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what would you do with this 78 grand prix ?

2K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  montea 
#1 · (Edited)
pics here:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v298/fast68/

i picked this car up for cheap from the son of the original owner he had parked it in his garage and literally left it in there untouched since 1998 up unitl a coupel months ago when i went 30 miles to there and brought gas and a good battery and fired it up and drove it back the 30 miles to here, all it needed was a master cylinder, and heater blower motor and it does need a driver side wiper arm because the spring mount busted onit and so it doesnt keep the blade to the glass,

otherwise minor stuff like the headliner is down and the right rear QP has some rust, and the left rear end of the frame rail from the back of the wheel tub opening to the bumper is rotted out

otherwise its solid all original 78k miles with a 301 2bbl and auto trans runs and drives like a grandpas car, real smooth quiet reliable, no leaks or smoke or anything ever, never, always starts right up and goes nicely

but one problem

i dont like it very much, i sit in it and my head is in like on the ceiling, its not roomy at all i feel like im in a small closet and i dont like vinyl and its too plushy and well... grandpa-like



cant demo it or dirt track it or anything else cuz of the rear frame rail rot, and no one is going to want it as a nice cruiser either although i have had many ppl drool over it and ask to buy it but they never have the $
and alos being that its just a base model bench seat model it doesnt make it worth much or real desireable, its like a black sheep in a way, hmm.


i offer to part it since it has the hard to find clean trunk deck and doors and all the chrome goodies and so forth but no one is ever serious

is still a greeat errand runner regardless

but then again i dont like this kind of car no where near as much as i thought i might

for cars i am into the b bodies and x bodies- other than the true muscle era A bodies

what would you do if you had it ?


its nice but its not

i know its wprth something as something

but what..

hmmm


its a real dilemma

hmmm..

thought id share., and see what anyone thinks or suggests, cuz i really dont know,
 
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#2 ·
Ok where you said about it being undesirable due to a bench seat, that can be fixed. Hot Rodding is about doing things your way and not just to please others. Choose the motor you want, the rear you want, the rims you want. Its all up to you. But if it were mine i would put a new 454 in it, 3.55 gears, discs, 18" Torq-Thrust II's, lower it, interior, CD/Ipod. But hey thats just me go your own way pal. Also oyu said not roomy that can be fixed by when you put the bracketing for the seathing it will probably lower the seating. I take it you are tall.
 
#4 ·
EastCoastSBC said:
Ok where you said about it being undesirable due to a bench seat, that can be fixed. Hot Rodding is about doing things your way and not just to please others. Choose the motor you want, the rear you want, the rims you want. Its all up to you. But if it were mine i would put a new 454 in it, 3.55 gears, discs, 18" Torq-Thrust II's, lower it, interior, CD/Ipod. But hey thats just me go your own way pal. Also oyu said not roomy that can be fixed by when you put the bracketing for the seathing it will probably lower the seating. I take it you are tall.
naa im just average height at 6 foot,

thats all alot of work that i dont want to do to this car,

not this car



sure it could me made into an interesting/more desirable car, but i dont have the resources, finances, time, or well the desire to, etc :p

not to this car

lol

thanks
 
#6 · (Edited)
helrazr3 said:
throw it in the local want ad. make sure its safe and drivable. lots of people need a cheap dependable grocery getter im sure you will have no problem selling it.


late 70's cars for the most part were ugly and just plain not fun.

well no its not gonna fall apart or anything like that no,
it runs/drives fine no problem at all

definitely ugly, yep

the 80s ones looked better, im not sure what they were thinking in late 77 when they were putting these out

even the taillights are fugly

hmm

and whats odd about it is most everyone keeps freaking calling it a monte carlo

wth ?

and then after i show them that its a pontiac they ask me "what engine is in it- a 305"?
and im like "uhm no its a 301, pontiac"

then they cant seem to believe that either lol

wierd.,



thanks lol
 
#8 ·
Take a Sawzall, cut the roof off, and only drive it when you know its not going to rain.

It solved your roominess problem, and the headliner sagging. It dosn't take all that much time to do, and now you have an interesting roadster. Maybe someone would even want to buy it if you ground the rough edges down.

-GF
 
#9 · (Edited)
I'd cruise it, use it up so you don't put wear and tear on your other cars, I drive a POS taurus wagon for one of my daily drivers.. My 73 blazer doesnt need the extra miles and neither does old yeller, my 72 pickup. I feel like total blanco basura driving it but who cares.
I had a 78 monte, (your car looks like a monte,dude, thats why people call it a monte),
I got it for free, beat it till it was on its last legs then sold it for 100.00 to someone worse off than me.

I wouldn't put anything in it, drive it till it blows then it goes.
Here some more-

Give it to the local high school as a auto shop guinea pig

glue 7000 kewpie dolls on it and get press and attention as the local "art car"
http://www.artcaragency.com/showcase.php?cat=dada_symbolistic_mix#

If you want to feel good give it to someone who has no car. Unwed teenage mothers on drugs are always lookin for cars.(I done that one a few times)

put an ad and sell it.(said before)

spray paint it phloresent orange and put bullhorns on the hood. act like an eccentric millionaire rockstar when you drive it.

Thats it i'm done.
mikey
 
#10 ·
Maybe you's fit better if the head liner wasent falling down?

You just don't have your butt print in the seat LOL! :D


I knew a few people that had those 301's & they didnt have alot of power but ran real good for a long time without problems

Send it to me i'll drive it its gotta get better milage than my P/U @ 6 MPG :spank:

OH yea one of the guys I knew made his into a P/U :confused:


R :thumbup:
 
#14 ·
I remember back and the late 80's, car craft magazine made a statement calling it the double ugly grand prix. Boy did they get the letters in the editorials following that. There are some people that really like them. Kinda like my two friends drooling over one of the hooters girls many years ago, and I just didn't see what they were so excited about. Then you can't take your eyes off one, and someone else doesn't feel the same way. My brother had a early 80's grand prix for awhile. I don't think they are too bad myself, with a nice set of rims and wide white letter tires, nice paint job, or painted a dark color with tinted windows. Yeah thats it. The 301, not a real speed demon, kinda like the 307's in the novas.
If its not your cup of tea, I don't think you should waste time on it. You won't be happy sticking money into it, and probably wont be able to recoupe it when you sold. It could be just what someone else is looking for. Its probably frustrating cause your getting a lot of tire kickers, or kids that can't really afford it. Guess you could get that 301 going down a big hill and get a bunch of momentum to fly over another hill and practice to be a stunt driver for the sequel to the movie dukes of hazzard. With that frame, should be able to practice some really cool stunts. Nahh, don't take this serious, I am just joking around. But if you did, and got to meet jessica simpsons in those dasiey dukes it wouldn't be bad to look at at all, as long as she doesn't talk too much. I don't know how many feel the same way. They say everyone has different tastes.
 
#15 ·
Go to montecarloss.com and ask the guys there about a guy in Canada named Conrad Lozier he makes replacement rear frame rails for the G-bodys just weld um in.
Then make it into a BRAKET CAR.
First pull the motor out and build a Hipo SBC the monte mounts will bolt right in.Get some nice headers etc......
Then make it a BRAKET CAR.
Have a nice tranny built w/ a good stall converter.
Then make it a BRAKET CAR.
If you don't have funds for wheel tubs and narrowing get some slicks,4.11-4.56 gears weld the spiders(did I suggest that??)get a posi and some traction bars.Or buy a whole GN 10 bolt rear w/ posi and change the gears.
Then make it BRAKET CAR.
Are ya getting my point?? :D
 
#16 ·
Good Frosty said:
Take a Sawzall, cut the roof off, and only drive it when you know its not going to rain.

It solved your roominess problem, and the headliner sagging. It dosn't take all that much time to do, and now you have an interesting roadster. Maybe someone would even want to buy it if you ground the rough edges down.

-GF
lmao good one

thanks
 
#17 ·
78 monte said:
Go to montecarloss.com and ask the guys there about a guy in Canada named Conrad Lozier he makes replacement rear frame rails for the G-bodys just weld um in.
Then make it into a BRAKET CAR.
First pull the motor out and build a Hipo SBC the monte mounts will bolt right in.Get some nice headers etc......
Then make it a BRAKET CAR.
Have a nice tranny built w/ a good stall converter.
Then make it a BRAKET CAR.
If you don't have funds for wheel tubs and narrowing get some slicks,4.11-4.56 gears weld the spiders(did I suggest that??)get a posi and some traction bars.Or buy a whole GN 10 bolt rear w/ posi and change the gears.
Then make it BRAKET CAR.
Are ya getting my point?? :D

bracket car naa screw all that, no time for that anyways, plus i dont have the right drivetrain for all that and so on

good tip on the frame rail ill have ot check that out thanks

:D
 
#18 ·
kenseth17 said:
I remember back and the late 80's, car craft magazine made a statement calling it the double ugly grand prix. Boy did they get the letters in the editorials following that. There are some people that really like them. Kinda like my two friends drooling over one of the hooters girls many years ago, and I just didn't see what they were so excited about. Then you can't take your eyes off one, and someone else doesn't feel the same way. My brother had a early 80's grand prix for awhile. I don't think they are too bad myself, with a nice set of rims and wide white letter tires, nice paint job, or painted a dark color with tinted windows. Yeah thats it. The 301, not a real speed demon, kinda like the 307's in the novas.
If its not your cup of tea, I don't think you should waste time on it. You won't be happy sticking money into it, and probably wont be able to recoupe it when you sold. It could be just what someone else is looking for. Its probably frustrating cause your getting a lot of tire kickers, or kids that can't really afford it. Guess you could get that 301 going down a big hill and get a bunch of momentum to fly over another hill and practice to be a stunt driver for the sequel to the movie dukes of hazzard. With that frame, should be able to practice some really cool stunts. Nahh, don't take this serious, I am just joking around. But if you did, and got to meet jessica simpsons in those dasiey dukes it wouldn't be bad to look at at all, as long as she doesn't talk too much. I don't know how many feel the same way. They say everyone has different tastes.

lol!

good stuff haha

ut yeah bototm line is i know i wont be happy with it and even by putting anything into and and making it how i would want it

nope

thanks :D
 
#19 ·
Good Frosty said:
I would ebay-it...it might even be someone's pro-street/backhalfed project dream come true. I doubt it, but i mean, someone would have to want it.

-GF

well yeah, theres many around herre who want it and a couple who really really want it

but they dont have any $ and are just dreamin

so hum

i dunno

i mean im in no hurry to get rid of it, its ok to let it sit out here, hell it sat for 8 years untouched, so what the heck it can sit again, but i will drive it once and a while to keep it going, unlike before,

thanks :p
 
#21 ·
Too bad you're not just a short hop closer to my direction. I've got a whole frame to deal with now. I found a really good parts carfor my '78 Monte, and it's got a solid frame. Problem is I'd already bought an '81 Regal for the frame to use in my car. Deal is, I gotta get rid of that frame before I bring the parts car home. Just sell it in a local ad, and smack those idiots into next week that call it a Monte...

In a while, Chet.
 
#22 · (Edited)
lol

yeah its too bad :/

hmm

and a local ad does no good down here, no one has any $ and wants to do the ol layaway/payment plan, which doesnt work in my world, lol

i havent been trying lately, i parked it and am focused currently trying to find an old 2 wheel drive 3/4 or 1 ton gm work truck but to no avail- been looking/hunting since january

good luck up there :D
 
#23 ·
i have a 82 grand prix that i think is the first year of its body style. everyone also says its a monte carlo :rolleyes: i love the body style of mine, not so much the earlier ones but wouldnt stop me from drivng one and fixing it up.

i still like the one you have besides the tail lights and color. i say keep it repaint it and clean up the body by taking off the useless chrome strips. put a nice set of wheels on it and also find some new tail lights. i would use it for a daily driver.

heres a picture of mine, im keeping it forever!
 

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