Americans have many complaints about the actions of Congress during the past quarter century, over-spending and budgets deficits among them, and a glance around the parking lots of Capitol Hill creates the impression that the personal spending habits of members of Congress and their staffs match their political spending habits. In this view of the street outside the House of Representatives office building, however, the car on the left indicates that at least one person on Capitol Hill is exercising fiscal restraint. A Pontiac 6000 sighting is a rare event anywhere, with the newest ones almost 24 years old, and image-conscious Capitol Hill is one of the last places where one would be expected to appear. “Four more years!” is a chant that one hears often in Presidential elections; “Twenty four more years!” is what I thought upon seeing this Pontiac.
Weeks later, a sighting a few blocks away of the same 6000 allowed confirming further details about the car, including that it is a Capitol Hill regular. It is a 6000 S/E with the composite headlights added to the model in 1986, indicating that it is from the middle to late years of the 6000, which lasted from 1982 to 1991.
The 1986 model year was a pivotal year for this popular model. In that year, GM modernized its sportiest A-Body with composite headlights, anti-lock brakes and a four speed automatic transmission replacing the preceding three speed automatic. The STE (Special Touring Edition) version introduced in 1984 continued, with these improvements and also interior enhancements such as a tachometer and then-innovative steering wheel sound system controls.
The 1986 model year also was the beginning of the end for the 6000, however, as it saw the arrival of the Ford Taurus and its aerodynamic design language, which turned domestic car buyers away from the now old-fashioned square styling of the 6000 and its A-Body cousins. All of this history of ordinary sedans of the 1980s is less interesting to the general public than the Mini Coupe on the other side of the street, or even the Honda Civic del Sol parked in front of the Mini Coupe, but here the 6000 is the star of the show.
This car clearly is a long-term resident of the District of Columbia, wearing the style of license plate used during the 1980s — rarely seen these days, and as distinctive to older cars as a black or blue license plate in California. The car’s owner never appeared, so I was not able to learn anything about the owner or the history of the car, but having been parked in an area reserved for House members and their staffs, the car and its owner probably have been witness to many interesting events over the years. Twenty four more years may be a lot to ask of a car, but with the GM A-Body well known for its longevity as a Cockroach of the Road, this 6000 likely will be roaming the streets of the nation’s capital for many more years.
Great find
Only correction, STE was introduced in ’83, got a digital dash with tach in ’84.
And, this is probably an 87 or 88, the S/E didn’t have composite lights and ground effects in 86.
ABS was also offered so late in 1986 that 99% of them never got it. The STE also only was available with a 5 speed manual or a special TH-125 that had a 3.18 axle ratio and a weird shift pattern of a hard 1-2 and soft 2-3 shift feels.
I had an 86 STE for a couple years.. fun car but kind of a needy thing.
6000 SUX ad from 1987
Not only a 6000, but a semi-sport SE version, its seems that all these were cheapo models towards the end of their run, I hardly ever saw an STE or….gasp….an AWD STE, especially in Miami. This vintage 6000 reminds me of the older gentleman that was a partial partner in the Pontiac dealer I worked at, he had tons of money and his daily driver was a burgundy base bench seat last generation 6000 that was in spotless condition. He really liked the car, he was in his 80’s in the 90’s, he said, it was simple to operate, comfortable and it had a big trunk for his golf clubs, what else did he need?
It’s DC. With the egos that work there, it wouldn’t be anybody important. Probably it belongs to the guy who cleans the toilets in the mens’ room…
Wonderful find, especially in a higher trim level. I still see a few of these here in A-body land, but always basic ones. Your curiosity on its history has rubbed off onto at least one person!
I don’t know, I’ve known some important people, and heard about others, who attached little importance to what they drove. The late Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland was famous for driving his plain Ford station wagons into the ground. My father knew a state Supreme Court justice who lived in a vast house in rural Virginia, but drove a little Falcon to and from court. Old money tends to stay close to the vest.
Ron Pauls Chevette comes to mind
One of my coworkers used to work for Saturn of South Burlington (VT) and spoke of selling Bernie Sanders a strippo SL without a/c. For use in DC!
I’m from VT and know Bernie Sanders. And I’ve seen that Saturn around DC – it is truly a simple, basic econobox.
I owned and 89 STE AWD for 10 years in the 90s. It was a dog to drive in the summer with sluggish acceleration, slow heavy steering and a chassis that hated changing direction. These same qualities made it a fantastic winter car. With Blizzak WS 50 winter tires and all wheel drive it was very stable and had amazing traction. You could lock the center differential, floor the pedal and leave SUVs behind in a cloud of snow. The anti-lock brakes worked very well.
Out of curiosity, what would you be comparing its performance to? It wasn’t bad for an ’89 sporty sedan…
I drove an 86 Buick Century T Type (150 HP) and it was faster and more agile than the STE AWD. The extra weight and friction of the AWD components were just a bit too much for the 135 HP 3.1 V6. Although I never drove one, from what I’ve read the FWD 6000 STE was a decent sports sedan for the time.
Fair enough.
I know I’m splitting hairs, the 3.1 was 140 hp at the time. The AWD hardware did add about 200lbs to the weight, but at least it was mostly over the rear end giving it better distribution.
I’ve driven a T-type and STE, I thought the STE was lighter on its feet and better balanced. I do agree that it was down on power (gotta love torque) compared to the 3.8. None of these cars were rockets. The t-type was a solid 9 second car to 60 while the STE was 10.
All that said, I’d love to add an 88 or 89 AWD STE and a 86 Century GS to the fleet someday.
The steering on the STE AWD was quite a bit heavier and slower than on the T Type and it did not provide any more feedback. Aside from the extra weight I think it was the inertia of the AWD drivetrain that was the biggest difference between the cars. AWD did nothing to enhance the STE’s dry road driving experience and it was just no fun to drive in the summer. But man it was a blast to drive in the winter.
We’ll just agree to disagree on this one.
Century had a 3.0 or a 3.3 Buick V-6.
3.0 litre, usually carbed in the early cars, the MFI 3.8 from the H/C cars was available as an option in the late 80’s and it was standard on some T-types and the one year only Century GS, then the MFI 3.3 V6 after that, which ran through the early 90’s until the 3.1 V6 replaced it.
I now have a very strange fixation on the 6000 AWD,
did you have any problems with maintaining the ABS brakes or AWD system?
An ABS sensor had to be replaced on 2 occasions but there was no trouble with the AWD system in the 10 years I had the car.
My 2.8 powered 86 STE was decent. 0-60 in 9 seconds, and could hit an indicated 125mph if you were willing to push it into the 6,000 rpm redline. It also was a bit peppier after I rebuilt the engine at 90,000 miles and did a few tweaks to the ignition system (last year for the dizzy on the transverse 2.8) to make it feel like it has more beans than my 200hp 76 Chevelle it replaced (warmed up 305)
It was a blast on winding roads, but was sluggish to change directions quickly at lower speeds.
Mine was very quiet at speed and I loved the burble of that little six, but it did get a bit raucous at WOT.
I did find out you could spin that six to 7,000 rpm and that the TH125 really didn’t shift after 6,000 rpm once. I had nailed the gas to beat an 18 wheeler while getting on the highway, and it was still in 1st and pulling hard when I felt it start to lose speed, look down after letting the truck on by and noticed the 7,000 rpm digital tach was pegged out, and it was still in D. let off, it slowed down to about 55 or so, and dropped down below 6,000rpm and chirped the tires going into 3rd. I drove it gingerly home and it was no worse for the wear.
I’d like to see the Pontiac run for congress as I am certain it could do a better job.
This Pontiac can’t run for Congress until it’s 25. See Article 1, Section 2, Constitution of the USA. Alphanumerically, I always liked the Pontiac GOOOLE, especially around Halloween. I wasn’t aware that there was a GOOOSIE.
Great find. I’m always on the lookout for these, especially an STE, which I can’t remember seeing in modern times. You mention that the 4-speed automatic was new for 1986. Does that mean that even the STE didn’t have the 4-speed auto transmission (or transaxle, as GM called it) in the earlier years? That would surprise me, since it was supposed to be such a world-beater. I also can’t remember if they were offered with a manual trans.
Chris
even the STE had the 3 speed auto. I guess in perspective, the Audi 5000 was also a 3 speed auto at the time.
There were 5 speed S/E and STE’s for 87 and 88. I have seen a S/E wagon and STE that were 5 speeds.
SAAB 900 was 3 speed auto till 94
All of the first gen Neons (thru 1999) had three speed automatics (unless they had the five speed manual, of course). Some of the early second generation Neons (thru 2002 I think) had the three speed auto as well, until it was finally replaced by the four speed auto, which carried on until EON (end of Neon).
That’s interesting! Funny, since you got a 4-speed auto on both an Olds 88 and a Honda Accord by 1983. However, come to think of it, my 1985 Sunbird (aka J2000 in other years) had a 3-speed auto.
STE in 86 only had a 3 speed automatic..
The reason was. GM had calibrated a version of the TH125C with a firm 1-2 shift and a butter smooth 2-3 shift, at higher rpm than the rest of the fleet, it also came with a 3.18 axle ratio vs a 2.84 for the other cars.
The 4 speed was available in a non-STE 6000 though.
Reminds me of Jerry Brown and his old Plymouth Fury.
Curbsidelandia’s congressman Peter DeFazio drove this ’63 Dart GT from the early ’80s until a few years ago, when he donated it a local non-profit. He upgraded to a….’64 Dart convertible. He gets my vote! 🙂
What else would the Congressman from Eugene drive?
Mr. DeFazio actually lives in Springfield. I know, because I interned on the Hill for a long time.
Paul – is Springfield a bastion of CCs like Eugene?
True, but he represents Eugene and the whole Curbsidelandia district, and in good style.
Springfield may officially be its own city, but it’s very much part of Curbsidelandia. Many of my best finds have been from there. And that applies to the whole region. The little hamlets and old mill towns in the surrounding area are chock-full of CCs.
Having spent some tourist time in DC this summer, I’d go with the idea expressed that that this could belong to a long serving member of Congress that keeps it in a garage at his residence in DC to use while in town. A car like that might not see a lot of use and last almost indefinitely.
Nice to see a 6000 in good condition, and a higher-trim model at that. The 6000 STE with its six-lamp look was always the most desirable but these were still among the better A-body options.
I agree, Some of the elite class are quite eccentric when it comes to their cars. I worked for one who drove a circa late 80’s Celica with clear coat failure and missing wheel covers, his wife had the current SL. I wanted to ask why so badly. I knew that may have been harmful to my employment. One if the few cases I had a nicer car that the boss, which was taboo in earlier times. I recall my Grandad talking about that, explaining why he never indulged in an Olds 98 versus the 88s, for his boss had Electras. 98s were too close for comfort. And it may be some politician just being gimmicky.
I haven’t seen one of these in years!
I must appreciate Pontiac’s efforts inside and out to make the 6000 more modern in response to the aero Taurus. I’d say they did pretty well, given the A-body’s boxy interior and exterior.
Back when I was a Pontiac guy I bought a new 1984 6000 LE. Was a so-so ride over the 8 years I had it. Sluggish V-6 with constant carburetor problems. Had to replace the power steering rack, like 90% of other A body owners. The bucket seats were made of this cloth that just attracted hard to remove lint. Brakes also needed replacing frequently. Also had to get it repainted after 4 years because of delamination (did get the dealer to split the cost). Oh yeah, the A/C leaked Freon but back then a can or two from Pep Boys got it cool again. The radio also quit and was swapped out for one I found at a junkyard.
The plus was a nice dash with full gauges and tach. It was also extremely good in the snow with FWD and skinny 75 series tires.
@Robert Kim – I just ran a CARFAX on that black 6000 you photographed on the Hill, using its license plate number.
The featured car is a 1987.
Makes sense, now that I notice it does not seem to have the door mounted belts that these started getting in late 87-88.
Carmine
I am pretty sure the A-body, at least in Pontiac form, didn’t get the door mounted belts until 90. Ours didn’t have them.
Give or take, I know they started appearing on GM cars around late1987, but some cars didn’t get it until later.
Were those style wheels reused as an option for the first 2 or 3 years of the W-body Grand Prix.
Where I work now, to get there you have to pass a housing development full of nice Cape Cod homes and in the drive way of one those homes is a shiny red 86-89 Pontiac 6000 that looks like it was still owned by the original owner as the Maryland license plates are the ones with the Maryland crest in the middle without the http://www.maryland.gov on the bottom. It must spend most of the time in the garage as MD rock salt will rust out a car in no time
The Grand Prix wheels were similar but they didn’t have the smaller lines in the openings.
that looks like one of the ones I had. It was a total pos, but it was fun with the 5 speed. The turbo coupe that replaced it was like night and day in how much better it was all around.
One thing I never understood is why they had an identical wheel in 15″ and 16″. My car had the 16’s but I remember looking at some with 15’s that were dead nuts the same.
I think Chevy did that with the early Luminas too.
Turbo coupe as in Grand Prix Turbo or Thunderbird?
The Lumina had a 15 and a 16 inch wheel that was identical, the smaller one was on the Euro and the bigger ones were on the Z34.
Grand Prix turbo coupe
Nice, I’ve always liked that Turbo GP, I had a 93 GTP red with the gold crosslace wheels, similar to the turbo, but with the meh 3.4 DOHC V6.
It was a trooper. The things I did with it and to it. I had the boost turned up so high at one point the damn thing would smoke the front tires on the 2-1 downshift. Good times had by all, especially my local Goodyear dealer.
As a Washingtonian, the thing that caught my eye was the jersey barriers at the foot of the street in the first picture. It’s truly sad that the Security State has been permitted to take over so much of our nation’s capital.
People from out of town probably know that Pennsylvania Avenue was closed down in front of the White House. What they probably don’t know is that many, many other roads and sidewalks have been closed permanently or are at least occasionally closed at the whim of the Capitol Police, the Secret Service, the Park Police or any one of a few dozen other kinds of federal cops who think they own the city.
If D.C. ever gets statehood, the state tree will be the bollard.
As a contractor working in the area, I’d say that is true, a real shame…
I’ve not much to add about the car, but I have to say that I love the title of your piece, Robert…Funny, funny…
I visited D.C. this past summer, and I was curious about the “Taxation Without Representation” license plates. Is that a dig at the fact that you pay taxes without being represented in Congress? If so, that’s a pretty snarky saying for a license plate! I like it!
Well, DC does have a “non-voting representative” who can only do cheerleading.
And Congress has been known to stick its’ nose in DC’s local affairs a lot too.
Robert, thanks for showing us that S/E! I’d forgotten about those cars. Outside of the early Chevy Celebrity Eurosport, the S/Es and STEs are my favorite A bodies. I’d love to find something like that for sale, but alas, it’s highly doubtful.
Great find.