I graduated high school in 1983, same year the new SS Montes showed up on Nascar and in the showrooms. Just loved the look of the car. Watched alot Winston cup races with Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earhardt among a few of the old greats driving the SS around the track. Its was one of those times you just knew you had to have that car. But working as a busboy and dishwasher at the local Denny's at the time, making minimum wage of $3.35 an hour kind of made that dream an impossibility. Couple years later now working as a line cook at TGI Friday's making $7.25 an hour, which wasn't bad pay at that time and living at home still, I was able to stash a little money away. We hired a new guy to run the dishwasher, we would all hang out after work and have a beer or 2 or 4 in the parking lot. When I saw our new dishwasher walk out at the end of his shift and get in his shiny new 87 Aero Coupe My jaw hit the ground. I of course had seen the car sitting in our parking lot and just assumed it was a customers car. Through the beer haze i thought to myself, DAM-IT if he can afford one so can I!! The next day I went down to the local Chevy dealer determined to get mine. Hooked up with a salesman who was more then happy to show me the 2 new SS's and 2 new Aerocoupes he had out front. The SS's were going for just over $14,000 and the Aerocoupe just over $15,000. Knowing how much I had and what I could afford in a payment every month, my heart just sank. I was crushed, i just couldn't pull it off. With my head hung low, I sarcastically said crap you don't have any used ones laying around do you? To which he said, you know we got one in yesterday on a trade. The clouds parted and the sun shown down on MY beautiful white with blue stripes 84 SS!!! Still have it today. Check out my 1st post from last year to read the rest of the cars story. Love this car, told my son the it will be his someday and when i die i want to be cremated and want him to smear my ashes all over this car so i can still enjoy it in the afterlive.
How did you get started with your G-body obsession/restoration? Here's mine. Show me yours.
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Bought a 1930 model A Ford in high school. 1962 Sunbeam Alpine was the daily driver. My Dad had a 1969 Olds Cutlass Supreme and a 1964 T-Bird Convt. Quite a cross section. Turned it into a 1933 Ford Tudor, 302, C4, 21/2 drop axle and a 1976 El Camino. Best buddy had a '27 T coupe and '57 Belair two door HT. Street rodders for sure. Dad arrives home with a 1978 Chevy Malibu, brand new, yellow. What is this all about. What happened to the real Chevelles, the Z28's, the 442's. As time moves on a 1984 Pontiac GP arrives, mom drives the '78. Sold my El Camino after 15 years. I need of a daily, i'll use that yellow Malibu says I. Drive it, park it, store it. Never had the heart or desire to sell it. Pull it out , find the G Body Form, make some up grades, Wheels, F41 stuff , thanks Timo, bits and pieces, thanks O.D. Showtime, garage visits thanks Rktpwrd. Turns out I am a Gbody guy after all. Looking forward to Show and Shine season.
mechanic80
Not-quite-so-new-guy
My first "real" job was at C James Ponitac in Chicago in the late 70's early 80's The Grand Prix G body was a very newly redesigned model back then and I really liked the look. Well, 40+ years later, I found an '81 that "spoke" to me in Salinas, CA. with a blue vinyl interior (buckets, of course) in great shape and a body that needed work. I had it shipped out to Albuquerque and started rebuilding immediately. It still speaks to me but won't let me know it's name just yet. I think it might be Tony or something like that. Recently retired ASE certified tech having way too much fun in the machine shed.
My g body love began in 1984 when I wrecked my 80 camero and reenlisted in the Navy for 4 more years. I used my re up bonus to by my first an 1985 monte carlo ss (black with red stripes and maroon interior). Traded that one in for a 1987 white monte carlo ss with t-tops. Got out of the Navy in 1988 still with the 87. In 1989-90 I found a used 1988 monte carlo ss square back black with gold stripes and tan interior, bought it. Got my job here in TN in 1992. In 1993 bought my house and sold my 1988 ss for down payment on house (regretted it) which leads me to the current one I own the 1987 monte carlo ss aerocoupe. As I remarked in my new be reply working with new qa1 suspension,moser 12 bolt 3.73 rearend and wilwood disc brakes on all 4 corners. The next step is the ls3/6l80 engine/ transmission swap when shop has the slot for me, it is suppose to be end of the month. The motor/transmission is a gm performance erod connect and cruise package. Already have new radiator, aeromotive fuel tank and hoses and fittings for it.
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My dad has either a 442 or a Hurst Olds back in the 80s and a boring Olds, both 80s G bodies. A few years ago, he bought his 83 roller Monte. It was originally a V6 car that was later SBC swapped and drag raced in WI. It shows it's WI roots underneath. When he died May 2019 I brought it home to me where it'll sit under a roof for as long as I can afford to keep it. I don't foresee there coming a time I can't. He got the car running with a GenV 454 and TH400 from his motorhome that had a lot of water damage and put a 9" and aftermarket control arms in it. There's a lot of janky wiring and ghettoness going on, so until I frame swap it and clean all that up it will mostly sit as it really isn't road worthy the way it sits. Should be a ripper once I get it cleaned up though. I just have a lot of other projects in line ahead of it. This really is my entry into G bodies, they never really caught my attention before but this one reminds me of my first car and I intend to use it as a tool to stay connected to the old school and my dad.
Some good stories, hell I wasn't even alive when the last G body rolled off the line.
No one in my family/friends ever owned one that I know of, I didn't even know what they were until a few years ago (other than the Grand National)
Probably saw one online and thought it was cool looking and started digging on CL or FB marketplace, and that's how I found my 82 Limited.
Then the next summer I picked up my 84 T Type.
That's all I got to say about that.
No one in my family/friends ever owned one that I know of, I didn't even know what they were until a few years ago (other than the Grand National)
Probably saw one online and thought it was cool looking and started digging on CL or FB marketplace, and that's how I found my 82 Limited.
Then the next summer I picked up my 84 T Type.
That's all I got to say about that.
Boy am I glad I found this thread otherwise I was going to post something like this up somewhere were that wasn't in the proper place to do so. So how did I get started on my G-body obsession?
For at least 3 years and still to this day I am watching guys, shops etc on Youtube restoring their obtained Mopar's or whatever they can get their hands on. I see them doing it, and I want to do it. Minus having a Garage or Shop. Finally on one of Dylan McCool's video's; he talks about how people can actually do a restoration without all the goodies and money you see most of these show's out there doing and how even owning a straight 6 cylinder car is still cool. So I decided to give it a shot.
I initially went looking for a Dodge Swinger Dart, Duster or something like it, but with these cars they over charge even for rollers. But I definitely wanted something that was cool. Growing up you see allot hero cars, IE; General Lee Charger, Stallone's 50 Mercury, Knight riders Pontiac, and I certainly wanted a car that would be of my personality and something just as "Hero Cool" that I could make it out to be. I thought something from my birth year "1978" would be great to restore. I did have that chance a 1978 Plymouth Road Runner, all it needed was a brake line on the passenger side installed, and of course much more body work, I could have found a way to get the car 2 hours away to my home. But Cash was alittle short until tax time, This car was posted on FaceBook Market. I would find the 81' Malibu a bit later while I was considering the Road Runner. some time later after I found the Malibu I remembered something.
As a teen I was the biggest fan of The Punisher Comics. One issue of The Puniser Armory #2 had this. . . Yep it was an 81' Malibu 4 door, used for the just in case,or a survival car when one needed.
![20210103_210029[1].jpg](https://cdn-0.gbodyforum.com/data/attachments/152/152854-47fe3d900f82c858309eb05dbd963583.jpg?hash=R_49kA-CyF "20210103_210029[1].jpg")
From there I decided it would be more cost effective just to restore the Malibu so on March 1st 2020 I bought the Malibu. It was closer to home and it was Punisher approved. This is how I got started with my G-body Obsession. And by the way everything or close to everything listed on the comic page I am also getting for the car, You never know if you will ever be in need for any given situation. 😉 . I do apologize for the sideways pics the site or my phone I guess didn't turn them up right.
:Update, Used Paint software to rotate Photos:
For at least 3 years and still to this day I am watching guys, shops etc on Youtube restoring their obtained Mopar's or whatever they can get their hands on. I see them doing it, and I want to do it. Minus having a Garage or Shop. Finally on one of Dylan McCool's video's; he talks about how people can actually do a restoration without all the goodies and money you see most of these show's out there doing and how even owning a straight 6 cylinder car is still cool. So I decided to give it a shot.
I initially went looking for a Dodge Swinger Dart, Duster or something like it, but with these cars they over charge even for rollers. But I definitely wanted something that was cool. Growing up you see allot hero cars, IE; General Lee Charger, Stallone's 50 Mercury, Knight riders Pontiac, and I certainly wanted a car that would be of my personality and something just as "Hero Cool" that I could make it out to be. I thought something from my birth year "1978" would be great to restore. I did have that chance a 1978 Plymouth Road Runner, all it needed was a brake line on the passenger side installed, and of course much more body work, I could have found a way to get the car 2 hours away to my home. But Cash was alittle short until tax time, This car was posted on FaceBook Market. I would find the 81' Malibu a bit later while I was considering the Road Runner. some time later after I found the Malibu I remembered something.
As a teen I was the biggest fan of The Punisher Comics. One issue of The Puniser Armory #2 had this. . . Yep it was an 81' Malibu 4 door, used for the just in case,or a survival car when one needed.
From there I decided it would be more cost effective just to restore the Malibu so on March 1st 2020 I bought the Malibu. It was closer to home and it was Punisher approved. This is how I got started with my G-body Obsession. And by the way everything or close to everything listed on the comic page I am also getting for the car, You never know if you will ever be in need for any given situation. 😉 . I do apologize for the sideways pics the site or my phone I guess didn't turn them up right.
:Update, Used Paint software to rotate Photos:
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That's cool my daughter wants the supernatural Impala
Wow! So many great stories. Great thread!
My dad has always been a Pontiac man from way back. I remember when I was a kid he had a 66 Pontiac Tempest, light green, black interior, four-speed with a 326. I loved that car and he has always kept his cars immaculate. Light blue 1971 Pontiac Tempest with a 350 was next and my brother bought a 71 with a SOHC 6 also. This was in ‘84 and I was just beginning my career so even my brothers well used one, I couldn’t afford anything like that. Just got a new job and found a pretty clean 78 Ford LTD with a 351 that I did some old fashioned head porting on and bought an edelbrock intake from a still small Summit Racing! I actually slept with that intake by my bed the first night I bought it, lol! Always in the back of my mind was those Pontiacs, though.
Sold cars in 1987 at a Pontiac/Buick dealership and I was in heaven. Really wanted the new Grand National that just came out and my best buddy at the time actually bought one. He still has it today. We actually had a 1986 new Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aero coupe that I wanted even more. I saw it come on the lot and thought I finally had my Pontiac. I got a pre-approved loan for it for full sticker but the owner wouldn’t sell it to me, he wanted 5k over sticker for it and said he wouldn’t budge. 😳😡
Years passed, Pontiac’s went by the way side but I always kept a look out for one. The style of the Grand Prix just stayed with me, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I think I unconsciously spotted every one I saw going down the highway, probably because I was denied my Aero 2+2 Coupe. In 2000 Dad heard of a guy that had a low mileage Grand Prix in his garage. We went to look at it. The guy had barrels of tar stored above the car and two had ruptured and had been dripping over the car for years. The car was almost completely covered, it was a mess. Dad looked it over and was finally able to get the tar sealed door open, the car had 2800 miles on it. We cleaned that tar off, one section at a time, took us 4 months, lol! The tar had preserved the paint and after a thorough buffing out it looked fantastic. Meanwhile Dad was gathering parts and unlike in the past, he was going to bring it back to stock. After all the labor, new rubber and seals, restoring anything that needed restored to be like new, it was on the road in less than a year. Dad put about 20k on it taking it to shows over the past 10 years and won quite a few, with his pristine example. I got an unexpected birthday present 7 years ago. I always told Dad that I wanted the car if he were to sell it but I never expected that!
Now I finally got my Pontiac and turned it into the unassuming GBody hot rod with a stroked 455, big cam, Kauffman heads and a host of other goodies.
My dad has always been a Pontiac man from way back. I remember when I was a kid he had a 66 Pontiac Tempest, light green, black interior, four-speed with a 326. I loved that car and he has always kept his cars immaculate. Light blue 1971 Pontiac Tempest with a 350 was next and my brother bought a 71 with a SOHC 6 also. This was in ‘84 and I was just beginning my career so even my brothers well used one, I couldn’t afford anything like that. Just got a new job and found a pretty clean 78 Ford LTD with a 351 that I did some old fashioned head porting on and bought an edelbrock intake from a still small Summit Racing! I actually slept with that intake by my bed the first night I bought it, lol! Always in the back of my mind was those Pontiacs, though.
Sold cars in 1987 at a Pontiac/Buick dealership and I was in heaven. Really wanted the new Grand National that just came out and my best buddy at the time actually bought one. He still has it today. We actually had a 1986 new Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aero coupe that I wanted even more. I saw it come on the lot and thought I finally had my Pontiac. I got a pre-approved loan for it for full sticker but the owner wouldn’t sell it to me, he wanted 5k over sticker for it and said he wouldn’t budge. 😳😡
Years passed, Pontiac’s went by the way side but I always kept a look out for one. The style of the Grand Prix just stayed with me, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I think I unconsciously spotted every one I saw going down the highway, probably because I was denied my Aero 2+2 Coupe. In 2000 Dad heard of a guy that had a low mileage Grand Prix in his garage. We went to look at it. The guy had barrels of tar stored above the car and two had ruptured and had been dripping over the car for years. The car was almost completely covered, it was a mess. Dad looked it over and was finally able to get the tar sealed door open, the car had 2800 miles on it. We cleaned that tar off, one section at a time, took us 4 months, lol! The tar had preserved the paint and after a thorough buffing out it looked fantastic. Meanwhile Dad was gathering parts and unlike in the past, he was going to bring it back to stock. After all the labor, new rubber and seals, restoring anything that needed restored to be like new, it was on the road in less than a year. Dad put about 20k on it taking it to shows over the past 10 years and won quite a few, with his pristine example. I got an unexpected birthday present 7 years ago. I always told Dad that I wanted the car if he were to sell it but I never expected that!
Now I finally got my Pontiac and turned it into the unassuming GBody hot rod with a stroked 455, big cam, Kauffman heads and a host of other goodies.
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