Any problem areas to look for on this '91 Grand Am?

[PF52]

Nice looking car. The 2-doors (like yours) were quite attractive.

A friend of mine had a '91 4-door and the odometer quit at close to 300K miles. It was a decent car and would cruise all day on the highway and get 35 MPG, and that's with the old-style 3-speed transmission. I do recall the window cranks operated in the reverse direction of any other car I had ever driven.

 

[atikovi]

Conventional for sure. gap between .035-.040 . check owners manual
or under hood sticker for reference

I'll check the sticker whenever I bring the car back but Rock Auto says,

ACDELCO R45TSX GM Original Equipment; Conventional; Pre-Set Gap: 0.054" ($0.50 Rebate Available!)

Info

OE-Recommended Gap: 0.060"

 

[Wrenchturner44]

I'll check the sticker whenever I bring the car back but Rock Auto says,

ACDELCO R45TSX GM Original Equipment; Conventional; Pre-Set Gap: 0.054" ($0.50 Rebate Available!)

Info

OE-Recommended Gap: 0.060"

Yes, now that I think about it your engine should have the DIS (distributorless ignition system). I think the Tech IV engines had it all starting in 1987. Previous versions of the engine used the GM HEI distributor.

 

[SeaJay]

Age and original parts.

 

[hemitom]

Picked this up at the auction today with 76,000 miles. Has the 2.5L Tech IV engine and automatic transmission. Any weak spots to look for? Any issues with the balance shaft system that some older cars had trouble with? Looks like a simple push rod engine.

View attachment 161101

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If you don't mind sharing ! what was the final cost of auction purchase.

 

[atikovi]

A little over a thou.

 

[hemitom]

I think think thats an outstanding price !
If the rest of the car looks that good you stole it !
you can hardly find a beat up bicycle for that price .
Hopefully doesn't need a bunch of parts replaced but even so they can be found fairly cheap, As you already know dirt cheap spark plugs for one.

 

[paulo57509]

While the Grand Am isn't a W-Body, if my '92 Lumina is any indicator, build quality of this vintage GM is suspect (IMO).

The Lumina leaks like a sieve - If there's liquid on the outside, it leaks in. If the liquid is inside, it leaks out. Mechanically, it's been pretty much bullet proof.

That Grand Am looks very decent and in good shape.

 

[SatinSilver]

Any other fixes you have planned for it?

edit: hopefully the headliner isn't drooping down.

 

[atikovi]

Don't know until I bring it home. Just usual maintenance stuff right off, oil change, air filter, fuel filter, throttle body cleaning, plugs, wires, pcv, trans fluid and filter, then anything worn like brake pads, rotors, fluid, shocks, struts, lights, wipers, etc.

 

[PF52]

edit: hopefully the headliner isn't drooping down.

It's a 2-door, so hopefully it's not too tricky getting the headliner board out of the car.

Headliners are kind of fun to do and make the interior look a lot better.

 

[atikovi]

It's a 2-door, so hopefully it's not too tricky getting the headliner board out of the car.

Headliners are kind of fun to do and make the interior look a lot better.

It is but just $150 if I take it out.

 

[eljefino]

Don't know until I bring it home. Just usual maintenance stuff right off, oil change, air filter, fuel filter, throttle body cleaning, plugs, wires, pcv, trans fluid and filter, then anything worn like brake pads, rotors, fluid, shocks, struts, lights, wipers, etc.

This car should be throttle body injected, so a TB cleaning is probably redundant.

 

[zzyzzx]

Actually the passenger window won't raise to the top without help. Needs a window motor for sure.

Sometimes you can take the window motors apart and clean the internal electrical contacts, and then clean out the old grease and relube and they work like new. Doesn't always work (I'm 1 for 2). Tons of YouTube videos on how to do this motor repair.

If this Grand Am is anything like my Alero, the motor is easily removable once the door panel is off and you don't have to remove the window regulator; you can remove just the motor with the window regulator in place.

 

[atikovi]

Looks riveted together and just $26 for a new AC Delco.

 

[Sonny88]

I had one, used to eat alternators once a year

 

[DweezilAZ]

I have had an 86 Calais Tech 4 since 1994 when it was purchased with 21,000 miles.

Alternators, electrical problems, body hardware and plastics as cheap and brittle as anything found on an early '70s AMC product.

Parts availability: anything more than service parts and commonly shared units with other GM cars are thin on the ground. The VIN for the Tech IV for used in N Bodies has a "U". So one unit from another GM 2.5 donor vehicle with a different VIN code will not fit. It was reworked for application in the N Bodies: narrower, for one thing.

Variations in the GM 2.5L

ironduke7.tripod.com

From the link:
'Stay away from the oddball FWD only VIN U motor, too many parts are different compared to all other 2.5 motors. It was used only in FWD N-cars, Grand Am, Calais, etc. Crank thrust bearing and cylinder head bolt pattern are a few (see below). The VIN R (Fiero included) motors were used in both larger FWD cars (X and A body cars) and RWD applications with no special mods.'

I can find parts for the 63 Valiant easier.

Torque converter switch goes out and makes the car jerk, jolt and slam when coming to a stop as the car is still in a higher gear. Something shared with GM A and X bodies. I had this in an X and the Calais. It's not the transmission [I found out the expensive way] but the switch.

'Morning sickness(noisy) in the power steering.' That was on the Xs and As as they used the same system. Boost would disappear after sitting overnight until the hydraulics pumped up a protracted amount of time after start.

The Ns used the J body's rack as the Ns were heavily based on the Js. I had the morning sickness problem with the Citation I had. Never with the Calais.

I still love mine and lavish stupid amounts of money on it.

134,000 miles and 37 years and that velour is still holding up. Trimmed like a 98.... sounds like a tractor. It's still beautiful and I still like looking at it.

My Fuelly numbers from the last few years are posted. I have to dig up the earliest ones from '94.

It ran from Tucson to Salt Lake City and back a couple of years ago on vacation and did it flawlessly [except for being absurdly underpowered.... shut the AC off if passing or attempting a hill climb].

Nice find. There's are N Body and GM FWD groups on Facebook that would love to see this car.

Congratulations.

 

[atikovi]

I have had an 86 Calais Tech 4 since 1994 when it was purchased with 21,000 miles.

Alternators, electrical problems, body hardware and plastics as cheap and brittle as anything found on an early '70s AMC product.

Parts availability: anything more than service parts and commonly shared units with other GM cars are thin on the ground. The VIN for the Tech IV for used in N Bodies has a "U". So one unit from another GM 2.5 donor vehicle with a different VIN code will not fit. It was reworked for application in the N Bodies: narrower, for one thing.

Variations in the GM 2.5L

ironduke7.tripod.com

From the link:
'Stay away from the oddball FWD only VIN U motor, too many parts are different compared to all other 2.5 motors. It was used only in FWD N-cars, Grand Am, Calais, etc. Crank thrust bearing and cylinder head bolt pattern are a few (see below). The VIN R (Fiero included) motors were used in both larger FWD cars (X and A body cars) and RWD applications with no special mods.'

I can find parts for the 63 Valiant easier.

Torque converter switch goes out and makes the car jerk, jolt and slam when coming to a stop as the car is still in a higher gear. Something shared with GM A and X bodies. I had this in an X and the Calais. It's not the transmission [I found out the expensive way] but the switch.

'Morning sickness(noisy) in the power steering.' That was on the Xs and As as they used the same system. Boost would disappear after sitting overnight until the hydraulics pumped up a protracted amount of time after start.

The Ns used the J body's rack as the Ns were heavily based on the Js. I had the morning sickness problem with the Citation I had. Never with the Calais.

I still love mine and lavish stupid amounts of money on it.

134,000 miles and 37 years and that velour is still holding up. Trimmed like a 98.... sounds like a tractor. It's still beautiful and I still like looking at it.View attachment 161359

My Fuelly numbers from the last few years are posted. I have to dig up the earliest ones from '94.

It ran from Tucson to Salt Lake City and back a couple of years ago on vacation and did it flawlessly [except for being absurdly underpowered.... shut the AC off if passing or attempting a hill climb].

Nice find. There's are N Body and GM FWD groups on Facebook that would love to see this car.

Congratulations.

Auh the good old days. Had a couple of those pace cars back then with the 5-speed.

 

[The Critic]

What made you buy this?

 

[atikovi]

The age and the miles. Plus they look good.