Old n00b with a "new" G-body.

[Longroof79]

Dave,
The wire wheels actually look pretty cool. Personally, I never pictured actual wire wheels on anything other than older British sportscars....or vintage Ferraris for that matter.
I take that back, they were an option on old T-birds. I believe they were made by Kelsey-Hayes.
It's a nice option, and certainly a lot more attractive than the cheesy wire wheel hubcaps.

 

[buzz77]

Wow! That 4sp would be a nice project, unfortunately I have no space or the time. Those wire wheels look amazing. They definately go with our cars. Post up more pics.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

Nice find! The GA is one of the few g-bodies I've yet to own. Sooner or later I'll find one myself.

 

[grandamman]

Dave, Everyone is wanting more info on your new car. Now that you've had time to thoroughly look it over, how about some current pictures?
Was this a one or two owner car? They usually are. A lot of these cars are kept by the original owners for 30 years. Another reason we don't see many of them.
I would love to have a fully loaded Grand Am.
My Carmine and Platinum 79 4 speed had the wire wheels. They were pretty rusty, so it now has the Rally II's.

 

[Pontiacdaver]

Dave, Everyone is wanting more info on your new car. Now that you've had time to thoroughly look it over, how about some current pictures?
Was this a one or two owner car? They usually are. A lot of these cars are kept by the original owners for 30 years. Another reason we don't see many of them.
I would love to have a fully loaded Grand Am.
My Carmine and Platinum 79 4 speed had the wire wheels. They were pretty rusty, so it now has the Rally II's.

Kent,

Sorry I haven't posted new pictures, I haven't had time to take any. It is in the shop right now, being tuned up and having some carb work done. I haven't even ad time to wash it. I promise I will get some new photos of it by next weekend.

-Dave
P.S. Going to be needing a power sunroof glass panel, mine has a huge crack in it (that wasn't there when I got the car).

 

[grandamman]

Try checking with Toby on the moon roof glass.
I sold him one out of a 79 Grand Am. I think he was using it to remake the seal for these and he may be finished with it.
Not sure, but worth checking in to.

 

[Pontiacdaver]

Hey all, just wanted to update. Still no pics the car has been at a friend's shop for 3 weeks now getting tuned and the carb rebuilt. Took 3 days to get the carb kit, then I find out the manifold to EGR spacer plate (necessary for the Q-jet to mount correctly to the 301's single plane manifold), doesn't come with the kit. Been waiting for one for a few days now. Having been in the auto parts biz for so long, I forget that once-common parts are not so common anymore.

Anyway, while waiting, I have been digging into the car's history. I am the 5th owner, original owner sold it to owner 2 in 1986 to keep his ex from getting the car. Owner 2 kept it for 28 years before selling to a cousin in March of this year (he was VERY disappointed to find out he sold it, apparently he was supposed to offer it back to owner 2 first). Owner 3 sold it in May '14 to owner 4, and I bought it from him.

I promise I will post pics as soon as I can.

-Dave

 

[Pontiacdaver]

Re: Old n00b with a "new" G-body. NOW WITH PICS!

OK, here are some long overdue pics of my Grand Am. Life has been a blur for the last few months with my wife's health, as well as her dad's, so I'm sorry it took so long. I just realized I only have right side views of the GA on this computer, the left looks the same. The pics make the paint look better than it is, the upper surfaces are chalky and dull. Overall, it is a very solid, nice running and driving car. It may get a 400 or 455 in it some day, or, right now, I'm thinking I'd love to turbocharge the 301. The only decent interior pic I had was by the previous owner. I'll add more as I get time. Hope you like it.

-Dave

 

[clean8485]

The car looks good in the photos. Did you get the tune-up and carb rebuild finished OK? I think that's the first time I've seen a car like that with bucket seats, but no console. Didn't know you could order one that way. I thought that if you got the column shift, then you got the split bench seat. Does this car have the factory tach & gauges option?

 

[Pontiacdaver]

The car looks good in the photos. Did you get the tune-up and carb rebuild finished OK? I think that's the first time I've seen a car like that with bucket seats, but no console. Didn't know you could order one that way. I thought that if you got the column shift, then you got the split bench seat. Does this car have the factory tach & gauges option?

Thanks! Yes, I finally got it tuned and it's running very well. No, it doesn't have tach or even gauges. It doesn't even have a clock! I think you could specify the optional bucket seats, but if you didn't order the console as well, you got a column shift. I haven't been able to identify the original owner, so I don't know if it was intentional or an error.

Probably the most oddly optioned GA I've ever seen. Among the options, it has the buckets with the upgrade Hobnail Velour trim, Automatic Temperature Control (usually seen on Cadillacs and top-of-the-line cars), the real wire wheels, power glass sunroof, power windows and locks, rear window defroster, Saf-T-Trac, power antenna (not sure what radio it came with yet), but what makes it odd is what t doesn't have: no console, no cruise control, no gauges or clock, no power trunk release, no power or reclining seat.

The 2nd owner gave me what details he could remember about the original owner (he could only remember the guy's nickname, "Slasher", not sure I want to find him, LoL). He was the parts manager at Hansord Pontiac in Minneapolis (which is where he ordered the car, of course), ad he sold it in1986 to owner #2 to keep his ex from getting it in their divorce. Owner #2 had it until early 2014, since then it has had 3 owners, including me. I love the car, and plan on being it's last owner. It needs restored so I will be accumulating parts as time (and more importantly, money) permits such as tach & gauges, interior plastic (some is starting to crumble), a sunroof glass (has a large 'J' shaped crack that showed up a week after I got the car), and probably other items. It will always be a driver, and I will make it nicer, but not going the show car route. I totally respect the Concours restored cars (I've been a judge at the GTOAA Nats and the Trans Am Nats in the past), so I mean no disrespect, I just enjoy driving my cars.