You may have seen McTaggart’s post a few weeks back on the much maligned 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2. Yes, the car may have been smacked around a little with the ugly stick, and yes, they left the factory with the insulting burden of the 165hp LG4 305. But stock sucks, right? Here’s one we found on Craigslist that needs a little guidance, but with the right combination of parts, it could be really cool.
I’ve been a fan of all things Pontiac since I discovered what cars were, and I remember seeing one of these around for sale when I was a budding teenage gearhead in the late 1990’s. The one I saw, man, I’ll never forget it. It was a little beat up, it had a Grant Challenger wheel on it (you know the one, the one with the dual layered spokes that every 80’s street machine had), it had a “Vette motah” (Massachusetts speak for a Chevrolet 350), and I thought it was severely overpriced at $5999. This one is a little bit more accessible at the low, low price of $2500, and a bit rattier than the one I remember on the side of the road in high school. Let’s check it out!
Someone painted this one with the Team Petty colors, and you know what? I would personally go with that theme. I mean, why not? It’s not original anymore, and other than the real ones that did roundy-round racing and exactly one black one that’s floating around on the interwebs, they are all silver and grey with a red pinstripe. Obviously this is Petty’s car, but yeah, it’s cool, right?
That gargantuan aero window, which was this car’s claim to fame along with its aero nose, is still intact. These windows are extremely hard to find, so finding a car with an original window is always a bonus. I remember hearing rumors that someone was making plastic or plexiglass replacements a while back, but who knows… just be glad this one is still there!
I always found the tiny trunk openings on the Aero Coupe and the 2+2 comical. While the Camaro and Firebird switched over to a hatch with the debut of the 3rd Generation cars in 1982, the G-Body Aero cars retained this mailbox slot of a trunk opening. If I remember correctly, the rear seats don’t fold down either. 80’s engineering at its best, folks!
The rare aero nose appears intact as well. While I find the styling of the G-Body Grand Prix the least appealing of all of its platform mates, I do like the aero nose better than the standard Grand Prix nose. It’s just so 80’s! I wonder what that vast, boring hood would look like with a late 1970’s Trans Am shaker?
So, would you save this thing? If I had the garage space, and was anywhere close to the vicinity of the seller, I think I would. I’ve always thought that Pontiac got a raw deal when they built these. By 1986, the days of the high performance factory Pontiac 400’s and 455’s were long gone, and I’d probably buck the urge to go the easy route and toss a LS-motor in the car and instead install a built to the hilt genuine Poncho engine. Well, genuine in architecture… I would run aftermarket aluminum parts, run modern EFI, and give it six forward gears to grab manually. It would have that Pro-Touring stock car theme going for it. The Petty theme would definitely stay, too. I’d even run large-by-huge steelies on it to give it that stock car look. How would you build it? Leave us a comment below!
Where’s the link?
If I were to build it, I’d continue the stock car theme with an SBC2 motor under the hood backed by a 4 speed with straight cut gears.
Yeah, we forgot the link. Sorry about that!
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/5124318541.html
That car is in my neck of the woods! Wish I had the money or it would be in my driveway. I like the SB2 idea but with a 6 spd.
Always liked the Aerocoupes, had 4 Monte Aero’s over the years.
I’ve always thought the Monte Aerocoupes and the 2 + 2’s were just as much an Aero warrior as the earlier Talladegas and winged Mopars. Relics from a day when the factories were building cars to win in motorsports, not just putting headlight stickers on a car designed by Nascar.
I hope that someone does save it, that’s a cool piece of automotive history that deserves a caring owner.
I hate the term “pro-touring” but this thing is screaming out for the treatment.
Hmm, how would Petty have done a Pontiac 2+2 to race at Bathurst?
Oooh, a “what-if” FIA Group A G-body touring car. I like it.
I had a 79 GP with a Big Block 455 and that was one of the funnest cars I’ve ever owned. I would stick with the NASCAR theme and 6 speed manual but I would go big block all the way