genEus Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 Hey, here's my story and a few questions. I've always hated looking Lumina's... I swear it seemed that only low class white trash retired women drove them.. (no offense if you consider yourself one, but I doubt there are those on this forum)... Anyways, I was looking for a new car since my '94 Taurus already had 79k miles on it and according to statistics, would fall apart very soon and leave me stranded without a car. For a while I contemplated buying a 3 yr old Nissan Altima for about $14k, so I kept looking at classifieds every day. Three days ago I saw a 1999 Chevy Lumina with 11k miles, for $7500. So, I thought "well, it's a brand new car pretty much, may as well look at it..." I called and the woman on the phone mentioned that the price was $6500.!! Long story short, this is one of those dream cars, an 83 yr old person drove it to the supermarket and back. I checked it out at Sears and the guy said it was like brand new. The only thing he said is that I may need to replace tie rod ends at about 30k miles, which I figured costs about $15 per each online, and I can install them myself in 20 minutes. So, what the heck, I bought it for $6500. I figure it'll serve me well for at least a few years, right? I drove it and it's the best car I've ever driven! My parents' Camry doesn't even come close in comfort and power! The Lumins LS has a 3.1L V6. Anyways, so I started looking online at what I can do to it to make it seem cooler, since, admit it, they're kind of bland :oops: Here's the question... where can I find that info? I don't even know what I wanna do, but I don't wanna spend a lot of money, I know that... I haven't searched this forum yet, but I did search Google and found pretty much nothing. So, thanks for reading thus far and I welcome any comments about the car, etc. BTW, you don't think $6500 is too much for it, do you? It's sparkling clean inside and out... oh, by the way... what's w-body??? :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 I think $6500 IS too much for a 1999 lumina, regardless of the mileage.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 oh, by the way... what's w-body??? If you go to the main w-body page, click on GM body designations. A W-Body is a designation for this peticular type of body style. As for making it look better, post some images of the car in the "member's rides" thread. Somebody's bound to think of something good. I'll bet your first reply, without even looking at your car, is either going to be something about new rims or dual exhaust...just a guess As for what it's worth, that's up to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoomZoomFan Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 If you go to the main w-body page, click on GM body designations. A W-Body is a designation for this peticular type of body style. http://www.w-body.com Click on The Cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EurosportZ34 Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 I think $6500 IS too much for a 1999 lumina, regardless of the mileage.... yeah that price IS getting bit high...i could see a Lumina LTZ being that price with lower mileage oh, by the way... what's w-body??? oh lord.... Here's the question... where can I find that info? goto http://www.mymonte.com they'd have alot of specific information on for the '95-'99 MC and Lumina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 I think $6500 IS too much for a 1999 lumina, regardless of the mileage.... yeah that price IS getting bit high...i could see a Lumina LTZ being that price with lower mileage oh, by the way... what's w-body??? oh lord.... Here's the question... where can I find that info? goto http://www.mymonte.com they'd have alot of specific information on for the '95-'99 MC and Lumina Ah come on guys, don't tell me an 11k car doesn't cost $6500? Here I was all happy. Yeah, the KBB value is $5500, but the dealers in this area charge $7000 for '99 Luminas with 70k miles on them... The guy said he wouldn't budge but I guess it was worth it to me.... Sorry about the w-body question, I actually just bookmarked the forum and didn't realize there was a home page at w-body.com, thought it was only a forum site, so I didn't see the intro. :oops: As for making it look better, post some images of the car in the "member's rides" thread. Somebody's bound to think of something good. I'll bet your first reply, without even looking at your car, is either going to be something about new rims or dual exhaust...just a guess As for what it's worth, that's up to you. Images? I can hit up google images and come up with lots of tan Chevy Luminas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStudd Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 I won't comment on what you paid . Well you already have an LS, so I'd assume you have the alloy "6-spoke" wheels, correct? I used to have a 96 base model Lumina and upgraded to the LS wheels, tinted the windows, and added a set of "WeatherFlectors" from WeatherTech. You might want to swap your front/rear fascias and tail lights with a Monte Z34 or Lumina LTZ (both are the same) and get a set of Z34/LTZ 5-Spoke wheels. This will set you apart from the 50 million other Loomies that are on the road ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 OK, I'll bite... how much should I have paid? Just be realistic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 lets, put it this way .......for $6500 you could be rolling a +97 GTP if you took your time looking..........most people here aren't afraid of cars with some mileage though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 lets, put it this way .......for $6500 you could be rolling a +97 GTP if you took your time looking..........most people here aren't afraid of cars with some mileage though.... See... I didn't have time to look and I don't even know what a GTP is... Also, I am dead scared of American cars with high mileage since all I know about cars is the route to my mechanic... Maybe if it was a Honda, I'd think about it... so I figure I ride the Lumina until it hits 60-70k and buy something better :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 lets, put it this way .......for $6500 you could be rolling a +97 GTP if you took your time looking..........most people here aren't afraid of cars with some mileage though.... See... I didn't have time to look and I don't even know what a GTP is... Also, I am dead scared of American cars with high mileage since all I know about cars is the route to my mechanic... Maybe if it was a Honda, I'd think about it... so I figure I ride the Lumina until it hits 60-70k and buy something better :? Welcome to W-Body.com, where those that don't know learn how! I learned a lot of what I know from browsing this site. Also pick up a Haynes manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 lets, put it this way .......for $6500 you could be rolling a +97 GTP if you took your time looking..........most people here aren't afraid of cars with some mileage though.... See... I didn't have time to look and I don't even know what a GTP is... Also, I am dead scared of American cars with high mileage since all I know about cars is the route to my mechanic... Maybe if it was a Honda, I'd think about it... so I figure I ride the Lumina until it hits 60-70k and buy something better :? Welcome to W-Body.com, where those that don't know learn how! I learned a lot of what I know from browsing this site. Also pick up a Haynes manual. LOL. Are you implying I am actually gonna have to fix my car? :oops: I got a friend who is a car enthusiast... so he promised we'd change the brake rotors when the time comes.. and the tie rod ends also. I wanted to put 19" rims on it and tint the windows... but I don't think I wanna pay $1000 for the first and $300 for the second... are those about the correct prices I named, or can I do those cheaper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Not to burst your bubble there, but I'm pretty sure you got drums on the back of that one. For some odd reason, GM decided that the Luminas needed drums rather than rotors on the back of Luminas after '94... :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Not to burst your bubble there, but I'm pretty sure you got drums on the back of that one. For some odd reason, GM decided that the Luminas needed drums rather than rotors on the back of Luminas after '94... :? Dunno, the guy at Sears said "rotors..." and I am just repeating that... What's more expensive to replace? :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 rotors are more expensive to replace...since I wanna say that most drum brakes you dont have to replace as often as discs. oh...and Welcome!! Dont be afraid of American cars(ours at least) they're not as horrid as you seem to think they are. Estimated 85% of the members here have cars with the mileage over 85k. They are very reliable cars(especially Luminas ) Ive got almost 113k and its still as strong as when i bought it with under 85k!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtk2 Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Sounds like a very nice car and I think you'll love this forum, but I do agree with the others that you paid a little too much. For $6500 I could get a 2000 Bonneville SSEi with any power option you could ever want, HUD, a radio that tells you the name of the song thats playing...STOCK, memory for seat & mirror position and radio presets for 2 different drivers, digital dual climate control, and the Supercharged 3.8. Don't get me wrong, a Lumina is a nice car, but for that kinda money I'd rather have something with some luxury to it. Anyways, enjoy the forum, and especially enjoy the car! You should learn quickly here, and maybe learn that working on a car isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be, its actually pretty easy. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonyman87 Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 i love how people think the 3100 has alot of power stock well all i can tell ya is be glad its not a 3.4dohc if you dont like to work on motors. Take care of that thing use Mobil 1 and it will last you a hell of a long time. ohh yes 1 more thing Intake gaskets at ~85k miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStudd Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Our 96 Lumina had just over 100k on it when we bought it, and it had ~159k when we traded it for the 04 Impala. The only problems I had with it were the coil packs/ignition module (cheap fix) and the fuel pump relay (sanded the terminals down and reinstalled it - problem solved.) Oh yeah, that and the turn signal switch took a shit (I replaced it myself and saved hundreds of dollars.) BTW, if you think the Lumina is a nice car (which it is in its own right,) take an 00-05 Impala for a spin. It puts the Lumina to shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 i love how people think the 3100 has alot of power stock well all i can tell ya is be glad its not a 3.4dohc if you dont like to work on motors. Take care of that thing use Mobil 1 and it will last you a hell of a long time. ohh yes 1 more thing Intake gaskets at ~85k miles. What does "take care of that thing mean?" Fine, I'll use Mobil 1. With synthetic oil do you still have to change it every 3000 miles or is it less frequent? This car enthusiast friend of mine said that since the car has been sitting for such long periods, the fuel was sitting in the tank very long and disintegrating. He said the first three fillups I should also add a bottle of fuel injector cleaning liquid to burn the disintegrated fuel. Is that at all true? BTW, if you think the Lumina is a nice car (which it is in its own right,) take an 00-05 Impala for a spin. It puts the Lumina to shame! I have driven a 2002 Impala as a rental. I loved it!! I would've bought any 1999 sedan for $6500 and 11k miles on it, really, not like I was actually looking for a Lumina, so if I saw a Bonneville or an Impala or anything of the sort with such low miles, I would've also bought it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteCarloChick Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 I paid $7500 for my '96 2 door Lumina with 43k on the clock. Wanna race? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsgrntld187 Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 6500 is a little high, but if you like the car then more power to you. Get some pics up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted June 26, 2005 Report Share Posted June 26, 2005 Congrats on the purchase and welcome. I paid $7500 for my '96 2 door Lumina with 43k on the clock. you did what??? :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteCarloChick Posted June 26, 2005 Report Share Posted June 26, 2005 Congrats on the purchase and welcome. I paid $7500 for my '96 2 door Lumina with 43k on the clock. you did what??? :shock: Back in 'o2 I paid $75oo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoroCorona Posted June 26, 2005 Report Share Posted June 26, 2005 Hey man, If you like it, then you got a deal. Simple as that. For a few quick things to make it abit nicer, convert it to the Z34/LTZ front and rear bumpers. Also, Razzi makes a ground effects kit for that car. I think it would great if it was moulded into the main panels, but even unmolded it looks nice. http://www.razzi.com/vehicles/chevrolet/lumina_9700_4dr_2166.shtml Get yourself some 04 Monte SS rims with black insets and a nice tint job and you should be straight on the looks. As for power... the 3100 doesn't have much available for it. You could do the simple things like intake and exhaust. That would free up alittle more power, but nothing stellar. You would have to spend a relatively big chunk of cash to get that thing really quick. Your best bet for performance is swapping in the 3800 SC, but that would negate the fact you have 11k on that motor. I'd make it nice for show, and leave the motor alone. That car will last you a good long time if your nice to her and keep up on the maintance. Give it proper oil changes, chassis lubes and such and you should be fine. The 3100 doesn't need mobil 1, and I doubt you'll notice any improvement in performance either. Just make sure its changed regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genEus Posted June 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2005 Okay, from reading over a lot of the posts on this forum as well as mymonte.com, I gather that a lot of people have practically no troubles gettin' their hands dirty and pretty much tearing up their car and putting it back together. Maybe if I were like that I'd know that I could spend $3000, buy a clean body and high miles and fix/upgrade it myself... On the account of me not being car-savvy, I never considered such things. But, I see the correlation. I cringe when I see people go to BestBuy getting a Toshiba laptop for $1500 when you can get a Dell for half with the same or better features... hehe. For a few quick things to make it abit nicer, convert it to the Z34/LTZ front and rear bumpers. Also, Razzi makes a ground effects kit for that car. I think it would great if it was moulded into the main panels, but even unmolded it looks nice. Yeah, man, $750 for the Razzi body kit?? :shock: I don't really wanna pay $1000 for new wheels and tires, maybe also because I like knowing that if I get a flat, I can go to the nearest junk yard and buy a standard 205/70R15 for $20 mounted... Not sure I'd be able to do that if I had something non-standard, would I?? So I'm thinking of tinting my windows... how hard is it to do a quality job yourself?? I hate seeing those cheap tinting jobs where the windows turn blue and get all bubbly inside... ============ ============ ============ Oh I think I'm probably gonna get flamed eventually since I'm really cheap :oops: I would like it to stand out... but first by doing something that doesn't cost much... I found this post, where someone has a whole list of exterior mods for cheap... I think I may go with that at first: http://www.mymonte.com/discussion/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=14&MessageID=218882 Oh, I know what I wanted to do.. wanted to change the backlight in my dashboard to blue or red... is that easy to do? edited: oops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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