Back in the late 60's and early 70's I looked forward to September each year to see the new Pontiacs. They were always the most attractive new cars, with the exception of some Cadillac models (1967 Eldorado, 1976 Seville). That all ended in a dramatic manner in 1979. Nothing was ever the same after that.
My friend has an 09' Toyota Matrix, and it has a color very similar. Although it's a bit brighter, more metallic. Looks really dope when the sun hits it.
Boring colors are those on the lot; if you want something different, you'll need to order it, just like I did with mine (malachite green metallic), but I had to wait 7 months and 3 days until I finally picked it up.
My 77 had the Mandarin paint. It was just the J model, my interior was similar to the tan vinyl bucket seats shown in this video. I had an orange 72 Cutlass with a similar color. I think the color looked better on the 77 Monte Carlo, a friend of mine owned.
My first car was a beautiful, white 1977 Pontiac Gran Prix that I purchased for $1900 cash in 1984. ❤ I absolutely loved it, and I've regretted selling it all these years. I wish I had it again today. Best riding/driving car I've ever owned.
My boss bought his wife a new 1976 Grand Prix, it was silver over black with red velour interior & T-Tops!!! It was stunning & fun to drive!!! Thanks for showcasing this Mandarin Orange beauty!!! 👍👍🙂
The 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix was one of my favorite Grand Prix's. I liked the styling and more. My late uncle had one with snowflake wheels. It was loaded too. It had bucket seats as well. My other uncle had the 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix that was loaded. It had bucket seats. It was smaller. I think the 1981-1987 tried to recapture the 1977 Grand Prix magic. It looked nice with the aluminum wheels in Brougham or LE trim. The 1988 to me in the front looks like a modern interpretation of that theme. The 2004-until the end brought back some of those styling cues inside and out I felt. The Grand Prix did a lot for Pontiac in its time. That front end styling from 1977 ended up on the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville/Parisienne. I went to an exhibition on car design years ago and I saw the sketches for the 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. You see this car you miss Pontiac. Thank you Adam once again.
1980-81 Catalina & Bonneville B bodies 1982 Bonneville on LeMans G body 1983-1986 Parisiane B body / Caprice like front end/ Impala like taillights. 1987- Bonneville became H body Like 1986-87 LeSabre, Delta 88. CB
This. Is. Peak. GM. Not the most powerful (but the speed limit was 55mph, and we're not running a race in a luxury car, a loping, quiet, smooth delivery is what many wanted, and still want). But style, comfort, affordable, a machine that you would be PROUD to own, and feel good about walking up to every morning... THIS IS WHAT WE NEED NOW. God Bless you for sharing, preserving, and educating about the Greatest Cars Ever Built. You have my gratitude! (Even if we disagree about the fuselage bodies, lol)
@@gordtulk Your're right. Most 1970's cars were junk as far as reliability and decent engines went. But the design of the body was really beautiful and more visually appealing than the copycat SUV's and compact Camry's Accords and Kia Sonata's we have today. Very medoiacre styling and copy cat designs.
I remember when the 1973 came out, and oh boy did they ever tout the fact that it had real wood on the dash, as well they should have. From 73 - 77, a great series of great cars.
I grew up with one of these - a 75. My friend's family had a fleet of maybe 8 cars, mostly GM, mostly loaded, all big, and all of those from the 70's (I think this was when the grandfather died and they went crazy for a couple of years). Anyway, Cliff was a good driver, and this was his favorite. Rarely did we get a turn at the wheel. By early 80's standards, it was at least quick and felt fast. The surprise was that it handled too. Width was a bit of an issue on the back country roads that were our playground, and when the turns got super tight even the Japanese stuff could get away from it - but once the road opened up, forget it. Such a nicely trimmed interior too, loved the buckets, dash and the custom sport wheel (expensive then, alomst the price of the tach, but a bargain for what it adds now). You could make a plushmobile with the LJ or head sporty with the SJ, and actually kind of mean it. Always preferred the 73-75 front end over the 76-77, but they were all sharp looking cars. Those last two years sold phenomenally well.
Hell yeah dude, more Pontiac action! My first car was an 87' Firebird (305TBI AT) at 15 years old in the mid 90's, it felt like a Ferrari lol. And even though the T-Tops leaked, I loved them. I'm a GM guy, and Pontiac has always been my favorite.
I had two 77 Malibu's, and a mid 70's Grand Am. The Grand Prix definitely had very bold and attractive styling in comparison. The Pontiac's driver's cockpits made them very enjoyable, regardless of emissions sacrifices.
@Dennis W I think what he means is that the styling, ride, and overall ambiance of the car makes up for the reduced engine power in these seventies GP's
I had a white ‘77 base model. Lite blue vynil top with matching blue dash, door panels and carpet with white vynil seats and column shift. It had the 301 in it. A lot of good memories with that car. I definitely appreciate the styling more now than I did back then. Love your videos Adam! Thanks!
I worked with someone who had a 1974 Grand Prix. That car was so freaking fast, I couldn't believe it! One day, I was visiting, and he was on the next block behind his house. All of a sudden, we heard burning rubber. With that, came the smoke from his tires billowing over the front of his house, as the entire street fogged up and the smell of burning rubber permiated the air. The car was in black primer and it looked genuinely sinister. I think that the engine had been reworked from it's original state. Under the hood, the sticker said "400 CU. IN.", but I believe it was swapped out for an older 455.
My Dad had 3 Grand Prix's; 71, 73, 75, all SJ's, 400, center counsel. Great cars, and as a traveling salesman he put a ton of miles on them. Held up well, although he didn't keep the 75 as long as the other two because the seat was uncomfortable and bothered his back on long drives. He flipped that on a 76 Bonneville Brougham, 4 door, triple black. That car was a tank!
These Grand Prixs were very nice cars. I remember driving my boss's 1976 50th Anniversary Edition; it was gold with the white half vinyl roof and T-tops. It was fully loaded and had the 400cid engine with the 4bbl carburetor. I remember the words radial tuned suspension displayed inside the car. It was a very nice driver, combining handling with a smooth ride.
The 77 was one of the best looking GP's. I worked with someone where we both traveled the South East in our cars, and he had a 77 GP. It was fast. I drove it in NC and got a radar ticket for doing over 90. The cops let me pay them on the spot. (I can guess where that money went). The car, according to my friend got very good MPG.
I'm simply amazed at how different the various divisions mid sized cars were from one another despite their shared chassis. I wasn't a fan of the beak nose styling of the previous generation. But this generation was tastefully done. And the 5 Mph bumpers actually complimented the styling in my opinion.
In highschool I had a job in a local restaurant. Since I didn't have use of the family car, I would often ride with my assistant manager who drove a silver SJ with red velour interior. From the passenger seat, I was taken aback by the seemingly unending hood and the plushness of what I perceived as a sporty coupe...
Back in the early eighties, my brother had a 73 Grand Prix SJ. We would go to high school ,and listen to Van Halen, Boston or Molly Hatchet 8 track's. It had a am 8 track from factory. The good ole days.
My neighbor had this in yellow with a white top. I loved watching it take off down the road when he'd leave to go somewhere. The shape of the rear and tail lights made it look like it was about to take flight.
RTS was also on the Lemans dash. “Radial Tuned Suspension” was on the dash of my Dads Lemans and my Uncle’s Gran Prix. Both very nice cars from Pontiac, owned by two brothers in the 70’s. Good times back then...
Our Doctor bought a white 77 and special ordered it with every option. My Mum worked for her and at a Christmas party as a 16 year old she said "want to take it for a spin?" and tossed me the keys. Beautiful riding car and it was the first car I ever drove that the front end would lift up when you floored it. Thinking about it, this car was really her - a little showy, perhaps of another era but looked classy and her doctors whites always looked pressed and never a hair out of place.
The 77 was my favorite of that body style. Had 3 of them over the years with the 3 different engines. My black 77 400 t-top was definitely my favorite and best performing of the 3. My interior looked like this one you featured. I was lucky enough to get to go on a school field trip to the Leeds plant in Kansas City and got to see the 77 Grand Prix's and Olds Cutlass' being built.
YES. My colleague in college in 1985 had a '79 Trans Am and he, Shawn Laljee, insisted that it was a Pontiac engine, despite the fact that the hood said "T/A 6.6", and the valve covers were gold....
As was said, "T/A 6.6" on the shaker does indicate the Pontiac 400 engine in 1979. 79 was the last year for the Pontiac 400. It should have had a 4 speed manual transmission, since the 400 only came with a 4 speed in 79. The valve covers would have been chrome. There were no gold valve covers in 79 if it was original. The Olds 403, "6.6 Litre", came with an automatic only, and it was "corporate" blue.
My first car was a 77 Grand Prix but had a 403 mated to a Turbo 400, sure had some good take offs in that one. Mine was the blue version with a column shift. Brought back many memories, thanks for sharing this video
Thank you so very much for featuring this... my Grandma had a '77 SJ with the console shifter, powered by the 301. You're right...kinda puny, but she always seemed to talk about how nimble it felt. Great video!
Another great look at one of Pontiac's classic cars. It, like the Monte Carlo, managed to be as beautiful as the pre-Colonade era cars that preceded them. The '77 is a beauty, and is obviously popular from the sales it brought in at the time, and the comments. For me personally I liked the singular headlights and grill particularly on the '74-'75 that gave it a Rolls Royce look. This was even more true on those year's Monte Carlos. The '76 I still liked with the double square headlights right next to each other, and the 'waterfall' grill. The '77 front end (to me) was busier, and more 'broken up' in terms of the clean simplicity of the previous years.
In high school I had a green with tan velour interior SJ 400. Loved that car! Rally wheels, sunroof it was an awesome road trip car. My cousin had a 73 black 455 and driving it made me fall in love with the GP. One of the best looking cars of the malaise era.
When I was 13 my dad was a GM at a large dealership. I remember the night he brought home a burgundy 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ. I was smitten. I still have a very fond affection for the Grand Prix's of that era. Adam, I like how you pointed out the differences between the 76 and 77. Those are details I am always interested in and would notice myself. While I do love the headlights split by the signals on the 77, There is something cool about the waterfall grill and the signals mounted in the fenders on the 76. I do like the taillights on the 77 with the GPS emblem in the middle of them. Even after the major downsize of 78 I still held a fondness for the GP. Thanks for all of your hard work Adam!
Thank you for this video. It brought back a lot of wonderful memories. My first car was a used '77 Grand Prix LJ. I had it for nine years and had to do relatively little in repairs. It had the 400, and it wasn't that bad on fuel. The three-speed transmission was smooth between shifts. I wish I still had that car. A first car can be like a first love - you never get over it and I'll never get over having owned my '77 Pontiac Grand Prix.
Those of us who lived during this era truly witnessed the world’s best made cars-in our own backyard: GM and Ford. Regrettably, never to be seen again. Great channel!
GM’s & Fords built like tanks. Was given for the weekend in April 1979, A brand new 79 Lincoln Continental brown sedan for my buddy’s 3 Lincoln bridal party car brigade. He wanted the white one, his best man, the black one. I had to “ settle “ for the brand new “ off the new car lot” brown one . What an awesome ride!!!!!!!!! Had to pry those keys outa my hand the following Monday- back to driving my ( Nova) 1978 Grand Prix. CB
I bought a 1973 Grand Prix SJ when it was about a year old. It was the most enjoyable car to drive that I have ever owned, and even though the h.p. was being smogged-pumped to death by the EPA it still had a boat load of torque and the 455 c.i. made it a real blast to drive. I can still remember looking over that long hood that enclosed the big-block and I still believe it was the best looking GP of all IMHO. This was the end of the era where you could easily see and distinguish what brand of vehicle you were looking at because of style and design between auto makers. They actually wanted to stand apart from the crowd. After these went by the wayside Detroit went for the Japanese, econo-box style and here we are today with cookie cutters that seem to hardly have any distinction between auto makers and whenever one of them breaks out with a new idea or catchy color, the rest of them jump on board! I'm glad I grew up in the days of Detroit glory!!
I had a 77 Lemans sport coupe in mint green with white interior. Very similar to this one. High back buckets seats were a dream. Car handled well and had terrific road presence.
I remember my dad's best friend buying a new 1964 Grand Prix. It was gorgeous! Dad reciprocated the next year with a new Riviera. I've always been hooked on both. I think the 71 and 72 are my favorites. Hard to find in good condition though. Thanks for this video, and YES, that color is stunning.
❤ Love 💕 this video, love❤ Pontiac cars too, especially the full size from the 60s & 70s, this video was extremely informative as always , entertaining,telling, & the cars featured were Insanely Stunning, Thanks for sharing Adam/ Rare Classic cars
I always loved Pontiacs and Buicks more than other GM cars because they were rock solid cars with great body styles and great engines.I loved the Bonnevilles,Grandvilles,Catalinas, Grand prix and the GTOst.I really love the styling of the 75 Grand prix SJ. Beautiful car.
By my teens in the early '70s, I had developed a taste for European and '60s American cars, and hated what most American cars had become by the mid '70s. Then, a middle-aged family friend bought one of these. I used to call it 'The Batmobile! (but not to her face!) But I loved the red interior of that car - the round gauges, the bucket seats, and especially, what looked like very thin real wood inserts on the doors and center console. It was very comfortable, and a blast to drive, with surprising handling for a big '70s American boat!
One of the guys had a 77 SJ in high school, it was white with red pin stripes and red interior with additional chrome accents and "T" tops, car was drop dead gorgeous.
My Dad bought the 77' Grand Prix as a family car,. We had it as a family car right up until it got demoted to my first car in High School, which I drove all the way up until 1994. The car was a nice car but it only had a 301 cubic inch. It was pretty good on gas though.
The 71 through 73 Mercury Cougars had a somewhat driver centric dash and a passenger side grab handle. That must have been a common theme among coupes back then. It is a nice look! Thanks for a great video!
Mine was metallic red with white partial top and white interior. Sold it to a guy in Sweden. Adam didn’t speak to the handling, but it wasn’t bad, and the ride was pretty good too.
I could not agree more. Clearly, GM did a fantastic job with this car with body sculpting. I am currently looking for a 1976 with T-tops. I prefer the front end and the 455 over the '77. However, they are both stunning.
For future reference, be careful with a T-top car and the stump puller 455. You may want to stiffen the frame if you hop it up. Mine twisted up the body on my T-top Trans Am, it permanently warped the C pillars. 😂
I had a maroon 74 SJ with black cloth buckets seats. I traded my 70 mercury montery. The mercury was beat to hell and back. Wrecked in some bushes vomited in and flooded once. It was my 1st car it age 16. I got 1000 trade in the 74 SJ which was 2800. I took much better care of the SJ. It was a one owner traded with 47k miles with the 455 motor. Loved it. Have never seen another 74 like it. Wished I had it back. I remember easily hitting 120 out on I 81 in PA. My mom had it when I was in basic training. She drove up to Frackville from Harrisburg PA to see her sister. It was a 60 mile trip she get there in 40 minutes flat!
This caught my eye! I own a 1977 LeMans Sports Coupe in mandarin orange. It has the half vinyl top in beige to match the beige velour interior with brown dash, carpet. 3 spoke wheel. Pontiac rally's with rings, color matched orange. Been in my family since new. Styling is very similar to the Grand Prix. I like the interior of the GP better, much classier. Mine has a bench with a big arm rest up front. Would love to do a dash and front seat swap but these cars are becoming rare!
This year and model are by far my most favorite car Pontiac ever built. I remember going to the showroom to sit and inspect one. However, I didn't have the funds to buy one sadly!
My favorite year of Grand Prix! My dad bought a beautiful loaded or nearly loaded ’77 LJ that was white with red velour interior. 400 engine. It was for my mom, and she loved it. It was a stunning car!
I had a ‘77 SJ black with the black vinyl buckets and a padded white landau vinyl top and the Hurst Hatches. Mine was pretty well loaded, power windows/locks/seat/trunk & tilt w/ cruise. The 400 4 bbl. was standard on the SJ along with the buckets & console. Great car & pretty quick with the 400 & turbo 400 trans. I put a B&M shift kit in it and 9 times out of 10, it would chirp the tires going into 2nd. Great fun!
From 69- 77 the Grand Prix was a well styled vehicle. My favorite is the bucket seats with the center console. Love the t-tops that “Cars and Concepts of Michigan put on theses vehicles back in the day. 4:06
I had a 73 Bonneville in Navajo orange a 77 GP in natalius blue this color looks great here I didn't care much for it on my Bonneville but it grew on me after awhile thanks Adam
My dad started buying Pontiacs in 1953, and every two years, a new one. His love for the GP started in 1963. A beautiful dark blue metallic. Then a white '65, green '67,and finally the 1969 Model J. I loved all of them, and he knew it. So I actually bought it from him and drove it in the summer only. Eventually, I sold it to a friend back in 1990 and still has it. Would he sell it back to me? If I brought a big wallet...
Whenever I see a 1977 Grand Prix I am always reminded of the $10,000 Pyramid show, which I used to like to watch as a teen-ager. The Grand Prix was always the prize I wanted...
That was my second car. Bought it for $1100 with 124K on it. Drove it for ten more years and had 235K on it. Sold it at a bar my last night in Chicago, en route to OR the next day.
While I enjoyed your video on the 77 SJ, I really enjoyed the thumbnail of the 1976. That was identical to the SJ that I had from 1981 until 1984 when it was totaled by a drunk chick in an RX7 who hit me and took off. That 76 was a beautiful ride and a wonderful highway car.
Yeah I like the orange, lots of cars have it available today. Unfortunately, I lack the courage to buy it for myself. But i do enjoy seeing them on the road.
Now you have hit on one of my all time favorite cars. The 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix is my favorite year for this car and the 76 is the runner up. I just love the dash and how the console slanted towards the driver in these cars. It was like the cockpit of an airplane. I miss the soft floaty ride from the cars of this era. I used to own an 1984 Grand Prix. It is sad they allowed the Pontiac to die. I prefer the standard steering wheel myself. I drove a couple of cars with the 301 V8 in it and it was a weak engine, though they ran smooth.
I had a red 1977 Grand Prix SJ with a white top that I bought from my sister and brother-in-law. It had the 400 c.i. engine with a four barrel carburetor that acted more like a two barrel carburetor - the secondaries never seemed to open up. It had cruise control, but it was very jerky. The door bottom were rusting out. The worst part was that because the engine was set so far back from the grill, it had a tendency to overheat. It was joked at the time that SJ stood for "super junk".
Nice to see one of those in a fantastic colour. Nice to see one of those at all. Don't remember seeing many of these, but the next downsized generation was pretty common in my neighbourhood...
The Mandarin Orange paint fits this car so well! I always thought these cars had wonderful interiors, but very bloated exterior designs, typical of the early to mid-'70s GM cars. And for something a bit different: during this video, the first commercial I've seen for a Lucid played.
Bought my 77 SJ new in 77 when I was dating my wife. I still own it and it has 52k original miles on. My wife and I drive it on special occasions.
God bless you both and your
Together Forever ride. CB
Any pics
Back in the late 60's and early 70's I looked forward to September each year to see the new Pontiacs. They were always the most attractive new cars, with the exception of some Cadillac models (1967 Eldorado, 1976 Seville). That all ended in a dramatic manner in 1979. Nothing was ever the same after that.
I do wish Mandarin Orange paint was offered again. 90% of vehicles at dealerships now are black or grey.
My friend has an 09' Toyota Matrix, and it has a color very similar. Although it's a bit brighter, more metallic.
Looks really dope when the sun hits it.
Boring colors are those on the lot; if you want something different, you'll need to order it, just like I did with mine (malachite green metallic), but I had to wait 7 months and 3 days until I finally picked it up.
@@seiph80 What kind of car?
My 77 had the Mandarin paint. It was just the J model, my interior was similar to the tan vinyl bucket seats shown in this video. I had an orange 72 Cutlass with a similar color. I think the color looked better on the 77 Monte Carlo, a friend of mine owned.
@@zerocool5395 2023 BMW 5-series
My first car was a beautiful, white 1977 Pontiac Gran Prix that I purchased for $1900 cash in 1984. ❤ I absolutely loved it, and I've regretted selling it all these years. I wish I had it again today. Best riding/driving car I've ever owned.
My boss bought his wife a new 1976 Grand Prix, it was silver over black with red velour interior & T-Tops!!! It was stunning & fun to drive!!! Thanks for showcasing this Mandarin Orange beauty!!! 👍👍🙂
The red was Firethorn
Used 1976-77
( I had a 75&1/2 Monza Town Coupe
Triple Firethorn Red Metallic
1973-75 red , some were maroon
The 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix was one of my favorite Grand Prix's. I liked the styling and more. My late uncle had one with snowflake wheels. It was loaded too. It had bucket seats as well. My other uncle had the 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix that was loaded. It had bucket seats. It was smaller. I think the 1981-1987 tried to recapture the 1977 Grand Prix magic. It looked nice with the aluminum wheels in Brougham or LE trim. The 1988 to me in the front looks like a modern interpretation of that theme. The 2004-until the end brought back some of those styling cues inside and out I felt. The Grand Prix did a lot for Pontiac in its time. That front end styling from 1977 ended up on the 1980-1981 Pontiac Bonneville/Parisienne. I went to an exhibition on car design years ago and I saw the sketches for the 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. You see this car you miss Pontiac. Thank you Adam once again.
Bucket seats was the way to get them. One of my friends in HS had a 76 Grand Prix
1980-81 Catalina & Bonneville B bodies
1982 Bonneville on LeMans G body
1983-1986 Parisiane B body / Caprice like
front end/ Impala like taillights.
1987- Bonneville became H body
Like 1986-87 LeSabre, Delta 88. CB
They’re all beautiful 🤩
This. Is. Peak. GM.
Not the most powerful (but the speed limit was 55mph, and we're not running a race in a luxury car, a loping, quiet, smooth delivery is what many wanted, and still want).
But style, comfort, affordable, a machine that you would be PROUD to own, and feel good about walking up to every morning...
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED NOW.
God Bless you for sharing, preserving, and educating about the Greatest Cars Ever Built.
You have my gratitude!
(Even if we disagree about the fuselage bodies, lol)
Horrible quality.
@@gordtulk Your're right. Most 1970's cars were junk as far as reliability and decent engines went. But the design of the body was really beautiful and more visually appealing than the copycat SUV's and compact Camry's Accords and Kia Sonata's we have today. Very medoiacre styling and copy cat designs.
I meant Hyundai not Kia.
One of the coolest hoods EVER.
The sculpted hood was beautiful. Similiar to the 1978 Cadillac DeVille which I bought in 1988.
I remember when the 1973 came out, and oh boy did they ever tout the fact that it had real wood on the dash, as well they should have. From 73 - 77, a great series of great cars.
I really love this car, your interior is the one I'd choose over tan leather etc. The color is perfect for the year
I grew up with one of these - a 75. My friend's family had a fleet of maybe 8 cars, mostly GM, mostly loaded, all big, and all of those from the 70's (I think this was when the grandfather died and they went crazy for a couple of years). Anyway, Cliff was a good driver, and this was his favorite. Rarely did we get a turn at the wheel. By early 80's standards, it was at least quick and felt fast. The surprise was that it handled too. Width was a bit of an issue on the back country roads that were our playground, and when the turns got super tight even the Japanese stuff could get away from it - but once the road opened up, forget it. Such a nicely trimmed interior too, loved the buckets, dash and the custom sport wheel (expensive then, alomst the price of the tach, but a bargain for what it adds now). You could make a plushmobile with the LJ or head sporty with the SJ, and actually kind of mean it. Always preferred the 73-75 front end over the 76-77, but they were all sharp looking cars. Those last two years sold phenomenally well.
Hell yeah dude, more Pontiac action!
My first car was an 87' Firebird (305TBI AT) at 15 years old in the mid 90's, it felt like a Ferrari lol. And even though the T-Tops leaked, I loved them.
I'm a GM guy, and Pontiac has always been my favorite.
I had two 77 Malibu's, and a mid 70's Grand Am. The Grand Prix definitely had very bold and attractive styling in comparison. The Pontiac's driver's cockpits made them very enjoyable, regardless of emissions sacrifices.
emissions sacrifices.? Styling has nothing to do with emissions.
@Dennis W I think what he means is that the styling, ride, and overall ambiance of the car makes up for the reduced engine power in these seventies GP's
I had a white ‘77 base model. Lite blue vynil top with matching blue dash, door panels and carpet with white vynil seats and column shift. It had the 301 in it. A lot of good memories with that car. I definitely appreciate the styling more now than I did back then. Love your videos Adam! Thanks!
I worked with someone who had a 1974 Grand Prix. That car was so freaking fast, I couldn't believe it! One day, I was visiting, and he was on the next block behind his house. All of a sudden, we heard burning rubber. With that, came the smoke from his tires billowing over the front of his house, as the entire street fogged up and the smell of burning rubber permiated the air. The car was in black primer and it looked genuinely sinister. I think that the engine had been reworked from it's original state. Under the hood, the sticker said "400 CU. IN.", but I believe it was swapped out for an older 455.
Bro no lie you should be a writer..The description you provided made me feel like i was there..
My Dad had 3 Grand Prix's; 71, 73, 75, all SJ's, 400, center counsel. Great cars, and as a traveling salesman he put a ton of miles on them. Held up well, although he didn't keep the 75 as long as the other two because the seat was uncomfortable and bothered his back on long drives. He flipped that on a 76 Bonneville Brougham, 4 door, triple black. That car was a tank!
400 was the engine to get
Love the clean, solid look of the 1962.
I saw a very clean 1962 Grand Prix the other day on the road, it still looks epic.
Another “ first year” winner. CB
These Grand Prixs were very nice cars. I remember driving my boss's 1976 50th Anniversary Edition; it was gold with the white half vinyl roof and T-tops. It was fully loaded and had the 400cid engine with the 4bbl carburetor. I remember the words radial tuned suspension displayed inside the car. It was a very nice driver, combining handling with a smooth ride.
The 77 was one of the best looking GP's. I worked with someone where we both traveled the South East in our cars, and he had a 77 GP. It was fast. I drove it in NC and got a radar ticket for doing over 90. The cops let me pay them on the spot. (I can guess where that money went). The car, according to my friend got very good MPG.
I'm simply amazed at how different the various divisions mid sized cars were from one another despite their shared chassis. I wasn't a fan of the beak nose styling of the previous generation. But this generation was tastefully done. And the 5 Mph bumpers actually complimented the styling in my opinion.
I love these Grand Prix models with the spaced headlights. I also love the 69 and 70 model too.
In highschool I had a job in a local restaurant.
Since I didn't have use of the family car, I would often ride with my assistant manager who drove a silver SJ with red velour interior.
From the passenger seat, I was taken aback by the seemingly unending hood and the plushness of what I perceived as a sporty coupe...
Back in the early eighties, my brother had a 73 Grand Prix SJ. We would go to high school ,and listen to Van Halen, Boston or Molly Hatchet 8 track's. It had a am 8 track from factory. The good ole days.
My neighbor had this in yellow with a white top. I loved watching it take off down the road when he'd leave to go somewhere. The shape of the rear and tail lights made it look like it was about to take flight.
RTS was also on the Lemans dash. “Radial Tuned Suspension” was on the dash of my Dads Lemans and my Uncle’s Gran Prix. Both very nice cars from Pontiac, owned by two brothers in the 70’s. Good times back then...
GREAT times Back Then. CB
1973 GP is my favorite of the '73 to '77 body styles. My dad had a '73 back in the mid 1980s. I loved that car. ❤️
Our Doctor bought a white 77 and special ordered it with every option. My Mum worked for her and at a Christmas party as a 16 year old she said "want to take it for a spin?" and tossed me the keys.
Beautiful riding car and it was the first car I ever drove that the front end would lift up when you floored it.
Thinking about it, this car was really her - a little showy, perhaps of another era but looked classy and her doctors whites always looked pressed and never a hair out of place.
The 77 was my favorite of that body style. Had 3 of them over the years with the 3 different engines. My black 77 400 t-top was definitely my favorite and best performing of the 3. My interior looked like this one you featured. I was lucky enough to get to go on a school field trip to the Leeds plant in Kansas City and got to see the 77 Grand Prix's and Olds Cutlass' being built.
My mom had a '76 SJ in white...gorgeous car! Interior was beautiful.
YES. My colleague in college in 1985 had a '79 Trans Am and he, Shawn Laljee, insisted that it was a Pontiac engine, despite the fact that the hood said "T/A 6.6", and the valve covers were gold....
If it said “T/A 6.6” it was supposed to be the Pontiac 400 engine. The Olds 403 said “6.6 Litre”.
As was said, "T/A 6.6" on the shaker does indicate the Pontiac 400 engine in 1979. 79 was the last year for the Pontiac 400. It should have had a 4 speed manual transmission, since the 400 only came with a 4 speed in 79. The valve covers would have been chrome. There were no gold valve covers in 79 if it was original. The Olds 403, "6.6 Litre", came with an automatic only, and it was "corporate" blue.
I bought a 76 as my first car LOVED LOVED that car. Sunroof, leather, power everything, it was maroon. 💖💖💖
My Dad loved his Gran Prix from this generation. Definitely his favorite car that he ever owned. 😊
My first car was a 77 Grand Prix but had a 403 mated to a Turbo 400, sure had some good take offs in that one. Mine was the blue version with a column shift. Brought back many memories, thanks for sharing this video
Thank you so very much for featuring this... my Grandma had a '77 SJ with the console shifter, powered by the 301. You're right...kinda puny, but she always seemed to talk about how nimble it felt. Great video!
I had a 77 GP,it was beautiful,powerful and indestructible
Another great look at one of Pontiac's classic cars. It, like the Monte Carlo, managed to be as beautiful as the pre-Colonade era cars that preceded them. The '77 is a beauty, and is obviously popular from the sales it brought in at the time, and the comments. For me personally I liked the singular headlights and grill particularly on the '74-'75 that gave it a Rolls Royce look. This was even more true on those year's Monte Carlos. The '76 I still liked with the double square headlights right next to each other, and the 'waterfall' grill. The '77 front end (to me) was busier, and more 'broken up' in terms of the clean simplicity of the previous years.
In high school I had a green with tan velour interior SJ 400. Loved that car! Rally wheels, sunroof it was an awesome road trip car. My cousin had a 73 black 455 and driving it made me fall in love with the GP. One of the best looking cars of the malaise era.
My father owned a 69.
He loved that car
Thanks for the videos I really enjoy
These cars
When I was 13 my dad was a GM at a large dealership. I remember the night he brought home a burgundy 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ. I was smitten.
I still have a very fond affection for the Grand Prix's of that era.
Adam, I like how you pointed out the differences between the 76 and 77. Those are details I am always interested in and would notice myself.
While I do love the headlights split by the signals on the 77, There is something cool about the waterfall grill and the signals mounted in the fenders on the 76.
I do like the taillights on the 77 with the GPS emblem in the middle of them.
Even after the major downsize of 78 I still held a fondness for the GP.
Thanks for all of your hard work Adam!
Gorgeous in orange and black. Great piece.
Thank you for this video. It brought back a lot of wonderful memories. My first car was a used '77 Grand Prix LJ. I had it for nine years and had to do relatively little in repairs. It had the 400, and it wasn't that bad on fuel. The three-speed transmission was smooth between shifts. I wish I still had that car. A first car can be like a first love - you never get over it and I'll never get over having owned my '77 Pontiac Grand Prix.
My grandfather had an early Grand Prix when I was very young. I liked it!
Those of us who lived during this era truly witnessed the world’s best made cars-in our own backyard: GM and Ford. Regrettably, never to be seen again. Great channel!
GM’s & Fords built like tanks.
Was given for the weekend in April 1979,
A brand new 79 Lincoln Continental
brown sedan for my buddy’s 3 Lincoln
bridal party car brigade. He wanted the
white one, his best man, the black one.
I had to “ settle “ for the brand new “ off
the new car lot” brown one . What an awesome ride!!!!!!!!! Had to pry those keys
outa my hand the following Monday- back
to driving my ( Nova) 1978 Grand Prix. CB
My neighbor had a 1969 Ford Country Squire (?) station wagon and that dash was very driver-centric, IIRC.
1969-70 full size Fords had the car radio
way on the left ( driver only controlled)
Sorry ( today’s) kids... LOL. CB
I love the swivel out drivers bucket seats, my college room mate had a 1974.....brand new! (His Dad was a VP Bethlehem Steel) Lol
I had both a 1971 SJ and a 1976 Grand prix . Loved those cars.
I bought a 1973 Grand Prix SJ when it was about a year old.
It was the most enjoyable car to drive that I have ever owned, and even though the h.p. was being smogged-pumped to death by the EPA it still had a boat load of torque and the 455 c.i. made it a real blast to drive. I can still remember looking over that long hood that enclosed the big-block and I still believe it was the best looking GP of all IMHO.
This was the end of the era where you could easily see and distinguish what brand of vehicle you were looking at because of style and design between auto makers. They actually wanted to stand apart from the crowd.
After these went by the wayside Detroit went for the Japanese, econo-box style and here we are today with cookie cutters that seem to hardly have any distinction between auto makers and whenever one of them breaks out with a new idea or catchy color, the rest of them jump on board!
I'm glad I grew up in the days of Detroit glory!!
I had a 77 Lemans sport coupe in mint green with white interior. Very similar to this one. High back buckets seats were a dream. Car handled well and had terrific road presence.
I remember my dad's best friend buying a new 1964 Grand Prix. It was gorgeous! Dad reciprocated the next year with a new Riviera. I've always been hooked on both. I think the 71 and 72 are my favorites. Hard to find in good condition though. Thanks for this video, and YES, that color is stunning.
I loved my ‘77 Grand Prix. Had it for ten years.
❤ Love 💕 this video, love❤ Pontiac cars too, especially the full size from the 60s & 70s, this video was extremely informative as always , entertaining,telling, & the cars featured were Insanely Stunning, Thanks for sharing Adam/ Rare Classic cars
I always loved Pontiacs and Buicks more than other GM cars because they were rock solid cars with great body styles and great engines.I loved the Bonnevilles,Grandvilles,Catalinas, Grand prix and the GTOst.I really love the styling of the 75 Grand prix SJ. Beautiful car.
My dream ride.
By my teens in the early '70s, I had developed a taste for European and '60s American cars, and hated what most American cars had become by the mid '70s. Then, a middle-aged family friend bought one of these. I used to call it 'The Batmobile! (but not to her face!)
But I loved the red interior of that car - the round gauges, the bucket seats, and especially, what looked like very thin real wood inserts on the doors and center console. It was very comfortable, and a blast to drive, with surprising handling for a big '70s American boat!
One of the guys had a 77 SJ in high school, it was white with red pin stripes and red interior with additional chrome accents and "T" tops, car was drop dead gorgeous.
My brother had the 77 Grand Prix. He even kept the plastic on the upholstery. When he sold it, I was dismayed. It was a beautiful car!
My Dad bought the 77' Grand Prix as a family car,. We had it as a family car right up until it got demoted to my first car in High School, which I drove all the way up until 1994. The car was a nice car but it only had a 301 cubic inch. It was pretty good on gas though.
That is magnificent. The most beautiful tank I’ve ever seen.
The 71 through 73 Mercury Cougars had a somewhat driver centric dash and a passenger side grab handle. That must have been a common theme among coupes back then. It is a nice look! Thanks for a great video!
Mine was metallic red with white partial top and white interior. Sold it to a guy in Sweden. Adam didn’t speak to the handling, but it wasn’t bad, and the ride was pretty good too.
I could not agree more. Clearly, GM did a fantastic job with this car with body sculpting. I am currently looking for a 1976 with T-tops. I prefer the front end and the 455 over the '77. However, they are both stunning.
For future reference, be careful with a T-top car and the stump puller 455. You may want to stiffen the frame if you hop it up. Mine twisted up the body on my T-top Trans Am, it permanently warped the C pillars. 😂
@@HAL-dm1eh Thank you so much for the tip. I plan on leaving it stock. Sorry to hear about your Trans Am. That totally sucks.
I had a maroon 74 SJ with black cloth buckets seats. I traded my 70 mercury montery. The mercury was beat to hell and back. Wrecked in some bushes vomited in and flooded once. It was my 1st car it age 16. I got 1000 trade in the 74 SJ which was 2800. I took much better care of the SJ.
It was a one owner traded with 47k miles with the 455 motor. Loved it. Have never seen another 74 like it. Wished I had it back. I remember easily hitting 120 out on I 81 in PA. My mom had it when I was in basic training. She drove up to Frackville from Harrisburg PA to see her sister. It was a 60 mile trip she get there in 40 minutes flat!
Had a black 76 sj with a 455. Truly a wonderful car. Never a problem with it.
I remember these cars. ....Beautiful!
This caught my eye! I own a 1977 LeMans Sports Coupe in mandarin orange. It has the half vinyl top in beige to match the beige velour interior with brown dash, carpet. 3 spoke wheel. Pontiac rally's with rings, color matched orange. Been in my family since new.
Styling is very similar to the Grand Prix. I like the interior of the GP better, much classier. Mine has a bench with a big arm rest up front. Would love to do a dash and front seat swap but these cars are becoming rare!
This year and model are by far my most favorite car Pontiac ever built. I remember going to the showroom to sit and inspect one. However, I didn't have the funds to buy one sadly!
At age 25 (71 now) I had the 1976 Golden Anniversary Edition. Gold with white vinyl and T-tops. Beautiful car.
Special Indian head/ 50 hood ornament.CB
My favorite year of Grand Prix!
My dad bought a beautiful loaded or nearly loaded ’77 LJ that was white with red velour interior.
400 engine.
It was for my mom, and she loved it.
It was a stunning car!
I had a ‘77 SJ black with the black vinyl buckets and a padded white landau vinyl top and the Hurst Hatches. Mine was pretty well loaded, power windows/locks/seat/trunk & tilt w/ cruise. The 400 4 bbl. was standard on the SJ along with the buckets & console. Great car & pretty quick with the 400 & turbo 400 trans. I put a B&M shift kit in it and 9 times out of 10, it would chirp the tires going into 2nd. Great fun!
my dad had 70 and 75 Pontiac Catalinas . loved those cars
1:40 - I had a '76 Grand Prix in high school, the EXACT color as the one in the corner picture. Ohh, the memories!
Love the channel. Have to say, the 62-64 Studebaker Grant Turismo Hawk had a three-plane driver-centric IP, a couple of years before the Grand Prix.
From 69- 77 the Grand Prix was a well styled vehicle. My favorite is the bucket seats with the center console. Love the t-tops that “Cars and Concepts of Michigan put on theses vehicles back in the day. 4:06
My best friend had a red 76 with t-tops and honeycomb wheels
Super sweet !
My Uncle had a gun rack with a single barrel shot gun along the bottom of the drivers door in his 1970's Grand Prix.
one of the most gorgeous coupes of the 70s, looked more expensive than it was! awesome color too, kind of a muscle car vibe with that.
I had a 73 Bonneville in Navajo orange a 77 GP in natalius blue this color looks great here I didn't care much for it on my Bonneville but it grew on me after awhile thanks Adam
Still love that mandarin orange paint!! I had a new 1977 Toronado that color with matching carpet and white leather seats.
I wish cars like this were still available new. I love the Personal Luxury Coupe
We had this same orange grand prix when i was a kid. It overheated constantly and was always broken down. Family traded it for a 84 regal.
The 1977 sales number is amazing.
My dad started buying Pontiacs in 1953, and every two years, a new one. His love for the GP started in 1963. A beautiful dark blue metallic. Then a white '65, green '67,and finally the 1969 Model J. I loved all of them, and he knew it. So I actually bought it from him and drove it in the summer only. Eventually, I sold it to a friend back in 1990 and still has it. Would he sell it back to me? If I brought a big wallet...
Whenever I see a 1977 Grand Prix I am always reminded of the $10,000 Pyramid show, which I used to like to watch as a teen-ager. The Grand Prix was always the prize I wanted...
That right there is a work of art
Beautiful car. I prefer the 75 grille with the thinner bars though. Greetings from England.
Man that color is amazing.
My dad had a 77 LeSabre with the Pontiac 301, you mentioned the spark knock issue, I remember it doing that a lot from brand new.
That’s what timing lights were for. CB
My dad a 1973 SJ White, red interior round front lights and three bar tail lights GOD!!!!! i miss that car .
That was my second car. Bought it for $1100 with 124K on it. Drove it for ten more years and had 235K on it. Sold it at a bar my last night in Chicago, en route to OR the next day.
While I enjoyed your video on the 77 SJ, I really enjoyed the thumbnail of the 1976. That was identical to the SJ that I had from 1981 until 1984 when it was totaled by a drunk chick in an RX7 who hit me and took off. That 76 was a beautiful ride and a wonderful highway car.
Yeah I like the orange, lots of cars have it available today. Unfortunately, I lack the courage to buy it for myself. But i do enjoy seeing them on the road.
Looks like a Halloween color scheme..
A $400 premium color upgrade
I’d pay for it. CB
I had a 1976 model and I loved it.
Now you have hit on one of my all time favorite cars. The 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix is my favorite year for this car and the 76 is the runner up. I just love the dash and how the console slanted towards the driver in these cars. It was like the cockpit of an airplane. I miss the soft floaty ride from the cars of this era. I used to own an 1984 Grand Prix. It is sad they allowed the Pontiac to die. I prefer the standard steering wheel myself. I drove a couple of cars with the 301 V8 in it and it was a weak engine, though they ran smooth.
I was 18 in 1977, so I just had to have a Firebird, so I bought a 78 Firebird new
1976 had a neater front end , plus
BiCentennial year( 1976 ) plus 50th
Anniversary Edition featured a neat
different hood ornament ( I own one) CB
I had a red 1977 Grand Prix SJ with a white top that I bought from my sister and brother-in-law. It had the 400 c.i. engine with a four barrel carburetor that acted more like a two barrel carburetor - the secondaries never seemed to open up. It had cruise control, but it was very jerky. The door bottom were rusting out. The worst part was that because the engine was set so far back from the grill, it had a tendency to overheat. It was joked at the time that SJ stood for "super junk".
Nice to see one of those in a fantastic colour. Nice to see one of those at all. Don't remember seeing many of these, but the next downsized generation was pretty common in my neighbourhood...
I remember riding in one of these. I think it had the 301. Once up to speed, it just floated down the highway. These cars always had a nice ride.
Beautiful cars indeed
Nice well done ! Just don’t see them hardly anymore:(
The Mandarin Orange paint fits this car so well! I always thought these cars had wonderful interiors, but very bloated exterior designs, typical of the early to mid-'70s GM cars. And for something a bit different: during this video, the first commercial I've seen for a Lucid played.
Those were the good old days. Sporty & luxury in the same package.