The G-body variation of the Pontiac Grand Prix was the whipping boy of the lot. Whereas Chevy, Buick, Oldsmobile and even GMC embraced some semblance of performance (yes, GMC…the Diablo), Pontiac was in it’s usual state of limbo and sadly, the fluffy couch committee was winning the war. Grand Prix, the car that had kicked off the personal luxury movement back in the 1960s, a car that blended power and performance with a touch of class, now was a badge-engineered bucket of velour that could barely get out of it’s own way on it’s too-soft springs and skinny tires. Compared to any other G-car, especially the hot models, the Grand Prix needs drastic help to be any good. 
But it’s a G-body, and “drastic help” can be found or bought easily. Making a GP a sweetheart project is a no-brainer…all you need to do is find the right car to start with, and we believe we’ve found a great example out West. This 1984 LE model hasn’t even covered 50,000 miles and the paint and interior look great…and not just for an Arizona car…they look really decent! Not perfect, but good enough to not care for the moment. The car is a one-family vehicle that is on the chopping block because the current owner lost storage, and it’s a V8 car from the factory. So far, all the good boxes are checked off. And the price is sitting at a decent $4,500 for a car that should drive away from the deal, no doubts in mind.
The price might eat up the budget with little to spare, but you’ll have $500 pocketed for the build, which needs to include upsized stock-looking wheels (snowflake? Rally II?) and a serious bump in power. At least 400 horsepower, minimum, and we’d start hunting brake and suspension setups to make the GP corner better. There we go, spending imaginary money again…
Would that be a swap for the huge engine in the crusher?
I wouldn’t touch it…
It’s a time capsule, a near all original car from a era, of junkyard rejects, that are constantly, turned into a Monte knockoff, for short track racing, and sportsman drag racing.
Put that Poncho away, and pull it back out in 15 years.
I agree, I wouldn’t touch it, except to drive it a little. Don’t put it away for decades, use it gently so it doesn’t turn to shit
Here in the north of great white, cars like this have mostly rusted or worn out. They are gone