How well does a 97 Grand Prix GTP hold up?

[Ghost_9418]

There is one for sale, I havnt looked at it, but say its been taken good care of...its got 89k miles and its going for 6500 obo...How many miles can these cars handle?

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Ghost_9418

There is one for sale, I havnt looked at it, but say its been taken good care of...its got 89k miles and its going for 6500 obo...How many miles can these cars handle?

The mileage is a plus. The price looks good. But like any used car run it through the mill and check it out very carefully before purchasing. I have friends with GT/GTP with over 150K miles. I have 91K miles but it was purchased new. No major engine or tranny problems.



Thrasher CAI, DHP v1.0 PCM,
3.25 SC pulley, CAIT GMAF, Hi-Flow CAT,
u-bend delete, 160 TS, ZZP Stage 1 TB,
TB spacer, MSD 8.5mm wires, Autolite 104s,
Goodyear Gatorback Serp. & SC Belt,
Nitto NT555R Drag Radials

[GTP Dad]

I have 142K on mine. Runs great, burns no oil, did develop a valve cover leak when I changed to synthetic oil. Had to have a new transmission put in due to the old one destroying itself from some serious hot rodding. New calipers rear and that is about it. Normal maintenance items only. Great Car, just find out how hard it has been run and what repairs have been done prior to purchasing it and find out if the recalls have been done. One for wipers and one for the rack and pinion. Good Luck!

[richtazz]

the 97's, being the first year for the body style (97-03 are virtually the same), they had a few more electrical gremlins than later models. If it's a GTP model, then the dependability is better than average for a GM vehicle. I would check it over really good to make sure no warning light bulbs have been removed in an attempt to cover up an ABS or other problem. Other than that, it sounds like a good deal.

[regalfriend]

97 has the 3800 series 2. My opinion its one of the best motors ever built...if taken care of you can get upwards of 200,000 miles...Tranny..4t65e-hd...also an excellent tranny...same one used in cop cars...supercharger= eaton M90, also considered excellent. I have never seen it internally but have been told the bearings are huge...Mine has 112,000 miles{never replaced} doesnt rattle, and still get great boost...I would suggest doing a CarFax report and as stated earlier check to make sure all dash lights work, especially the SES light...If you buy it and car is good, you will be hooked. Good Luck!

[GTPgirl]

I had a '97 with 161,000 on it, and it still ran great. Didn't use oil, still got good gas mileage. I paid $6800 for it three years ago, with 131,000 miles on it when I bought it. The easiest way to find out if the recalls have been done or not is take the VIN to your local GM dealership. You'll get a full options list, they can tell what repairs were done to the car under warranty, and what recalls have been fixed. They might even run the carfax for you.

Good luck, and you will be addicted if you get it. I know I am (I've owned 3 GP's. If you're curious as to what happened to my '97, check my Gallery)!

[Rex Orr]

Sounds like a fair price to me . Check it out good just to be sure. Rex

[dmasjz45]

i wouldnt say thats a good or bad deal. if the car is mint, engine is clean, well taken care of id say go for it. i bought a MINT 99 gt with 82k miles for 6100. 97 is getting kind of old, but in the end its your choice

[GTPgirl]

True, and the '97s had a few bugs since they were the first year of the body style. Like the key sticking in the ignition, that seems to be a major one. And there's a recall on the oil pan gasket, the rack & pinion, and something about the wipers. If you have a dealership run the VIN, they'll be able to tell you if any of that has been fixed.

All in all, my '97 was a reliable car, I was extremely happy with it while I had it.