The last rear wheel drive Grand Prixs were being used in NASCAR racing in the 1980's and Pontiac had several very successful teams, while Chevrolet was using their Monte Carlo. John Calais found out that Chevrolet had created a fast back rear window for the Monte Carlo to improve the car's aerodynamics for use by NASCAR competitors in 1986. John wanted the same aero benefit created for the Grand Prix. I worked with Bill Bailey and his company Autodynamics, to create a more aerodynamic Grand Prix model, the Grand Prix 2+2.
In an outside design studio, Pontiac's designer from Design Staff developed a clay model using a production Grand Prix to create a more aerodynamic front end and a sloped rear glass with a short deck lid with a large built in spoiler. LOF (Libby Owens Ford glass company) in Toledo made a mold and drape formed the rear window, much like what they were doing for the Camaro and Firebird. We had to build a minimum of 1500 cars to meet NASCAR's production car standards. All the Grand Prixs and Monte Carlos were built in Canada at the St. Therese Assembly Plant north of Montreal.
These special mid-year model, Grand Prix 2+2 aerodynamic coupes, were all painted metallic gray. The production bumpers were received from the Pontiac stamping plant, painted body color and shipped to St Therese for installation on the 2+2's. The cars were built and shipped without a front-end panel, headlights, rear backlite or deck lid. The cars were shipped to Bill Bailey's plant he setup in Oxford, Michigan. In his Autodynamics plant the sharp upper body crease had to be rounded at its rear edge to match the rounded shape of the corner of the rear window. This required grinding and use of body filler, then repainting the area. A special fiberglass rear panel was installed to support the rear glass and an extremely short fiberglass decklid with an integral four-inch high spoiler was installed. A special rounded body colored front fascia (similar to a Firebird) with four honeycomb grilles was installed with production headlights and marker lights. My chassis development engineer did the vehicle development work using our prototype 2+2 at the GM Desert Proving Grounds using Monte Carlo SS suspension components (stabilizer bars, springs, bushings, etc.) and tires. I went down to the Proving Grounds and drove his test car. It was not only the best handling Grand Pix I had ever driven, but it also had the best body structure. The large backlite and its supporting panels stiffened the body eliminating the bouncing seat feel that regular Grand Pxis had due to their lightweight frame and short wheelbase, plus the excessive front overhang. The original fiberglass model of the 1978 Grand Prix had a four-inch longer wheelbase than the LeMans, but our management said it was not necessary. I always felt this was a poor decision. The 2+2 was the best riding and handling 1978-1986 Grand Prix that was ever sold to the public. Too bad it was the rear drive Grand Prix's last year of production. Pontiac decided this was the end of production for the rear drive mode. Pontiac was the first division to start production of the all-new front wheel drive Grand Prix for the 1987-88 model years. This Grand Prix was to be built in the all-new Fairfax Kansas City assembly plant with production starting in the spring of 1987. Our NASCAR teams were allowed to continue racing the 2+2's through the 1987 season.
