Good morning! On today’s Shitbox Showdown, we’re saving our own David Tracy from a bad idea by giving him two far less bad ones. But first, let’s see how yesterday’s Boston land yachts fared:
An easy win for the Fleetwood. That would be my choice too; I really liked my old Coupe DeVille, and I still kinda regret selling it. Oh well; can’t keep ’em all.
Now, if you were around yesterday afternoon/evening, you probably saw our fearless leader’s latest silly obsession: a yellow Chevrolet Vega wagon for sale in Arizona. This is, of course, a terrible idea, possibly the worst idea he’s had since driving a series of increasingly rusty Jeeps to Moab, or maybe eating pasta in the shower. Fear not; the cheap car doctor is in, and he knows there are far better, more interesting, and more fun cars out there available for the same price. So to help David recover from his bout of Yellow Wagon Fever, I have prescribed two such cars, both in his own new backyard. Let’s see which one is the better cure.
2006 Pontiac Solstice – $5,900
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Reseda, CA
Odometer reading: 159,000 miles
Runs/drives? Of course!
We all have that one friend, the one with the big ideas and lofty goals, who talks a good game but doesn’t have much follow-through. They come in one day talking about some grand idea that sounds amazing, but by the time it actually happens it’s so watered-down that it’s hardly the same idea at all. Occasionally, they lose their shirt on some stupid deal and have to start over again. And just once in a while, they pull off something brilliant, and they’re as surprised as anyone, and end up ruining it. I’d like you to meet my good friend, General Motors.
The Pontiac Solstice, and its sister models the Saturn Sky and Opel GT, came out of left field. Not even Nostradamus could have predicted a Miata competitor would show up in showrooms alongside Grand Ams and Montana vans. But GM’s performance division was on a roll in the mid-2000s, with an infusion of rear-wheel-drive goodness from Holden in Australia, so the little Solstice made sense. Like Pontiac’s other two-seater of decades prior, the Fiero, the Solstice was a parts-bin special wrapped in some fancy bodywork, but it was a hit, until the 2008 recession pulled the rug out from under it.
This first-year base-model Solstice is powered by 2.4 liter Ecotec four and a five-speed manual. It’s not a ton of power, but if millions of Miatas, MGBs, Spitfires, and Fiat and Alfa Spiders have taught us anything, it’s that a small convertible doesn’t need much under the hood to be fun. This Solstice runs great, and recently passed a smog test, so it’s ready to go.
Cosmetically, it looks great. The sliver paint isn’t all that exciting, but the two-tone interior makes up for it, I think. And were one to insist on a small General Motors car with a four cylinder, a stick, and rear-wheel-drive, one would be better served by this than that a woodgrained, overheating nightmare from the 1970s.
1985 BMW 528e – $5,399
Engine/drivetrain: 2.7 liter overhead cam inline 6, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Odometer reading: stuck at 219,000 miles, true mileage unknown
Runs/drives? Yep!
I’ve loved the E28 BMW 5 Series since I was in eighth grade, and the original M5 showed up in the pages of Road & Track and AutoWeek. Much like the music that you grew up with, or that girl you had a crush on in geometry class, the E28 set my own personal standard for BMW sedans, and everything since then has been measured against it. This car has all of BMW’s greatest hits: the ship’s-prow nose, the two small delicate kidneys in the grille, quad-round headlights, a Hofmeister kink, and an ever-so-slightly-off-center tailpipe.
What it doesn’t have is power in any appreciable amount. The 528e was a corporate average fuel economy special, featuring a de-tuned 2.7 liter version of BMW’s famous straight six. It only puts out 119 horsepower at an incredibly low (for BMW) 4250 RPM, but it gets great mileage, and it is still a BMW, so high-speed stability is baked-in. It just takes a while longer to get there.
We don’t know how many miles this car has on it; the odometer gave up at 219,000 miles. But BMWs of this era didn’t need a full cooling system replacement every 60,000 miles, or a host of special tools just to check the oil level, or any of that modern nonsense, so keeping it on the road shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a true rust-free California car, but the clearcoat is failing here and there. The cloth interior looks all right, aside from a hole in the driver’s seat bolster and some cracks in the dash, both of which you can live with.
The seller bought this car to drive daily, and put a bunch of work into getting it ready. It runs great, recently passed a smog test, and comes with a long list of new parts. Yes, I know David just bought a newer BMW, but as cool as it is, it’s not really a BMW, you know? Not like this is.
I don’t know if either of these is up David’s alley, but I do know that a Vega wagon would be an unmitigated disaster. These are both reliable, fun, cool cars, with the proper number of pedals and driven by the correct wheels. And they’re both a tiny bit cheaper than the Vega, even. Which one would you suggest to our illustrious Editor-In-Chief?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Own a 2007 Solstice N/A. It is great to drive, and reliable as hell. With the top down it has no room in the trunk. But as a weekend car, it’s great.
“I’d like you to meet my good friend, General Motors.” -well said, Mark.
Solstice here. BMWs are frightening.
What does one do when they want all three, Solstice, BMW AND Vega wagon? I guess seek help is the obvious answer…
I’ve been kind of lusting after a Solstice for a long time. I don’t have a garage, though, and I won’t be the guy who leaves a convertible outside to disintegrate.
The Grand Am was also the best looking of the N-body cars.
I don’t think David would be interested in either of these cars. Both of these cars would be fun and enjoyable to own and drive. The best I can tell, David only likes cars that inflict pain and suffering upon him, and the Vega certainly checks that box. The Mustang is a notable exception, but he goes to great pains to make sure we know that it really is not his car and seems to try to avoid driving it.
Gave you a thumbs up for the poster name alone. Well done.
I’d take the Solstice, even though I prefer the Saturn version for no particularly good reason. I hope enough of these are taken care of so that when I’m prepared to hunt for one they’re still viable.
Buying an older BMW is like picking up a hooker – I’ve been told. You never know what you’re in for.
This one’s a blond hooker…..
Buying and older BMW is like picking up a hooker – I’ve been told. You never know what you’re in for.
This one’s a blond hooker…..
Two decent choices. I would take the Pontiac as like America made a Miata.
If it was for me, the Solstice, no question. But since the question was which one would we recommend to David, no brainer, the BMW.
1. We know David is all about brand loyalty. He just started his Bimmer odyssey, so lets support his spiral into Teutonic fanboism.
2. A ~40 year old BMW is going to provide way more fodder for David’s “Guess what just failed now” articles. As we are all here for the schadenfreude followed by David’s heroic efforts to overcome automotive bedevilment, the BMW is clear choice.
I have a deep nostalgic love for the Solstice. I still have memories of being at a barber shop with my dad one Saturday afternoon, opening a car magazine, seeing the concept, and falling in love with it. I remember being ecstatic when it actually went into production…and I still get excited when I see them or Saturn Skies in person.
Are they amazing cars? Not really. They’re mid 2000s GM parts bin zombies. But the recipe works every time…they’re small, rear wheel drive, manual, and have a roof that goes down. If you can’t enjoy that I don’t know what to tell you. They’re also cheap.
I regularly browse local listings for small manual roadsters and you can find decent enough examples for under 10 grand and nice examples of the Redline/GXP for about 15. Plus a lot of folks bought them as pure weekend cars so many were garage kept and have low miles. I think they’re slept on to be honest and I may take the plunge on one of the turbo versions at some point.
As much as I love Miatas I also love weird and different stuff. These are weird and different but are yet to be coated in Unobtanium. Hopefully it stays that way.
The Sky looks better IMO but I too have always wanted one of these.
I’d love to see an actual real life economy comparison between these to see if the BMW is actually ‘economical’.
I’m sure for its day, as a 5 series, it was….. but comparing it to a modern 4-cylinder convertible?
I’d like to think the Pontiac would return better economy.
I also think that era Bimmer is the most awesome. I remember only the rich kids’ dads driving them back then, long before BMW went for lease volume and lost their exclusivity.
That said, this one presents as an Nth owner turd.
Solstice FTW.
The gray color is aggressively boring and kind of clashes with the cool two-toned interior, but I have to go with the Solstice. I’ve always liked those (and their Saturn siblings). I’d probably have it painted (or better yet, wrapped) in a more interesting color. Fly Yellow springs to mind or maybe a nice metallic British Racing Green. Or heck, how about that cool purple/green color changing paint that they used to use on Mustangs in the ’90s. That’d be rad.
Solstice all of the way! It was a product from when Bob Lutz wanted to inject affordable fun into General Motors. The base Solstice/Sky engine may not be much to write home about, but they last a long time. I’ve seen these with 300k miles and still kicking. Meanwhile, a number of the turbo fours used in the Solstice GXP/Sky Red Line don’t even make 150k before dying…and many of those were stock!
They do have some quirks. The transmission comes from the Colorado pickup, so it has the refinement of, well, a truck transmission. These also have basically unusable cupholders. On the other hand, Lutz wanted these to have some Corvette DNA, so they got hydroformed frame rails. They also got hydroformed panels!
Do you think the additional power in the Redline/GXP is worth the extra trouble?
Personally I do, but I know a few who have had some trouble sourcing failed parts. the superchargers and direction of the engine made some parts bespoke.
I think it is! Then again, my Saturn Sky Red Line doesn’t get driven a ton, so I’m not worried about the engine conking out any time soon.
There’s an LS swap adapter for the Solstice AR5 transmission for only $1200. LS Swap all the things!
wonder if you could just send it to Mallett still? https://mallettcars.com/conversions/v8-solstice/
Apparently, the Solstice was named for the winter solstice as the sun was surely setting early on Pontiac. Still, it was a credible effort by the Widetrack folks and looked like a million bucks – well, OK, maybe just $40k, but a tossable, affordable, two-seat convertible aimed squarely at middle class buyers, another endangered species. I’ll take the Poncho.
Hmmm – I loved the looks of the Solstice but loved the looks of its Saturn sister, the Sky, even more. However, in a fatal you-really-should-never-meet-your-heroes moment I got to drive one. The engine was strong enough but it wasn’t “willing”; this wasn’t helped by the truck transmission (seriously) with wide ratios. The engine didn’t zing, it grumbled, and if you lost momentum between shifts it felt sluggish. The interior was okay but really snug; I couldn’t really get comfortable somehow.
I never got to got to try to put the convertible roof up or down, but the talk is that it’s really clumsy and difficult.
In summary, a really pretty girl who couldn’t dance and who felt awkward when we got close, and who wore one of those bras that take forever to figure out when you just want to get her top down.
Sad, really.
The GXP was the trim to get if you could afford it. It put down a very respectable 5.5 0-60 for the time with 260hp and 260 lbft. GM also offered a warrantied GMPP tune that brought it to 290/340. It also allowed for no lift shifting and removed the computer narc that would adjust tuning to keep torque at 260. Fun times.
Frankly, I’d rather have the Vega.
Yes, I know I’m an idiot. The heart wants what it wants.
I’m guessing that you are a younger person (born after 1977)? Because nobody who lived through the Vega years would want one.
You got that right!
The Vega was a great idea executed by GM. Pontiac was also executed by GM.
Still, the lidless tupperware container is probably the better buy here today.
Solstice, please.
It’s a Pontiac and therefore an orphan, so parts availability may become an issue (if it hasn’t already), but it is very clean and appears to have been well loved.
The BMW, OTOH, is sus. According to the CL ad, the seller bought it a couple months ago – why is it up for sale already? The odometer doesn’t work, which could be a very expensive repair – mostly in labor to remove the dash.
The “long list of new parts” isn’t that long: cap, rotor, plugs, wires, oil/filter, diff fluid. The seller references a “newer clutch and flex plate” but doesn’t actually state that he replaced them.
It does have a new cat and exhaust hangers, which seems to indicate that the previous cat was stolen.
Finally, the seller is one of those CL jackasses who populates the ad with a lot of irrelevant keywords to increase visibility. There’s no need to support that behavior.
The odometer problem is typically the odometer gears. The cluster comes out cleanly. Not an expensive fix at all and all sorts of DIY instructions on the net.
That’s interesting – thank you.
However, if the repair is NBD, I’m left to wonder why neither the PO nor the current owner was willing to fix it.
Why not fix the odometer?
Well, the answer is probably pretty simple:
1. Even if you fix it the registration remains “True mileage unknown”
2. At 218,000 miles, mileage per se is pretty irrelevant. You need to judge the car by objective measurement of its condition (compression; oil use; loose ball joints; clutch slippage.
3. On a car this old with this many miles there are no doubt a lot of more helpful repairs to be done over a three-day-weekend.
As GDanKert says, there are benefits to these being parts bin specials. Pretty much all of the powertrain components are basic 2000s GM stuff. It’s not hard at all to keep these running.
As an owner of an 86 528e, I still give the nod to the Solstice. The 528e is a great car, but not at that price.
Is it easy to get some power back in the BMW?
You can make sort of a stroker out of the 2.7 liter engine by putting the top end and engine management out of a 2.5 liter car. https://strictlyeta.net/technical/328i/
Yeah, buy a different one
Hey, they both have twin-kidney grilles! Nice work, Tucker!
Also: even ignoring my pro-Pontiac bias, that Solstice is a peach, and the benefit of a parts-bin special is that when some of those parts fail, the bin of potential replacements is relatively large. +1 for the General.
The only caveat I know of is that the Solstice/Sky twins have almost no parts availability on body panels. I only know this because I had a conversation with a feller in the waiting room of a body shop one time who was there to finally get his Sky, which waited months on a replacement hood to show up on Copart.
His version of the story was that GM usually ran the body panel presses for a while after they finished their production run, to make a stockpile of OEM replacement parts. Since Pontiac and Saturn got the plug pulled rather suddenly and unceremoniously, this didn’t happen, so there wasn’t a stockpile of spare OEM body panels lying around somewhere.
Is it true? I have no idea.
Im not sure about body panels but I know wheel well plastics ran out shortly after production finished. I made sure to pick up some random things like the rear caster gauge as well since dealers don’t keep that kid of stuff.
That’s a nice Bimmer, for sure. If the receipt stack is tall enough, it’s a good buy.
But I see Solstices in this condition going for five figures. This one’s too good of a deal to pass up, and would make a great weekend/restaurant/onion ring car.
Any car that requires it to be wetted down to attempt to shine is an automatic nope for me. in this case though it is a hands down no brainer. The solstice should have lived on after Pontiac was killed to be honest. Though I do think the Sky was a bit better styled. I would have like to see it called an Opel GT in America after the fall of the two marques carrying this little guy at the time.
Ditto on the Sky, but really, almost any badge-engineered Pontiac has a better-looking sister. Except the Bonnie.
The 97-03 Grand Prix is the best looking W body in the history of that platform.
Yeah, that one too. So long as it doesn’t have too much of that 90’s Poncho gingerbread on it.
The firebird/TransAm almost always looked better than the Camaro.