Grand Am / Grand Lemans Body Molding
 

How much of a mess is it to remove the body side moldings from a Grand Am / Grand Lemans? I've looked at a couple different cars and they all have the moldings. I think I'd prefer the cars without. Is there a crap load of rivets and screw holes that have to be filled if they are removed?

Second question. How about removing the Landau top? What kind of a mess would I be getting into there?

I'm looking to buy a car like this. I've found a couple really solid cars for reasonable prices, but I'm wondering if I'd be better off to keep looking to find one without the extra stuff on it.

Thanks,
Troy

Hardest part of removing the Landau top would be cleaning the 30 year old glue that's bonded to the paint under there. Well I don't know if it would be as bad with the padding, come to think of it. It can be tedious work to dig the reminents of vinyl material from under the window moldings, to get them unclipped. There are capstain rivits that hold the molding across the roof, and the molding that runs between the deck lid & back glass.

The welded seam between the C pillar and roof panel will have to be re-filled and smoothed. The factory doesn't actually finish that joint smooth when a vinyl roof is on the build sheet.

I always liked the way the Landau roofs looked on the 78-81 Pontiac A bodies, but not as much on the Malibus. Finding one that doesn't need the vinyl replaced would be tough though.

The roofline drip rail ends at the door on a landau as well. I wouldn't recomend this project.
I have an 80 G/A that has all molding off (holes filled) and landau stripped if you really want to do this.

The doors will have a hole towards the front and one towards the back. The molding clip has a stud and is nutted on the back side.

Each fender will have a hole near the front.

Rear quarters have studes that can be knocked down.

You would be way ahead if you picked up a Lemans.

I'd be intrested in some of the G/A, G/L molding...........

Thanks for the info. I figured it would be quite a chore.

I ended up buying an '80 Grand Lemans this weekend. It's not much to look at right now but the condition and price was too good to pass up. It needs a lot of odds and ends repaired, but it has virtually no rust. I think with a two tone paint job the side moldings will be fine. I'm also starting to get used to the landau too. I think I'll be happy with it. I do need to convert to buckets though. Anyone out there got burgundy buckets, console/shifter and column to get rid of?

Thanks,
Troy

Nice find, Troy.
Looks like the tailight 'grills' got broke and were removed at some point. Unless those are '79 Lemans or '80 Lemans (not Grand Lemans) pieces. Photo isn't close enough for me to tell.
Low production numbers on 1980 Grand Lemans coupe.

BTW: 265, 229 or 301? I'm guessing 265, as that's what I've seen in about all the small handful of '80 Grand Lemans I've looked at.

The taillights on the 1980 actually have silver-painted lines on them, I just spent part of the winter removing the remnants from mine, making them completely red. Mine is a LeMans, so it has is full wheel-opening moldings instead of the half moldings and full side trim. I personally like the cleaner sides of the std LeMans. I would post a pic, but my computer crashed and none of my pics are on it right now.

Nice car, I love mine. Just scored a set of gauges and tach from an 86 Grand Prix, adding a T/A Formula wheel to it soon too. I am in need of Burgundy buckets for mine as well, I was thinking of 85-87 Monte Carlo buckets.

-Dave

Thanks.

It's a 301 car. I'm not too sure about the tail lights. To be honest, I really don't know too much about the specific details year to year and between models of these cars. I've only been paying attention to them for a few weeks. I'm trying to learn quickly. The last 20 years or so my focus has been on '70 GTOs. I sold my GTO last fall and felt the need to buy something to tinker on again. I wanted to move into something more affordable. This style car fit the bill. I'm open to any and all pointers!

Thanks again,
Troy

Dave,

I can actually see the remnants of the silver lines that you mentioned. I agree that I too like the cleaner sides of the standard Lemans, but I couldn't pass this one up. I'll probably paint this with the G/A style two-tone as long as the moldings are already there.

Looks like a good find Troy. Actually looks like the 80 G/A I just picked up.

The taillights Dave is talking about (I think) would be like my 80's only with silver paint rather than black. Pictured under the 78, 79 and 80 G/A tail lights.

I think mine did look like that bottom one when new. The silver is just barely there in some spots now.

Is your '80 white or is it a very light gray? Mine is actually very light gray. It seems like a strange color. I will most likely paint it white with the darker silver bottom.

Thanks,
Troy

Hi Troy,

I'll bet your car is a color called Richmond Gray. Cars with the trim look nice as well, and painting it 2 tone will enhance the effect. One of the most look-improving things you can do is change to Rally IIs, Rally IVs (the type in my avatar), or any other factory or aftermarket wheel. Mine came with the wire wheel covers, they had to go. I am looking for a set of 16 x 8 Gold GTA wheels to put on mine.

You can put a 400-455 in these cars fairly easily, especially since it already has a Pontiac motor. Many chassis parts (rearends, swaybars, etc.), and some interior (dash, seats, some trim) will fit from the 78-87 Grand Prixes, as well as other GM A and G bodies. The PY forums are great, so is the GBody forum (http://gbodyforum.com/) for parts and information. I'm no expert, but I will be happy to help anyway I can.

-Dave

Here's a couple more picts. As you can see, I will need at least one tail light. I'll also have to figure out what to do with that bumper molding...

The car will be a street/strip car and will end up with a large Pontiac motor. That's why the 301 and solid body car worked well for me. Wheels are a must. A buddy is trying to sell me his Weld Drag Lights right now. Now to find headers and a decent hood.

Thanks,
Troy

I could tell it was a Richmond Gray car as soon as I looked at the 1st close-ups. That is an awesome color IMO, unique to 1980. It looks great when set off with a 2-tone, especially burgandy. If the Landau and seats were burgandy, that would be a sharp looker. Throw in a set of burgandy Rally IVs, and wow.
Unfortunately, that color wasn't available on Grand Am. Why they chose Banif Blue (yawn) for a Grand Am color vs Richmond Gray or Peidmont Green, I'll never understand.

Troy, your tails are from a 1979 Lemans. They don't have the pronounced 'steps' that 1980 models had. The Grand Lemans tailights for 1980 had a 'grill' mounted over a basically flat red lense. It divided the lense into three horizontal sections, and from twenty feet away looked somewhat simmilar the the 1978 regular Lemans tail.
I think the grill divider bars had body color accents, also.

I have previously changed a set of '80 Lemans tailights to look exactly like the Grand Am tails via masking and painting the silver 'steps' to gloss black. Looked nice.

I think Pontiac may have changed the Grand Am/Grand LeMans taillights after 1978 because they probably found the chrome grilles too bright which made the lights hard to see in daylight. Have a look?

And what a royal pain in the ass it was to do. The molding was one thing but the top...... There were also many other issues when I decided to do that came up.

You would rather make one a convertible than change that top. ;)

My 80 is white with maroon cloth buckets. (sold and headed to Oklahoma)

I used the aftermarket roll of molding on the front and rear bumpers. I used a 2 part adhesive on the ends and at the nose transition. The entire roll is ~$100 and will do 2 cars with some left over.

UFO, I know someone in PA that is in the process of removing the landau top on a 79. It will be intresting to see how that goes. Your old 80 is still "waiting" it's turn. I hate to part it since it is such a solid car.
How long did it take you to change the dash emblem from "Grand Am" to read "UFO"?
How did you remove the black paint without scratching the clear? I'll have to put up a picture so everyone can see what I'm talking about.

I had forgot about that...... I added the UFO after the 461 went in. If I remember I stripped the entire emblem, polished it then did the mask and painted it with the new logo. It all was done by hand so it did not come out 100% perfect.

The car never lived in a rust belt. Oregon to Belgium where it was a summer car only. Then it moved to Columbus,GA. After that it went to Denver and was never a winter car.