If I’d been keeping a keener eye on GM offerings during the early nineties, the Chevrolet Lumina Z34 would have undoubtedly captured my attention and I just might have ended up with one instead of the car I eventually bought in 1992. Back in those days, when I heard the name Lumina my mind instinctively envisioned a 4-door family-style offering, and while the sedan was a good choice in that capacity for those in the know who wanted more the Z34 gave buyers sporty looks and half the points of entry from the outside. This 1992 Lumina Z34 is referred to as a time capsule by its owner, and the Chevy definitely scores high in the preservation department. It’s in Beverly Hills, California, and can be found here on Craigslist, where the asking price has been set at $11,000.
Rocco B., thanks so much for your excellent tip on this one! The Z34 also contained inner beauty, as it didn’t just look sleek on the outside, but the car also excelled in terms of performance. Under the hood is a 3.4-liter V6, complete with a double overhead cam and 4 valves per cylinder, making more than 200 horsepower in stock form. That may not seem all that over the top these days, but for the time period it was pretty rocking, with the seller telling us his Z still runs like new plus things in the engine compartment still appear tidy and in good working order.
This one’s also said to be a 100% original and unrestored example, garage kept with the factory paint still on the body. The fact that this car has traveled well past 100k miles combined with being over 30 years old seems like a fine testament to the amount of care it’s been given over the years, to still present this good all the way around with a cracked windshield appearing to be the biggest exterior issue. The wheels look equally well-preserved, and that’s also a new set of tires on them.
A look at the interior reveals an appearance considerably better than I’d expect for the mileage and more than 3 decades of use, with even the driver’s seat not showing much wear and the dash still holding up nicely. It looks like the factory AM/FM/cassette stereo is still intact and even the glovebox isn’t showing signs of much use, although the anti-lock brake light is illuminated due to a faulty FR sensor. That’s small potatoes in the grand scheme and I’m really liking this 1992 Chevrolet Lumina Z34 a lot, with 11 grand sounding in the ballpark in my opinion for what we’re seeing here. What are your thoughts?
Crimes I just finished my 85 s15 jimmy diatribe and now this. When I finally ditched the jimmy I got a brand new 91 z34. That car had so many issues – paint falling off, constant misalignment, finally total electrical failure. All within warranty but I just loved going to the dealer constantly and being treated like dirt.
I wanted to like that car so much – and I tried – but the general would not allow it.
My family had a 91 Lumina sedan with the 3.1, nothing fancy. It ran great and my sister abused the crap out of it without killing it. It was the blues mobile incarnate, just woudn’t die.
Probably the worst designed car by GM. My gramps last new car he bought in 93 which was the same yr my son was born He gave it to him when he couldn’t drive anymore at 100 yrs old. That car you had to pull the washer bottle to change the battery. Use an engine hoist to change the back plugs. My so found a wrecked Z34 and put all the flares on it and stuff. It rusted out after he did that but it ran good
I don’t get it. A FR wheel speed sensor is available for about $50 and can be replaced in about 20 minutes. Why wouldn’t the seller do this before listing??
773-202-Lumnia!!!
I had its twin in black… That car was stupid fast… Never found the speed limiter…
I’ve always preferred the comparable Grand Prix GTP from this era. When they were new you got a better optioned car for the same price plus it came with HUD. I have always liked the 3.4 and they aren’t nearly the nightmare to work on that their reputation suggests. Maybe a nightmare if you have to pay someone for their labor but not bad if you do the work yourself, especially compared to some of the new cars today.
Worst car I have ever owned. Had the sedan with the same engine. Back to the dealer 17 times in first year. Everything broke–Windows, radio, turn signals, paint, dash pad, power seats, etc. Was fast, but what a nightmare!
Back in the 2000’s my ex wife and I bought her son a Lumina Z-34 from a coworker of hers. That car was the biggest POS we ever owned. I don’t remember all the specific problems now but that car was in the shop at least twice a month. He sold it less than a year of owning it
I had a 1990 eurosport coupe and loved it even though it was rusty on the rocker panels but it ran great and it got me through college. It had a great factory exaust sound and very nascar-ish for its time. I would love to find another or even the Z34 version like this!
I always thought the Lumina was the 4 door and Beretta was the 2 door.
I always had a soft spot for these. My cousin had one. He beat the living snot out of that poor car. It never left him stranded, but everything on it was constantly breaking. It had well over a 100k on it when he ditched it but another local young man picked it up and continued the flogging till it finally got driven to a junk yard and sold due to rust and broken accessories.
I had a black ‘92 Z-34 with the 5 speed. Waited 6 weeks for my local dealer to find it and bring it in. Had to to settle for the burgundy interior cuz the couldn’t find one with gray. Only thing that crapped out on mine under warranty was the slave cylinder – had to drive it to the dealership using no more than 2nd gear. As for the rear plugs? I changed them and didn’t have to use an engine hoist. Rented a tool that attached to the top radiator support and the front head (? – I forget now… may have been the block). Then using a ratchet, the whole motor pivoted toward the front of the car about 1.5 – 2 inches making those plugs easy to change. Car was really quick and torque steer was the only problem for me 😎
this looks like the Z i own this car is a fun to drive auto have had this car for 30 years
In 2005, I was promoted to Detective and was given the keys to a early 90’s two door Lumina as my unmarked police car. It was not a Z34. When I did a little research, the car had the biggest V6 available, disc brakes all around and some other upgrades. Responding to a call-out from home was a 20 minute lights and siren affair. I remember her being quick and having good manners on the road. Those drives never got old. She was christened White Lightening by the other detectives in the unit.