@Donald Trump is Ghetto Trash It was fairly popular across the board but like you said, guys bought the sportier models like the two doors with the extra body cladding and wing on the back. They'd tint the windows and put a subwoofer in the trunk. 😁 Also that's when more people were still resistant to buying Hondas and Toyotas so they would put up with these.
@Donald Trump is Ghetto Trash Truer words cannot be said. Everyone had one, wanted one, or would love to be given one. Super popular car. I still see them in NJ, CA, and in Baja all in great condition. Especially red ones for some reason. The Quad-4 was 100% GM Oldsmobile engineered, unlike the other Opel based GM 4cyl engines.
And that's with a turbo. I slightly missed my tuned Cruze. Why GM didn't have a 180 HP Cruze when they left the market with Premiers stickered for $32K using the same L/LS engine is beyond me.
Donald Trump is Ghetto Trash have you driven a Cruze in stock form? They 100% went for MPG and that’s it. If you try and run 87 in the summer you have to justify using A/C. Same time the same engine was tossed in the Gen 2 no matter what trim unless it was a diesel.
@@rdpeach yes I had to have mine replaced. It cost a grand but after that it was solid. Engine and tranny was the only thing good on it by the time I got rid of it. Everything else rusted away. Hated to see that drivertrain get scrapped
I remember being 11 years old and seeing this car in the Pontiac brochures, thought it was awesome then and still think it looks really good today. Love the teal color with matching wheels. I'd prefer a V6 but that Quad 4 sounded fantastic getting all rung out with the 5-speed. These Grand Ams were EVERYWHERE in the 90s...now I literally never see any Grand Ams on the road here in Ohio, not even the last gen one, they are all gone!
MightyVoice They are still common in the rural southeast. Texas is dominated by trucks and California by imports. Rust killed these cars (and everything else) in the Midwest.
Last gen (1999+)are still popular around my town even though we are in the snow belt. Same with this generation of Malibu and Alero. You literally can’t do better for a $1000 car. Solid drivetrain. A lot less rust than their Japanese competitors of the era. Good luck having any of the convenience features still working but who cares? What gets them in the end is usually a head gasket at 200,000 miles… about the time the Subaru worth five times the price is working on its third set. It’s a 24 beer job in the driveway.. 10 beer if it’s only the front one… but usually by this point they are just scrapped.
@@calvinnickel9995 the Japanese cars of this era are worth as much as they are because of the racing history behind the brand or the tuning capabilities of the power train
I like the square ones from the 1980s because i'm a sucker for those shapes, but this version of the Grand AM is my favorite. My gramps had a white '94 four-door SE; automatic transmission mated to a 3800 V6 with a spoiler and the firebird-like gray alloys. Always loved that car, he's had it since 1997 when i was 3 years old. He parked it in the garage at the condo and when he passed away in 2021 he left it to me. He always joked about tinkering with it and making it a sports car that could hit 100 mph. Seems the 3800 is an excellent candidate for supercharging so i plan on making his dreams come true.
I have a '93 Bright Teal High Output Sedan! 1 of only 719 built! I LOVE you for this, I am the biggest fan of this car EVER! I fell in LOVE with this review and have been chasing one ever since, I finally get it within less than 48 hours from this comment. I also have a "parts" Bright White '93 that also runs. EDIT: We made it 586 miles home without a single issue.
@@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen great to see another person who is into gm cars of this era. I had a few of these over the years. I have a 91 Beretta gt that I have manual swapped, owned it for 21 years now. Also have a 89 cavalier Z24 convertible in black with silver ground effects and gray interior. They never see salt.
I was a lot boy back when these were new. I remember the dealership having tent sales, moving these Grand And like crazy. One weekend I worked till 2am getting them cleaned up for delivery. Wish I had a picture of them all lined up! Back then a lot of us never considered a "foreign car". Most of the buyers were working class who were proud of their new Pontiacs. The Japanese probably built a more reliable and refined machine, but I doubt they could hold up to the abuse and neglect many of these Grand Ams endured during their lives. Things would break but the car was never completely broken. They always seemed to be able to get you where you needed to go.
Love GM. I’ve had GM since I’ve gotten my license (07 Yukon, 08 G6, 06 G6, and 16 Terrain). This time around, I tried to find something I liked within the GM family but nothing was standing out to me and the MSRPs have become outrageous. I leased a 2023 Kia Sportage which I’m enjoying very much but I hope to return to GM next time.
I had one of the Ram Air ones. Great little car which I drove to hell & back before passing it on to my niece, who's had it for 10 years. My secret to long car life? Regular maintenance, that's all.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 After I gave my old Grand Am to my niece, I actually bought a 6-speed, 3.5L Altima coupe. It can run 100 mph+ on the local Interstate without much effort. Damn quick car, for sure. The N.C. Highway Patrol in my area can vouch for that, Lol 😅
Yeah... but they hit the nail on the head with the vibration. Balance shafts would be added in 1996 and combined with a longer stroke to give more low end torque, HP would drop to 150... which is pretty sad since most Japanese engines of much smaller displacement were making nearly as much HP and ones like Honda’s VTEC engines were making 100 HP/L in the mid to late 90s.
very easy to get more. exhaust system was too small, and chip could be advanced 4 degrees for more power. Stock air intake is TOO small, replacement with cone filter is easy. With a similar car, I took out a like a Ford Taurus SHO v6. Mods are pretty easy.
@@matthewburkholder1076 Clearly you had no experience with them. As a GM mechanic at the time, and someone who raced them in Beretta GTZs and Olds Calais in SCCA Showroom Stock, the Quad4 was one of the best engines of its time. Extremely reliable and more powerful than any other NA 4cyl. The aluminum head/iron block could cause some head gasket issues but only if abused and overheated. It was such a great engine that GM ended up offering it in 8 different models over more than a decade.
@@dekesone1 my experience was at the salvage yard pulling parts and selling those quad 4s, we couldn't keep them in they were selling so fast because they failed regularly. So clearly I did have experience with them, just not the same as you
My family had one while growing up, and although it was a beautiful car I can't think of a time it wasn't being repaired monthly. The 3.1 regularly overheated, the wheel bearings kept going out, power steering problems, EGR issues, braking issues and much much more! That car gave my dad the chance to teach me how to work on cars, and damn did it work. That Chilton's manual was nasty by the time we got rid of the turd. We actually had to keep our 91 Tempo with a rusted out muffler and no AC as a backup car, and to this day I wonder if the Tempo got driven more than the Grand Am.
I wish i could like this more than once. Im a 4th gen maniac. I lpve these cars. Even with their quality control issues, they are miles better than anything similar that ive driven from this era.
Here's a thought for a segment: Motorweek aquires a retro review-worthy vehicle in good overall condition (80's-90's in this case) and members of the Motorweek staff (including former staff like Craig and Lisa,) drive the car and give their thoughts on it; both from staff experiencing it for the first time and staff who remember when that vehicle came out. It would be neat to see how Motorweek alumni, as well as John Davis, view some of these cars now versus when they first came out. You could call it Test of Time or something like that lol
People can say whatever they want, but I love this car and the HO Quad 4! I owned a 90 Grand Am SE, which was the previous style and equal to this GT and I miss it so much! I really wish I could find one in great shape. That 0 - 60 time they got is off though. Those cars were faster than that.
Also had a 90 Grand Am...and when i showed up at the street races...i'd say it was the quickest 4 cylinder untl the Diamond star cars showed up...but launched right even 5.0's had to put work in to beat it!!
Oldsmobile should've been retained, while badged as Buick for foreign markets. Buick and GMC should've been axed in the U.S. All sport oriented models should've shifted to Pontiac. Unfortunately, the G8 was a start but came too little too late.
If Pontiac wasn’t axed , they were gong to make everything RWD, which in hindsight is they way Pontiac should have been. But that would have cost too much on sharing platforms
They were nice looking. I owned an Olds Achieva, basically the same vehicle. It wasn't as aesthetically pleasing but mine came with a V6 which made good acceleration for a small car at the time.
@@halohunter5217 yes. But q4 had better max performance. You dont test acceleration and max speed at 1/2 throttle. Fuel economy and handling was also better. It was more modern, more "todays" car with this engine.
@@jareknowak8712 It was a peppy little car. My girlfriend had a 95 Grand Am with the quad 4 which I also drove sometimes. The Pontiac was new and the Oldsmobile was a 93 model. Both had naturally aspirated engines. The six cylinder put out more power. I'm speaking from personal experience here.
@@DarkHumorWritesItself GM had many 4 cylinders in the '90 in Europe. 2.0 16V 150hp, 2.0 16V Turbo over 200hp. Opel Calibra was the equivalent of this car in Europe. Calibra Turbo, with AWD and 6 speed manual was one of the fastest cars on the roads. Car looks very similar to Chevy Beretta. They should use this engine in US instead. Very good for tuning, very popular in motorsport.
I had a black 93 with the same engine. That thing was a beast. Torque for days. It would spin the tires in every gear. I could fit three whole drum sets in that car too. One of the best ergonomic seats I've ever sit in. (Yes it beats mustang seats) I would love to have another just like it. It's super great on gas. Took a trip that was 4hrs long and when I got there it had only used 1/4 tank of gas.
I had the 1995 Oldsmobile version, by 30k miles the interior had shedded about 2 dozen different parts, then came the head gasket issues and electrical problems...the car that turned me into a Toyota guy, amazing how 2 similar sized companies could be so radically different.
Still think these look great. Had a 94 GT back in the day and loved it. Mine was the 3.1 V6 auto. After 3rd time transmission went out it was time to go.
I've owned 2 grand ams. First was a 95 with this 4 cylinder in it though it was a 4 door. Didn't own it that long, maybe 2 years. Had a 2004 4 door with 3.4 V6 and auto. Owned that car for over 11 years and traded it in with 168K on it. Still ran great and trans shifted fine but the rest of the car was falling apart by then.
You must have been a real shit driver, I beat the ever-living shit out of mine and the engine went at 176,000 miles, Transmission was fine. Check your damn fluids.
I had a '93 almost identical to this one - same powertrain and options, color and matching wheels. Only difference is mine had a spoiler, this test car doesn't. Was quite fun with the 5-speed, the '93 had 175 hp, I think they did some tricks to decrease engine noise that year. It was a good car overall and only had a few minor issues. Once it hit 150k and 10 yrs, it did start consuming a lot of oil and rust began to form (lived in northeast at the time), so was time to let it go. Brings back some good memories though.
Pontiac actually seemed like a legit sports sedan competitor back in the late 80s/early 90s. This is really good performance for 1992; would've been decent in 2002! But somehow it never came together. I've heard it said recently (regarding Cadillac's brand direction specifically, but I can see it in 1990s Pontiac too): GM lacks commitment.
GM made a lot of interesting and cool looking cars back in the 90's. They were definitely feeling the pressure from the Japanese and responded with some really stand-out designs. I'm guessing, though, that the reliability wasn't there and this ultimately doomed them to giving up on cars and focusing on trucks and SUV's.
Back when GM actually tried to make Pontiacs look exciting instead of rebadged Chevrolets like they did in the 2000s. All in favor of Tahoes and Hummers in the 2000s
Cuz its cheaper to make everything pretty much Chevy. Back then every division had their own motors. GM is basically just a holding company. But I agree I'm a Ford guy but Pontiac was my favorite division
2000s pontiacs looked pretty different IMO. The grand prix looked way better than the monte Carlo lumina or impala, the grand am looked more like the alero than a malibu and the bonneville platform was never in a chevy only the sunfire and torrent and Montana looked like chevys
@@75aces97 Though the grand am here shared a lot of part numbers with a Cavalier, I don’t think there was a Chevy equivalent to the Grand Am. Anyone confirm this?
Hey it’s my first car in high school!! I actually owned a 1992 Grand Am coupe in white. I got it in 1999 with 115,000 miles. It was a great car but after I had it for a year started having transmission problems and just needed more work than I could afford. Got rid of it and picked up a 1988 Corolla for $500. Even though it had a lot more miles and was plagued with rust the engine was solid. Never had a single issue with that car
I bought a 93 GT in this very color with the green wheels but it has the V6 3300 engine. I still own it and it only has 61k original miles on it. Looks brand new cause it’s always been kept in the garage. People always think it’s been restored and want to buy it. I just can’t do it. Never had one problem with it. Just changed the transmission fluid for the first time last week. It’s a beautiful car in my opinion. Still has the original tires on it. People think they are crappy cars but mine is 27 years old and still going.
Wow, Throwback Thursday! These were surprisingly very, very good cars. We had a 1993 and it was a smart buy! My family owned it around 14 years, and it was rock solid. It was our first fuel injected and abs equipped car. I'll always remember going to Hardee's for a treat after buying it to show off our new Grand Am! It never developed any rust, had good paint, and never needed the factory exhaust replaced. The interior looked very futuristic and wasn't bad for GM. It would do 80 MPH interstate cruising in complete comfort. The oil pressure sending unit blew out twice, creating a oil spill all over the hot engine. The electrics were a bit flaky in its old age. The passenger side dashboard had a 1/2" gap next to the A pillar from the factory. :-O But, we called it "The Lexus" because it was soooo much better than our garbage cars from the 80's. Was a Camry better? Sure. But, these were around 30% cheaper to buy, and any rural mechanic could fix them for dirt cheap. My parents eventually sold it to someone that had just been released from prison. :-)
Everyone who was into cars in this era had a weirdly clinical enthusiasm for uninspired, badly made, ugly cars and I just didn’t get it. It took me years to realize I actually liked cars because all I had growing up was reviews like this. Thank you for this trip down memory lane to remind us how far we’ve come.
180 HP out of a 2.3 liter 4-cylinder engine is very impressive for an american car of the early 90s. I have a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice and it just makes 170 HP out of a 5 liter V8.
I had this car as my very first car in 1995. I was 16 years old and it was a 93 model with H.O. Quad 4 engine. Even now I still miss my old Grand Am GT. I drove that car for 6 years and traded it in for a new Honda Accord after graduating College. I was very lucky with mine it had 198,000 miles and the only thing I ever did to it was changed the alternator twice and regular maintenance. It was a great car.
I can still see these cars in the glossy magazines that Pontiac used to send out.. These cars came in so many trims, colors, and loaded with features.....I was a child in heaven..daydreaming about what i wanted on mine....if i was to ever get one... Lol..
Well I believe the black wheel trend STARTED in the late 70s to early 80s. Which the higher performance Euro cars used them to signify a track car. The wheels of a true track car will have black wheels from the brake dust. But it seemed about 10 yrs ago the black wheel trend started again this time on American cars etc. Oh the "triple" black was a trend. Black wheels, black body, black interior. I noticed in past year or so some SUV and pickup brands have a "midnight" trim. Yes the black wheels ruin the wheels design etc.
I rented a couple of these (sedans, not coupes) back in the day, and remember them as fun cars to drive with distinctive styling, inside and out. MW, I'd love to see a "through the years" retrospective of John's different-every-episode jackets.
Points to a very bright future for GM's performance leader. RIP Pontiac. Sticking different plastic moldings on a Chevy can work. But only so many times.
Always thought the Grand Am was all flash and zero substance. Once these cars got some age on them(ie 5 years old), they tended to fall apart, the interiors were absolute junk. Also for whatever reason, it seems the demographic that bought these cheap domestic cars abused the shit out of them, which certainly didn't help the perception of them being throw away cars. Its a shame, because I thought this gen Grand Am was pretty hot looking stuff for its time, but once again it was all flash with little substance(especially if you checked the wrong option boxes like base engine/automatic)
You’re right about them being trashed, but that’s the demographic GM aimed at. I just bought a 95 SE 2dr from an old lady who bought it new. 46k miles, but it needs all brakes and suspension, and a couple wheel bearings. 1800 bucks.
You said the right stuff, but wrong order. These cars, when owned by non-trash people, held up well compared to most makes and models of the day. However, Pontiac, tended to draw in a lot of people who just trashed their cars. I think most of them ended up with Dodge and driving Neons.
I purchased a 96 grand am. I wanted a Grand Prix. But it was not available. I was 20 years old. My dad went with me looking at cars. And he asked me why do you want this car. We saw a single cab Chevy 1500 short bed light blue dropped on Boyd’s. He said get the truck. I told him I really wanted the grand am. I should of got the truck. That was my first new car I purchased myself my parents didn’t help at all no co-sign. I should of got the truck. My pops passed 3 years ago. We would still laugh about that. Miss you pops.
Yes another Beretta owner! I bought mine back in 98. First car I bought from a dealer, out of high school. It was a big accomplishment considering I did it with no help. I'll never part with it.
@@williamsinger4124 My gtz was given to me,because it needed a lot of work. Was from the country and had wiring issues from mice and needed a head gasket. Even though the quad 4 was tired,she still pulled nicely.
@@DefWun very cool that you were able to save it. Mine is a 91gt with a 3.1. I just finished manual swapping it this spring. Took two donor cars an 89 gt 5 speed for the trans, etc. And a 92 base model with a stick for the pedals, center console shifter etc since the interiors are different. I wanted the swap to look and function as if it was factory
In the early to mid 2000's every corner used car lot had a few. Because GM made so many, if the dealer did their own work, they could get a decent looking one on the lot cheap. I have to think they primarily appealed to someone who aspired to a Firebird, but couldn't afford one, or needed a real back seat.
mclarenV12 must be a regional thing. Where I'm at 92% of the grand ams you see are driven by black people. And they have pretty well figured out to avoid any type of older Chrysler products (intrepid, Sebring, etc).
thats my mom! except it was a perm and marlboro red labels with a 20oz dr pepper in the cup holder on her way to her shift at the old folks home to cut hair. 2002 pontiac grand am gt with the galaxy silver paint job. then my dad started driving the car and it was swisher sweet wrappers and loose change everywhere with a raineer tall boy in the cup holder on his way to a shift at dennys. good times... good times indeed :)
Sailor Dave the only time a head gasket will blow on these is if you abuse it, and then have it rebuilt improperly. Most shops had no idea how to fix these motors. They still dont. Same goes for oriental cars of the era with a dohc engine.
Rev up your Engines... Today I'm going to talk about why, Pontiac, isn't, around, anymore ahh haa haa. *Display's laughing seal in upper right corner of video*
I always thought to these 90s Grand Ams were sharp looking cars, even though I always drove Japanese imports. I shunned the domestics like this for their inferior build quality, but after revisiting to this video, this Grand Am Gt looks like it would be a good bit of fun to drive with a manual.
This had way more than 160 lb ft of torque. I had one after I graduated high school. Dump the clutch and floor the gas just right.... you could bark the front tires in 3rd gear! This was a surprise screamer.
I had rented an early built '97 Grand Am SE V6 2 door, and never forgot how comfortable that car was. If I didn't need a truck so badly I would have bought one.
Quad 4 was used from 1987 to 2002. In 2003 Ecotec design replaced it, and is still in use today with extensive turbocharging. Turbocharging of the Ecotec came curtsy of Saab engineering on the 2003 Saab 9-3.
Gosh I liked these cars but was too young to have one at the time. I’ve never understood why GM got rid of Pontiac, to me it was the only GM division that was interesting.
I use to own a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am GT sedan in a forest green color. It was the top of the line model with a power sunroof, leather seats, 3100 V6 150 hp, 150 torque, and a Bose sound system. Thought I was a bad ass back then. I wanted the one with the 2.4L H.O. DOHC quad 4, but I didn't like the coupe.
My mom had a 1998 Grand Am GT coupe with the 3100 when I was in highschool but it was pretty basic and had manual windows... Learned how to drive in it when I would sneak it out at night on weekends lol.
Oh, you were a bad one too back in the day. I did the samething to when I was 14 yrs old with both of my parents cars. I took my dad's 1987 Pontiac Grand Am LE 4 dr.
@@bigdaddyvince1825 It just seems rather common to find these old Pontiacs on the used market or in the junkyard with empty packs of marlboro or camel or the stench of cigar smoke. Certain cars attract certain kinds of people I guess, lol.
B-Wulf my mom smokes marlboro red labels. and when my dad had the car he smoked swisher sweets and left the wrappers everywhere and when i was cleaning it out a few weeks ago there had to be at least 200 wrappers under the seats and a few marlboro boxes. i dont smoke because i think its bullshit myself and my dad quit a few years ago. my mom always says that she isnt a quitter and she wont ever quit smoking.
@@bigdaddyvince1825 What a coincidence then, I was right about the malboros and cigarette remains in pontiacs, lol. Well, you can't force anyone to do or not do something but what you can do is keeping leading by example.
I owned a 5th generation 2000 Grand Am GT and never realized that the previous version featured here actually had more horsepower from the quad four at 180 horsepower than the 3.4 liter V6 with 170-175 horsepower used in the 1999-2005 Grand Am’s. The quad four engine only had 160 ft lbs of torque though compared to the 200-205 ft lbs of torque in the V6. It’s too bad General Motors killed Pontiac off. They made the only cars I ever really liked from GM.
Ryan the W41 Quad 4 made even more horsepower rated at 195hp and 190ft lbs. This motor was supposed to be made even more powerful, but GM denied that idea as it was beating corvettes with its 250hp turbo varients. These motors are insanely powerful and easy to work on compared to the competition. My only complaint is the motor mounts from 96-98. They suck.
LRulesTheWorld I always thought that a Quad 4 would make a good replacement engine for the old 2.5 liter Iron Duke that came in the Pontiac Fiero. The most powerful V6 Fiero was only rated at 140 horsepower and around 170 ft lbs of torque. A Quad 4 would be lighter and depending on the tune could easily produce more power. Another high power 4 cylinder that would be good in a Fiero swap is the supercharged 205 horsepower 2.0 liter and later 260 horsepower turbocharged 2.0 liter Ecotec engines from the Cobalt SS. My son has been wanting a Fiero for some reason and I always thought a swap from the Cobalt SS would be awesome.
Ryan you can actually swap a 2.4l twin cam into a Fiero. And GM made a supercharger for that engine, boosting it to 210-230hp depending on how you set it up. I currently have one of these superchargers, and plan to put it on my grand am when the bodywork is finished. They also have many n/a options such as different cams/lifters, downpipes, and even throttle bodies and intakes. Its a very versitile engine. They can handle up to 300hp stock, on a turbo, reliably.
I remember my Dad test driving a used Calais (or something) with some quad-4 variant. I couldn't believe how fast it was compared to normal cars of the era. He told me not to tell mom how fast we went.
Had one of these . gt .6cyl. Auto. Dark green. Grey alloys. Body kit . spoiler. Tint .Had barbed wire etched around the wondows. It was fun till the engine gave me trouble . I basically gave it away. Kinda miss it .
Those were cool when they first come out. But the interior was just cheaply made. You’d be lucky to find one now where the interior hasn’t fallen apart
The climate control knobs will break off. I remember my dad kept a pair of vice grips in the car for the climate control settings. :-). He eventually replaced them from the dealer and paid some ridiculous price for those plastic knobs.
The only thing that fell apart on mine was the scissor things that rolled the windows up and down. They bent and caused the windows to get off track. Other than that everything else held up good. Except the head liner. Lol typical
I bought one for my wife, then fiancee, which she got over 225k mi. She drove it hard and it never broke, was one of the better cars we had for a long time...think its a fluke though lol.
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Damn, I forgot how mean looking the front end was. Still miss Pontiac to this day.
If I'm president of GM back in the recession era I'll keep Pontiac & trash Buick.
@@mrdaykurutakuchannel nawl
The lower air dam looks like an Aventador if you squint a bit
@mrdaykurutakuchannel But the Chinese don't want Pontiacs. Hence us being stuck with Buick.
We miss Pontiac, too. Everytime we talk cars, my dad always brings up his 67 Pontiac
I remember my best friend Dave had one of these in highschool. We use to just go out and cruise. I really miss him. RIP my friend.
That teal instantly brings out the inner 90s nostalgia
Just missing the empty pack of cigs under the driver seat and a 20 oz. Mountain Dew in the cupholder.
...I guess let me get on that 😂
Marlboro reds? Shorts or 100s?
...try Marlboro Lights 😂
"ciggies?" "Under the seat?" be honest you've never smoked, have you
that is legit just like my grandma lmao
They still look pretty good. I miss Pontiac's weird styling cues.
It's extremely ugly
@@RallyLancer95 🤷🏽♂️
@Donald Trump is Ghetto Trash It was fairly popular across the board but like you said, guys bought the sportier models like the two doors with the extra body cladding and wing on the back. They'd tint the windows and put a subwoofer in the trunk. 😁
Also that's when more people were still resistant to buying Hondas and Toyotas so they would put up with these.
I like it
@Donald Trump is Ghetto Trash Truer words cannot be said. Everyone had one, wanted one, or would love to be given one. Super popular car. I still see them in NJ, CA, and in Baja all in great condition. Especially red ones for some reason. The Quad-4 was 100% GM Oldsmobile engineered, unlike the other Opel based GM 4cyl engines.
Dang 180hp for that 2.3 liter i4 is actually amazing for being in the 90s
Jonathan Cisneros still good today, 2019 corolla only puts out 140 and 153 for the Cruze.
And that's with a turbo. I slightly missed my tuned Cruze. Why GM didn't have a 180 HP Cruze when they left the market with Premiers stickered for $32K using the same L/LS engine is beyond me.
Unfortunately those engines were bad with head gaskets
Donald Trump is Ghetto Trash have you driven a Cruze in stock form? They 100% went for MPG and that’s it. If you try and run 87 in the summer you have to justify using A/C. Same time the same engine was tossed in the Gen 2 no matter what trim unless it was a diesel.
@@rdpeach yes I had to have mine replaced. It cost a grand but after that it was solid. Engine and tranny was the only thing good on it by the time I got rid of it. Everything else rusted away. Hated to see that drivertrain get scrapped
I had a 96 Grand Am with the quad four. I beat that car mercilessly for over a decade. Never let me down.
'96 was the debut of the 2.4 Twin Cam. I had a new 1996 G.A., as well.
I remember being 11 years old and seeing this car in the Pontiac brochures, thought it was awesome then and still think it looks really good today. Love the teal color with matching wheels. I'd prefer a V6 but that Quad 4 sounded fantastic getting all rung out with the 5-speed. These Grand Ams were EVERYWHERE in the 90s...now I literally never see any Grand Ams on the road here in Ohio, not even the last gen one, they are all gone!
Most would still be here if they didn’t use so much salt on the roads.
@@user-tb7rn1il3q you could be right, I'd be curious if Grand Ams are still fairly common on the roads of Texas or California
MightyVoice They are still common in the rural southeast. Texas is dominated by trucks and California by imports. Rust killed these cars (and everything else) in the Midwest.
Last gen (1999+)are still popular around my town even though we are in the snow belt. Same with this generation of Malibu and Alero.
You literally can’t do better for a $1000 car. Solid drivetrain. A lot less rust than their Japanese competitors of the era. Good luck having any of the convenience features still working but who cares? What gets them in the end is usually a head gasket at 200,000 miles… about the time the Subaru worth five times the price is working on its third set. It’s a 24 beer job in the driveway.. 10 beer if it’s only the front one… but usually by this point they are just scrapped.
@@calvinnickel9995 the Japanese cars of this era are worth as much as they are because of the racing history behind the brand or the tuning capabilities of the power train
I like the square ones from the 1980s because i'm a sucker for those shapes, but this version of the Grand AM is my favorite. My gramps had a white '94 four-door SE; automatic transmission mated to a 3800 V6 with a spoiler and the firebird-like gray alloys. Always loved that car, he's had it since 1997 when i was 3 years old. He parked it in the garage at the condo and when he passed away in 2021 he left it to me. He always joked about tinkering with it and making it a sports car that could hit 100 mph. Seems the 3800 is an excellent candidate for supercharging so i plan on making his dreams come true.
Grand Ams never had 3800s, they had 3300s in '92-'93 and 3.1s starting in '94.
Nothing says 1992 like TEAL!
The Grand Am was GM's top selling car for while in the 90s. These were everywhere, now I hardly see them anymore. Seems about right.
Which is nuts because I still see plenty of Accord and Camrys from this era running around.
Can we bring back color matched wheels from factory plz
Right I have an 85 olds baby blue with dark blue interior its nice n not boring black or grey interior
No they can keep that in 1992
Porsche still does it.
@T V LOL
NO, you can have black.
I miss 90s Pontiac’s. I used to want these as a dream car
That GM stereo reminds me of some good times back in the 90's!
I have a '93 Bright Teal High Output Sedan! 1 of only 719 built! I LOVE you for this, I am the biggest fan of this car EVER! I fell in LOVE with this review and have been chasing one ever since, I finally get it within less than 48 hours from this comment. I also have a "parts" Bright White '93 that also runs.
EDIT: We made it 586 miles home without a single issue.
I also couldn't click this link fast enough! ;-)
@@TofersCarTales You already KNOW I had to be here. I know my inbox was gonna blow UP because of this review. 😂
@@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen great to see another person who is into gm cars of this era. I had a few of these over the years. I have a 91 Beretta gt that I have manual swapped, owned it for 21 years now. Also have a 89 cavalier Z24 convertible in black with silver ground effects and gray interior. They never see salt.
Oh hey boo
Hiiiiiii
I was a lot boy back when these were new. I remember the dealership having tent sales, moving these Grand And like crazy. One weekend I worked till 2am getting them cleaned up for delivery. Wish I had a picture of them all lined up! Back then a lot of us never considered a "foreign car". Most of the buyers were working class who were proud of their new Pontiacs. The Japanese probably built a more reliable and refined machine, but I doubt they could hold up to the abuse and neglect many of these Grand Ams endured during their lives. Things would break but the car was never completely broken. They always seemed to be able to get you where you needed to go.
Love GM. I’ve had GM since I’ve gotten my license (07 Yukon, 08 G6, 06 G6, and 16 Terrain). This time around, I tried to find something I liked within the GM family but nothing was standing out to me and the MSRPs have become outrageous. I leased a 2023 Kia Sportage which I’m enjoying very much but I hope to return to GM next time.
Exactly
More reliable? Doubtful
Nice car from a time when all cars didn't look the same.
cars still don't look the same....
alexander1485 LoL Yes they do. American cars are trying to copy European and Asian cars.
Every generation complains that all the cars look the same.
mclarenV12-98*
I miss 90's cars so much. You really don't know what you've got 'til they're gone.
1992-2005 Grand Am's are sweet, but are now bound to towing auctions and scrapyards. Also the later ones with the ram air V6 are slick!
I'm not a fan of FWD but those later 2 door Grand Am's looked great!
i bought one for my sister for 500 bucks and she drove it for 5 years before the head gasket blew.
I had one of the Ram Air ones. Great little car which I drove to hell & back before passing it on to my niece, who's had it for 10 years. My secret to long car life? Regular maintenance, that's all.
Ah yes, the Ram Air 4-speed 175hp 3.4 liter Grand Am in the era of 5 and 6-speed 240hp 3.5 liter Altimas.. Car was absolute junk.
@@nickmotsarsky4382 After I gave my old Grand Am to my niece, I actually bought a 6-speed, 3.5L Altima coupe. It can run 100 mph+ on the local Interstate without much effort. Damn quick car, for sure. The N.C. Highway Patrol in my area can vouch for that, Lol 😅
I think the styling still holds up overall, which is really saying something for a 90s era Pontiac.
180hp out of a 2.3 in '92?
Not bad.
And it’s a 4 cil which was rare to see them hit those kind of numbers
Yeah... but they hit the nail on the head with the vibration. Balance shafts would be added in 1996 and combined with a longer stroke to give more low end torque, HP would drop to 150... which is pretty sad since most Japanese engines of much smaller displacement were making nearly as much HP and ones like Honda’s VTEC engines were making 100 HP/L in the mid to late 90s.
very easy to get more. exhaust system was too small, and chip could be advanced 4 degrees for more power. Stock air intake is TOO small, replacement with cone filter is easy. With a similar car, I took out a like a Ford Taurus SHO v6. Mods are pretty easy.
With a few mods, it could be over 200 hps. chip, cone filter, exhaust. The real same was this wasn't the standard engine in the 88 fiero.
Good power unfortunately the quad 4 had head gasket issues.
The Quad 4 was an insane engine for the time.
For the mechanic
It was one of the worst engines gm produced, a major major fail of epic proportions
@@matthewburkholder1076 Clearly you had no experience with them. As a GM mechanic at the time, and someone who raced them in Beretta GTZs and Olds Calais in SCCA Showroom Stock, the Quad4 was one of the best engines of its time. Extremely reliable and more powerful than any other NA 4cyl. The aluminum head/iron block could cause some head gasket issues but only if abused and overheated. It was such a great engine that GM ended up offering it in 8 different models over more than a decade.
@@dekesone1 my experience was at the salvage yard pulling parts and selling those quad 4s, we couldn't keep them in they were selling so fast because they failed regularly. So clearly I did have experience with them, just not the same as you
Mine needed a new head gasket. It was utter garbage.
Gotta love the period correct early 90’s teal. There were so many teal cars and trucks back then.
I love that bright teal metallic color looks so cute and nostalgic for the 1990s!!!
Kevron Harris yeah 90s car paint colors were decently unique
@@roddydykes7053 the colors look cute too!
My family had one while growing up, and although it was a beautiful car I can't think of a time it wasn't being repaired monthly. The 3.1 regularly overheated, the wheel bearings kept going out, power steering problems, EGR issues, braking issues and much much more! That car gave my dad the chance to teach me how to work on cars, and damn did it work. That Chilton's manual was nasty by the time we got rid of the turd. We actually had to keep our 91 Tempo with a rusted out muffler and no AC as a backup car, and to this day I wonder if the Tempo got driven more than the Grand Am.
I wish i could like this more than once. Im a 4th gen maniac. I lpve these cars. Even with their quality control issues, they are miles better than anything similar that ive driven from this era.
Oh man so many memories in that generation of GrandAM. My mother drove a 94 GT Sedan new back in the day~
Here's a thought for a segment: Motorweek aquires a retro review-worthy vehicle in good overall condition (80's-90's in this case) and members of the Motorweek staff (including former staff like Craig and Lisa,) drive the car and give their thoughts on it; both from staff experiencing it for the first time and staff who remember when that vehicle came out.
It would be neat to see how Motorweek alumni, as well as John Davis, view some of these cars now versus when they first came out. You could call it Test of Time or something like that lol
I second that motion,
Genius! Get Goss to point out all the broken stuff on the car too!
@@Gr8thxAlot Right! Common trouble spots for that car and whatnot. And what they were like to work on.
I could listen to him talk for hours, about anything.
3:55 John: (The seats): IN TYPICAL GM FASHION, THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN A NAME: OPTI-RIDE! LOL
People can say whatever they want, but I love this car and the HO Quad 4! I owned a 90 Grand Am SE, which was the previous style and equal to this GT and I miss it so much! I really wish I could find one in great shape. That 0 - 60 time they got is off though. Those cars were faster than that.
Also had a 90 Grand Am...and when i showed up at the street races...i'd say it was the quickest 4 cylinder untl the
Diamond star cars showed up...but launched right even 5.0's had to put work in to beat it!!
This was my Moms dream car in the early 90s. She loved the look of the Grand Am
I wouldn't mind owning a 92 GT coupe exactly like this... I always thought these looked better than the 99 grand am's
Grand Am's sold well for a reason, and for many years. It's a shame GMs mismanagement axed a brand that had at least a little bit of personality
Oldsmobile should've been retained, while badged as Buick for foreign markets. Buick and GMC should've been axed in the U.S. All sport oriented models should've shifted to Pontiac. Unfortunately, the G8 was a start but came too little too late.
G8 and GTO basically the same car but G8 is a 4 Dr but yeah that could have resurrected Pontiac if they would tried harder.
@frank white They're barely hanging on by a thread today.
If Pontiac wasn’t axed , they were gong to make everything RWD, which in hindsight is they way Pontiac should have been. But that would have cost too much on sharing platforms
180 horsepower from a 2.3 four banger in 1992 is VERY IMPRESSIVE. The 2019 accord sport makes only 10 horsepower more.
The power and hp is up there with pretty much all 4 pot engines of today. Minus the reliability.
This made that power with no turbos, or even variable valve timing. All motor
fwong01 Yeah no the 2019 Accord makes like 252 hp. They did that because it’s replacing the v6
The 2.0 has 252. The 1.5 has 180
@@mydsmber05 with turbo tho
They were nice looking. I owned an Olds Achieva, basically the same vehicle. It wasn't as aesthetically pleasing but mine came with a V6 which made good acceleration for a small car at the time.
V6 was slower than quad4.
Quad4 was only faster if you were wringing it out all of the time. The V6 has more low end torque so it feels more powerful during normal driving.
@@halohunter5217 yes. But q4 had better max performance.
You dont test acceleration and max speed at 1/2 throttle.
Fuel economy and handling was also better.
It was more modern, more "todays" car with this engine.
@@jareknowak8712 It was a peppy little car. My girlfriend had a 95 Grand Am with the quad 4 which I also drove sometimes. The Pontiac was new and the Oldsmobile was a 93 model. Both had naturally aspirated engines. The six cylinder put out more power. I'm speaking from personal experience here.
@@DarkHumorWritesItself GM had many 4 cylinders in the '90 in Europe.
2.0 16V 150hp, 2.0 16V Turbo over 200hp.
Opel Calibra was the equivalent of this car in Europe.
Calibra Turbo, with AWD and 6 speed manual was one of the fastest cars on the roads.
Car looks very similar to Chevy Beretta.
They should use this engine in US instead. Very good for tuning, very popular in motorsport.
I had a black 93 with the same engine. That thing was a beast. Torque for days. It would spin the tires in every gear. I could fit three whole drum sets in that car too. One of the best ergonomic seats I've ever sit in. (Yes it beats mustang seats) I would love to have another just like it. It's super great on gas. Took a trip that was 4hrs long and when I got there it had only used 1/4 tank of gas.
I had the 1995 Oldsmobile version, by 30k miles the interior had shedded about 2 dozen different parts, then came the head gasket issues and electrical problems...the car that turned me into a Toyota guy, amazing how 2 similar sized companies could be so radically different.
That's is the ugly reality of General Mediocrity.
Man 180 out of a 4 N/A banger in 92 was nuts. Most v6s were putting out 140-160. Hell the 92 v6 camaro only had 140.
We didn’t know we had it good back then. 30 years ago and it would still look good today.
Woman at church drives one in this color! Its beat but i still love walking around it ogling lol. Love it
Almost everything was teal in the 90s.
Thank you for sharing another GM road test or segment. It is once again appreciated.
That sound though 😍 I can't get enough of it.
Still think these look great. Had a 94 GT back in the day and loved it. Mine was the 3.1 V6 auto. After 3rd time transmission went out it was time to go.
...exactly what happened with my first '95
Dad had a 97 by gt
Manual transmission was stout. Burnt a clutch up doing so many burnouts but that's it. Replaced clutch, bam like new.
I've owned 2 grand ams. First was a 95 with this 4 cylinder in it though it was a 4 door. Didn't own it that long, maybe 2 years. Had a 2004 4 door with 3.4 V6 and auto. Owned that car for over 11 years and traded it in with 168K on it. Still ran great and trans shifted fine but the rest of the car was falling apart by then.
You must have been a real shit driver, I beat the ever-living shit out of mine and the engine went at 176,000 miles, Transmission was fine. Check your damn fluids.
I had a '93 almost identical to this one - same powertrain and options, color and matching wheels. Only difference is mine had a spoiler, this test car doesn't. Was quite fun with the 5-speed, the '93 had 175 hp, I think they did some tricks to decrease engine noise that year. It was a good car overall and only had a few minor issues. Once it hit 150k and 10 yrs, it did start consuming a lot of oil and rust began to form (lived in northeast at the time), so was time to let it go. Brings back some good memories though.
Pontiac actually seemed like a legit sports sedan competitor back in the late 80s/early 90s. This is really good performance for 1992; would've been decent in 2002! But somehow it never came together. I've heard it said recently (regarding Cadillac's brand direction specifically, but I can see it in 1990s Pontiac too): GM lacks commitment.
GM made a lot of interesting and cool looking cars back in the 90's. They were definitely feeling the pressure from the Japanese and responded with some really stand-out designs. I'm guessing, though, that the reliability wasn't there and this ultimately doomed them to giving up on cars and focusing on trucks and SUV's.
That quad 4 was a dangerous engine back in it's day, v6 killer
I loved my ‘94 V-6 four-door, clad in “purple pearl”. My friends took one look and promptly dubbed it “The Barneymobile”.
Back when GM actually tried to make Pontiacs look exciting instead of rebadged Chevrolets like they did in the 2000s. All in favor of Tahoes and Hummers in the 2000s
Cuz its cheaper to make everything pretty much Chevy. Back then every division had their own motors. GM is basically just a holding company. But I agree I'm a Ford guy but Pontiac was my favorite division
2000s pontiacs looked pretty different IMO. The grand prix looked way better than the monte Carlo lumina or impala, the grand am looked more like the alero than a malibu and the bonneville platform was never in a chevy only the sunfire and torrent and Montana looked like chevys
This kind of was a rebadged Beretta, though. Beretta, Grand Am, Achieva, Skylark. Not a lot of difference.
75 aces Beretta was L body. Grand Am was N body
@@75aces97 Though the grand am here shared a lot of part numbers with a Cavalier, I don’t think there was a Chevy equivalent to the Grand Am. Anyone confirm this?
R.I.P. Pontiac.
:(
Hey it’s my first car in high school!! I actually owned a 1992 Grand Am coupe in white. I got it in 1999 with 115,000 miles. It was a great car but after I had it for a year started having transmission problems and just needed more work than I could afford. Got rid of it and picked up a 1988 Corolla for $500. Even though it had a lot more miles and was plagued with rust the engine was solid. Never had a single issue with that car
This has aged surprisingly well
Yeah it's kida like the Tracker/Sidekick, it's obviously '90s kitch but isn't as hideous as say, a '70s vehicle looked by '90s standards
I bought a 93 GT in this very color with the green wheels but it has the V6 3300 engine. I still own it and it only has 61k original miles on it. Looks brand new cause it’s always been kept in the garage. People always think it’s been restored and want to buy it. I just can’t do it. Never had one problem with it. Just changed the transmission fluid for the first time last week. It’s a beautiful car in my opinion. Still has the original tires on it. People think they are crappy cars but mine is 27 years old and still going.
I had a 91 Grand AM - best car I ever owned!
That's awesome!
I call BS on having 30 year old tires on a car. They would have dry rotted by now.
@@brainkill7034 Not if kept in a garage and the tires taken care of. Shows you don't know shit about cars !!! Besides who gives a shit what you think.
Wow, Throwback Thursday! These were surprisingly very, very good cars. We had a 1993 and it was a smart buy! My family owned it around 14 years, and it was rock solid. It was our first fuel injected and abs equipped car.
I'll always remember going to Hardee's for a treat after buying it to show off our new Grand Am!
It never developed any rust, had good paint, and never needed the factory exhaust replaced. The interior looked very futuristic and wasn't bad for GM. It would do 80 MPH interstate cruising in complete comfort. The oil pressure sending unit blew out twice, creating a oil spill all over the hot engine. The electrics were a bit flaky in its old age. The passenger side dashboard had a 1/2" gap next to the A pillar from the factory. :-O But, we called it "The Lexus" because it was soooo much better than our garbage cars from the 80's.
Was a Camry better? Sure. But, these were around 30% cheaper to buy, and any rural mechanic could fix them for dirt cheap. My parents eventually sold it to someone that had just been released from prison. :-)
Hardee's makes me think of living in NC!
@@butterflylovenj7300 Hah, Hardee's used to be big here in the Midwest, but declined in the 90's.
Everyone who was into cars in this era had a weirdly clinical enthusiasm for uninspired, badly made, ugly cars and I just didn’t get it. It took me years to realize I actually liked cars because all I had growing up was reviews like this. Thank you for this trip down memory lane to remind us how far we’ve come.
"...points to a very bright future for GM's performance leader"
LOL
Benjamin Berlinsky yeah, he kind of missed that one
180 HP out of a 2.3 liter 4-cylinder engine is very impressive for an american car of the early 90s. I have a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice and it just makes 170 HP out of a 5 liter V8.
I had a brand new one in 93'. I loved that car. Exact same spec.
I had this car as my very first car in 1995. I was 16 years old and it was a 93 model with H.O. Quad 4 engine. Even now I still miss my old Grand Am GT. I drove that car for 6 years and traded it in for a new Honda Accord after graduating College. I was very lucky with mine it had 198,000 miles and the only thing I ever did to it was changed the alternator twice and regular maintenance. It was a great car.
I can still see these cars in the glossy magazines that Pontiac used to send out.. These cars came in so many trims, colors, and loaded with features.....I was a child in heaven..daydreaming about what i wanted on mine....if i was to ever get one... Lol..
Can we bring body colored wheels back? Only a matter of time. I’m tired of just silver. Or worse, black. 😴
Agree. Black wheels are a new trend I'm seeing on new models and they are UGLY. They hide the wheel design.
palebeachbum Yeah, to me black wheels look cheap or like a missing hubcap.
Black wheels look disgusting and bland which conceals the wheel design to evoke like a burnt cheeseburger turkey patty.
Well I believe the black wheel trend STARTED in the late 70s to early 80s. Which the higher performance Euro cars used them to signify a track car. The wheels of a true track car will have black wheels from the brake dust. But it seemed about 10 yrs ago the black wheel trend started again this time on American cars etc. Oh the "triple" black was a trend. Black wheels, black body, black interior. I noticed in past year or so some SUV and pickup brands have a "midnight" trim.
Yes the black wheels ruin the wheels design etc.
I like black wheels, as long as they have a high gloss.
That quad 4 motor was damn impressive back in the day.
Such a silly name though
How so? It means 4 valve/cyl, 4 cylinder.
@@relentless.7638 oh, that makes sense then
Sings, too.
There are great, if you are into rod knock.
I rented a couple of these (sedans, not coupes) back in the day, and remember them as fun cars to drive with distinctive styling, inside and out.
MW, I'd love to see a "through the years" retrospective of John's different-every-episode jackets.
Points to a very bright future for GM's performance leader.
RIP Pontiac. Sticking different plastic moldings on a Chevy can work. But only so many times.
Always thought the Grand Am was all flash and zero substance. Once these cars got some age on them(ie 5 years old), they tended to fall apart, the interiors were absolute junk. Also for whatever reason, it seems the demographic that bought these cheap domestic cars abused the shit out of them, which certainly didn't help the perception of them being throw away cars. Its a shame, because I thought this gen Grand Am was pretty hot looking stuff for its time, but once again it was all flash with little substance(especially if you checked the wrong option boxes like base engine/automatic)
You’re right about them being trashed, but that’s the demographic GM aimed at. I just bought a 95 SE 2dr from an old lady who bought it new. 46k miles, but it needs all brakes and suspension, and a couple wheel bearings. 1800 bucks.
Yeah, nobody really cares for old sedans. You can see it happening with any make, but these GM N-body and W-body cars just fall apart.
You said the right stuff, but wrong order. These cars, when owned by non-trash people, held up well compared to most makes and models of the day. However, Pontiac, tended to draw in a lot of people who just trashed their cars. I think most of them ended up with Dodge and driving Neons.
This car was surprisingly powerful and torquey for a 4 banger,almost unbelievable back then
They sold a ton of these when they were in production but for the life of me I can't remember the last time I saw one.
They went from everywhere to nowhere in near record time.
Agreed but there are several cars that can be said about
303 Nitzubishi All domestic
I purchased a 96 grand am. I wanted a Grand Prix. But it was not available. I was 20 years old. My dad went with me looking at cars. And he asked me why do you want this car. We saw a single cab Chevy 1500 short bed light blue dropped on Boyd’s. He said get the truck. I told him I really wanted the grand am. I should of got the truck. That was my first new car I purchased myself my parents didn’t help at all no co-sign. I should of got the truck. My pops passed 3 years ago. We would still laugh about that.
Miss you pops.
Ahh, reminds me of my GTZ. That engine noise at high rpms ,is sweet music to me.
Yes another Beretta owner! I bought mine back in 98. First car I bought from a dealer, out of high school. It was a big accomplishment considering I did it with no help. I'll never part with it.
@@williamsinger4124 My gtz was given to me,because it needed a lot of work. Was from the country and had wiring issues from mice and needed a head gasket. Even though the quad 4 was tired,she still pulled nicely.
@@DefWun very cool that you were able to save it. Mine is a 91gt with a 3.1. I just finished manual swapping it this spring. Took two donor cars an 89 gt 5 speed for the trans, etc. And a 92 base model with a stick for the pedals, center console shifter etc since the interiors are different. I wanted the swap to look and function as if it was factory
Grand Am: still the official car of dish washers and Marlboro smoking mullet moms everywhere.
LOL! It's sporty but cheap, and they made a ton of these! Every small town had GM franchises back then too.
In the early to mid 2000's every corner used car lot had a few. Because GM made so many, if the dealer did their own work, they could get a decent looking one on the lot cheap.
I have to think they primarily appealed to someone who aspired to a Firebird, but couldn't afford one, or needed a real back seat.
mclarenV12 must be a regional thing. Where I'm at 92% of the grand ams you see are driven by black people. And they have pretty well figured out to avoid any type of older Chrysler products (intrepid, Sebring, etc).
thats my mom! except it was a perm and marlboro red labels with a 20oz dr pepper in the cup holder on her way to her shift at the old folks home to cut hair. 2002 pontiac grand am gt with the galaxy silver paint job. then my dad started driving the car and it was swisher sweet wrappers and loose change everywhere with a raineer tall boy in the cup holder on his way to a shift at dennys. good times... good times indeed :)
Lol....dont forget the waitresses
Sister had Olds Cutlass Calais Quad 4. She was regularly blowing the head gasket.
Sailor Dave the only time a head gasket will blow on these is if you abuse it, and then have it rebuilt improperly. Most shops had no idea how to fix these motors. They still dont. Same goes for oriental cars of the era with a dohc engine.
My aunt Sue had the 4 door Grand Am of this era when I was very little. Quickly got rid of it. Was a cool looking car.
My mom got one of these, i think it was a 95, as a loaner. I drove it to highschool one morning and DAMN was that V6 fast.
Thisssss is a 1992 Pont....oh wrong channel.
Edit - lol most likes I’ve ever had, thx guys
1992 Pontiac Grand Am GT. The official car of smoking ciggies while waiting in line at the McDonald's drive thru
THISSSS
Rev up your Engines... Today I'm going to talk about why, Pontiac, isn't, around, anymore ahh haa haa. *Display's laughing seal in upper right corner of video*
And I'm going to go over it's quirks and features...
Editing your comment to show you're excited about likes make you look weak
I always thought to these 90s Grand Ams were sharp looking cars, even though I always drove Japanese imports. I shunned the domestics like this for their inferior build quality, but after revisiting to this video, this Grand Am Gt looks like it would be a good bit of fun to drive with a manual.
This was the best looking grand am bodystyle. My neighbor had one just like it as a kid!!! That teal color is pretty.
“...and point to a bright future for GM’s performance leader” RIP Pontiac! 😞
5:23 And point to a very bright future for GM's performance leader... *insert Chrissy Teigen cringe face*
This had way more than 160 lb ft of torque. I had one after I graduated high school. Dump the clutch and floor the gas just right.... you could bark the front tires in 3rd gear! This was a surprise screamer.
I had rented an early built '97 Grand Am SE V6 2 door, and never forgot how comfortable that car was. If I didn't need a truck so badly I would have bought one.
Quad 4 was used from 1987 to 2002. In 2003 Ecotec design replaced it, and is still in use today with extensive turbocharging. Turbocharging of the Ecotec came curtsy of Saab engineering on the 2003 Saab 9-3.
96 Grand am 108,000 and still run till this this day solid
good to see that the same level of interior choice of materials has carried over to the 2020 GM Silverado and Sierra
These came standard with sagging headliner and broken interior plastic. Revolutionary.
Gosh I liked these cars but was too young to have one at the time. I’ve never understood why GM got rid of Pontiac, to me it was the only GM division that was interesting.
I use to own a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am GT sedan in a forest green color. It was the top of the line model with a power sunroof, leather seats, 3100 V6 150 hp, 150 torque, and a Bose sound system. Thought I was a bad ass back then. I wanted the one with the 2.4L H.O. DOHC quad 4, but I didn't like the coupe.
My mom had a 1998 Grand Am GT coupe with the 3100 when I was in highschool but it was pretty basic and had manual windows... Learned how to drive in it when I would sneak it out at night on weekends lol.
Oh, you were a bad one too back in the day. I did the samething to when I was 14 yrs old with both of my parents cars. I took my dad's 1987 Pontiac Grand Am LE 4 dr.
@@ericbritton9346 Yup lol. My dad had an '89 Thunderbird that I got some personal time with when I was 14-15 too lol.
Already...!
These kids today don't know how to have fun, hell some can't write cursive nor drive.
I'm definitely one of those who overlooked this car. Quite impressive numbers and meets modern time specs. Love the quad tips and wheels
I had one just like this. But was a 95. Red stripe was black in mine, had a spoiler and silver rims. I loved it.
Yes John, it has a voltmeter.
The official car of cheap cigarettes.
Yes -^ can confirm
funny you say that because my mom has one of these and she smokes cheap cigarettes
@@bigdaddyvince1825 It just seems rather common to find these old Pontiacs on the used market or in the junkyard with empty packs of marlboro or camel or the stench of cigar smoke. Certain cars attract certain kinds of people I guess, lol.
B-Wulf my mom smokes marlboro red labels. and when my dad had the car he smoked swisher sweets and left the wrappers everywhere and when i was cleaning it out a few weeks ago there had to be at least 200 wrappers under the seats and a few marlboro boxes. i dont smoke because i think its bullshit myself and my dad quit a few years ago. my mom always says that she isnt a quitter and she wont ever quit smoking.
@@bigdaddyvince1825 What a coincidence then, I was right about the malboros and cigarette remains in pontiacs, lol.
Well, you can't force anyone to do or not do something but what you can do is keeping leading by example.
I thought these were great looking when they debuted. I still think they look good. GM had some really cool engines. The quad 4 had a lot of power.
I had a 94 grand am gt with the quad 4 HO engine. All white with the trimmings of course and was four door.
Where are teal alloys when we really need them?
I owned a 5th generation 2000 Grand Am GT and never realized that the previous version featured here actually had more horsepower from the quad four at 180 horsepower than the 3.4 liter V6 with 170-175 horsepower used in the 1999-2005 Grand Am’s. The quad four engine only had 160 ft lbs of torque though compared to the 200-205 ft lbs of torque in the V6. It’s too bad General Motors killed Pontiac off. They made the only cars I ever really liked from GM.
Ryan the W41 Quad 4 made even more horsepower rated at 195hp and 190ft lbs. This motor was supposed to be made even more powerful, but GM denied that idea as it was beating corvettes with its 250hp turbo varients. These motors are insanely powerful and easy to work on compared to the competition. My only complaint is the motor mounts from 96-98. They suck.
LRulesTheWorld I always thought that a Quad 4 would make a good replacement engine for the old 2.5 liter Iron Duke that came in the Pontiac Fiero. The most powerful V6 Fiero was only rated at 140 horsepower and around 170 ft lbs of torque. A Quad 4 would be lighter and depending on the tune could easily produce more power. Another high power 4 cylinder that would be good in a Fiero swap is the supercharged 205 horsepower 2.0 liter and later 260 horsepower turbocharged 2.0 liter Ecotec engines from the Cobalt SS. My son has been wanting a Fiero for some reason and I always thought a swap from the Cobalt SS would be awesome.
Ryan you can actually swap a 2.4l twin cam into a Fiero. And GM made a supercharger for that engine, boosting it to 210-230hp depending on how you set it up. I currently have one of these superchargers, and plan to put it on my grand am when the bodywork is finished.
They also have many n/a options such as different cams/lifters, downpipes, and even throttle bodies and intakes. Its a very versitile engine. They can handle up to 300hp stock, on a turbo, reliably.
I remember my Dad test driving a used Calais (or something) with some quad-4 variant. I couldn't believe how fast it was compared to normal cars of the era. He told me not to tell mom how fast we went.
Definitely miss my old 2.4L 97... great car, other than the automatic...
Had one of these . gt .6cyl. Auto. Dark green. Grey alloys. Body kit . spoiler. Tint .Had barbed wire etched around the wondows. It was fun till the engine gave me trouble . I basically gave it away. Kinda miss it .
The Praying Mantis Grand Am....such an
great looking car.
Those were cool when they first come out. But the interior was just cheaply made. You’d be lucky to find one now where the interior hasn’t fallen apart
...I technically have two that look fairly decent
The climate control knobs will break off. I remember my dad kept a pair of vice grips in the car for the climate control settings. :-). He eventually replaced them from the dealer and paid some ridiculous price for those plastic knobs.
Oh yes! My sister had a 95 and she kept a pair of pliers in there to work the heat and air.
The only thing that fell apart on mine was the scissor things that rolled the windows up and down. They bent and caused the windows to get off track. Other than that everything else held up good. Except the head liner. Lol typical
I had a 95 gt with 3.1 it was super reliable
I bought one for my wife, then fiancee, which she got over 225k mi. She drove it hard and it never broke, was one of the better cars we had for a long time...think its a fluke though lol.