Few treats seem to bring back the ’80s summertime nostalgia for me like a frozen Coke. Once I had started earning my own money with my newspaper route and daily deliveries of the Flint Journal in my neighborhood, a whole world of spending opportunities opened up, and it felt like magic. The only pop / soda / carbonated beverage in our household refrigerator was a two-liter of 7-Up, which was strictly for my dad. We boys weren’t allowed to touch it, though all of us would find creative ways to sneak some in small amounts in the hope we wouldn’t get caught or that neither parent could tell.
Once I had a source of income independent of my allowance from my parents, it was go-time with all the sugar, salty snacks, and treats I felt like having, back in a time when my adolescent metabolism was still sky-high. The freedom to enjoy and buy such things hadn’t even seemed fathomable before I had my own bank account. I would later “earn” the cavities to prove I had a sweet tooth, but it felt like a small price to pay.
Delivering the Flint Journal on my Raleigh ten-speed.
This isn’t to say I never drank pop (what we call it in Michigan) before then. Occasionally, say, while at a special event like the Shrine Circus, or while on my very best behavior during a shopping trip with Mom, I would be allowed to get a small Icee or a similar frozen drink. I loved and still love the “red” flavor (something approximating a combination of cherry, strawberry, and a few other berry-like tastes), but the frozen Coca Cola version had a little extra something. First of all, it was carbonated, so you got the bubbles on your tongue as you took small gulps out of the big, red, spoon-tipped straw. Then there was the flavor of the Coke itself. What is it about freezing a Coke that makes it extra delicious, in a way that’s completely different than when served in a glass over ice?
I was also that kid who would attempt to prolong the enjoyment of things by drawing out the process. Maybe it was prior experience with polishing off some treat, like an ice cream cone, while my brothers were still enjoying theirs and flaunting it in my face. Later on, though, I’d be gingerly sipping on that frozen Coke until it had started to melt and separate in the plastic container into cold liquid on the bottom and a floating slush-berg on the top. This is what the two-tone paint job of this ’86 Grand Prix reminded me of when I photographed it almost two months ago. By the time this car was new, the ’81 refresh of the downsized-for-’78 GP was already in its sixth model year, so like the inevitable emulsification (or whatever it’s called) of a frozen Coke on a hot summer afternoon, this design had been out for a while.
This does not mean that I loved this generation any less at the time. When I was growing up in Flint, at the end of and across the street from the Dort Highway exit ramp of the I-69 expressway was Superior Pontiac-Cadillac. This complex has long since been repurposed as part of Baker College, but any car ride that involved taking this exit would invariably have me craning my neck to check out the merchandise. It was particularly exciting to see one of the limited edition ’86 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 fastbacks through the plate glass of the showroom windows. My family had also test-driven an ’86 or so Pontiac 1000 (Chevy Chevette clone) when we were looking for a replacement second car. The ’80s Grand Prix didn’t share the same high-tech image as many of Pontiac’s other offerings, like the Sunbird, Fiero, Grand Am, or the ’87 Bonneville, but I always thought that of GM’s G-Body coupes, it exhibited a particularly graceful balance between class and sporty style.
A license plate search indicated that this example is powered by the optional, 5.0 liter engine with a four-barrel carburetor and 150 horsepower. The standard engine in the ’86 Grand Prix was a 110-hp, 3.8L V6. Starting weight was around 3,300 pounds for the notchbacks, with the fastback modifications adding about 200 lbs. There were four variants offered that year, including the base model (21,700 units), the LE (13,900), the Brougham (4,800), and the aforementioned 2+2 fastback which managed just over 1,100 sales for its $8,000 ($20,700 / adjusted for 2022) premium over the $10,200 ($26,400) base model.
For about $500 over the cost of the entry level car and according to the factory brochure, the LE added such niceties as body-colored sport mirrors, rocker panel moldings, added insulation, and a four-spoke, sport steering wheel. For an additional $800, the $11,600 ($30,000) Brougham added special “Tampico” carpeting and nicer door panels, an upgraded 55/45 split front bench seat with a fold-down armrest, and power windows. A host of options were available for all trim levels, and the powerplant was not tied to the sub-model.
Total sales of about 41,500 units for ’86 were far from great, especially against those of the Pontiac’s GM cousins: 96,700 Buick Regals, 119,200 Chevy Monte Carlos, and 144,500 two-door examples of Oldsmobile’s rear-drive Cutlass. The Ford Thunderbird, with almost 164,000 sold, was the most popular of this type of car that year, while Mercury moved a very respectable 136,000 Cougars. So, what is it about this iteration of Grand Prix that I find so attractive? Going back to my earlier metaphor, I think that its hint of “Coke bottle” styling in its rear quarter panels was particularly well-executed and make it stand out among its personal luxury peers.
Most two-tone examples I’ve seen featured color combinations that were very appealing and chosen well by the product planners. This example features Light Chestnut Metallic (paint code 58) over Dark Chestnut Metallic (62), with a series of fine-line tape stripes between the two sections to give the illusion of color gradation. Combined with the optional T-bar roof, some multi-hued examples have been drop-dead gorgeous in my eyes.
I’m aware that with the most numerous ’86 models being on the lower end of the spectrum, many were closer to the celery green, ’85 model Brendan Saur had written about roughly seven years back. Celery isn’t my favorite vegetable (I always feel like I could floss my teeth with those fibers), and even if Brendan’s find was undeniably appealing to me in some ways, there’s no question as to whether my Freudian id would prefer a few celery stalks or a frozen Coke. Never mind that not long after finishing said frozen drink, I’d probably also then need some gum to keep my teeth from feeling fuzzy. Maybe there’s a part of me that knows that another frozen Coke or owning a car like this Grand Prix wouldn’t be the best thing for me, but darn it if I still wouldn’t enjoy one of both on a nice, hot day of summer cruising.
Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois.
February 2022.
It’s nice to see one of these coupes still being used, even if they’re uncared about in the modern age.
I’ve honestly never really cared for the G-body very much myself, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t notice one if I saw it driving down driving down the street. Though I can’t imagine having only 110 HP to use in a car this size, so I’d prefer the small block V8, even if it only has 150 HP.
One thing I really appreciated about this one was that it was a nice car in stock form that was, to your point, being used. Instant flashback to my high school years.
Same here buddy …
Had one in highschool
I never liked that two-toning treatment on these cars, although the wheels and rest of the car is quite nice. What I like about it, over the Ford cars although they were considered more modern, is just that–this was the end of a GM styling era for sure. I still liked frameless door glass, and if you wanted it, you could seat three across the front, both things gone from Ford’s mid-size coupes by that time.
The frameless door glass is a big draw from a styling standpoint, for me. The “aircraft-style” doors cut into the roof that FoMoCo popularized in cars like the Aerobird, Tempo, and a few others seemed new-ish and novel in the ’80s. (Chevy Monza 2+2 and AMC Pacer did it first in ’75.)
Removed from the ’80s, though, the thick greenhouse pillars of the T-Bird and Cougar leave me cold compared to the frameless glass on this GP. Now, whether the cold actually comes in from the weather stripping is another question, but from a looks standpoint, I like this much better.
I have always loved the styling of this car.
But I’m not sure why.
It’s an odd mix of boxy and curvy.
Brougham-y and sporty.
Kind of a “mini-me” of the ’77 GP.
But somehow it is just perfect.
Amen, brother.
The problem with this era of Grand Prix, and which seems to be reflected in the sales volume, is they were indecisive.
This example looks great. But Joe’s find could have just as easily been one with a vinyl roof and wire wheel covers. Olds and Buick, like it or not, kept a general theme throughout their G’s (granted the Grand National was a distinct exception), and while Chevrolet was also trying to split hairs, they had three different header panels on the Monte at this time to make a distinction. Pontiac? Nope, they kept the same basic car and did a mix-n-match on accoutrements.
When they built one correctly, such as this one, Pontiac offered a great looking Grand Prix. I like this one a bunch. But Pontiac simply couldn’t decide what they wanted to be. In a sense, the GP was a microcosm of Pontiac. There was sporty (Trans-Am) and there was brougham (Parisienne) with the GP trying to cover the entire spectrum. We know how that worked out.
Joe, you’ve nailed it with the frozen Coke theme. Now you have me wanting one – both a frozen Coke and a correctly built GP such as this one. The horizontal ribs in the tail lights on the ’86 models were a discreet yet nice touch.
Jason, you bring up a great point about the duality of this car’s identity. Done right, it’s beautiful. Incorrectly accessorized, no thank you.
In looking at the ’86 brochure, it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of the techy models against some of the brougham (or brougham-capable) models.
I’ve recently discovered a YouTube playlist of car commercials of the ’70s, and there’s one for a ’77 or so Bonneville Brougham that seems to encapsulate what lasted on some models of GP well into the ’80s. (Highly recommended YouTube channel, BTW.)
The 1980s Grand Prix was a car that looked like a square-rigged pastiche of the 1969 Grand Prix, which in turn aped 1930s “neoclassics.” Even compared to other G-bodies (much less the competition from Ford), these seemed archaic and geriatric…and although some people like them, they’ve never done anything for me.
I will always have a certain affection for these G-body coupes because when I was growing up in Philadelphia, these appealed to just about everybody. Kind of like SUVs today, in working-class Philadelphia, teenagers liked them, as did their parents and their grandparents. It was mostly the older folks, of course, who bought them new in the mid 1980s, but that didn’t stop us kids from admiring them, especially when equipped with a V-8.
But really, this car was very much like a sugary snack. No one needed one, and they excelled at providing an illusion of plushness that lasted about as long as a sugar high.
I agree that Pontiac’s color combinations — the colors themselves, the two-tone combinations, and the interiors — were generally appealing on these cars. However, I’ve often thought that this particularly two-tone design, with one color fading into the other, looked kind of forced on a older-design car. But at least Pontiac did add on plastic lower-body cladding, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much!
Eric, if I’m reading context correctly, did you mean that Pontiac managed to avoid adding plastic lower-body cladding to these? I’m pretty sure that’s what you meant. The GP and other old-guard Ponchos escaped it, with the chrome rocker panels we see here. Back when these were new, the absence of the plastic cladding made them look a little like throwbacks / leftovers, but as we can see here, this GP has aged much, much better than if it had the tacked-on plastic.
I would have liked these more if they came with the unfortunately discontinued in 1981 W72 301 with 170 hp or the 210 hp turbo 301.
Otherwise, why not just get a Monte Carlo and swap in a 350 a few years later?
I have always favored the Buick and Oldsmobile versions of the G-body, but I wouldn’t turn down a monochromatic Gran Prix, even in celery green, just as long as it did not have a vinyl top or wire wheel covers. The Gran Prix had the nicest dash of the G-body quartet, especially when equipped with the optional “gages”. This example is a particularly nice find on a cold but sunny Chicago morning, in a place and at a time when least expected.
I too had a paper route, shared with my brother, and was responsible for delivering about 50 copies of the Chicago Tribune each day. Sundays were the worst, with the papers stuffed with ads and extra sections, but the effort paid off in the form of all the little luxuries that my earnings made possible.
You are right about Sunday papers! My scrawny, adolescent self learned to counter-balance very carefully on my bike with a sack full of Sunday papers slung over on the other side. And they also tore easily due to their weight when thrown onto porches. They also made a loud bang against screen doors if I accidentally overshot. I got yelled at a few times, but I’m actually surprised nothing else ever happened.
I’d say the Olds was easily my favorite G body, but it was followed closely by these. As Jason mentioned above, the Grand Prix would have to be “correctly” built, with 8 cylinders and no wire wheel covers.
Well, I suppose I have to fess up. I own a 86 Pontiac GP LE. With the wire wheel covers and dreaded landau roof. It sat for years when the original owner passed away. I picked it up for a grand.
Power everything except for remote trunk release. Two tone silver and grey. 305
Easy to work on and has 74,000 miles.
Very nice score! I’d certainly drive it.
Does sound beautiful – congrats, Ryan. Even accessorized as it is, I’m sure it’s a looker when fresh out of the car wash.
Well it will be once it is replayed. Silver did not last long in the 80s. The clear stripped off.
Just FYI, I found some reproduction Pontiac rally wheels online a few months ago (or I’d share the link), it would look sharp, IMO.
All of these G-bodies represent the end of an era for me…after they were discontinued, the only GM car I really liked was the Corvette and the B-body Impala. That still holds true today.
The 1981 facelift improved all of the GM G-bodies. The improvement was most apparent with the Grand Prix and Monte Carlo, although the Cutlass Supreme and Regal are still my favorites. These 1980s G-bodies are now showing up at Carlisle and AACA events. A fair number of have survived in good, original condition.
As for frozen Coke – it is good, and it’s amazing how freezing makes it even more appealing. The only thing better is a Coke float – Coke with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
And now I want a Coke float. Next weekend I think I may need to make that happen.
It really is sort of amazing how transformative the ’81 tweaks – especially the raising and flattening of the horizontal surface of the rear deck / trunk – was for these coupes.
I took drivers education in a 1983/1984 GP’s. Although I’ve never been a Pontiac person, maybe it was my first official driving in a GP that made me love them (I grew up on a farm and was driving since 10 years old). My personal favorites were the two tones, wire wheel covers and no t-tops and with the very plush velour seats. Of all the G-body cars, it was the GP that won me over. And yet, I never owned one.
Base model GP’s in 80’s got dog dish hubcaps. I remember seeing one driven by elder driver in 1987, looked like it was “last new car” for them.
I bought one just like this in 85. Ordered it around Memorial day, truck strike happened and I hot it around Labor day. Loved the color scheme and body style. Miss Pontiacs.
Wow – you had to wait an entire summer for your car! What a lesson in patience. I hope you were able to still get in some warm-weather cruising while your still had that GM new-car smell of the ’80s.
Grand Prix – meh. But I could wax enthusiastic on the Frozen Coke all day long. Offer me a choice of each and it would be a tough call – I would enjoy the frozen treat more but the Pontiac could be sold for enough to keep me in Frozen Coke for awhile.
What a great call on that color – it does indeed look like an aging Frozen Coke. I think GM came up with more variations on metallic dirt colors than anyone else in the industry.
This reminded me of another CC article that referred to this generation (or the one before?) as the “Medium Prix”. LOL
GM did have a few appealing shades of brown in this era, IMO. Just the other day, I saw a newish BMW or something in a very appetizing shade of brown metallic that made me brown-car-appreciate!
Chev 305?
I’m thinking stratification.
Great educated guess on the 305 with which I’d agree, and thanks on stratification. Guess I must have been sick that day when they went over this in chemistry class.
It strikes me as odd that with the lone exception of the 2+2, which was a short run somewhat cobbled looking(IMO) homologation special, the G body Grand Prix from GMs excitement division never had a performance appearance package for most of the run, I think that’s made them somewhat overlooked today, even among G body fans.
You’re right. There was no Grand Prix “SE” or “STE”. The t-topped example from the brochure depicted above looks like an LE that simply had options – it wasn’t a dedicated “sporty” model, though I find it so appealing.
I missed Grand Prix’s. I had a 79 & 81 lj. I’m trying to find one now. I hope I will find one soon.
Terrell, I’m also a big fan of the ’79s. I saw this ’79 LJ with t-tops back in the summer of 2013 and was convinced I wanted one just like it. I hope you find yours!
I remember for a time in the 90s and early 2000s, these 80s G Bodys were ubiquitous here in Detroit. I’m a Pontiac man so these G Body Grand Prixs were right up my alley. Didn’t care for the wire wheel covers, but (and this is my opinion only) I did like them sitting on 100 spoke aftermarket wire wheels. I dig that lowrider look.
I bought a 1981 Grand Prix back in 1990 and it has the Oldsmobile 350 diesel engine. That engine a piece of junk, and I replaced it with a strong running 455 Buick engine. I added a few more goodies like a 160 mph Autometer speedometer, 3 inch exhaust pipes with some short glasspack mufflers to give it a a Harley Davidson rumble kind of sound, etc. Switching the Grand Prix, Regal, Cutlass, and Monte Carlo over to front wheel drive was a big mistake. They should have left them rear wheel drive and made them available with the same engines used in the Camaro and Firebird. I like the long hood and trunk the most. Most of the newer cars are goofy looking because they have those short stubby looking hoods and trunks. This picture was taken after I added horse shoe spacers to raise up the front end by 3 inches or so. Later I added reverse offset Crager SS rims and 245 tires to make the wheels stick out past the fenders. Some people think squatters are something new but we have been doing that down here since the early 1980’s.
I never cared for the G bodies despite their innocuousness. Maybe that’s why I didn’t care for them?
My neighbor had a 3rd gen Gran Prix with the deeply scalloped fender and hood that this gran prix barely suggests. I’m not sure which bothers me more, but at least the 3nd gen had the balls to be what it was.
This era g body 305 was gutless. A fine combo for the ho-hum looks.
Oh, 1980s. I hardly miss your American cars.
I bought a 81 grand prix.brand new..was a great looking car..drove well..great interior..problem was the 267.pontiac motor it had..really under powered.and I had radiator problems.but bought c3 core rad.and fixed some of it….if it would have had the 301 motor..it would have lasted..I.had it 10 years traded it.160k miles..but the motor was gone..but still I liked it and the 2 tone jadestone.color..rj
I bought a 81 grand prix brand new..really like the car and interior.was really nice..other stuff..the small.pontiacs motorv267 was just junk.nonpower..decent gas miles..but had all kinds of problems plus the ac went out…the car drove ok but the power train was sub par for a 9000$car. The 79 GP had the 301 motor and it was much better..beware of the gp motors..they are totally junk..I kept the car 10 years.and like it but the motor was not good..r