Keieljun

So let's say that I've decided that I want a 2004 Alero. I'm I thinking clearly?

If anyone here thinks that would be a good idea, then what particular model, engine, configuration, etc, would be really sweet to get my hands on, and why do you think so?

What might be worth something after a decade or two has gone by?

Keith

Redog

Well as the Alero Chapter Secretary of OCA I can tell you that the Alero is a fun car to drive. In 2004 both motors ava are good motors. The 2.2 Ecotec motor is pretty much bulletproof on the bottom end due to the way the motor is made. the 3400 motor may have a problem with the lower intake manifold gasket leaking (refered as the LIMG problem) this is not a new problem and has haunted the 60* V6 motor for close to 20 years all the way back to the 2.8 motor.

If you are looking for a collector car, I suggest one of the Final 500's. They are all dark cherry in color and have speical stiching on the seats and logos on the rims and trunk lid. I wouldn't suggest one of these as a daily, if you want to keep it as an investment. A daily driver investment would be a 2.2 eco with the 5 speed manual. This is a very rare combo. The tranny is a Getrag which is a pretty good manual tranny, however this transmission is only ava on the 4 cyl motor.

The 3400 model is a pretty good car too. I bought mine brand spanking new in 2000 with only 6 miles. Now at just a tad over 93K it's still a good runner. I do use Mobil 1 syn. oil. I hear the the life of a 60* V6 is only 150,000 miles, but over on Aleromod.com, where I am a moderator, there are a few guys with close too 200K on thiers and one guy claims a touch over 200K

The Eco and 2.4 twin cam motor (2.4 product stopped in 2001 and this motor was an updated version of the 2.3 HO motor that was in the 1991 442) have been known to last a while too. Another Aleromod member has an aftermarket superchager on his 2.4 and NOW he's looking to rebuild at 187K.

For a daily with no planed modifactions all 3 motors are good and keep the oil changed and watch that leak on the 3400 motor and they are all runners. With modifactions the 4t45 tranny in the 3400 and the 4t40 tranny in the 2.4, 2.2 are the weak points. I personally blew up my tranny at the track, but I still drove the car around for a week afterwards before it started slipping and giving me problems. I lost all 14 quarts of tranny fliud by the end of the week

The other little problems with the Alero are simple easy fixes. The blower motor resistor is known to burn out is you use the climate controls on 1 or 2 regually, The anntenna / rear window defroster is known to burn up and not work and the fuel pumps fail, but all those problems are common GM problems, not really the fault of the Alero itself. The fuel pump is a bit tricky to do without a lift, but the resistor and rear window defroster are fairly easy, they are just a bit of a pain to get to.

I an in the process of getting my Alero's hood and fenders repainted. 8 years of road rash left a lot of little nicks and stuff, but that's normal for any car.

The GLS model is the top of the line. These cars are loaded with all the bells and whistles and will have leather and a sunroof. After 2001, they came with an upgraded stero system with a Monsoon amp in the trunk behind the carpet on the left side of the trunk. The GX would be the base model would be bare bones and GL model, pending on which one you get GL1, GL2, or GL3 will have some of the stuff that the GLS model will have.

Don't know what part of the country you are in, but we have our own car show behind the Holiday Inn on Saganaw Highway in lansing, MI on the Firday before Homecomming on the state capital grounds. I help put on that show. The date will be June 13th and Hommecomming is June 14th. Anybody here is more than welcome to stop by and say hello. We will all be in "Street Stock" at Homecomming

Keieljun

Thanks for the quick and deeply informative reply, Redog. I especially liked the info on models and names: GX, GL, GLS, etc.

I'm going to gather info on eBay for a while so I get to know what I'm talking about and really want.

I suppose the Final 500 are the last 500 off the line in early 2004.

eBay won't let me fix a search for 2004 Alero, but it may only be because they haven't seen anything in that year yet. If that's not the reason, then there is a deeper mystery.

Keith

Keieljun

I'm watching eBay for Alero sales, and the Final 500 item is truly interesting, but the Auroras are catching my eye more than the Aleros. Okay, honestly, the Aleros are growing on me as well; I'm just not so sure that it's as special a car as the Aurora. Maybe there's just something about a bigger car for me. But there's one problem for me with the Aurora....

One of the reasons I'd like a 2004 Olds is that I own a 1954 Olds, and something tells me it would be kinda cool to own Oldsmobiles 50 years apart, and that bug is not leaving me. I changed my search from 2004 Oldsmobile Alero to 2004 Oldsmobile Alero GLS, which really means that I'm interested in the top of the line car, but you know I don't care whether it's a Final 500 or not. It should be drivable now, and restorable after the teenagers are gone (if the car survives).

Gotta say though, as if I'm being unfaithful, that Aurora really attracts my eye in a way the Alero has not done yet. That vanilla ice cream color one (inside and out) that recently sold out of Florida....wow!

Call me torn.

J-(Chicago)

I like the subtle body line crinkles in those aurora hoods. It looks sharp with the rounded front nose on those. I think they cut the back end too short however. The rear doors are bigger than the quarter panels.
Have you ever seen a big giant rotweiler with it's tail cut down to a little nub?
That's what comes to mind when I see one.

Keieljun

Well said, J. Of course, there should ONLY be coupes, as we all know. (and I MEAN that 99% seriously)

However, as sedans go. The Aurora looks really fine to me. The crisp lines pressed into the body panels really make the car. The tail lights wrapping around from the back into the sides of the rear quarter panels didn't help. If you could eliminate that, especially on the lighter colored ones, then the added visual length helps. Maybe they could have gone even further and done exactly as you said: lengthen the rear or shorten either just the rear door (no more old people using THIS car) or both of them on the side.

It's gotta be tough being a designer; you can't make 'em ALL happy.

I like Rottweilers!

Keith