Hey.
I've been on GPF for over a year and decided to make this ride thread, but be warned theres a lot to tell and none of it very exciting. I'll try to keep the retrospect brief and wade right through to the current herd. I like Grand Prixs but not exclusively. If I don't tell the whole story it won't explain my fever.
Right now my daily driver is a 99 GTP, a stock black coupe. You'll see (yawn). I've had some cool ones though and I have pics of em all so... in the interest of conversation-
1979, KS- Home made go kart by Dad except floor paint lol. Dukes of Hazzard TV show first aired in Jan 79 so I had the rebel flag bug. Don't shoot! 3.5 HP, very slow but with reverse (lawn mower trans).
1980, LA- First and last bike, a 75 (?) Honda CB125S
1980, LA- First car. Dad bought new, his third Tempest (62, 64 prev). Then brother's then mine then sold.
1966 Pontiac Tempest Sprint6 (OHC L6, 4 barrel carb, split exh, 3.23 posi, 3 speed stick, stock) to which Dad added a five speed. Block was poked .125 in the last rebuild at over 200K so it used 327 Chev pistons (see USA-1 tag lol). These things ate cams and cam belts. But they were a monster at like 205 HP with 7,000 RPM redline. This was also the first vehicle I ever rode in. Wish it was here, Dad special ordered it with stripe delete, rubber mats instead of carpet, A/C, P/S, tinted glass, and a first year under-dash add-on option... hazard flashers. His only other mods were to add an FM tuner to the AM radio, paint the roof white, and install a B-W retro T-50 five speed. That helped my bro and I mop the floor with many smog V8s. Occasionally, "gasohol' was available then and the engine liked it. Now theres a retro paragraph for ya. If its nonsensical you're too young.
Got a Nova when I turned 16. With a hatchback for humpin it and a 350 with Q-jet for haulin it. I got bored with an automatic but I learned not to get in a hurry after tweaking the carb.
1982, LA- Scored a faded out 68 Malibu from a teacher with 75K on it. 307 2barrel, 3 on tree but moved to floor and messed up my senior ring doing so. Nabbed an SS grille emblem at the JY (you could do that then). Body shop buddies helped get me painted and striped, then with about 82K on it, a lady ran into the back going like 50. Killed the car.
It was total loss #1. In retrospect, I never should have made it so shiny.
1983, LA- On to big block country now. A ratty 72 SS with the 402 CID BBC and a TH400 that would chirp the L-60s at 100. Loved it but the frame broke, a common issue that made them junk.
A deer got the grille. I put ZZ stripes on it because Eliminator just came out. Ha.
1985,LA- College bound (TX), I needed a tank. A local bus driver had this with 75K and working A/C. 1967 Impala hardtop 283 2bbl, PG trans (2-speed auto, slow), a cream puff with 64K. A scar on my coupe history but nevertheless... a sedan was useful during those years. It was time for something completely different...
Stay tuned for the dawn of my gripping Grand Prix era! More to follow soon.
