Turbo Grand Prix? What???

[MrSony]

I saw it at a dealer. Has a turbo hood (monte hood?), Grand Prix Turbo 3.8 Litre badging, 6k tach, auto on the floor. I've seen it around on FB marketplace, almost bought it once with my brother (we were gonna chip in $400 a piece) from some dumb tweaker, but he never responded. According to my brother who looked at it, it is actually running a carbed turbo 231. If the codes and what not check out, I assume this is a super rare car. I've NEVER heard of a turbo g body GP. I mean, maybe someone did go through all the trouble to make a "what if" turbo gp, but the badge looks legit (as in one piece, looks old enough, right script, etc), the hood is all one piece and has the turbo bulge, etc.

It was 3am when I saw the car though, so some details may show up in the day time.

I'm going to look at it again today. It's kind of crappy, but if it's got a clean title now (didn't when tweaker owned it, or at least he couldn't find it), and the price isn't unreasonable for the shape it's in, I might pick it up. We'll see. It's at Fast Action Auto in Des Moines, down the street from my work. It does have a flat and a donut on it, so that's one of the first things that would need dealt with.

 

[blk7gxn]

🤔 Interesting! It would be the first i would have ever heard of such a thing, i never say never though lol Cant wait until you find out, you got me curious now!

 

[79 GP 4 speed]

Keep us posted as I have never heard of one. Also more pictures

 

[pontiac guy]

I've never even seen documentation saying that's possible. Please follow up with us

 

[MrSony]

Update time:

They want 2k for it, no title (p/o died i guess, either tweaker or before him and thats why he didnt have it, its the same car tho), or 5k with a title. Needs 2 tires, trunk has a substantial amount of rot over the driver's framerail, about a 2' by 4" strip of metal is just gone, it's been repainted obviously, has a 7.5 rear, no posi, etc.
Looking at the badge in the light, looks like someone just stuck the 3.8 turbo on there, it's not one piece like I thought when I saw it at 3am. I don't 100% think it's a legit uber rare turbo gp, but I do think someone spent a lot of time and money to make it as if it was.

Pics:

 

[pontiac guy]

What's the engine Vin code for a turbo car? I'm betting that isn't original.

 

[MrSony]

I want to say LC2... is the LC2 designation the same for the carbed turbo motors? Or was that a FI 84+ designation?

 

[81cutlass]

It's 100% fake.

1. It could only be 81-83 and its an 85 according to the vin
2. The vin is for 3.8
3. The emissions tag on the core support is for a 3.8
4. It has a narrow 3.8 NA rad support with a wide rad

It was a factory 3.8 NA car that the previous owner had a wrecked turbo regal or monte and swapped it over.

 

[79 GP 4 speed]

Doesn't look like a clean swap. Also 3000 for them to get a title is a lot on the crazy side

 

[MrSony]

It's 100% fake.

1. It could only be 81-83 and its an 85 according to the vin
2. The vin is for 3.8
3. The emissions tag on the core support is for a 3.8
4. It has a narrow 3.8 NA rad support with a wide rad

It was a factory 3.8 NA car that the previous owner had a wrecked turbo regal or monte and swapped it over.

Basically what I wad thinking. Nothing added up. If it wasn't a rusty turd and I wasn't already frame off restoring a car Id pick it up if only to flip it. But the rot that I can see is baaaad. I straight up told the dealer guy that its a rusty g body with no title. And he just shrugged. "Grand National drivetrain man." Barely. Th350 (probably, it's a 3 speed), 7.5 open diff, 175hp carbed turbo that runs like *ss, no brakes, etc. If its still there in a month or two I'll inquire again with my 1k offer. Unless zach wants to take a crack at it...