Piston Slap: Finding Unobtainum for Your Pontiac STE Restoration

Tom writes:

Hi Sajeev,

Long time reader. I appreciate your writings, and your passion for '90s normie cars.

The backstory is this-in college (1999-2003) I was a GM "W-body" enthusiast. I inherited a Buick Regal GS from my great aunt with 17,000 miles, and I did the young kid mod my car thing, but I think I did it tastefully: I added a console and quad buckets from a Cutlass convertible, and that was just the start…

My enthusiasm led me to want (and then buy) a Lumina z34 with a stick shift, which I repainted/refurbished (I put in a leather Grand prix interior, etc). I sold that Z34 and the Buick to buy a Firebird Firehawk, started racing karts and sports cars, and here I am 20+ years later with two kids, a shelf full of racing trophies, some very cool cars: ZL1 1LE, '98 Camaro 1LE (one of 99 1LEs made), Corvette, stick shift Silverado, etc. I say this not to brag, but more to set the stage for how silly I am….

The Lumina Z34 stick shift has always lurked in the back of my brain. At the time it was the "fastest, coolest car" I could have ever afforded, and I loved how exotic it sounded. I always wanted a 4 door Oldsmobile Cutlass or Pontiac Grand Prix with that drivetrain, but they are SUPER DUPER rare (like less than 400 made combined of both).

You know where this is going.

So yes, in 2 weeks im driving from MA to Minnesota to buy what I believe is a decent 1991 Grand Prix STE with the 3.4 DOHC and 5 speed manual. But I'm worried. All of the NOS/OEM parts seemed to have been scooped up in the past 2 decades by W-body enthusiasts who didn't fall of the wagon like I did-and I want perfection or as close to perfection as I can get.

The car will get a full repaint and i'll have the seats/headliner reupholstered, but what to do about the "unobtainium" pieces? Some engine parts, some interior trims. What strategies have you used for weirdo car enthusiast parts?

When I pick up the STE, I'm also buying a second motor/transmission combo from a parts car the guy has (strike while the iron is hot). I guess I'm looking for an answer that I know doesn't really exist, but of all people, you are the guy who knows this life best. I appreciate your thoughts/strategies/ wisdom.

Sajeev answers:

I am flattered and honored you'd reach out to me with this question. You are embarking on a journey that few will emulate, but many will appreciate.

Pontiac's Special Touring Editions were always something impressive, and the "W" Body versions deserve the same treatment we enthusiasts typically give to high performance European brands that serve the same market. Not that I'd know anything about restoring a Euro-wannabe American car with a famous name. No sir, I'd never that so crazy…

Let me be clear on one thing: My experience isn't directly applicable to you. Finding vintage NOS Ford parts seems easier than the same bits from General Motors. I am hoping we can still apply some knowledge transfer, so here's a list of what I do to restore this 1989 Continental and keep it running:

• Rock Auto lists factory part numbers in the descriptions of their parts, so copy/paste them into Google and eBay to find vintage parts sellers across the web.
• If you can break down GM part numbers like the Ford's four digit prefix, you can use those prefixes as eBay saved searches. (Those prefixes have saved me a lot of time and money!)
• Add terms like "Pontiac STE NOS", "Pontiac Grand Prix OEM", "Twin Dual Cam", and "LQ1" into saved searches on an eBay account. Be creative, as eBay lets you store a lot of permutations as saved searches.
• Get friendly with NOS parts vendors that specialize in GM parts. If you become a customer they might be able to help in ways that us "end users" could never imagine.
• Pop part numbers into Rear Counter or a similar searchable database.

Hopefully that will help source powertrain parts for your STE. Unfortunately, new-old stock interior bits can be more challenging. So consider repairing interior parts instead of replacement. It can be a smarter move, even for me and the abundant supply of 1988-94 Continental interiors at my disposal. So let's list these options:

• Buy a plastic welder for cheap and learn how to weld plastic parts together.
• Do a Google near me search for interior re-dying companies. I was lucky and found someone within 10 minutes of my home, and they do a fantastic job. (Ask local car dealers for referrals, too.)
• Cracked dashboard or door cards? This place has a great rep, and I've seen/appreciated their work first hand.

While this is just a high level overview of interior and powertrain parts collecting tips, I am confident this will help you when that lovely STE comes home and is ready for your tender loving care.

I must admit, I am a bit jealous: I forgot these were available with manual transmissions. Maybe I should burn a pile of money and do a Taurus SHO Yamaha V6 + Manual transmission swap in my 1989 Continental so I can be cool like you!

Have a question you'd like answered on Piston Slap? Send your queries to [email protected]-give us as much detail as possible so we can help! Keep in mind this is a weekly column, so if you need an expedited answer, please tell me in your email.

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