This is all I lack before attempting to finally start it. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!William CarsonLoxley, AL
Quint Stires responds:It was very smart to change out the wiring harness. Just as can be the case with the engine, paint and interior, the wiring is not exempt from butchering.
You are correct that the lone black-and-red-striped wire goes to the only post on the back of the alternator, which has a red base and is for charging the system. The other post is nothing more than a suppressor for radio noise.
The fat red wire and the purple wire for the Ram Air car are longer than the non-Ram Air car because they are now routed along the valve cover over the front of the engine, down past the power steering pump and under the exhaust manifold next to the motor mount. The non-Ram Air car runs these wires in a tube in-between the exhaust manifold and the engine. The "S" post is for Start and the "R" post is for a Resistor, if equipped, so connect the purple wire to the "S" terminal. The large red wire, along with the battery cable, connects directly to the starter post as you stated. Now you are ready to start the car.
Be cognizant of how you routed wires and ensure that they don't touch the exhaust manifold or the block in any way. If they do, the heat will melt away the plastic insulation on the wires and cause a direct short in the system. I have seen this firsthand out at Houston Raceway many years ago and it's not pretty.
Pure pontiac power for A g-bodyYou have a great magazine! I have been a Pontiac nut for as long as I can remember (I guess growing up in my dad's GTO helps) but I have a question. I want to build a mid-'80s Grand Prix with Pure Pontiac power (a 400 or 455). However, I also want to keep the A/C functional and use the functional shaker scoop from the aforementioned GTO. I have not been able to find any info on how involved this swap will be. Are parts available such as motor mounts, headers, and bracketry? I would appreciate any info you can give. Thanks and keep up the great work.Alex GryskevichBloomingdale, OH
Rocky Rotella responds:You can always expect some level of frustration when trying to assemble a non-stock combination, but dropping a traditional Pontiac engine into an '81-'87 Grand Prix should be a pretty simple task. The '78-'81 A- and G-body vehicles share many similarities, and since Pontiac and Buick offered the Pontiac-built 301ci in those model lines during that time, your best bet may be to search local salvage yards and locate a 301-powered donor to get ideas and parts from.
You'll definitely need the motor mounts from the donor vehicle, but the short-deck265 and 301ci engines utilize specific alternator and power steering pump brackets, so those will be of no use to you. Those same engines did, however, use an axial (A-6) air conditioning compressor, and if you plan to use that type in your project, you'll want all of the associated A/C brackets. All other accessory brackets, including those for an R-4 A/C compressor if you so desire, will otherwise have to come from a traditional Pontiac V-8.
The only company that I can immediately recall that produces tube headers for your application is Indian Adventures (www.chiefmanyhorses.com). You didn't indicate the intended power output range planned for your engine, but if it's somewhat moderate, you might find that cast-iron Ram Air manifolds are entirely adequate, and should fit that chassis with relative ease. In addition to the engine swap, you'll need to install a transmission with a BOP-bolt pattern. A Turbo-350 will fit without modification, and if properly rebuilt, should withstand anything a moderately built 400 or 455 can throw at it.