TGP 4 sale. 1989? difference btwn 89 & 90? Parts, motor interchangeable? value?

[McLaren1]

hey guys found a TGP 4 sale. i thought it would be a 89 as door says manufactured 8/89? vin is 1G5WP14V8KF336102. HAS 162,000 miles and askin $700.  hope to get it for less as its not running.  they broke the thermostat housing and couldnt find one to fix it so selling. is this an 89 or a 90? the leather seat centers r solid and not pleated like in my 1990 TGP and has extra yellow levers on the dash cluster wings as well as a performance sound button on the drivers side door?  what the heck is that? i will include some pics. two mismatched tires, no front valence, two dented doors from bad alignment, no visors and bad headliner, seats r good except for some rips in the drivers side. rest of interior is there exept the radio. i was thinkin of buyin this for a winter car OR for parts for my 1990 TGP. is everything ionterchangeable?  parts, motor componants.  can i use parts from the 89's motor to fix my 1990 motor if i blow it up? also a no sunroof car but i have an extra one and was wonderin if anyone has cut a hole in a non moonroof car to install one?  should this even be attempted? what have others PAID for their cars? what is the REAL value of this car to be paid? i will include a few pics, any advise would be great!.....Scot

[Dark Ride]

I would say if you are willing to put in the money and wrench time I'd try to knock his price down a bit, but i'd go for it.  The main problems you listed are fixable, If I were you I'd probably make a nice daily beater out of it and call it good.  Turbo DD's are cool

[TGP Nick]

Yes, all parts are interchangeable.  But I wouldn't part it out, fix it up and drive it!  Buy it man!

[McLaren1]

do u know what yr it is or what the extra gadgets r that it has i mentioned? i guess i kinda half assed figured the motor parts would be different as far as hp, turbos, camshafts, blocks cranks, etc as everything seems to be built to different tolerances for these different type cars? 88-90? .....scot

[grinders_18]

It's a 1989. 89 has the Performance Sound switch, security lighting switch, a different style of seats and door panel inserts, a different style rear speaker deck, a black vent on the top of the dashpad (90's were the color of the dash), different wiper/light controls, and the 89 has a gas door popper lever inside the car, mounted next to the hood popper.

[GutlessSupreme]

do u know what yr it is or what the extra gadgets r that it has i mentioned? i guess i kinda half assed figured the motor parts would be different as far as hp, turbos, camshafts, blocks cranks, etc as everything seems to be built to different tolerances for these different type cars? 88-90? .....scot

Some of the later blocks ('90) were stronger, but who knows when the cutoff is. My TGP and TSTE are/were both '90s; my TGP had the stronger block while my TSTE does not. The 3.1s just started getting strong cross-webbing in the cam gallery, not that it would've helped to keep my piston inside of the block in my TGP. Nothing to fret over.

[mfewtrail]

Doesn't look too awful. Does it run and drive?

[McLaren1]

well they insist it runs and drives, i think i can fix it up quite easily. just needs the thermostat housing and a battery i know ive seen TGPs around here before.  this one doesnt have all the correct tires and stuff and i would have noticed that but maybe theres another one floating around.  hard to believe me and this one and another one all around my little town bein as rare as they r!?  hmmmmm. well i believe him as i have seen then around here and the story jives.  looked everything over and the broken part is there.  if i had the other part that broke off i could probly have it fixed at a welding shop. so the 89 has a weaker block and cam journals?  well, keep teachin me guys, a different yr prix might be nice but i DO have enuf stuff already!:)  hey grinders_18, u have a 89 TGP?  whats the  security light switch and whats it do,  speaker performance control?  and does it work if the radio is gone? the rear speaker deck is covere d in cigarrette burns,  probly should be replaced if i keep it.  r 89 or 90 more rare?  can i easily find the stuff i need for this?  thanx agian guys!......scott

[mfewtrail]

1989's are more rare. There were only around 750 1989's made. A member of this board found vin numbers for 729 '89 TGP's at one time, so the "750" production number that has been stated a few times by different sources is likely pretty close to actual. For 1990, about 2,750 cars were made(we have quotes of "2,751" and "2,725" from different sources), then there are 1,000 TSTE(sedans) made as well. It's not that uncommon to find TGP's nearby when you live in the Northeastern US(I'm assuming that's where you're from since a lot of other members ARE :laugh:). It seems that the majority are concentrated in that area. Here in Georgia, I rarely see any TGP's besides my own....although, I know of at least a dozen others besides mine in this state. ;)

[grinders_18]

Yeah I have an 89.

1) Security Lighting Switch: This is actually a nice feature. Basically, you can set the amount of time your interior lights and headlights stay on after you close your door or shut off your car. You can shut it off totally, or just slide the lever to the right depending on how long you want them to stay on. It comes in handy when you live in a non-secure area, and hear something outside...check out your window and see the lights on, then you KNOW someone tried to get in. Also, whever you pull on the door handle, the lights reappear for the set amount of time.

2) Performance Sound Switch: A neat idea, but for taller people like me, and those who love the sound of 6 speakers instead of just 6, the switch is a poorly conceived idea of added music control. What it does is turns off the door speakers. Taller people will hit their knee on it, turning it off. Also, I don't know anyone who wouldn't use all 6 speakers if given the chance. IF you change out stereos, say to an aftermarket deck, I don't remember but I believe you will need to splice the door speaker wires into the dash speaker wires in order for them to work, since they are run through a factory amp...I also believe they have a seperate plug for the factory deck? Can anyone verify?

3) If you remove the factory deck, you can wire it up so it still works, but it's pointless to do so, in my opinion. I have mine wired directly, over-riding the switch, since I hit it constantly with my knee.

If it's an 89 and you consider it a worthwhile investment, snatch it up! There are way fewer 89's out there, and for all we know, they are becoming less by the year...as with the other TGP/TSTE's.

[pontiac6ksteawd]

I read somewhere that the 89 were also aniversary editions.

Yeap, they are according to NADA.com.

2-Door Coupe
1989 Pontiac Grand Prix 2 Door Coupe (**)
Note: (*) 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (**) ASC/MCLAREN TURBO

[Shifter23]

So any news?  Did you get it?

[kuntzie]

I read somewhere that the 89 were also aniversary editions.

Yeap, they are according to NADA.com.

2-Door Coupe
1989 Pontiac Grand Prix 2 Door Coupe (**)
Note: (*) 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (**) ASC/MCLAREN TURBO

that cant be true as the 40th aniversayrys were 2002s? i bellieve

[meltboy11]

02 is correct

[grinders_18]

The 20th anniversary editon, as marked by one star (*), is for the Turbo Trans Am, NOT the Grand Prix. ince the Trans Am came around in 69, 89 marks the 20th anniversary. I wondered the same thing years ago until I figured that out.