58k-Mile Survivor: 1989 Pontiac Bonneville SSE
As I keep staring at this Pontiac Bonneville, I just can’t help but appreciate how groovy these cars look when the SSE package was incorporated. The eighth generation Bonneville came out around the time GM was transitioning many of their old stand-by cars to a front-wheel-drive design, which admittedly I was slow to warm up to, but finally got there. And now looking back at the styling more than 30 years later, I seem to like the SSE trim quite a bit more now than I did back then. If you’ve been in the market for a well-preserved late-eighties survivor, this one might fit the bill nicely. This 1989 Pontiac Bonneville SSE is located near the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan in Muskegon and can be found here on eBay, where bidding is currently resting at $6,100.
Thanks go out to reader Troy U. for the great tip on this one! It seems as if Pontiac was going for the European vibes when a buyer chose the SSE package, which got you plenty of extra body trim, color-coded wheels, and some other goodies that made it stand out, plus enough buttons on the inside to keep the driver occupied for loads of miles. This one’s said to be a one-owner car that was previously stored inside and covered since the early nineties, and it’s claimed to have never been involved in an accident or had any paint work done. There’s also a holographic VIN on every panel, which I’m guessing is insurance that they’re all original pieces.
Unfortunately, the SSE didn’t get you anything extra under the hood beyond the offerings of the other two Bonnevilles for ’89. The SSE shared the 3.8 liter V6 with its LE and SE counterparts, but the engines were fuel-injected and produced 165 horsepower, not too shabby for the 4-Door world of the late eighties. A manual transmission wasn’t an option, but at least the automatic was equipped with 4 forward gears. A total of just over 58k miles have been traveled in this particular car, and it is said to run and drive well, although it could use new tires since the set it’s riding on has become flat-spotted from years of sitting.
That’s the best photo I could provide you of the interior, as most of the inside shots were either more of the floor or that high-tech (for the time) Stereo system. A CD player became optional for the Bonneville in 1989, but get your tapes out because this one’s rockin’ a cassette player. We can’t view every nook and cranny inside, but what we can see in there seems to be nicely preserved, and those front buckets do look pretty inviting. There’s also no reserve, so the high bidder has bought themselves a Bonneville SSE. I’m actually kind of digging this one, how about you?
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Comments
Great finds with a killer color combo! I would have bet lunch the interior would have been silver/charcoal gray. The Pontiac is the equivalent of the Buick T-Type trim treatment. You can’t kill a 3.8 although I became very quick at changing alternators on the carousel 80’s and 90’s GM vehicles we owned. The later Bonneville with the supercharged 3.8 are impressive IMHO. This would be a great 3-season daily driver, just do the normal maintenance and keep it pretty.
Looks like Pontiac farmed this one out to the “Pimp My Ride” garage to get the full treatment.
These are very dependable cars seen many with over 200k working in auto repair over 30 years.
I had one of these with grey leather and it was a great car! Drove it all over the country and it was a very solid car. I’d love to get my hands on this one! Worth the $.
Never considered these cars to be a collectable. In my opinion the bidding has gone higher than its value. Should last someone a few years as their daily
GM killed the 3.8 and replaced with the total POS 3.6 junker. Why? Because the 3.8 didn’t break, especially the mid 80s versions with the metal intake manifold. They went to plastic and they needed replacing as that garbage Dex Cool leaked into the engine. I had three 80s GM cars with 3.8 engines. Never an issue. 200,000 plus miles out of all of them. I now have another nearly bullet proof engine no longer made. My 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis with 4.6 V 8. People want to buy it at least once a week. Not for sale. Paid $11,000 cash for it in July 2008 from original owner with 7,000 actual miles. Today, at 140,000 miles still runs perfectly. I over maintain all my cars.
Have an 03 P71 with 202K, bought it when the GA State Patrol retired it at 140K, needed a fuel pump at 180K, Driver Exhaust Manifold at 190K, and Intake at 195K. Patrol put a new transmission at 110K and still shifts firm. Nothing but Oil/Trans fluid changes/brakes. 17mpg City 22/Highway, still pretty fast once you get going.
My mother had a 1989 SSEI, white, when we were growing up…what a car. Did have quite a few electrical bugs but was lightning fast and luxurious for the times, when I turned 16 I often convinced her to let me take it places instead of my $1,500 car I bought and could afford.
I’d hardly consider the 3.8 V6 “lightning fast.” I’ve driven quite a few cars with the 3.8 and always considered them to be just “adequate” in the power department. I’ve always found it interesting when somebody commenting on a ’70s or 80s car claims it to be very fast. Most of those cars were not fast or powerful when compared to any true muscle car from the 1960s. I can only assume those guys never drove a muscle car. Even the Corvettes from the mid- to late-1970s were fairly gutless.
I think this Pontiac Bonneville SSE is a nice car that would make for a decent 3-season daily driver. I don’t think it’s worth much more than $6K or $7K though. I don’t care for those wheels (wheel covers?) either, they look pretty awful in my opinion. Something chrome would look much better.
Totally agree with you Ford Guy,they used that 3.8 on many of their models,was not fast and reliability was fair and as for the wheels it was horrible
Not wheel covers, aside from the center disc covering the lugs. Those are the actual alloys, powder-coated to match the body color. Maybe the monochrome look is a bit passé today, but it was kinda sensational at the time these came out, as one of the first models to sport that look from the factory.
Not lightning fast, except of course in Turbo Regal form, but legendary reliability. Arguably the best V-6 ever built, and definitely the best pushrod V-6 ever built. Now the 3.8 Ford on the other hand…
This model handles amazingly well for its size. I pulled the heavier springs and sway bars from a junkyard SSE and put them on my marshmallowy ’92 LeSabre. (Added a Park Ave strut tower brace, too). Completely transformed the car into something really fun to drive. (Well, really fun for a full-size sedan). Love the pre-Series-1 3800s in these as well as the Series 1 3800 in my ’92. Lower peak power than later iterations, but they always felt more responsive than the later cars I’ve owned with the Series II engines.
Looks like that car says 3200 on the motor to me. If it is….it is same motor with smaller bore.
These never came with the 3.2L, only the 3.8L LG3 or 3800 LN3 (depending on year), but even if they did, seems unlikely the range-topping SSE performance package would have been equipped or even available with one. Pretty sure that’s just a poor photo and/or worn paint lettering on that 3800 cover making the 8 look kinda weird.
Skip my comment……i spread the pic out and it had a crazy looking 8 on the motor. I thought they had 3800 motors in them and all of those motors i had were bulletproof. Only weak spot was the intake gasket….but the new version was lifetime when you changed them. I have one out of a Buick rear wheel drive in my shop now with 77,000 miles on it. I like those motors. Such a good motor they have 1 in the Smithsonian Institute….no joke.
I owned three new SSEs–a 90, 93, and 98. All great cars–comfortable, reliable, good performance, fantastic gas mileage for the time (30 mpg hwy. possible on long trips). No downsides IMHO.
I’ve owned several as well, including 4 previous and one current ‘87 Regal Turbo T’s. Outstanding performance and reliability, and excellent fuel mileage in any trim. The biggest “problem” with them is that they were too reliable. And the only people I ever hear badmouthing the Buick 3.8 V-6 is Ford guys. I wonder why?? One thing is for sure, you’ll never see a 3.8 Ford V-6 on display in the Smithsonian!
Very clean rare Bonneville and worthy of a look for a sale. I was fortunate to own a 1990 SSEi back in the late 90’s. I got it fairly cheap from a neighborhood dealer. White with the same color tan interior as the one in the photo. Comfortable and unique as opposed to the LeSabre,Electra, Delta 88 and Ninety Eight competitors. Sporty and flashy, typical Pontiac features such as factory Delco stereo with the equalizer equipped, the airplane dash of course with all the buttons on the steering wheel Ha! Factory trunk spoiler and whoever owned the car before me put chrome aftermarket rims on her which really made the car stand out. And that 3800 motor offered enough pep to get me to work on time when I was running late. A neighbor of mine also had a 90 Bonny at that time but he had the base model LE with nothing in it Lol and he proved to be a very jealous man as our friendship deteriorated over a parking space..Oh well..I had that Bonny for several years and sold it for a 97 Dodge Intrepid at the time when Intrepid’s were very popular based on Chrysler/Dodge’s areodynamic designed models of the late 90’s (LHS, New Yorker, Eagle Premier) going into the 2000’s not knowing those cars had the worst engines ever. But I certainly appreciated owning that Bonneville SSEi as Pontiac along with Oldsmobile were one of my favorite GM brands. Sorely Missed!
NOTE! My apologies! the Bonneville I owned was an SSE NOT an SSEi realizing the SSEi was not produced for that year model Bonneville until 1992. My Bad!
These cars were amazing highway rides. You really had to pay attention to speed or you’d be 80+ cause it felt like 40mph. I looked for a used one in 92’ but bought the Grand Prix SE white/grey leather with color coded wheels. Fully loaded a very sharp car but the wife ran it into a pole after one year. Pontiac and Oldsmobile are missed tremendously.
My father bought an 88 SSE probably in 1991 to replace my mother’s 1978 Chevrolet Caprice wagon. Metallic burgundy with the grey velour interior. As someone above mentioned I also recall the steering wheel covered with buttons. Really good car. Only problem I can recall was one day it suddenly began to run very rough. Crank position sensor IIRC.
Just sold a month ago at a small independent auction for $4k. Had a few issue that I doubt have been resolved.