A ‘Back Burner’ Grand Prix Project Aims for the Finish Line at Sick Summer
The G-body GM cars (named for the frame design they used) have been a popular choice for race and street cars since the platform was first introduced in 1978. But compared to the Chevrolet Malibu and Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Buick Regal and Grand National models, the Pontiac Grand Prix is the model rarely seen.
For Rob Senkyr, this 1984 Pontiac signals his switch from co-pilot to competitor, and it’s not even his first one. “Originally I started with a different Grand Prix,” said Rob. “It was clean but the paint was trash from the Arizona sun.”
Rob was about halfway into building a roll cage when he got a text message from fellow Grand Prix owner and drag-and-drive participant Mark Sussino about another Grand Prix that could be a better starting point for Rob.
“I kind of shrugged it off at first, but went and looked at it and it was way nicer and the price was right,” said Rob.
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Purchased as a running and driving car, the Pontiac Grand Prix was parted out where Rob made most of his money back. Then he cut out the floor, dropped the car body on his existing chassis, and kept on working.
Rob completed the roll cage, which is a SFI 25.3-spec that allows him to run as quick as 6.50 in the quarter-mile. Along the way, Rob even started making some fiberglass parts, including the dash panel in this car.
To provide motivation for the Grand Prix, Rob kept it Pontiac-powered with a 496 cubic inch engine based on a Kauffman mr1 iron block. Internals include a Crower billet crankshaft and Callies billet connecting rods, and airflow rolls through a Roland Racing CV1 top end with canted valve cylinder heads.
Twin Work turbochargers measuring 82 millimeters provide the boost, and fuel comes from a 15-gallon Aeromotive brushless tank in the rear for pump gas for street driving. When Rob switches to race trim, a 12 gallon per minute Aeromotive mechanical pump provides methanol to the 16-injector set-up.
A close ratio Reid-cased Turbo 400 3-speed automatic and a Gear Vendors Overdrive passes the power to the rear, and a Holley Dominator controls it all.
Rob has attended every Hot Rod Drag Week since 2013, mostly as a co-pilot. He did take his wife Becky’s 1968 Pontiac GTO out in 2017 as a driver, and the 6-liter LS2 and 4L80 swapped classic averaged out at 13.43 for the week.
His second attempt behind the wheel at the 2022 Hot Rod Drag Week didn’t go nearly as well. “I did attend completely untested and untuned,” said Rob. “I made one shakedown pass Monday, and the oil pressure was lower than I’d like, and there was some metal in the clearview filter.”
The risk was a little too great for Rob. “I made the decision to not wreck a 10-year build that obviously wasn’t ready,” he admitted, but continued with the event anyways. “I followed along in my truck the rest of the week to cheer on the others in our group.”
Once home, the engine checked out okay, and Rob upgraded to a dry sump oiling system to get the oil pressure right.
The Grand Prix will make an appearance at Sick Summer Presented by TBM Brakes, and Rob is ready for another shot with the Grand Prix. “My plan is to finish Sick Summer and try and get the car dialed in,” he said. “I am also registered for Hot Rod Drag Week this year.”
“I think the hardest part is finishing if you have anything but a stock car,” Rob admitted. “A lot of people underestimate how hard it is to drive their hot rods that much in a week.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Rob Senkyr.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com