Last year of the big RWD Bonnies ?

[455Grandville]

I bought a 81 Bonneville diesel at a dealer auction last week. Was '81 the last year of these before they threw the Bonneville name on the Lemans ?
I didnt even know they had a Bonnie diesel 'til I saw this.

[77 Canamman]

Yes.

1982 was the beginning of the Bonneville Model G.

[mike nixon]

brad, if the engine's a good one it'll pull 30 mpg. personally i'd think of stuffing a 6.2 in it.they weren't a bad ride, my ex fil had one he owned 4 times with a 4.1 in it.


mike

[455Grandville]

brad, if the engine's a good one it'll pull 30 mpg. personally i'd think of stuffing a 6.2 in it.they weren't a bad ride, my ex fil had one he owned 4 times with a 4.1 in it.


mike

I yanked the motor because of a leaking headgasket. Luckily the engines in good shape; Ive checked everything. Heads are not cracked and didnt need resurfacing. I have ARP studs on order. Ideally the later 5.7s were not to bad, the 81 & up "WX" blocks had the mains drilled deeper and didnt break the crank.
You mean the 4.3 V6 diesel found in Cieras ? They used a much better 6 bolt / cylinder pattern and they had a great rep, I know diesel guys that swear by that engine.

[mike nixon]

no the car the ex fil owned had a 4.1 gas in it.

i've seen some of the 5.7's that have run 500k before self destruction. i used to convert a lot of those cars to gas after the diesel died. i had an 81 g/p that was a diesel car. it got good mileage, ran good, had good power.

the 4.3 cierra engine is a RARE deal. i've seen 5 total in all of my years of turning wrenches. i know of one that was in a park ave that'd pull 40mpg all the time.

i know of a 83-5 park ave that's still got a running 5.7 in it with glow plug controller issues if you want a parts car.

mike

[455Grandville]

Mike, I got the all the parts today probably have it running by Sunday.
Should make a ideal commuter car for airport parking when Im out of the country for my job.
When a car sits at an airport 3 + weeks they get broke into, parking lot dings, door dings, etc. Some pilots Ive spoken with drive beaters because they swear the Jet Fuel leaves a residue that is hell on the paint. As long as I have this job I would never buy a new car because of this.
I used to have a 1980 GMC with the 5.7 diesel I bought with a blown headgasket. Although a engine out job the ARP studs fixed the problem.
Even overloaded with firewood & running the A/C it still pulled 23 mpg. Unfortunately in '97 I was laid off, had a young wife in college with our first kid on the way - got scared & sold it.
Wheres the parts car located at ?