Hey,

I'm 17 and I own a 1999 Pontiac Bonneville and I'm darn proud of it. I know it's a FWD but at least it's american and can blow off most import cars. I am so surprised that the punks actually think their imports "pimped out" with giant wings, spoilers are cool. It sickens me. I hope you don't reject all american FWDs, some kids are just stuck with it due to parents' compromises, insurance reasons, or weather reasons.

I agree... I'm 19 and my first two cars were Chevy Berettas, a GTZ and my current daily driver Z26. I'm proud of em too, as well as a bunch of other people I'm meeting at "Berettafest" 2005 this Thursday-Sunday.

I've been a Camaro worshipper since I was born, but my FWD Camaro-wannabe is a sweet cruiser and pretty good in snow. It won't go in a straight line as fast as my Z28, but it's damn good in the twisties with the upgrades I've added. For the $3-4000 I have in it altogether, I don't think I could have a nicer ride.
http://www.waltoncruisers.com/members/artwork_photos/ewood2.jpg

That's cool, I can't find anything for the Bonneville, I really would like to have suspension parts, preferably stiffer struts and polyurthane bushings because it leans in corners but I don't know what the Bonneville shares in common with other GM FWD's. I don't know if the Bonneville shares parts with the Grand Prix or the Monte Carlo. I'm thinking it shares parts with the W-bodies but not all parts (Impala, Grand Prix, Monte Carlo...) But the coolest thing is that it's a two ton car with four doors and it can beat most imports while carrying five people in comfort. Don't you think?  

I'm with you guys. I'm 53 & have two cars- an '04  sunfire, this one is my daily driver & the most pure fun to drive car I've ever owned.(I've owned over 100 cars in my life, so I don't think I'm a beginner. Any takers?) My real car is a'75 455 Firebird. Rear wheel drive- front wheel drive? they both have ups & downs. having fun with what you got ?PERFECT! That's what it's all about.  

Yes, that is what it all matters. Having fun with your car. I just simply enjoy knowing that my car can beat most imports but however some of them are just bloody fast. I mean you blink your eyes and it's gone, especially the EVO VII and the WRX sTi. Hey, whatever at least our cars are low profile and we can speed a lot. Now these days police are resorting to planes and helicopters. That makes it a tad difficult to speed now.  

Check out the gmfwd.com message forum. There's probably some info there for ya. There's also w-body.com.  

hey guys, is ur bon. a sse or w/e, the supercharged 1? if not look into gettin 1 from a junkyard, i cant believe u cant find some parts for a 3.8, i can see the suspension problem since it really isnt a highly modded car, my best friend owns a 99 olds intrigue and hes having the same problem, i personally own a '94 mercury cougar and am 17 also, so yea i have a V8 RWD car, i find it to be nicer then FWD since ive spent time around FWD, but i personally just like rwd better, u can feel the power better, not to mention the burnouts every once in awhile  

Hey dude,

My car is just the plain jane one, the SE. I could have gotten a supercharger from the junkyard but the problem is that I have to worry about the blower housing not being cracked, and the computer, the pistons, everything, I find that the power from my 3.8 is enough but yeah I would like to have more, the problem is that I don't know what will work, I realize that all 3.8 are the same but the engine bays differ in size so I don't know what will fit. My first step is probably is to get a Grand Prix cold air intake and make it fit then headers, etc. I prefer to go the naturally aspirated way. True, you RWD drivers got us FWD beat in the burnout but at least we can do really fast reverse 180's and we're good in the snow but I would kill to hang the tail out in the snow. Oh well.

"I'm proud of em too, as well as a bunch of other people I'm meeting at 'Berettafest" 2005 this Thursday-Sunday."

Berettafest?  One wonders if ROBERT BLAKE was in attendance?

One also wonders if this "FWD" thread is being posted by a bunch of folks in denial about the sad fact that GM has totally abandoned the cheap RWD market . . . .

May the TORQUE STEER be with you!

Well, well whoever is dr511sci must be the one in denial. Go look at the highways, chances are that most of these cars are FWD, and some of these SUV are car based which are usually FWD. I don't know if you  have noticed that the sand-whackers are in control of our gas and they're getting higher than Anna Nicole on crack. Hey, I'm all for RWD but they're getting expensive and FWD was more economy friendly, go whine to GM, not to us  

"Hey, I'm all for RWD but they're getting expensive and FWD was more economy friendly, go whine to GM, not to us"

I guess that would explain the 200,000 or so RWD Mustangs that Ford is selling this model year (including a fair number of low-priced, fuel-sipping V6s).  And I won't even mention DCX's huge success with the value-priced RWD Dodge Magnum/Charger & Chrysler 300 or Ford's supply-outstripping sales of AWD-option Five Hundreds.  

GM simply missed the shift back to RWD/AWD, except in expensive Cadillacs and expensive, unsatisfying, badge-engineered Holden-Pontiac GTOs.   Overpowered supercharged and V8 FWDs simply won't cut it anymore.

Personally, fast fwd's dont make too much sense, as when you launch, you unweight the driving wheels. That makes traction a problem, not to mention torque steer. But I too used to own a 92 beretta gtz-190hp quad 4 and 5 speed manual. It was quick and handled nicely. To each theyre own.  

You do have a point there, I'm not trying to argue with you. I am indeed disappointed in GM, you are right that RWD can be economical. I don't understand why GM can't turn over to RWD especially after the sucess of DCX's own RWD division, and Ford's RWD/AWD's division too. I was happy to see that GM put a V8 in the Impala and the Monte Carlo, and the Grand Prix GXP, only to be disappointed when I learned that it was still FWD. After hearing your side, I have decided that RWD is the best way to go provided that traction control is standard for the people in the Snowbelt. The GTO was disappointing too, I think GM will go down in flames in the car division but still live in the SUV and truck division  

Some FWD GMs are quick.  A guy at the local track ran a 13.0 in his supercharged Grand Prix.  He had M/T slicks mounted up front and had swapped in an aluminum engine cradle.

Tom

1468.12 in reply to 1468.11
<i>Personally, fast fwd's dont make too much sense, as when you launch, you unweight the driving wheels. That makes traction a problem, not to mention torque steer. But I too used to own a 92 beretta gtz-190hp quad 4 and 5 speed manual. It was quick and handled nicely. To each theyre own.</i>

My first car was a 90 GTZ with the quad4/5-speed, damn I miss that thing. 90-92 had 180hp though, and 93-94 were only 175.

My daily driver Beretta isn't real quick in a straight line, but I've made it handle real well. I couldn't really ask for anything better for a year-round NY car.