96000 paint color : red size : full-size type : sedan drive : rwd fuel : diesel transmission : automatic title status : clean cylinders : 8 cylinders condition: excellent Last year of the full size Bonneville. 96,000 original miles. Factory replaced GM Goodwrench 5.7 diesel, previous owner said replaced around 65k. Has the tags on block heads. Runs and drives and look great. Pretty much a time capsule survivor car. Only 1 repaint. New belts, batteries and alternator. Newer tires. New fuel filter. 25+ mpg, but slow. Remember this is a 105 HP diesel pulling nearly two tons. Car really shines on the highway or open road, smooth and quiet. Id like to keep but really trying to downsize.
If it actually has the GM replacement engine it would not be a bad car, just really really Sloooooooow!!!!! GM Finally fixed almost all the issues with those Olds Diesels by 83 and by then they could not pay people to take them. All the replacement engines should be the later types. But that won't cure the smell, soot, noise, and performance issues. It is a nice looking car. Odd to see a Gauge package, but no Clock or ecomomy gauge in the center. (not sure what a vacuum gauge would act like on a diesel though.)
No throttle plate, or butterfly in the intake. Technically they do produce vacuum as the intake stroke draws air into the cylinder. The vacuum is just much much less than a gasser.
Even with the replacement 'God-Retch' engines, they still blew out head gaskets. The cylinder heads were too thin, they'd warp under the pressure, and the adherence of the gasket would fail. I almost bought a Custom Cruiser with one, and it just pushed the coolant out and bubbled incessantly. For $500, I would've bought it if I had had a place to swap in a 403 or 455.
Not only were these diesels, of any generation rotten for durability and performance, they were horrible for fuel consumption. The 350 diesel used more gallons of fuel on a given trip than the Buick 350 with a 4 bbl carburetor.
Price down to $4000. This is a beautiful car - too bad about the engine. http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5006756025.html
