2.4 black one in Europe

[estalero]

Hi guys!

I'm in a very small Eastern Europe country where there is probably like 20 Aleros. I bought a month ago a nice looking black 2.4 stickshift Alero from auction, with minor rear damage, which I will fix myself. I already fixed it to driving condition. It is rebadged as Chevy by European dealer as they all were, when sold as new here.

It is produced in 2001 according to VIN, and registered in january 2003 as a new car here, so it is 2002 in US terms is it?

It has driven 133k km (83k miles) and has paint and interior in rather good condition (except the chip on front spoiler). Although those photos doesn't do justice to it. It has some small issues I'm planning to fix one by one. One of them are weird radio knobs I described in this thread:
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36565

If anybody knows how to remove volume and tune knobs from radio without breaking anything, pleas contribute.

Henry

[03glgold]

nice car...that is strange that a 2003 has the 2.4l as it ended production at least in the u.s aleros with the 2001 so not quite sure how to answer your equivilancy question.

[estalero]

nice car...that is strange that a 2003 has the 2.4l as it ended production at least in the u.s aleros with the 2001 so not quite sure how to answer your equivilancy question.

Goolge search and VIN decoder gave me the following information:
Factory / Manufacturer Lansing - South Plant, MI
Mark Chevrolet
Model Alero
Year 2001
Body sedan
Doors 4-door
Engine 2400 cm3
Fuel Type Petrol
Serial Number 210727

So I guess it was sitting on atlantic ocean and in different wholesale and dealer stocks for 2 years before first registration

[sleepyalero]

i want to import a black alero here cause it has chevy emblems lol

[03glgold]

Well i guess that is good information to learn...Also the black box is the factory amp and you have the monsoon system...Makes it a PITA to change back speakers using factory wiring but can be done... It also makes it more difficult to put in aftermarket deck

[estalero]

i want to import a black alero here cause it has chevy emblems lol

There is only one Chevy badge, that is glued to the front - it looks quiet ugly. There is Chevy script on the bootlid. Rear Olds bagde is removed and Olds emblems on steeringwheel and wheels are still there as you can see on the photos.

So what you really are trying to say is that you would pay to not own a car rebadged that terribly, is it?
:coolio:

[sleepyalero]

well you also gotta see you have some features we dont here in the US.

for example you have the euro style headlights (which can be found rarely on ebay) and you also have side marker lights on your front fenders. we here dont have that.

imagine that, 9 in stock..

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=130631762388&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=78734134499

[estalero]

you also have side marker lights on your front fenders

Those are actually turn lights only. Side marker lights is US thing. European cars don't have them, except Volvos - but I guess that Volvo guys were just too lazy to make too much difference for US and Euro models.

[sleepyalero]

still :p a feature we dont have :)

[estalero]

still :p a feature we dont have :)

OK you won, I'll send my Chevy your way and you send your Olds my way - at least I get rid of those weird radio knobs...
:rolleyes2:

[JLw7123]

still :p a feature we dont have :)

He can also adjust the headlights from inside the car.

[03Sleepr]

nice car and welcome! I wish I could wire up my euro lights so I could adjust them....


(psssst, trade sleepy! it's a great deal on your end!)

[happyisthealero]

Tell you what Est. I will send you a couple gold emblems for free! if you pay for shipping! I cant stand seeing that stupid chevy symbol!

[xXManwhoreXx]

That's a deal!

[sleepyalero]

OK you won, I'll send my Chevy your way and you send your Olds my way - at least I get rid of those weird radio knobs...
:rolleyes2:

idk, ive got around 8 grand in my car right now.... if she was stock and with no 6 speed trans maybe lol

[Redog]

Nice car.

BTW I have the euro headlights too, Never bothered with the electric adjust thou. I guess I could wire something up if I wanted to ;)

[That01Olds]

Welcome to the site and nice car.

[estalero]

He can also adjust the headlights from inside the car.

That feature is mandatory for new cars in European Union

idk, ive got around 8 grand in my car right now.... if she was stock and with no 6 speed trans maybe lol

As you DON'T have adjustable headlights, I have to drop my offer also. I've used that feature about 3 times in 10 years, so I really don't know how to live without it ;)
And one minor obstacle is that transport + taxes would cost about the same as my car here right now...

So it was nice not doing business with you!
:p

[sleepyalero]

excellent lol. how much did you pay for the alero since you said its "rare" over there?

[estalero]

Tell you what Est. I will send you a couple gold emblems for free! if you pay for shipping! I cant stand seeing that stupid chevy symbol!

I thought about that already as Chevy is rather devalued after they started selling Korean Daewoos under Chevy badge here.

But unfortunately there is an HOLE under that Chevy badge. It seems that they at Oldsmobile factory just CUT out the Olds badge and glued Chevy badge over the hole. Neat, isn't it? :mad2: :bs:

So I have to leave it alone, if I don't want to replace the full front bumper...
But thanks for the offer, Happyis!

excellent lol. how much did you pay for the alero since you said its "rare" over there?

Being rare does not boost Aleros price here though. If we exclude the classics, used American cars will devalue here in Europe much quicker than German or Japanese cars. They are on bar with Italian and French cars, when used. Italians and French have yet to make a one car that is reliable as second hand car. When in good condition, the value of my Alero would be here about 2500€ - $3100. But you have to account that all cars here in Europe, new and used, are significanlty more expensive than they are in US, mostly because of the taxes.

I got it much cheaper as I bought it with some rear damaga from insurance auction.

[robalero]

thats wierd they put a chevy badge outfront yet the airbag is still a olds emblem

[sleepyalero]

ohh okay not to shabby then!

[mfuller]

Doesn't the engine displacement play a huge factor in vehicle taxes in Europe? I wonder if any V6 Aleros ever made it across the pond?

[sleepyalero]

have not seen or heard of one, it would be neat though, having an "imported" alero would be pretty sweet..

[That01Olds]

Doesn't the engine displacement play a huge factor in vehicle taxes in Europe? I wonder if any V6 Aleros ever made it across the pond?

Julian's (falloutboy) Alero has the 3.4L V6.

[sleepyalero]

i guess i was thinking a different way. though he ment chevy aleros making it to the U.S

[estalero]

there you have:
http://auto.plius.lt/skelbimai/chevrolet-alero-3-4-l-limuzinas-2003-benzinas-1496495.html

[Redog]

Julian's (falloutboy) Alero has the 3.4L V6.

The Swedish kid and the kid in Israel both had V6's. Marrko had the 2.4

[Nas Escobar]

Well since no one gave you a clear answer, in the US, the year on the VIN is the model year. The "build date" is not put in the VIN. My Grand Am was built in November 2002 and it has the "3" in the VIN but it has "11/02" on the door sticker. If your car has a "1" for the year in the VIN then it is a 2001 model year equivalent.

Also, for the person asking about the 2.4 in a 2003, European countries consider the year it was registered as the "year of the car". So you could essentially have a 2008 but if it wasn't registered until 2011, then the car is considered a 2011. Very weird thing that they do but I assume that you look for parts with the "build date" in Europe.

[03glgold]

Well since no one gave you a clear answer, in the US, the year on the VIN is the model year. The "build date" is not put in the VIN. My Grand Am was built in November 2002 and it has the "3" in the VIN but it has "11/02" on the door sticker. If your car has a "1" for the year in the VIN then it is a 2001 model year equivalent.

Also, for the person asking about the 2.4 in a 2003, European countries consider the year it was registered as the "year of the car". So you could essentially have a 2008 but if it wasn't registered until 2011, then the car is considered a 2011. Very weird thing that they do but I assume that you look for parts with the "build date" in Europe.

I was saying that to get him to give information like that and he already did a vin check to find out that it is an 01' ya skimmer :p

You did give good info though and I did not know that about the year thing in Europe and that sounds dumb

[That01Olds]

i guess i was thinking a different way. though he ment chevy aleros making it to the U.S

The Swedish kid and the kid in Israel both had V6's. Marrko had the 2.4

I thought he meant did any V6 Aleros make it to Europe, which they did based on what I posted, the link estalero posted, and what Redog posted.

If you were going to import one though I would find a 1999 model year because they still had the Oldsmobile badges on them. The Chevrolet badges were added starting with the 2000 model year because a lot of people didn't recognize the Oldsmobile badges.

[sleepyalero]

ahh interesting i think it would be sweet though.

[estalero]

As I told, I bought this Alero in November from insurance auction with rear damage.

Why I did this?
I needed a new car, but as I had had financial troubles, I had almost no money.
I had my eye on Aleros for some time before, but I could not afford one in any condition. (interestingly I have not seen beater Alero for sale here)
It was black with beige interior, which is my favorite combo.
It was in very fresh condition otherwise for 10 year old car.
Odometer said 134 000km / 83 300 miles, which I could verify yesterday, as odometer frauds are rather common in europe.

I payd aprox. $1000 for it.

But I had no money to fix it, just my hands. So I wanted to fix it up temporary, get the paperwork ok and drive it like that for a while. So here are the photos before and after, interestingly there is no rust formed on the area without paint, though it has been approximately 7 months, 3 of them on salted roads since accident:

[Oldsman]

just posting so you i know i'm here

[happyisthealero]

looks like the repair went some what well, repaired it yourself?

[estalero]

Yes, I did it myself. And when the weather gets warm than I will finish that work.

[Shiwnath]

you also have side marker lights on your front fenders. we here dont have that.

In Canada we have them. I've seen a couple Aleros with them.

[sleepyalero]

very interesting.