Words: Tommy Parry
It’s an odd choice for a Pro Tourer, since it’s a bit on the longish side. However, it’s got a charm of its own, since most people have no idea what car it is. Most of these later year A-bodies are just not that popular, and the aftermarket does not cater to these cars. Some vendors like Global West have parts for them, which is why, wisely, Sean went ahead and placed all Global West suspension components on this 1973 Pontiac Grand Am.
To increase the frame’s rigidity, Sean rewelded the frame and added quite a lot of bracing. He also built a new transmission crossmember that attaches to the boxed rails. Eventually, the front bar had to be relocated to clear the steering box and the radiator/lower fan shroud. When the frame was mostly completed, he could focus on the powerplant, which should have any muscle fan smiling.
The motor is a gem: a 428 with a shortblock from ERL with a slew of great parts. The intake is a factory LS7 ported by LS2 Portworks, and the cam specs are .633/.640 lift, 226/242 @.050 on a 115+3 LSA. The headers are from BRP/Musclerods made from 1 7/8″ long tubes. The throttle body and fuel rails are sourced from an LS7. As you can see, Sean was interested in making big power the best way possible, and few expenses were spared.
Sean bolted on Brodix LS7 STS heads, attached some Aeromotive LS7 fuel rails, then doused the entire intake and the valve covers in Pontiac Metallic Blue. Lastly, he added a Spectre air filter and shoehorned a Lincoln Mark VIII fan up front. To run coolly in the Orange County heat, he’d need all the help he could get.
Adding some tailor-made suspension came next. Up front, the suspension is made up of QA1 double adjustable shocks with a custom long-travel setup. Impressive enough — but not as impressive as the custom 4-link/coilover arrangement in the rear. Getting the right spring rate was a serious concern, as he wanted his Grand Am to ride nicely, and after plenty of consulting with suspension companies, he ended up with 600-pound springs.
Next, he added the Global West tubular rear lower control arms and installed the new GW upper rear control arms as well. Now the car was beginning to take shape.
After he realized that the LS sits higher in the chassis than the Pontiac, and recognizing the transmission simply wouldn’t clear, he cut the the tunnel to accommodate a new gearbox, a TKO 500 which would later be replaced with a T-56. After he swapped to the beefier transmission, he fitted a McLeod twin disc clutch.
Inside, the gauges look stock with the exception of the digital odometer in place of the old-fashioned rolling numbers. The speedometer also reads 200 mph — wishful thinking, or a subtle form of motivation? The guts of each gauge were rebuilt using modern electronics, and a shift light was added to trigger between 6,000 rpm and 7,000 rpm.
The LS7 is absolutely stunning to drive. Even though it has not been officially tuned yet, just half-throttle in second and third gear results in huge clouds of tire smoke. Plenty of power and no driveability issues makes it a usable Pro Tourer that can manage in LA traffic and the Southern California canyons.
He then finished up the footwork with Modulare C1 wheels. The fronts are 19×9.5 and the rears are 19×11, and wrapped in Nitto NT05s measuring 275/35/19 and 305/35/19, respectively. To bring the behemoth to a stop, Wilwood 6-piston Aerolite front calipers clamp on Spec 37 14.25″ slotted rotors. These are mounted to the recently-released Speedtech ATS 2.0 Extreme spindles. Rear brakes are 4 piston Wilwoods with 12.88 Spec 37 slotted rotors, so not only will the Grand Am slow nicely, Sean can use the rear braking to help it rotate.
He decided to paint the car in BMW Donington Grey and painted the underside in bed liner. While underneath, he added a 3″ Dr. Gas X-Pipe kit and the exhaust is now 3″ to the mufflers, then tapers to 2.5″ over the axle, with the tips are positioned to sit halfway up into the cut-out and the lower half under the cut out. The tips end flush with the body in order to remain subtle and not stick out too boldly.
Though this build had been high-dollar, he did opt for one budget buy late in the process. A pair of CRZ seats for $60 hardly made a drop in the bucket. Then he upholstered a 2011 Challenger center console, and mocked up the Hurst shifter.
It’s an ambitious build that’s nearly over, and Sean plans to start competing with the car once he finishes his exams. It’s incredible that between a full-time job and night school he can muster such an achievement — but you just can’t keep some people down, it seems.
