1981 Bonneville Brougham project
 

I have this '81 Bonneville 2dr that's been hanging around for the past couple of years and have decided to do something with it. In keeping with the luxury / sporty / fuel economy theme of that year and also being the last year for the fullsized rear wheel drive Bonneville, I am replacing the tired 265 V8/ 200 Metric lockup converter trans with a shop built stock '74 Grand Prix 400-4bbl with the only mods a Performer intake and roller timing chain, more for durability and factory Pontiac chrome covers. 200-4R OD pirated from a '90 Custom Cruiser wagon that had low mileage and a 1985 Impala cop car 3.08 posi rear. I just got the axles,backing plates and brake drums from a '77 GP I just parted to put in the cop car rear so I can retain the 15X7 aluminium snowflake wheels. The cop car rear has the big 4 3/4 " bolt pattern. I am also using the cop car springs and front/rear sway bars. They are quite big. Nice quiet dual exhaust of the '74 GP will work since the chassis are identical .Other than the smog pump, I will use the 265 V8 engine accessories. The steering ratio on this Bonne leaves a lot to be desired, so I need to source a faster ratio box.

The body is straight and solid. It will be lighter with aluminium trunk lid and hood that I got from a 1980 junkyard donor last fall. I still need to find a set of bumpers with the aluminium reinforcements. It is a very loaded car , even has the Astro roof and real leather. I figure that this will be an all around cruiser car with good performance,handling and gas mileage on the hiway. That's the goal anyways. I'm hoping for 20 mpg or near on the road, 15's 1/4 and up to a buck thirty wide open. We'll see how it goes.

It sounds fun!!! I would love to see some pic's of it and the Aluminum parts!!!!

Sounds like a cool car. I posted a question in the '67-79 Big Pontiac' forum asking why they cut off at '79, when there were 1980-81 B body models. Never got a straight answer, but I'd post this car's info in that forum, also.

Good luck with your project. I am looking for 265 engine parts if you wish to sell them.

thanks,
Steve 480-899-7873

A friend is getting the 265. What parts are you looking for?

Primarily a block, pistons and heads.

Steve

If my friend changes his mind............I'll let you know. You basically need a long block.

Just got a double roller chain/gearset for the 400 from Summit. Get it back together this week and join eng/trans and swap it out next week.

A quick trip to Georgia to drop off a '67 Buick GS 400 I sold , spent a couple days hanging out and hit some yards. Netted a super nice rear bumper with the aluminium brace and bumper guards. Nice chrome too. From a 1980 Catalina coupe. Also got a mint looking hood windsplit chrome. The one on the Bonneville and also the one on the aluminium hood are pitted bad. Already have an NOS hood ornament for it. Picked up a set of '68 GTO buckets from a guy in Canton for a friend. Guess I'll be going back as the seller has a really solid '74 Trans Am body shell for 200. Red on red 400 automatic car that was loaded. That might be another story.

I figured out that the '74 400 flywheel/flexplate doesn't have the holes for the 200-4R torque converter. Only the bigger diameter for a TH400. But noticed a '77 400 flexplate has holes to fit both trannys. So guess what I'm going to be doing. I cleaned up the Edelbrock Performer and just got a kit for the '77 Trans Am Quadra-Jet I am using for this car.

Sounds cool BOP. What plant was it built at? I hauled many Bonnevilles out of St. Therese, PQ back then. Some of our senior drivers even delivered all the way to Florida, but the rail took most of them down there.

Mine was made in Canada at the Wentzville plant.

Wentzville is in Missouri, btw, my cousins work there.

I have noticed this as I have an 80 and 81 bonneville and would like to see our own forum, like what they have done in the POCI forum.

i think you mean the Canadian OSHAWA plant

All 1980 B cars were built in Pontiac, Mich, then switched to Oshawa for 1981.