Unfortunately I think it's time to say goodbye to my Monte. I LOVE this car but my neighbor's tree came down last week and hit my Ms Monte and our old Silverado. I don't have a settlement from the insurance yet. They immediately (without even seeing it) said it was totaled. 2001 SS with only 116,000 miles.

At first I was adamant about getting my car fixed. After a couple of days I thought maybe it really is better if it's not fixed. As much as I hate to say it, my girl was starting to have some mechanical issues. I was dealing with them as they arose but was unable to address the rust that started a few years ago. Currently it needs a new AC compressor and recharge and likely some new brake rotors. Thank goodness I hadn't got the AC fixed yet. So even if it gets fixed, I still need to complete those repairs....and I'll still have a rusting car.

So I'm looking at used cars but my budget is not much, maybe $5000 after insurance and what I can scrape together. Problem is I really love a coupe, which is why I bought a Monte in the first place. I had a Buick Regal back in the day and loved that one too. I want a coupe, American manufacturer, V6, which leaves me with what to choose from? Not much. Can't find a clean enough Monte (other than a Jeff Gordon NASCAR one that I passed on) and there's not much else to choose from. Maybe a Pontiac G6, looking for one of those. Deciding what's more important to me: V6 coupe or domestic manufacturer. I think the coupe wins. I love the Camaros and Mustangs but maybe rwd isn't the most practical choice for winter.

Any suggestions on what to look for? Personal first-hand experience appreciated. No 4cyl cars. Never personally owned anything but Chevy, Oldsmobile (very briefly) and Buicks. Help! And thanks!

 

You're definitely going to be limited on options as there aren't really a lot of domestic couples available, especially if you're excluding RWD. The one upside is that it doesnt seem like you've got a year requirement, so that opens it up a bit.

Given something that meets all the requirements that's similar to what you had before, I'd probably go with a Grand Prix GTP.

If you were ok loosening the RWD rule, I'd probably go F body. It's really not that big of a deal driving RWD in the winter.

 

thanks for your thoughts and reply. I’ve only seen one Grand Prix for sale so far and it was a sedan...and a V8. I might go see a Pontiac G6 on Monday just to see if that make/model is something I want to consider. My husband agreed that rwd isn’t that big of a deal since our winters aren’t what they were when we were kids. So maybe a Mustang. Decisions, decisions...

 

LOL not a Mustang! After owning that many General Motors cars you should go with a Camaro over the Fix Or Repair Daily every time.

We had a Ford Taurus back in the 1990's for about a month, bought it when someone stole our Celebrity in Philly, but on the New Jersey turnpike the head gasket blew. After getting it towed back home the dealer we bought it from said "they are known for that". No warranty so no more fords for me.
Dave

 

A G6 coupe would be all right, they're just harder to find than the G6 sedans which are all over the place. I've never had a G6, but I've been doing some homework on them (for a "just in case" scenario).
The coupes are plenty sleek, even a little more so than a Monte.
Personally I'd go for a G6 GTP (or GXP) coupe if you can find a nice one, to get the top-of-the-line motor (3900 V6/4speed auto in 2006, DOHC 3.6/6speed auto for 2007 and 2008). They should fit your budget now too.

 

Thank you for your responses. My poor Ms Monte was hauled away yesterday after being declared a total loss. I knew in my heart it wasn’t feasible to buy it back and fix it. Even after fixing the body, I’d still have to replace the AC compressor and likely brake rotors (Both which I was prepared to do but thank goodness I hadn’t yet,) but in the end I’d still have a 19yo car with a little bit of rust that was just going to get much worse.

I realized a V6 coupe, domestic, with reasonable miles (and not silver, gray or white) was a tough request and that I might have to compromise. I ultimately decided the make wasn’t as important. So on the same day I lost my Monte I purchased a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. I hope I made the right decision. It’s definitely more sports car than the Monte Carlo with a stiffer suspension. I’m waiting for all our insurance checks to arrive to take possession (hopefully by the end of next week) but the seller and I signed an intend to purchase agreement. I will forever love my Monte Carlo though, what a great car, and I had 8 wonderful years of owning it.

 

My beautiful Ms Monte back when I bought her in 2012.

 

I’m glad you didn’t buy a G6 but a Mitsubishi Eclipse?? A stiff breeze is faster. Lol. I’m just giving you a hard time. $5000 coulda got you another Monte and upgrades where I live. I’m thinking about buying another one that’s for sale about an hour away for $1300 and it’s an Intimidator SS with a SC from factory.

 

unfortunately the Montes in Northern Indiana all rust from the salt on the roads in the winter. I couldn’t find a clean one around here. Sure there might be others much further away but then I would have even less to spend if I had to travel. 😕.

The Eclipse is crazy fast! I had no complaints about Ms Monte but the Eclipse (Ms Bishi &#128513 blows it away. And it has a kickass sound system. But the ride in the Monte Carlo is far superior. A friend of mine had one and says it’s like driving a couch, it’s so comfortable. Yep, I REALLY miss that. And I think the Monte Carlo is a better-made, quality vehicle. The Mitsubishi seems cheap in some ways. I miss my Monte Carlo a lot. *sigh*

 

If you don't mind me asking - what part of Northern IN?

Just curious because I'm originally from NW IN, although I moved away about 10 years ago.

I know what you mean about the rust though- they go super heavy on the salt out there. I've had to do all kinds of work on my Monte to strip and remove old rust and still have to do the dreaded 5th gen under the gas door rust bubbles.