Pontiac 6000

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Pontiac 6000
Pontiac 6000.jpg
1987–1988 Pontiac 6000 LE
Overview
Manufacturer Pontiac (General Motors)
Production1981–1991
Model years 1982–1991
Assembly Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States (1988–1991)
Framingham, Massachusetts, United States (1982)
North Tarrytown, New York, United States (1985–1989)
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1982–1988)
Body and chassis
Class Mid-size
Body style 2-door coupe
4-door sedan
4-door station wagon
Layout Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive
Platform A-body
Related Buick Century (fifth generation)
Chevrolet Celebrity
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission 3-speed 3T40 automatic
4-speed 4T60 automatic
5-speed Getrag manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 104.5 in (2,654 mm) (1982–1988)
104.9 in (2,664 mm) (1989–1991)
Length188.9 in (4,798 mm)
193.2 in (4,907 mm) (wagon)
Width72 in (1,829 mm)
Height53.7 in (1,364 mm)
54.1 in (1,374 mm) (wagon)
Chronology
Predecessor Pontiac LeMans [ citation needed ]
Successor Pontiac Grand Prix

The Pontiac 6000 is a mid-size automobile manufactured and marketed by Pontiac from the 1982 to 1991 model years. As Pontiac transitioned to a numeric model nomenclature in the early 1980s, the 6000 replaced the LeMans as the mid-size Pontiac, slotted between the Phoenix (later the Grand Am) and the Bonneville. Through its production life, the 6000 was offered as a two-door and four-door notchback sedan and as a five-door station wagon.

Contents

The model line utilized the front-wheel drive GM A platform. Sharing a platform with the Buick Century, Chevrolet Celebrity (replacing the Malibu), and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera (replacing the Cutlass Supreme sedan), the 6000 shared its roofline with the Cutlass Ciera. The 6000 STE was a sport-tuned model unique to Pontiac; the STE was named to the Car and Driver Ten Best three times (from 1983 to 1985). [1] Following the discontinuation of its full-size namesake, the 6000 Safari was the final Pontiac to use the nameplate, becoming the final Pontiac station wagon in 1991.

For 1984, the 6000 became the highest-selling Pontiac line (with over 122,000 sold). As part of their legacy, together the 6000 and the other A-bodies became enormously popular as well as synonymous with GM's most transparent examples of badge engineering, highlighted almost indistinguishably on the August 22, 1983 cover of Fortune magazine as examples of genericized uniformity, embarrassing the company and ultimately prompting GM to recommit to design leadership. [2] [3] [4]

The 6000 was manufactured by GM at Oshawa Car Assembly (Oshawa, Ontario) from 1981 to 1988; subsequently, it was manufactured at Oklahoma City Assembly (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma). [1] The 6000 was replaced for 1992 as Pontiac fully phased in the four-door sedan version of the Grand Prix (introduced in 1990) as a successor.

Year-to-year changes

1984 Pontiac 6000 LE Coupe with Landau roof treatment option. '82-'84 Pontiac 6000 Coupe.jpg
1984 Pontiac 6000 LE Coupé with Landau roof treatment option.
1986 Pontiac 6000 sedan 1986 Pontiac 6000 4-door sedan, front left.jpg
1986 Pontiac 6000 sedan
1989-1991 Pontiac 6000 LE sedan 89-91 Pontiac 6000.jpg
1989–1991 Pontiac 6000 LE sedan

STE version

1985 Pontiac 6000 STE 1985 Pontiac 6000 STE sedan.jpg
1985 Pontiac 6000 STE

By 1984, Pontiac was in the midst of a resurgence as the division began to reassert its 1960s role as GM's performance brand. The 6000STE (Special Touring Edition) was introduced for the 1983 model year. 5-passenger seating with front captain seats and power windows were standard on this trim level (optional on some other trim levels). It featured a High-Output version of the 6000's optional 2.8 L V6. Like that engine, it sported a 2-barrel carburetor, though it delivered 135 hp (101 kW), rather than the usual 112 horsepower. Although intended to compete with similar entries from BMW, Audi, Toyota and Nissan, the 6000 used older technologies by comparison. The fuel system was carbureted (competitors had fuel injection) and gauge cluster lacked a tachometer. The 1984 6000STE featured a digital gauge cluster featuring a bar-graph tachometer. The STE featured a driver information center with a system which monitored functions such as lights, doors, tune-ups and tire rotations. For 1984, Road & Track called the 6000 STE one of the top twelve enthusiast cars.[ citation needed ]

Special steering rack, and suspension tuning with a self-leveling rear air suspension yielded handling performance comparable to European vehicles. Four wheel disc brakes improved stopping as did standard Goodyear Eagle GT tires, size 195/70R14 (large for the time).

In 1985, the carbureted engine was replaced by a multi-port fuel injected version of the 2.8 L V6, still delivering 135 hp (101 kW). Although the 3-speed automatic remained standard (a Getrag 5-speed manual was a no charge option), the new engine accelerated faster than the previous engine.

For 1986, a revised front fascia with composite headlamps, anti-lock brakes, a revised tachometer, steering wheel mounted audio controls (the first of their kind) and a new 4-speed automatic transmission became available. Following this was a two-position memory seat for the 8-way power drivers seat for 1987. New for 1988 was an optional All Wheel Drive system. It was mated to a new 3.1 L LH0 V6 (the first use of GM's then-new Generation II 3.1 L in a production car) but only a 3-speed automatic transmission, which did not help acceleration or fuel economy. The all-wheel-drive system became standard for 1989, but was moved to the SE model for 1990, since the STE model name was discontinued from the 6000 line and moved to the new four-door Grand Prix lineup that year. The STE trim level was later discontinued from the Grand Prix after 1993.

Engines

YearsEnginePowerNotes
1982–19912.5 L (151 cu in) LR8 TBI "Tech IV" I4 90 hp (67 kW)
1982–19862.8 L (173 cu in) LE2 2-barrel V6 112 hp (84 kW)
1982–19854.3 L (263 cu in) LT7 diesel V685 hp (63 kW)
1983–19842.8 L (173 cu in) LH7 2-barrel V6135 hp (101 kW)STE
1985–19862.8 L (173 cu in) L44 MFI V6140 hp (104 kW)STE
1987–19892.8 L (173 cu in) LB6 MFI V6130 hp (97 kW)
1988–19893.1 L (191 cu in) LH0 MFI V6135 hp (101 kW)STE AWD
1990–19913.1 L (191 cu in) LH0 MFI V6135 hp (101 kW)

Transmissions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gunnell, John; Kowalke, Ron (2012). Standard Catalog of Pontiac, 1926-2002 (2nd ed.). Iola, WI: Krause Publications. pp. 189–200. ISBN   978-1-4402-3234-3.
  2. Strohl, Daniel (February 3, 2021). "How a single magazine cover photo changed the course of auto design at GM in the Eighties". Hemmings.
  3. Wilson, Amy (September 14, 2008). "Can't tell the Pontiacs from the Buicks? That's the problem". Automotive News.
  4. Niedermeyer, Paul (November 17, 2012). "1983 Fortune: Will Success Spoil General Motors?". Curbside Classics.