Junkyard Adventures: 1973 Pontiac Chiliad Am

Getting in that place is one-half the fun. Junkyard Life guys – hearts of gamblers amongst none of the instincts. That’s us! An ongoing obsession amongst 1973 Pontiacs is taking house at Junkyard Life. We have got never seen a greenish 1973 Grand Am. So, having 1 became mandatory. We obtained perhaps the coolest of Colonnades... a 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. In a rare color called "Golden Olive."
  H5N1 footling background on "Olive," every bit nosotros have got named her. She is a shapely 1973 Pontiac Grand Am inward generally master condition. Her drive prepare operates nicely, though she does have got a dead leg nurture end. H5N1 NACA hood (added yesteryear us, presently subsequently purchase), as well as several other tasty Grand Am things similar a nurture sway bar as well as reclining "horse collar" seats volition earn her a permanent parking spot inward the Junkyard Life stable.

 
Smoke show
  Olive has a fleck of a smoking work from her 400 engine, fed yesteryear a 2-barrel carburetor, but nosotros are convincing her to quit. We have got large engine plans inward the nigh future... More, more, more! She has the finned hubcaps that Pontiac purest concur as well as thus dear. The GM A-body drives great, stops true, as well as feels tighter than a 42-year-old motorcar should. But was Olive upwards for a trip to T.S.U.S.F. (Top Secret Undisclosed Storage Facility)? Dare we? The pelting had no intention of letting upwards as well as nosotros needed to position the motorcar inside, right? Okay, lets go.  

Keith Lively takes the shotgun spot inward the ’73 Grand Am adventure. Miss Olive needs a olfactory organ undertaking but the NACA hood add-on was a must.

Ride along
  We called a Junkyard Life brother, or two, to ride along (and "push” if needed). What could become wrong? For added safety, nosotros decided to follow along inward an fifty-fifty older car! Somehow, Junkyard Life brother, Keith Lively brutal for this malarkey as well as rode shotgun.  

I want nosotros could state that was tire smoke. That 35 MPH bound won't live a problem.

>>This was Keith’s version of the event: 

How a Car Guy spent his weekend
  I received a telephone telephone from the staff over at Junkyard Life bespeak if I wanted to become amongst them to have got a barn honour 1973 Pontiac Grand Am to their “Top Secret Undisclosed Storage Facility.”  
  Yes, you lot guessed it, I met upwards amongst the guys and, wow... What a car, as well as what an adventure, as well as what was I thinking?
  H5N1 normal mortal would have got but position it on a trailer as well as made the trip. Not these guys. After some debating, it was decided to come across if the Grand Am would run as well as brand the trip nether its ain power. I was voted co-pilot on this adventure mission.  

This flick was taken every bit a door decided it was non going rest shut. We idea Keith was making a suspension for it.

Blast-off!
  We larn the motorcar started as well as (kinda) running. The erstwhile 400-V8 powerfulness have got half dozen working cylinders, as well as none of the dash worked. Also, no defroster during what was going to live a heavy pelting as well as an hour-long drive amongst little-to-no window seals.  
  Believe it or not, the trip started out OK. After xx minutes of driving inward heavy rain, nosotros had to trace into a gas station. YES, WE HAD to DRAIN THE FLOORS THAT WERE FULL OF WATER to hold our feet from going under. 
  Was this the Junkyard Life aquarium? (editor’s note: This may live the starting fourth dimension time the give-and-take "aquarium" has been used inward a Junkyard Life story. Thanks, Keith!)  

Keith wasn't kidding almost the fog.

Lost Power, can’t come across a thing
  Thirty-five minutes into the drive as well as the Grand Am lost what footling ability it had, as well as thus over into the emergency lane nosotros go. After a few minutes it came dorsum to life as well as nosotros were moving again.
  Tail pipes billowing fume as well as exhaust fumes starting to buildup within the Grand Am. The windows are rolled downward (yes, however raining) as well as I can't come across a thing. My driver assures me nosotros are getting but about the Top Secret Undisclosed Storage Facility, which sounds to me a fleck similar the Bat Cave.  By now, I'm thinking nosotros but powerfulness brand it. 

Fuel leak!
  With alone 10 minutes left until nosotros reached our destination, nosotros had to become upwards a hill. That is when nosotros works life out the motorcar must have got a bad gas leak, because nosotros are running out of gas when nosotros become uphill. So, amongst ii guys rocking the motorcar back-and-forth, trying to larn it to selection upwards plenty fuel to brand the concluding hill, nosotros become far to the top. Victory is ours! 
  The chase rig, a greenish 1972 Vista Cruiser Wagon, loaded amongst tools, is difficult to come across through the smoke. We trace upwards to what looks similar the longest edifice always built. The door opens as well as amongst what footling headlights nosotros have got left, I was non able to come across the destination on the building. We drive downward the chief lane to the nurture of the edifice as well as come across rows of actually cool, erstwhile Hot Rods waiting to live rebuilt as well as brought dorsum to life.

Pilot, Anthony Powell, as well as co-pilot, Keith Lively exam the limits of the novel Firestone tires on the Grand Am. New condom rocks!

We made it! Keith wasn't kidding almost the fume either. We shall drib something roller-cammed inward this 1 presently – rest tuned!

Trip summary  
  The ’73 Grand Am had no working electrical, except the engine. No defrost, as well as every window leaked heavily. The engine kept trying to die, as well as nosotros had to halt as well as drain the H2O from the floors to hold our feet somewhat dry, but nosotros made it. Overall, it was a fun trip amongst a bunch of corking friends. I can’t hold off to rescue the adjacent barn honour as well as start the adjacent Junkyard Life adventure.
 
Ron Kidd & Keith Lively
— Junkyard Life

One-year-only 1973 Grand Am torso lid. Tag/fuel filler door moves to a higher house bumper inward 1974.

  Pontiac designers continued to offering the buying world beautiful, mid-sized cars fifty-fifty amongst the authorities said non to. Bless ‘em. Those reclining Strato bucket seats are a 1973 Grand Am feature. Pontiac Grand Prix as well as the Trans Am/Formula offered the same seats but without the recline or lumbar back upwards feature.  

Miss Olive has a complex nervous (wiring) system. Previous possessor added several toggles on the console, to a greater extent than accessory switches on the dash, air horns, as well as an apparent alert organization nether the hood.

42-year-old, Miss Olive, shows off her curves.

First generation Grand Ams (1973-1975) were GM’s novel breed of luxury, performance, as well as handling, built to compete amongst European corner carvers.

Miss Olive deserves proper cosmetic dentistry as well as the best rhinoplasty available. H5N1 fiberglass version of the soft Endura olfactory organ may create the trick.

Know a junkyard that nosotros demand to visit? Got a motorcar story?  

Send emails to Jody at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

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