Steve Smith's
1973 Grand Am
I'll let
Steve Smith tells us the story" About 12 years ago my friend traded a 80 Ford Pinto for a 73 Grand Am (good trade) from the original owner. After a few months he blew up the motor. It had about 5 lbs of oil pressure and we were racing on the x pressway. I had a 73 pontiac ventura with a 455 4 spd at the time. He spun several bearings among other things but the Grand Am limped home. A few weeks later he ask me to build the motor for him and I did. He spent 3 grand on it. He wanted it to outrun me and it did. After gas going up he decided to sell this car. He asked me if I was interested in it. He would take 500.00 for it with only 730 miles on the motor so i bought it.
It was cut up pretty bad and had header mufflers only for exhaust (noisy). So after a year of just beating Camaros and Mustangs and trips to the track every week I decided to start putting it back together. I put the A/C back on the car. It has ac/ps/pb. I had the interior redone, non factory all velour. 11 years later is what you see now primered 3 different colors, stripped a few times, painted white then after about 3 years stripped and painted black. I've redone the motor a second time due to oil pressure loss and breaking 5 balancers even though she still ran strong and would turn low 9's in the 1/8 mile I descided to make it very strong with Comp cam 280h series cam, Eagle rods, TCI damper, Performer RPM intake, 850 holley forged pistons, 4 tube headers and much more. It now runs best 8.30 secs with Holley and 8.03 with Quadrajet. I've put on the Holley for now.
I'm redoing my Q-Jet at this time, it also has 3:73 posi, 2500 stall TCI, Turbo 400 tranny, 2 1/2 " exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers (still loud). This car takes long trips in the summer and has no problem cruising with the air on. Future plans are new quarters, different wheels, better stereo. Battery in the trunk.....ohh and the tach on the hood is a J.C. Whitney special and it works.
The Chevy crowd always ask about it and say thats a wierd place for a scoop DUH! this car has been a little difficult to build due to this is a chevy and 5.0 slow mustang state and Pontiac stuff is hard to come by here, so most parts have to be ordered out. I once spent 3 months trying to get a fuel pump until Summit Racing and J.B. Performance came along....the end (for now) "
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