GRAND PRIX 83 Grand Prix freshening

[DSM]

I mentioned earlier about replacing the side and rear glass. The quarter windows on non-vinyl top cars have a different outer rubber piece which covers the gap between the sheetmetal recess and the chrome trim around the window. It's cosmetic only - you can remove the vinyl top and keep the original glass and it seals just fine, but I wanted it to look "correct", like it didn't have a top from the factory. A member here ta86 hooked me up with a set of non-vinyl top windows.

 

[DSM]

The rear glass on GPs with the vinyl top get a black-out band around the outside which corresponds to the thickness of the top. Again, I wanted it to look like it never had a top from the factory, so I had the rear glass replaced with a reproduction window which I got from Kool Katz auto glass. https://koolkatzautoglass.com/produ...ass-oem-brand-new?_pos=5&_sid=2f2443e77&_ss=r

We also had to install all the molding clips and then the chrome window molding which of course this car never had.

 

[DSM]

We managed to save most of the original paint in the door jambs and trunk area since it hadn't been destroyed by the Florida sun. But I did order reproduction door jamb VIN data stickers through Kirban Performance.

 

[DSM]

By late August I had the car back in Michigan. At this point I hadn't put the emblems back on.

 

[maxi426]

Car looks great!!

 

[81cutlass]

Wow! That is an awesome spec GP, PMD seats. snowflakes, Ttops.

The repaint made the already great looking car pop for sure!

 

[DSM]

Picking back up where I left off....while the car was apart for paint I went ahead and yanked the dash to replace the speakers. I really didn't have a choice as the originals were toast. The replacements are Infinity REF3022CFFX.

 

[DSM]

I had some Sony Xplode 4x10s, brand new in the box from 2003(?) sitting on the shelf.... so those went in the back. I wanted to retain the original head unit, but add some power, so I added a Kicker KEY200,4 DSP amplifier between the head unit and speakers. Everything was done using adapter harnesses so the no wires were cut, and it tucks nicely into the empty space under the dash where the console meets. For a system that looks 100% stock it sounds way better than I expected it to.

 

[DSM]

I'm still on the lookout for some NOS fender emblems, but in the mean time I refurbished the originals.

 

[DSM]

I've had the car on Michigan Historic plates since I bought it, but I never liked how those plates looked on the car. The white/blue just felt out of place. Fortunately Michigan also allows you to use "year specific" plates in lieu of Historic plates, which for 1983 means a '79 issue plate with an '83 tab. I was able to find a set on ebay with an April tab which corresponds to the month this car was delivered brand new. I also added an NOS trunk emblem, which in truth is no better than the original which came off the car, but it was cheap enough and saved me having to re-tape the original.