1991 Pontiac Grand Am - Fast Forward Thinking

Granted, us old school guys know our V-8s and rear wheel drives are at the top of the performance hill. If you want to go fast, you gotta start with an 8 and build up from there. Too often we get caught up into thinking that we know it all, performance-wise. However, every once in a while we get a reality check. Here is that reality check, friends.

Jacob Bierer of Waterford, Wisconsin, is a Pontiac guy. Not only does he own 3 of them, but he works at a Pontiac dealership. Like most young car hobbyists, money was tight and the need for speed was strong. Since many traditional performance Pontiacs had become too expensive, back in 2000, Jacob compromised with a '91 Grand Am LE equipped with a '90s flavor of hot rod-the mighty 138ci (2.3L) Quad 4 H.O. engine with its aluminum heads and iron block. This was America's first DOHC engine with 4-valves per cylinder when it premiered in 1988.

This engine may be small and the drive wheels may be up front, but the weight and aerodynamic frontal drag is low on N-bodies of this era. While even the lightest 3,300-pound Third-Gen V-8 Firebirds were happy to get the slightly less anemic speed-density 235hp 5.7s in 1991, the svelte 2,700-pound Grand Ams were eating up the highway with the high revving and surprisingly torquey 180hp Quad 4 when so ordered. In light of that, the remaining challenges of making numerous factors such as heat, induction, fuel, spark timing, traction, etc. work together to go fast still existed -on a tight racing budget no less.

Keep in mind that 4-cylinder engines require less parts than do V-8s and front-wheel drive saves weight with no long driveshaft, full axle, and long transmission, which are found in a rear drive vehicle. Also, a high revving engine negates the need for expensive and heavy suspension and drivetrain components to maintain a reliable high torque launch.

Originally intended to be an autocrossing contender, a run at the 1/4 mile made a new direction imminent. Bone stock it ran 14.99 on cheap tires! So Jacob wasted no time in getting down to business, "In the 2000 season I slowly started stripping parts off the GA; trying to get it quicker." The interior was gutted and miscellaneous trim and bumper supports were removed. Useless accessories like the power-steering pump and A/C were tossed. Power front disc and rear drum brakes are still intact. Weight reducing housecleaning yielded times of low 14s at the track proving once again that the cheapest way to go fast is to drop poundage.

Believe me when I say, Jacob will catch up at the end, just like he did with so many competitors at the Ames Performance Tri-Power Pontiacs Nationals in Norwalk."For the 2001 season, the Grand Am was stripped down as far as I could go and was no longer street legal." Jacob continues, "Later in the year, a 120 shot of nitrous was added and I hit a 12.80." Now gaining a reputation, Bierer upped the ante with a home-ported head. Doing all the assembly work himself, he mistakenly set the timing incorrectly and fried the stock motor.

The following season brought about another stock Quad 4 H.O. motor with a 120 shot of juice to pull off consistent 12.60s at around 115 mph. Jacob casually expressed, "This held for most of the year." At the September Battle of the Imports in Joiliet, Illinois, with approximately 140 drag passes on it, the stock motor completely grenaded.