79 Grand Prix manual trans

Beaumont67 · Addicted!

79 Grand Prix manual trans

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/cornwall-on/video-79-grand-prix-manual-58-000-kilometers/1507602867?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

In 1979 the Grand Prix LJ came standard with the automatic. A 4-speed was a credit option that 50 people in the U.S. market specified. It sounds like anywhere from 1 to a couple made it to Canada. Motor Trend did a road test in 1979 of a 4-speed 301 Grand Prix LJ with factory wire wheels.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

No screamer but a cool package. There was one in Winnipeg that I knew of about 30 years ago. Our member here, Old Goat told me about it and showed me one day on a drive by. Wish they would have done a Regal or a Cutlass but I don't think that style did, only the earlier bigger ones got that 5 speed.

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

A fellow I know from Texas ordered a new 77 Cutlass with a 5 speed, it now also has a 455. A real sleeper and the 455 is a real one with hp and torque.

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

A friend had a 79 cutlass with a four speed. Buckets and console but not much else. Brown with lighter brown cloth interior. I cant remember for sure what was under the hood, but I think it had a 260 Olds engine.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

DonSSDD wrote:
A fellow I know from Texas ordered a new 77 Cutlass with a 5 speed, it now also has a 455. A real sleeper and the 455 is a real one with hp and torque.

You wouldn't be talking about Tom Parsons now by any chance would you?

Actually in 1978 the downsized intermediates marked the reintroduction of 4-speeds into all the GM A-bodies (or G-bodies as they called them later). They went gung-ho in 1978, then retrench a great deal in '79. Gone were V6 & V8 4-speed Monte Carlos. Buick was getting away from 4-speed V6 & V8 power in favor of the new turbo V6 which was auto. I think Olds was going to give up on 5-speed Cutlasses after '79. By '80 they were petering out & the '81 Iraqi Taxi seemed to see the manuals go out with a whimper with the 3-speed 229 (which wasn't bad mind you). There were 4-speed 305 Malibus in '80 & El Camino 4-speeds in '81. I think Pontiac was fairly liberal with the 4-speed availability on the 78/79 Le Mans.

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Tom Yes, met him on ChevyTalk, you see him on the chevelle site Im guessing? I also like his fake 283 in the 56 vette.

-- Edited by DonSSDD on Sunday 5th of July 2020 06:38:24 PM

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Sharp looking car.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Imagine finding a Road Test for one of these....

CLICK HERE

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

seventy2plus2 wrote:
Sharp looking car.

Meh ... not for me.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

We had a 1980 SJ, it had a W-37 option as I recall, F41 suspension and 301 4bbl with dual outlets , Rally 1V wheels, it was a butternut and tan car and it was very sharp looking, Landau roof. I'd rank it up there with one of the best cars we ever owned and as I'm typing wondering whey we ever got rid of it. I really enjoyed that car and never once thought it lacked any power. The weight was so down I'd bet the power to weight ratio wasn't much different than the '77s. It was bought new but as a salesman's car when it had only a few thousand klicks on it. It had highway gears so it was great on runs from Toronto up to Georgian Bay, and it could lay rubber so easily which was important for a 23 year old guy. We had this at the same time as my '81 X11.

-- Edited by 73SC on Monday 6th of July 2020 11:51:37 AM

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

You're lucky Ray. I could never lay rubber in my dad's 77 LeMans Sport Coupe which had the Chevy 350 4bbl engine.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

73SC wrote:
We had a 1980 SJ, it had a W-37 option as I recall, F41 suspension and 301 4bbl with dual outlets , Rally 1V wheels, it was a butternut and tan car and it was very sharp looking, Landau roof. I'd rank it up there with one of the best cars we ever owned and as I'm typing wondering whey we ever got rid of it. I really enjoyed that car and never once thought it lacked any power. The weight was so down I'd bet the power to weight ratio wasn't much different than the '77s. It was bought new but as a salesman's car when it had only a few thousand klicks on it. It had highway gears so it was great on runs from Toronto up to Georgian Bay, and it could lay rubber so easily which was important for a 23 year old guy. We had this at the same time as my '81 X11.

-- Edited by 73SC on Monday 6th of July 2020 11:51:37 AM

Ray, you know you are talking about a completely unknown option from 1980. I've had the 1980 Pontiac brochure since 1980 & didn't realize there was the performance option (W37?) until you brought it to our attention a while back. Seemingly a logical follow-up to the '79 4-speed.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Canadian Poncho wrote:
You're lucky Ray. I could never lay rubber in my dad's 77 LeMans Sport Coupe which had the Chevy 350 4bbl engine.

Both 73's Sport Coupes with 350 4bbl and duals could hardly muster a chirp Todd so I know what you mean. Standing and turning different story. We had a 76 Grand Lemans which could easily put down a patch and that was a 350 2bbl car. The Grand Prix was easy too.

65 SD L79 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

CdnGMfan wrote:
73SC wrote:

Ray, you know you are talking about a completely unknown option from 1980. I've had the 1980 Pontiac brochure since 1980 & didn't realize there was the performance option (W37?) until you brought it to our attention a while back. Seemingly a logical follow-up to the '79 4-speed.

my 80 Pontiac had that 267 bleh could not get out of it`s own way

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Pontiacanada wrote:
seventy2plus2 wrote:
Sharp looking car.
Meh ... not for me.

I'm not crazy about the color, but it is a sharp looking car.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

seventy2plus2 wrote:
Pontiacanada wrote:
seventy2plus2 wrote:
Sharp looking car.
Meh ... not for me.
I'm not crazy about the color, but it is a sharp looking car.

Ya, it's the colour I was talking about.

Jonno · Poncho Master!

I think it is very sharp.
Is the Hurst badge on the truck an add on? How about the Hurst shifter itself?
Only have the Iraqi taxis to compare it to, that is all I have seen in the G body stick shift.
Has to be a great back story to this car.

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

It is a beautiful car that is MINT. Even the colour looks like mint, but anyway wink

I was looking at the video for the car. The ad says manual shift, but when I count the pedals (which are always just out of view) I don't see a clutch, and the shifter looks like a Hurst Auto-Stick.

Maybe it is an automatic with a manual shift valve body. That is what I am thinking more and more. NOT the same as a manual transmission.

79 GP Hurst Auto-Stick.jpg

Note the console above, it is an automatic style. For comparison, look at the '79 Grand Prix 4-speed manual picture below, taken from the Motor Trend article:

79 GP factory 4-spd.jpg

Perhaps ESL comes into play, or maybe just word-play. A little shady if so.

-- Edited by CdnGMfan on Thursday 9th of July 2020 03:00:53 PM

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I never looked at the video until you posted Cam and as someone who drove and had one of these in the family I can tell you that sure look like it is an automatic equipped car, You are right on there is no boot that is absolutely necessary for a manual stick shift. It's not even a factory shifter there, its been added at some point. Nicely done but no way it original.

-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 9th of July 2020 04:24:52 PM

Jonno · Poncho Master!

In the video the vendor specifically mentions several times it is a manual and I think I see the shadow of three pedals in the still shot Cam captured.
Agreed it really looks like an automatic console so is likely a conversion. Great looking car though, a little high and mighty price wise but ya never know.
Jeez I forgot how much fun this site is!

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

73SC wrote:
Canadian Poncho wrote:
You're lucky Ray. I could never lay rubber in my dad's 77 LeMans Sport Coupe which had the Chevy 350 4bbl engine.
Both 73's Sport Coupes with 350 4bbl and duals could hardly muster a chirp Todd so I know what you mean. Standing and turning different story. We had a 76 Grand Lemans which could easily put down a patch and that was a 350 2bbl car. The Grand Prix was easy too.

The '73 Lemans I had in high school had no trouble laying a patch. It had 350 2bbl orange block, open (non posi) differential and cheap snow tires, though.

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

Jonno wrote:
In the video the vendor specifically mentions several times it is a manual and I think I see the shadow of three pedals in the still shot Cam captured.
Agreed it really looks like an automatic console so is likely a conversion. Great looking car though, a little high and mighty price wise but ya never know.
Jeez I forgot how much fun this site is!

I was looking at the under hood pictures and I dont see a transmission dip stick. If I recall the dipstick was quite tall on these cars

Paul