1998 Oldsmobile Aurora - Time To Update Our Facebook Status

 

We're amazed by people who are so addicted to the endorphin rush that comes from social media engagement that they can't help themselves but push out minute details about everything in their lives. Good, bad and in particular, the tragic. Doesn't matter what it is, like a junkie, they need their fix. Grandma, Aunt what's-her-name or the family dog's body is still warm and they're posting emotionally drenched, tear jerking posts about the gates of heaven opening and how he, she or they have slipped the surly bonds of earth. We feel somewhat obliged to engage so we hit the sad face emoji and move on muttering under our breath, "the hell is wrong with these people"? Seriously, you have to wonder that if something so devastating happened in their life, god forbid, that made them thumb sucking, bottle of Jack in hand fetal, would they be updating their Facebook status? We think not and that's why we believe those kinds of post are nothing more than attention grabs as bad as any showing off that people do on social media.
 

Recently, we had the fiendish idea to poke fun at those people by posting on Facebook about how our car had just come back from the shop with a "terminal diagnosis". You know the kind of repair estimate that's so out of this world expensive that it doesn't make sense to fix the car. Well, the good news was the repair for the problem we thought would make our car a goner was covered under warranty. That left us searching for a car that was terminal so we could further contemplate making that Facebook post. Took us a while to find something appropriate but we finally came across this 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora that has a dubious over heating problem.

 

 



Prior to a major redesign for the year 2000, Cadillac Northstar V-8's were notorious for blowing head gaskets and we have to believe "the baby Northstar" version that powered 1995-1999 Oldsmobile Aurora's blew them out as well. If it was just a thermostat or water pump that was causing this car to over heat we'd think the owner would spring to get it fixed or fix it themselves; after all this is an Oldsmobile Aurora. Replacing the head gaskets or swapping the engine being above and beyond the ability of most driveway mechanics, chances are the owner is trying to squeeze a couple of bucks out of the car to off set what they've probably already sunk into it. If this were our car we'd update our Facebook status with...

 

We might go on to say that we're going to fill it up with the "good gas" one more time. Not unlike folks who let their dog eat Big Mac's on the way to the vet for the last time.
 



We've always loved the original Aurora, GM totally botched the update for 2000, and that's telling since this a four door, '90's vintage sedan. We love them so much we wonder if we could possibly save this one from the shredder. The owner is asking only $550 for it, that tells us the car is totally screwed, which means they'll probably take $300 if not $250. However, these cars are difficult to work on because not GM never made a lot of them; good luck find a junker for a swap. A new engine for this car, again, if you can find a new one. will run you a mint. Swapping in a front wheel drive LS V8 (LS4) is possible, at least in theory, but there are no kits available for that swap and unless you can fabricate a subframe, there's probably no way that would work. Then there's the issue of rewiring the PCM so everything works. Best to go with a 3800 V-6 swap. That is totally possible given that this car's stable mate was the 3800 V-6 powered 1995-1999 Buick Riviera.
 

 

Still, that's a ton of time sucking work and if you're not inclined to do it, good luck finding a shop that would do a custom swap like that. This isn't a '68 Oldsmobile where you could plop just about anything you want into it and bolt up the bell housing with an adaptor plate. Those were the days, weren't they? So, something tells us we're going to have update our Facebook status...