1991 Pontiac Parked in a Pond for 19 Years Was on Its Way to the Crusher, It Begs To Live

How do you call a barn find which was not found in a barn but in a pond? That's right, we've got a… pond find. This poor Pontiac Grand Prix had the wheels on the passenger side sitting halfway in the water that also bathed the sills, sharking them off over the years. Nobody knows how to get there. But there is someone who wants to save it, fix it, and drive it. Even if it will be for a little while. It is what he does.

The car has seen better days. Thieves stole the built-in radio, leaving the wires dangling from the dashboard. But other than that, the rest of the car seems to be in one piece. Until it will probably get torn apart the moment it is moved from the place where it has been sitting for 19 years.

The steering wheel is covered in mold, probably brought in by humidity. The rubber floor mats are wet, which means that water invaded the cabin at some point.

The rear seats look like a junkyard. A log, a tire, a wheel cover, and various other items were stored there. The poor Pontiac has been sitting there with windows broken, braving the elements for 19 whole years, while rust continuously ate at it. The dark blue paint, once one of the most coveted options in the lineup, is now peeling off.

A construction tractor lifts the 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix from its watery grave and takes it to land. All tires are flat. Lifting it up in the air reveals that everything is rotten underneath, looking like overcooked potato chips. The engine compartment is pretty much the same, while the air filter looks as if some alligator bit off it.

However, a new battery and some fluids later, the engine shows signs of life. An expert in resurrecting dead cars fixes the throttle body, which is stuck after almost two decades, and despite all odds, the engine fires up. There is smoke rising from it, but it totally makes sense. It is a 33-year-old car that sat parked for 19 years.

That engine is the infamous four-cylinder 2.3-liter unit, known for its unreliability and for the noise it made. It still makes it. And it makes 160 horsepower (162 metric horsepower) on a good day. But it seems that those good old days are far behind now.

Minutes later, the car runs and drives. The rubber comes off the wheels, but that isn't a real problem. The car was on its way to the crusher anyway. Furthermore, the reverse gear is not functional, so the only way to go is forward. The headlights, taillights, brake lights, and turn indicators still light up, and the windshield wipers work properly.

On a dirt road, the Pontiac leaves its pond life far behind and drives as if it longed to be driven, although it looks like it has just escaped from the set of some horror movie.

The speedometer is scaled up to 110 mph (180 kph). It surely doesn't go that fast anymore, but it runs and drives and that is a miracle for a car that sat parked in a pond for 19 years.