Bill Baker's
1975 Grand Am Opera Coupe
Bill Baker tells us..." I bought the car in Sept 1975 from a Pontiac dealer located in Lynbrook,N.Y. I was going by and saw the car and after looking at it and sitting inside, I had to have it. I didn't care how much.....So it was mine, and quiteexpensive for those times.
It is a 400 4bbl turbo 400 trans. I had the T-Tops installed summer of 76(quite truthfully if I had it to do over ...NO-WAY) The dealer did not wantto do it but was pursuaded. As you can see it has the opera quarter window,the handling package, hd alt, the rally package (all real gauges and thetach) with the clock down by the console. The only real modification I madewas to take off the cat-converter and put on dual ex from the earlier GA.
All of the other parts are original...trans was rebuilt (same one), samewith the alt and a/c comp. I redid the carb (quadrajet) with a couple modsto perk it up a little. It will break the tires at shift, which can be neatwhen you get in that mood.
As I said before I am in the process of puttingin a new carpet and rust-proofing the interior. I am also upgrading the firstgeneration T-Tops with a much more efficient sealing system and better look4th generation T-Tops. Other than that everything elso is original.
I also have the factory to dealer originating papers and the paperwork fromwhen I purchased the car in 1975.
Oh, one other thing. The nose in an InDesignfiberglass nose. I still have to remove it again and insert the grill piecesand headlight bezels (Next after the interior). I will probably upgrade to aposi rear also, and possibly a GM performance cam if I have thetime and money.
I also havea 55 Ford F100 Pickup that I am presently doing some engine modificationsto.........also..........A 1969 Harley Davidson I built from pieces, and itruns darn good, as well as a Harley drag bike that one time held the 8th mile record in1979 (6.48 109MPH) on gas. It is for sale now, my reflexes are not what theyused to be!
Rgds Bill "
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