Project Car Update: Golden Olive 1973 Thou Am Engine Drop, Directly What?

Remember Olive? She’s the Golden Olive 1973 Pontiac Grand Am that nosotros scored on a Junkyard Life adventure. This machine earned mucho bonus points because none of us, weirdo, Colonnade-era fans, had e'er position our adoring eyes on a ’73 Grand Am wearing Golden Olive paint. So, add together inwards the bonus points for an strange color, so add together double points from me (Ron), because that strange color is green. Triple those points because, Junkyard Life brother, Anthony, in addition to I, shortened our “short list” cars inwards the same year. Anthony’s hankering for a 1973 Grand Am in addition to my appetite for a 1973 Grand Prix. Score! Score! So, what has give-up the ghost of Olive?

1973 Pontiac Grand Am known every bit Olive for her Golden Olive paint.

  Some of y'all may hollo upwardly “Olive” from a story penned yesteryear Junkyard Life brother, Keith Lively, who told of an adventurous tale, cursed alongside unrelenting weather, in addition to mechanical issues. At 1 point, Keith could non encounter out of the machine due to fog, moisture, in addition to tons of engine smoke. Those next inwards a rescue vehicle, wondered how they could encounter out to drive. Keith tells us they actually couldn’t. Pictures assay he wasn’t kidding. 

Bad News: You never acquire all the H2O out of a organisation earlier pulling an engine, so hold back a mess. Good News: As Ron was edifice an ark, Anthony notes that the color of the water/antifreeze mixture was actually healthy! That is expert word discovered during a large mess.

I autumn to pieces
  We delivered “Olive” to our Top Secret Undisclosed Storage Facility, hidden away from the populace (our wives in addition to their accountants), where nosotros could position out disassembling the Grand Am.
  First off, Anthony in addition to Jody removed the front end clip to address whatsoever issues that “Olive” may receive got alongside rust. We did acquire that in that location are places inwards these cars that volition indeed harbor leaves, many, many leaves, in addition to thus, moisture. 
  We besides constitute 2,000-feet of wiring in addition to 700 switches that GM did non include during assembly. I am convinced that a Thomas Dolby-wanna-be wired “Olive” to give-up the ghost a high tech Batmobile, in addition to injure upwardly alongside a low-tech, spaghetti party. (Editors note: Once in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than Ron composes a phrase never earlier used inwards a Junkyard Life story. “Low-tech spaghetti party” volition at in 1 lawsuit give-up the ghost into history in addition to maybe popular civilisation infamy.)

Anthony Powell in addition to Ron Kidd strike a pose afterwards a greasy twenty-four threescore minutes current of wrenching on “Olive”. Nothing similar relaxing behind a 1973 Grand Am afterwards a successful engine pull. So at in 1 lawsuit what?

Stop, drop, in addition to roll
   Anthony in addition to I yanked the 400-cube engine out of its appointed nest. It’s a run-of-the-mill Pontiac V-8, 2-barrel set-up, that had a smoking problem. We don’t know if it is valve seals or piston rings, nor produce nosotros care. The engine is out of in that location now. The iii of us receive got dissimilar ideas every bit to what occurs next. What should nosotros produce alongside “Olive”?

1. Anthony’s idea: Bigger engine. Not opposed to a completely dissimilar motor going inwards the GA. Cubic inches are even so to travel determined, simply it volition non travel weak. The two-barrel in addition to intake volition accept a spot on a shelf because it is non going dorsum nether the hood.
2. Ron’s idea: Punch it! I desire the master copy block punched .030 in addition to a stroker crank installed. I desire a gear upwardly of aluminum heads in addition to a cam profile from Butler. I desire it mild mannered in addition to torque on demand. I besides receive got a habit of smoking my friends tires for them in addition to the aforementioned suggestions would help.
3. Jody’s idea: GM 3.6L twin turbo-V6. These babies brand 420-hp inwards Cadillac applications. Dropping a junkyard engine from grandma’s totaled 2014 Cadillac CTS would travel a scream.

For those wondering what happened in addition to is happening to to a greater extent than or less of the cool cars we, at Junkyard Life, receive got rescued – expression for updates coming soon. 

Now dorsum to the garage!

Ron Kidd 
— Junkyard Life

Know a junkyard that nosotros bespeak 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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