Why do I see so many Luminas on the road? Seriously these things

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>>14057126
They're great cars.
>reliable
>IRS, so comfy
>available bench seat and column shift for max comfy
>V6 engines are near unkillable
>one of the SAFEST cars the be built in the 1990's
>sister car is Pontiac Grand Prix, so large aftermarket support if you want it.

Yea, they kinda look like a Beluga whale, but that's really the only downside.

They made over a million of then between 1995 and 200, nevermind the 1990-1994 first generation models

>>14057153
1995 and 2001*

>>14057153
Can confirm, Parents owned 2 of them, sold one at 310 000 km, and still have the other one

>>14057126
They're basically indestructible, also comfy as hell.

I've been wrenching for a while and my dad wants to give me his old 98 Lumina that my grandpa bought new back in the day.

It's seriously the comfiest ride I've ever been in and I'm thinking about taking it on as a project car. There are a few dents and scratches, and it could do with a new suspension.

Any ideas on some fun stuff I could do with it?

You live in a shitty area.

the lumina is the king of the 90s shitboxes

>>14057174
>Any ideas on some fun stuff I could do with it?
I know those cars inside and out. which engine does it have?
1998 would be wither the 3100 or 3800 (90% of them were 3100), which are completely unrelated engines with their own aftermarket support.

I prefer the 3100, but that's me.

>>14057242
3100

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>>14057249
Grab the factory dual exhaust cat-back from a Monte Carlo Z34 or a Lumina LTZ. It's the best exhaust for these cars.
Milzy Motorsports sells a 3400 top swap which includes much better flowing heads and intake manifolds.
Rear discs can be grabbed from any 1996-99 Monte Carlo Z34
front big brake upgrades can be had from ZZPerformance, as well as just about any suspension upgrades.
You'll also want the rear sway bar from a 1995 Monte Carlo Z34. Specifically that model year. Biggest rear sway bar for these cars factory or aftermarket.

Looks-wise, a Monte Carlo tail light panel, and a 3 piece brickyard spoiler (pictured) make a big visual change. You can get body kits, but many of them are rice-tastic.

>>14057284
Apart from insurance which wouldn't be that much of a difference why not just buy a Monte Carlo and be done with it

>>14057126

Really?

I haven't seen one of those pieces of shit in ten years.

>>14059640
Same here. I think all the ones in the snow belt have rusted out (but I still see early '90s Toyota Tercels on the road, seriously!)

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>>14057901
Luminas are easier to find, and some people prefer 4 doors.

Also, for some ungodly reason, the Lumina is lighter than the Monte, but not by much.

I have a 95 Monte Carlo Z34 in my garage awaiting an engine rebuild, so I can't say with certainty. Personally, between the Monte and Lumina, I see it as eeny meany miny mo. The only things not interchangeable between the 2 are the doors, side glass, and side skirts.
The Lumina LTZ, from 1997-1999, offered everything the Monte Carlo Z34 had, It had the Monte Carlo's front and rear fascia's, the Monte Carlo Z34's suspension and brake upgrades, the Monte Carlo's front bucket seats and center console, and the Monte Carlo Z34's engine. Hell, I put Lumina tail lights on my Mponte Carlo because I thought it went better with the tail light panel.
in 1997, the standard Lumina LTZ engine was the 3100. And that's the only one youll ever likely find. There was an optional 3.4L DOHC V6 for 1997 only from the Z34, but only 7 97 LTZ's got the optional engine, so they're rare unicorns.
In 1998, the standard LTZ engine was still the 3100, but the optional engine was now the Buick 3800 V6 (the 3.4L V6 having been killed off). The LTZ split between these makes it much easier to find a 3800 car. 3100 cars have single exhaust, while 3800 cars had dual exhaust.
In 1999, the last year of the LTZ trim level, the 3800 engine became standard on the LTZ due to it being a sales hit in 1998.

>>14060059

Oh yeah, on a daily basis.

ALSO! I forgot.
While Lumina's have been automatic only since 1994, there are manual transmission options. If you can find them, there are manual transmissions that will bolt up.

Getrag 282 5 speed
>found in 88' Fiero's and 88-94 Cavalier Z24's, among others.

Getrag 284 5 speed:
>found only in 91-93 LQ1 powered W-body cars. Transmission was specially made for that engine

Getrag F23 5-speed
>while GM's FWD manual transmission whore from 2000 to 2011, there aaren't many variants that share the proper transmission bellhousing pattern that will allow it to bolt up to the Lumina's V6. However, 2000-2002 Chevy Cavalier's and Pontiac Sunfire's with the 2.2L pushrod 4 banger have the proper bolt pattern. This transmission, as with many other getrag transmissions, is fairly bulletproof. Oddly enough, this transmission (with the wrong bolt pattern for the Lumina's V6) is the transmission I have in my Saturn Ion.

Isuzu 5 speed
>1995-1999 Cavalier and Sunfire 2.2L transmission

Saab F40 6 speed manual
>GM still uses this fucker and it can handle power. As with the Getrag F23 though, only one specific variant has the proper required bolt pattern to allow the Lumia's V6 to bolt up. The transmission in question HAS t come from a 2006-2009 Pontiac G6 GTP.

theyre god mushines