1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 - Distinctly Different Bubba

I really liked Pontiac's 1981 update of their 1978 downsized Grand Prix. Although, honestly, they still lacked that "gotta-have-it" swagger of the "classic" GP's of 1969-1972 and even to some extent the 1973-1977 "colonnades". I blame that on these cars being just too darn small for a design that was "that big". Like we've discussed before, some designs look better on larger canvases. Of course, the inverse is true as well. They where hardly the worst looking things on the road at the time  and certainly had more of the "spirit" of the older GP's than than the 1978-1980 did. 

Unlike Chevrolet, though, Pontiac never offered a Grand Prix of this vintage with anything remotely construed as a performance engine or even a handling package. Even when it appeared that would have as in the case of these odd looking 1986 only, Grand Prix 2+2's. Allegedly, just 1,225 were built so Pontiac could be in compliance with NASCAR's even at the time archaic rule that whatever raced on their tracks had to be available for sale to the public. Even in such limited quantities. Chevrolet offered a similar looking Monte Carlo SS they called "Aero-coupe" for 1986 and 1987. Incidentally, the 2+2 moniker hearkened back to the a trim package Pontiac offered on their Catalina from 1964-1967. 

Outwardly, the biggest difference between the Monte Carlo SS "Aero-coupe" and a Grand Prix 2+2 was that while the Monte Carlo SS kept the same front end other Monte Carlo SS' models had, Pontiac drew up this (eek!) "shovel nose" front end. As we say, though, "there's an ass for every seat". Folks gobbled everyone of these up quick as they could. No doubt most were NASCAR fans although I'm sure a few were sold to folks who had no idea what the design inspiration for them was. 

Inside buyers got power windows and door locks, still considered higher-end items in the mid 1980's, and buckets and a console enclosed floor shifter which were the epitome of "sporty" back then. There's also that steering wheel that looks like it was pulled from a Fiero. And, oh, that plastic wood grain dash. May have worked on "lesser" GP's but on one with sporting pretensions like this thing, it's as bad as the nose job this car has. 

Although I love the paint scheme, stripes and those "Rally II" rims, as a GM die-hard. then as I inexplicably remain today, I could almost look past the funky (not in a good way) front end and rear window had their been some serious power under the hood. All of these came with nothing more potent than Chevrolet's one-hundred sixty five horsepower 305 V-8 engine. That's too bad. Can you imagine one of these hopped up with the mighty Buick turbo V-6 from this era? All sins forgiven! 

While we're talking engines, it always struck me as odd that GM never offered the fabulous "Tuned-Port-Injection" or TPI 305 engines they offered on Z28's and Trans Am's on these cars. If there was no 305 offered I wont' even mentioned the 350 version of it. Even on the Monte Carlo SS which never had any more than one-hundred an eighty horsepower from the factory. As if someone would buy a Monte Carlo or Grand Prix that could really move over a Camaro Z28 or Trans Am. I mean, some would. Yes. But by and large they were to two distinctly different Bubba's. And seeing that the owner of this car wants almost twenty-grand for it, spending that much on this and then doing a proper motor swap makes no sense what-so-ever.