1973 Pontiac One One Thousand Am Project: Business Office I

Devil inward a bluish dress. H5N1 dyad of years ago, I was contacted past times Ken McColligan of Somerdale, New Jersey. Ken needed assist finding a buyer for his 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. All potential buyers inward New Bailiwick of Jersey had immediate plans to yank the stout, Pontiac 400/4-barrel/Turbo-400 transmission together with fight the body. This was a bargain breaker for Ken. The Grand Am had been stored inward his heated garage for 23 years together with he wanted no component subdivision inward killing i of Pontiac’s luxury-performance underdogs. 
  Ken’s mission was to connect the solid running, Regatta Blue Grand Am amongst some energetic, low-buck gear heads who would set it dorsum on the road. He searched the spider web together with constitute several stories nearly GM’s colonnade cars, including elusive ’73-’75 Grand Ams, on our page. 
  “Was Junkyard Life the answer?,” said Ken. “Maybe those guys inward Alabama could assist sell his Grand Am?” 
  Yes! We were guys that dear to catch these oft-overlooked Ponchos dorsum on the road. But unfortunately, timing together with finances did non align amongst Ken’s plan. Not i of the Junkyard Life galoots was willing to brand the 840-mile trip to New Bailiwick of Jersey to catch a machine that suffered from sheetmetal cancer (a.k.a. rust) caused past times numerous wintertime on salty roads. Despite our best intentions nosotros failed to spread the discussion exterior of our circle of friends.   
  Two years passed together with Ken striking me upward i time again this past times July together with he made me an offering I couldn’t refuse. $1,000 cash together with the bluish devil from New Bailiwick of Jersey was mine. Ken needed the infinite inward his garage together with the fourth dimension was correct to plough the Grand Am loose. But wait, I’ve got rules when I purchase cars... 

You guessed it, I broke 2 of my Rules of Car Buying: 

• Never purchase a machine earlier y'all drive it. (this dominion applies to cars that supposedly run nether their ain power)
• Never purchase a machine y'all haven’t seen inward person.

Delivery driver unloads the 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. It stands out similar a sore pollex compared to the other vehicles on the machine hauler.

Transportation turmoil
  The machine was mine but I had to larn it home. Could I drive the machine 840 miles? Unlikely, without risking life together with limb together with emptying my checkbook on repairs along the way. Trailer it myself? No. I decided navigating the New Bailiwick of Jersey turnpike together with diverse toll roads amongst my truck at 235k miles was non the best idea. My fourth dimension together with security trumped the hassle of spending 3 days on the road. 
  I searched the spider web to disclose an auto shipper but it was far to a greater extent than complicated that I wanted it to be. I was looking for a inexpensive ride for my inexpensive ride. No rush, opened upward carrier. But every site I encountered was a broker who worked from the same network of carriers. Nobody could tell me who would move bringing the machine together with when it would arrive. 

Who practise I trust? 
  Like a shell game of sorts. Pay a deposit together with the “shipper” would larn dorsum to me on who together with when my machine would ship. Prices varied from $900 to $1,500. After 10 days together with dozens of calls, I went amongst my gut. H5N1 reasonable sounding guy inward New York promised to brand the bargain occur at a skilful cost – $800. I kept my fingers crossed that I hadn’t tossed the $100 deposit inward the toilet.

Friendly driver from New York delivered the 1973 Pontiac Grand Am to Alabama from New Jersey.

Delivery
  The bluish Grand Am left New Bailiwick of Jersey on a Th at five p.m. together with arrived inward Alabama at vii a.m. the next Sunday. Who knows where she went during her 61-hour ride? I practise know she arrived nearly a one-half mile from my solid amongst a hospitable, immature driver who was happy to catch the Grand Am unloaded. He dealt amongst a few issues on the one-time Pontiac that the other six, modern vehicles on his machine hauler did non encounter. 
  The Grand Am’s body lid latch would non remain closed. Ken had tied a gallon jug of H2O to concur the deck lid downwards earlier it left New Jersey. Needless to say, no H2O was inward the jug when it arrived inward Alabama. The flopping body seemed no worse for habiliment but I’m certain it attracted a fleck of attending along the way. Also, at that spot was no battery installed to crank car. The delivery driver used a jumper box each fourth dimension he moved the bluish Grand Am on together with off the machine hauler. But, earlier he could motion it, he had to brand certain that their was air inward all the tires. The left forepart tire had a decent leak. All inward a days piece of work for the swain from New York. He smiled together with wished me luck.

A H2O jug was used to concur downwards body lid. 

First impressions
  The throaty, dual exhaust announced that this was definitely a V8. Wearing rusty, Pontiac Rally wheels together with skilful together with bad repair patches of sheetmetal. The bluish exterior together with white interior is a combination non seen on modern cars. I settled into the cushy, reclining, lumbar-supported, driver’s spot to sentry the performance tach, together with finger ringlet the barrel command A/C knob. 
  I slammed the door, powered the windows downwards together with wheeled the Pontiac away from the machine hauler amongst a fleck to a greater extent than torque than the one-time tires could handle. Even at xxx MPH the raise terminate squirmed equally I matted the become pedal. The curt ride abode set a smiling on my face.

The beige/off-white interior amongst chocolate-colored dash pops on the Regatta Blue 1973 Grand Am.

Beer tin body piece of work on the Regatta Blue 1973 Grand Am. Poorly repaired quarter panel features an aluminum tin spell amongst a garnish of bondo.

Plenty of piece of work to do
  Before the hateful solar daytime was out, my top 2 colonnade cohorts, Ron Kidd, together with Anthony Powell, arrived to climb all over the novel Pontiac inward my driveway. Kidd owns a 1973 Grand Prix, Powell owns three Grand Ams. They both ain lots of other vehicles but they select a fondness for the ’73-’75 era. Before they left I had bought a novel alternator, replaced condom fuel lines, together with made plans to supervene upon the brake lines. 
  My buddies pointed out that the woodgrain on the dash was non the one-year-only African Cross-fire Mahogany, but a replacement from ’74-’75 Grand Am which used a woodgrain decal. The console wears the forest lid, albeit non inward slap-up condition. They noted the mightiness windows/locks, barrel ringlet A/C control, remote mirror, raise defrost, along amongst consummate interior amongst sport steering bicycle together with tach equally high points to celebrate.
  H5N1 few spare parts Ken had included, were an extra tachometer, wrapped inward the South Bailiwick of Jersey DEVILer newspaper, together with a ’73 Pontiac Service Manual. The DEVILer became inspiration for the Grand Am’s nickname, The Blue Devil.

Endura “rubber” flexible olfactory organ is missing similar many other worn, unrestored 1973 Grand Ams.

Nose job
  The most distinctive chemical cistron on the ’73-’75 Grand Ams is the flexible, condom nose. Mine is missing. Most of these “endura” noses crumbled subsequently the showtime 10-15 years of daily driver use. H5N1 reproduction fiberglass slice is available for $744. That’s a large chunk of cash to pass on a $1,000 car, but the olfactory organ remains a must-have detail to maintain your Grand Am "grand”. 
  However, I’ve ever been fond of the one-year-only blueprint of the 1973 Pontiac GTO, which featured a Lemans-based header panel (nose). 1973 GTOs were sold inward far smaller numbers (4,806 built) than Grand Ams (34,445 2-dr; 8,691 4-dr) of the same year. H5N1 Lemans olfactory organ would move cheaper to clone my GA into a GTO. That declaration is ongoing but I’d kicking myself at machine shows for taking the slowly agency together with depriving people from seeing Pontiac’s daring design.

A Pontiac 400-V8 amongst a 4-BBL carb together with backed past times a Turbo-400 transmission. Plenty of mightiness to propel this 1973 Grand Am. That’s 230hp together with 325 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm for those keeping grade at home.

To move continued
  I computer programme to drive this car, warts together with all, equally a work-in-progress. I’ve constitute that the best agency to source parts together with sometimes cars is to drive an older vehicle. You’ll brand novel friends together with witness the conversation-starting mightiness an one-time machine provides. I guarantee y'all that the showtime fourth dimension I drive the bluish Grand Am to a gas station, I volition move approached past times someone wanting to “talk” cars. Hopefully they know, or perchance y'all know, where I tin disclose some other ’73 Grand Am? Stay tuned.


Jody Potter 
— Junkyard Life

Warning precipitous edges. The Grand Am has some jagged, rusty metallic to a greater extent than or less the raise bicycle wells.  

Brake chore fourth dimension for the 1973 Grand Am. New difficult lines all to a greater extent than or less together with pads/shoes. Old lines were rusty together with weeping brake fluid when bled.

Under dash hush panel removed to disclose the wiring together with Taz air freshener. Note the mill brownish carpet. Seems similar an strange combo but recollect this was when 1973 tastemakers were inward charge. I dig it!

Rear spot together with louvered quarter windows. Faded red, similar a shot pink, rug adorns chapeau rack. Note raise defrost on glass.

A glance at the stunning color combo non seen inward modern times. Regatta Blue exterior paint, white (light beige) interior amongst brownish rug together with nighttime brownish dash, dark console.

Patriot subject carried over inward graffiti scribbled on dorsum of forepart spot back. Red pinstripes would brand this a red, white together with bluish Grand Am.

Close await at olfactory organ mounting surface area together with fender on the battered body of the 1973 Pontiac.

Patch panel on lower forepart fender below showtime edition Grand Am emblem.

1973 Pontiac Grand Am inward all its beater glory. H5N1 survivor who volition maintain on surviving!

Grand Am gets set on elevator for underside inspection.

1973 Pontiac Grand Am console clock together with in-dash tachometer are some of the extra parts shipped amongst machine from New Jersey.

Plenty of tail-wagging fun to move had inward this posi-traction equipped Pontiac sporting a 400-V8. Stay tuned.

Have a Grand Am or parts that y'all desire to sell/donate to the project? Know a junkyard that nosotros quest to visit? Tips for our projects? 
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

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