There’s no shortage of love for GM’s 1980s G-body cars, particularly the performance variants. I like them all but have an especially soft spot for the seemingly overlooked ones, like this 1983 Pontiac Grand Prix Brougham. This clean, original, low-mileage, one-owner example was sent in by an anonymous BarnFinder who found it here on eBay in Chatsworth, California. The seller has set a buy-it-now price of $14,500 but is also offering the opportunity to make an offer.
The G-body family consisted of offerings from Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. It’s FR layout with optional V8 engine in a mid-size package now seems archaic, but these things sold well. It’s estimated there were more than 10 million built during their production run.
The tone-on-tone-on-tone combo — especially in a blue hue — screams 1980s to me. I’ll contribute that largely to my father’s blue-on-blue 1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 and my mother’s brown-on-brown 1984 Buick Century. This one gets the extra “on-tone” thanks to its matching top that was part of the Landau Package. The seller says the “body is also in fantastic shape with a few minor flaws.” Considering it’s offered 40 years of service, I agree this Grand Prix is in fantastic shape. And those minor flaws? I classify them as truly minor. The wire wheel covers and (new) white wall tires remind us this is a luxury-oriented G-body.
Ooh-wee! How I love this interior! No minuses on my scorecard, but I give extra points to the dash layout, perfect use of woodgrain, and steering wheel design. The 1983 Grand Brix brochure says of the Brougham: “Grand Prix Brougham defines [luxury] with special touches that make luxury a way of life.” Many of those special touches are on the interior, including the standard split notchback seating, “luxurious” door trim panels, and plush carpeting. All appear to be in excellent condition with the seller bragging on the clock being in working order.
An optional 5.0L 305 cubic-inch V8 sends power to the rear wheels via a column-shifted automatic. It’s covered just 19k miles since new and the seller is including all service records to back that up. There’s a new battery under the hood to match the — what appears to be — freshly detailed engine.
I’ll always be a Pontiac fan as my grandfather refused to buy a car from any other manufacturer, but I think this Grand Prix may cause some Pontiac newcomers to realize the 1980s slogan “Pontiac builds excitement.” Does this G-body peg your excitement meter?
Might want to take a look at the seals, a lot of oil and trans fluid on the oil pan and transmission……
I would do a complete flush of all fluids anyway. Then the gaskets are new, so are the fluids, and the buyer knows where they are at.
Any of these low mile cars should have all of the fluids changed and or flushed anyway. Then the gaskets are fresh, .
My favorite color too for this car/body-style.
I love it!!! Look at those cushy Brougham seats!!! These were beautiful cars! When I was a teen in the 80s, I used to wax one of these for someone, it was two-tone white and silver. GM couldn’t make these Gran Prixs, Cutlasses, Regals, and Monte Carlos fast enough, they were so popular. So, naturally, they stopped making them.
Very nice, in 95 i got a hold of a same color 83 Grand LeMans base model with a 3.8 V-6. Had about 65000 km’s from an old gentleman. Kept it until 2001 when the rear frame in back of the wheel arches broke of because of rust. Was up to about 185000 klicks. The size and very light weight because of zero options made it quite nimble and although slow gave very decent m.p.g.’s i actually miss it
I had a used 83 grand prix LJ. This really brings back memories. Shiny black with cream landau and door trim etc. The 305 4brl. It road like a cloud and unlike everything today, you never felt bumps. The rear end started to go at about 120k miles but still ran. I miss that car.
Popular model in 🍁 they were everywhere. Such a sweet ride, and I’ll always say…somehow the luxurious interior was even more special when driving at night 🌉 🌙
Wow. I had an 86 with the chevy 305. Fantastic Car. Like a luxury Monte. Loved that car. Nice find.
A little pricy for just a Grand Prix. It’s not a 2+2…or even a Monte Carlo SS or a 442, let alone a Turbo T or a Hurst/Olds.
Sean who cares… When’s the last time you saw a GM G-BODY with 19,000 miles on it? Most of the G-BODY cars got used and abused this is a true time capsule and for that alone it’s worth the money… Besides not everyone wants the sport model
Chevy Man gets it. He gets the entire point. A gem of a car like this isn’t mere transportation, it’s transportive in its own right and in a pure, preserved form that is increasingly more difficult to come by.
Don’t buy it.
It’s also got barely 20,000 miles on it. Try finding a suitably better used car on the market with THIS much personality today, for $15,000.00.
These were magnificent cars. I’m sure someone’s going to get very lucky, picking this one up.
Brings back bad memories, unfortunately. We had an 82 model really similar to this, except it had bucket seats, column shift automatic, and a V6. My dad bought it used, my mom drove it for a while, and I eventually inherited it. Always had a lot of problems with that car…actually it was probably the most problematic vehicle I’ve ever had the experience of operating. The AC didn’t work, the cruise would stay on when you hit the brakes, it leaked water inside and smelled like vomit and old socks, the seat had a wire that would poke you in the arse, the headliner flapped in the breeze and it did not like to idle. Left me stranded in the rain one night when the transmission stopped moving the car. I think my mom overheated it prior and both the engine and transmission had already been overhauled (apparently not well) before I got it. After the trans went out on me, Dad sold it. Not long after that I saw it on the side of the highway with a stream of what I suspected to be transmission fluid trailing behind it.
This looks like a nice one, though! I imagine the one we got was abused (and my mom probably wasn’t really a stickler for maintenance). I couldn’t own another one myself, though.
I’m with Scrapyard john only mine was an ’86 and not that bad. Bought new, it was great, except that when it got up to speed the whole car would shake. Unbelievably annoying. I took it back to the dealer the same day and all they did was balance the tires. Actually I took it to a bunch of places and all they would do was balance the tires. (I didn’t know I could return it- I was only 22.) Never did find out what the problem was. Knowing what I know now, I would check the balance of the drive shaft, an easy fix considering I worked in a factory machine shop with its’ own balance machine. BTW- It was gorgeous. Black and gold. Gold on top of the chrome kick panels with increasingly smaller stripes fading into the back. T-Tops, 305, 4 speed auto on the floor. Tan interior. Every available option. But I don’t remember a clock. Doesn’t mean it didn’t have one, I just don’t remember it. 22, living in Florida, in the eighties? What do I care about time?
Your clock was probably a digital one in the factory radio.
Yeah Boy! Florida, in the 80’s! This reply will probably not make it through the Screener, but…Knowing the GM products of the 70’s and 80’s like I do (or Did!), this beautiful ’83 Grand Prix caught me eye, and then your “Florida” comment triggered the memory of my visit to the Fisher Body Plant in Flint Michigan (ca. 1984). I was employed by Steego Auto Paint & Body Supply in Ft. Myers, and was sent to the Dupont Paint Headquarters for training of the upcoming new Waterborn Automotive Finishes. Anyway, a tour of the Fischer Body Plant was included in the itinerary. I’ll never forget that vision.., of guys passing a football back and forth, while working on the line!
These Grand Prix were sleeker and smoother on the outside and had far more detail inside than any of the other GM G-body. The dash and door panels recall previous ’70s designs that were also unique among the personal luxury cousins. Nevertheless they didn’t attract as many customers. This is a beautiful car that should please its new owner whether driving on the road or admiring it in the driveway.
Yes. I’d spend time admiring it. My favorite setting for viewing a vehicle is on a clean concrete driveway, bleached white by the sun, green grass in the foreground abutting the driveway and a blue sky overhead streaked with a few clouds to mute the sunshine just a little. See, I have this all thought out. 😉
A general comment, not a reply to Nostromo.
Unless I’m blind, I don’t see a cruise control on this car, especially the module on the manifold. Can’t get a good look at the turn signal lever to tell.
Odd if it doesn’t because it appears to be loaded otherwise. Other not so unusual items missing are rear defog, right hand remote mirror, and the guage package.
I drove an ’81 from when I was 16-25 (1990-1999). Was always something wrong with it. Think the V6 in it was rebuilt twice. It was a tank of a car, though. The doors alone could’ve stopped a bullet.
Replying to Jon. It looks like you are right about the cruise control. There doesn’t appear to be a setting on the Smart Switch for cruise and the vacuum canister doesn’t look like it’s under the hood either. This wouldn’t be uncommon for an eighties or earlier GM vehicle. Everything was sold separately. There were 4 different Smart Switches/turn indicator levers for their cars and trucks. To this day you may be surprised (maybe not if you are on the road with them) by how few people like/use cruise control. Rear defog was not yet mandatory in states so again it could have been a few bucks saved for the other niceties. Both mirrors are there. Sport mirrors came in pairs after 72 unless you were buying a Vega.
Nelson,
Yup, I saw the right hand mirror, it’s just that it’s not remote control. But then again, I had a ’84 Cutlass Supreme Brougham loaded up and my right hand hand mirror was also manual. Thought about putting one in but didn’t want to mess up the dash! Kind of miss the car; had it for 27 years, showed it for 10 and had 19 trophies.
I follow you now. Dual sport mirrors (LH remote) and twin sport mirrors with both remote control. Just another way to ply a few more bucks from the buyer. Today there are still choices but younger folks can’t imagine how specing a vehicle used to be.
It’s also got barely 20,000 miles on it. Try finding a suitably better used car on the market with THIS much personality today, for $15,000.00.
These were magnificent cars. I’m sure someone’s going to get very lucky, picking this one up.
I find it odd Pontiac would design such a dash with so many pods, but not make full gages standard. & most people back then spent money on a clock instead of very important gages! …
& why the slit only in the driver’s floor mat to let water & dirt through?
& not sure why they started downsizing brake pedals on automatic trans
cars either – all shown in …
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LAYAAOSwPS9lFjwa/s-l1600.jpg