In true fashion I always name my cars after the first impression they give me as can be viewed from the other cars in my garage. I named this one the grand toilet. As you may or may not know these cars generally have a GT on the side, which really means Grand Toilet!!! Don't get me wrong, I actually like this car enough to have put a decent amount of money in to it. My friends always bust my stones about putting money in a grand am, but I really find the car to be comfortable and reasonably un-sluggish compared to most front wheel drive sedans or coupes. Since I live in the north east the winters are not condusive to rear drive cars, which means the SS camaro is in storage. I have owned several camaro's, enough so that I would be constituted as a camaro junky(please view other cars in garage, you may be impressed). I must admit I do actually like this grand am, I must because it is my second one. You are probally fed up with my writings already and saying to yourself... Dude it's a f$#kin grand am, why would you like grand ams???? Let me explain. A few years back I purchased a 92 pontiac grand am GT as a winter beater car, so I could keep my camaro off the road and far away from the salt. It had the quad 4 DOHC and a 5 speed. This car totally blew me away. As I jammed through the gears for the first time reving the piss out of it I managed to beat this kid's 305 Iroc-Z with 4 people in my car. Just a tid bit of facts... "A bone stock 86 305 iroc-z camaro came with 180-190HP from the factory, and a 92 Grand AM GT with the Quad 4 DOHC engine came with 195-210HP from the factory". I could not believe a front wheel drive grand am was capable of beating a factory considered sports car!!! Needless to say that kid with the camaro never spoke to me again!!! So I instantly said I will buy one of those new grand ams as a daily driver once a get some more revenue.... AND SO I DID. The new grand am's dont have the horse the 92 had, but still do move along ok. They look much better and I have beat a few 80's camaro's and monte's. You are probally sayin one of two things right now, "This guy has lost it, or holy crap I had no Idea". Keep in mind this is my work car. Enough rambling and on to the Pics! Car was sold. No longer mine.
This is the way life began for this toilet grand am. I purchased it from a crappy dealer in buffalo NY. It was owned by a girl that had to have been a slob. Stained carpets more cig holes than swiss cheese and enough rust that would be compareable it to the titanic at this point.
Another shot of it's glorious girly days before my work began
The completed project after a ram air hood, new rockers, bumper, fenders, removal of decals and paint
A side pic after Intrax lower springs, KYB struts, and strut braces. (You are probally saying.... dude, it's a f@#kin grand am you idiot) I know, I know.....
A rear quater shot
I always get asked about these wheels. These are the optional 17" which can be found on a pontiac aztek. I used to work for a salvage corp and got bored one day and decided to look at factory pontiac wheels. I thought they would look good, so I tried em on. Bolt patter was the same 5 lug, but to make them look correct you need 1/2" wheel spacers and longer studs. This gives the proper backspacing so they don't look sunken in the wheel wells. Also note the new calipers and cross drilled and slotted rotors, which give a more agressive look and much better brake pedal feel.
I put in leather interior and a new carpet. I also had to replace several interior trim peices due to cig burns in the plastic. The girl that owned this was a pig!!!!
Rear Quarter shot after I got the rust around the gas cap door fixed.
Front corner shot after Ram air hood.
Topical shot.
You gotta admit, They do have a mean looking nose.
Well friends, thanx for checking out my work car. I don't plan on dumping much more money in to this toilet, but I do want to get headers and a catback at some point, just to get better gas millage of course. I travel a ton for my job and this is the only reasonably priced car that is front wheel drive, that does not look like a crap wagon. Keep in mind, I bought this thing for $4,000 w/ 68K miles. I probally put about $3,000 in to it. Am I still being stupid? You may want one now! Not many cars can you get for about 7grand and have them look like a mini GTO
