i was given an 87 grand prix from a friend of my dads he just wanted rid of the car. it needs work but the car is solid. the doors are bubbling rust on the bottoms and the vinyl top is all tore up and the headliner is gone along with the cloth on the front two seats. i want to take the six cylinder out of it along with the auto transmission and drop in a built 355 with a 4 speed, get rid of the vinyl and redo the interior with bucket seats and maybe a roll cage. i do like the looks of the monte carlo. would i be able to get the front and rear bumpers to line up with the pontiac body?
87 grand prix
- Thread starter jbracing
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First off, welcome to the site. I've got an 87 GP, too (not currently running, though). Unfortunately, the GP and MC don't share any of the same body panels or bumpers, so they wont line up (or even necessarily fit) without a lot of body work. Sounds like you got a good deal. Free is always the best price. Let's see some pictures.
Only place to find whole door shells is junkyards, Craigslist, or Ebay. Nowhere makes full reproduction doors for our cars yet, as far as I know. There are a couple companies out there selling the lower outer door skins, but it would probably be cheaper and easier to replace the whole door. I replaced my passenger door because there was pretty much nothing left of the metal behind the lower chrome trim. Only took a little over an hour with a couple extra sets of hands.
i want to put money into this car but my dad does not want me too. he keeps saying i should just sell it and buy a 4 cylinder front wheel drive. i told him i want to keep this car and make it my own. he just laughed. he has been a mechanic for almost 30 years and has had numerous cars that werent worth putting money into but he did... when he was young, and i am 16. i do race street stocks and have a monte carlo. he also said i could just run it this winter and chop the car into another race car this spring. but the body is too solid for that. if it was gone but the frame was still good i probably would but im not going to unless my monte gets bent so bad it would be a nighmare to straighten.
well my car is nearing paint time. just a couple more panels to finish before primer. vinyl top eliminated along with the chrome strip on the hood, middle mouldings on the fenders doors and quarters. lower stainless mouldings eliminated. going to run the 4.3 v6 for a while probably with a flowmaster 40 muffler until i save the money for a v8 with duals and a 4 speed. still considering wheel style and size. lowering springs (1 inch) and sway bars and adjustable shocks with possible tubular control arms are also to come. i would like to do a custom center console and racing buckets also. it might take me a few years but i think it will be worth it.
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