Not Exactly a Noob, But This Is a Noob Question

[Hurricane87]

I had a '98 GTP with everything but the sunroof. I'd still have that car if I weren't diabetic (long story). In the meantime, I had a 2001 Olds Aurora whose Shortstar seems to have committed seppuku. I am cash-starved and need a way to drive to work.

So, I have basically two options. There's a 2001 Bonneville SE which may or may not have cat issues. And there's a 97 GP GT which is so much like the GTP, it actually even has the plug missing from the front license plate bracket, just as mine did.

I'd forgotten about the 4T60-E thing until this morning. The 4T65-E HD on the GTP was the best transmission I've ever had. I've lost at least one, and possibly three, 60's in my GM history.

I've done some searching on the forums here, and opinions vary from "the 60 sucks," to "the 60 is fine if all you're going to do is daily driving." So, I guess I'm asking you guys to either talk me out of buying the GP GT, or talk me into it. Will I really have problems with the 60 in the GT? Should it survive until I can afford to either sell it or swap in a 65?

 

[Hurricane87]

Oh, and the cash price is $900, so while I might be being a bit emotional by considering the car, I don't think I can possibly be getting that bad a deal.

Or can I?

 

[WarStryker13]

The only thing I can think, is that the 60 is vacuum controlled rather than electronically controlled. The swap would be too much time and effort.

That Bonneville, though... I've always wanted one myself, and they are far fancier than a GP. Lot's of people on here have had both, and most prefer the Bonne. Cat issues seem simple to band-aid, Amazon/Ebay a new one for 50-75 bucks and throw it in.

It might not solve the original problem, but it will buy you time to get it figured out.

And $900 bucks for a running car isn't bad, especially if it's clean.

 

[Kaiser Pontiac]

I'd take a Bonnie over a 6th gen Prix, but that's just from personal experience. To go from 60 to 65 isn't terrible, "Swapped to a 65 would be as easy as adding 5 wires/pins and changing the transmission connector, blocking off a vacuum line and then updating the pcm from a 60 to a 65 which you need a dhp to do in my experience."

 

[Hurricane87]

The only thing I can think, is that the 60 is vacuum controlled rather than electronically controlled. The swap would be too much time and effort.

That Bonneville, though... I've always wanted one myself, and they are far fancier than a GP.

And $900 bucks for a running car isn't bad, especially if it's clean.

A Bonneville SE is certainly not fancier than a Grand Prix GT. Cloth seats, no keyless entry, the same level DIC, the same engine. No HUD available, no SC available. That's one of the problems here--my Aurora has technology that isn't even on my wife's 2009 Cadlllac. Either car is a step down, but the Bonneville is more like two.

But I know I can trust the tranny.

 

[Hurricane87]

And, not to be a sarcastic obnoxious ass, but if the 60 isn't electronically controlled, why is there an "E" at the end of the number?

 

[WarStryker13]

I thought it needed a harness either made or swapped in and a PCM swap, since the 97's had different PCMs than 98+... but I can always be mistaken.

I will admit, I'm not learned on the trim levels for everything... but I do know the Bonneville CAN be fitted with all sorts of factory fancy, even if its added afterwards. Plus I personally like the look of the Bonne's better than the 6th gen GP's.

But from what i've learned, trim levels don't always line up with the options avaliable on the car: case in point, my 04 GT2 doesn't have any of the fancy stuff that every other GT2 has, mine's practically a base: cloth seats, no hud, base stereo(at least it WAS), base DIC, nothing fancy to it at all, but the VIN checks out as a GT2. I guess it's just how the car was originally ordered...

The E is, from what I've read in the manuals, the "Enhanced" version of the trans. IDK if that actually means anything substantial...