Individuality is the key to any good customization package. Such was the idea behind finding a car that had none of the appeal of more popular models, like the Mustang or Civic. So when Bryan Wettengel went looking for a project vehicle, he skipped over the easy sports car setups and stumbled into the more obscure class of compact executive cars.
But the Pontiac Grand Am ended up being no slouch, even if it does have a reputation for being a little less than arousing. The peppy 3.4-liter V-6 puts out 185 horsepower, and that was enough for Wettengel, who at the time was more interested in what he could accomplish on the body curves than the performance curve.
Wettengel’s introduction to custom tuning came through a high school friend. The two boys created a bond between wrenches and lug nuts as they picked apart and pieced back together a Honda Accord. In 2003, Bryan went looking for a car of his own. After seeing close to 10 Mustangs on the road in the short space of a 2-mile drive in the Mustang he was testing, he edged over to the Pontiac dealership and decided on a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT.
» Engine: 3.4-liter 3400 SFI V-6
» Wheels: 19-inch Falken Torque 5’s
» Performance: Slotted rotors, S&S headers and flex fit down pipe, Borla cat-back exhaust, 200 amp high-output alternator, MSD 8.5-inch spark plug wires, Optima yellow top battery, cold-air intake
» Interior: Sparco Turino racing seats, reupholstered rear seat in black and silver, MOMO steering wheel, A-pillar gauge pod with A/F, oil pressure and air tank pressure gauges, Alpine IVA D-900 7-inch flip-screen DVD player
» Exterior: AED body kit, low wing, hood, long fenders, custom-painted headlight eyebrows, TYC taillights
» Suspension: 4-way fully adjustable CCE air suspension kit with 10-switch control box, two Viair 380 compressors, two 5-gallon air tanks, SMC 0.5-inch valves
The modifying bug became a full-blown infection when he traveled to his first show. After taking second place in a field of 60 cars and walking away with a 2 1/2-foot trophy. At the time of the show, Wettengel had already fastened a body kit to the frame, added tint and replaced the wheels with a set of 17-inch KCM Knomes. The next step was to lower the body a few inches using a combination Eibach spring and KYB-GR2 strut.
Along with the AED body kit, Wettengel replaced the hood and fenders with aftermarket versions, shaved the door handles and antenna, and painted the car black with gold flake added into the paint. What Wettengel was discovering during the build process was that the parts for his Grand Am cost three to four times the cost of the parts he had helped his friend install for his Honda. Even the cold-air intake, a seminal starter performance part for any aftermarket setup, had to be built from scratch because there was little demand for them.
“There was pretty much one company for each aftermarket part. So a lot of stuff had to be made or modified for it to work with my car,” Wettengel said.
Adding to the performance package are some long tube headers with a Borla cat-back system to create those silky bass tones that emanate from the exhaust pipes. But while the performance got a few tweaks, major surgery came by way of a happy accident.
The car was nearly complete by 2007 when a friend who also had a modified Grand Am decided to sell his entire air suspension system.
“I was on the road two days later with cash in hand to go buy it from him,” Wettengel said.
The Grand Am is currently working on its fourth stereo system, and for Wettengel, who wanted to be different by adopting a class few would think modifiable, leaves little competition in his path when he cleans up at local shows.
What do you drive? A 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT.
Why do you drive it? To be different. I had always wanted to drive something that turns heads and that you don’t see very often. I’ve only seen two other Grand Ams in person that look even slightly close to mine.
What makes this car so special? The Pontiac was my very first car, and I have been working on it since I was 16 years old. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
What is your most memorable driving experience? I was leaving a show at the local track. I pulled out onto the main street, and a few miles down the road a cop got in behind me. He followed me down every back road that I took hoping he would get off my rear bumper. I get about a mile from home and he hits the lights and sirens. The track and my house are about 25 miles away from each other, and the cop had been following me since about two to three miles after I had left the track. He comes up to my window and tells me that the reason he had been following me and pulled me over was because his daughter has a Grand Am and had seen my car around the area and wanted to know where I got my body kit. On one hand, I was relieved that I wasn’t getting a ticket, but on the other hand, I was pretty ticked off that he followed me for so long just to ask me about my car.
What was the first car you owned? This car … 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT.
What music are you currently listening to in your car? I have the Kottonmouth Kings “Hidden Stash” DVD in my DVD player right now that I am listening to.
And your first ticket? What was it for? Speeding … 86 mph in a 40 mph zone.
