BIG hoods and 4 speeds-Does it get any better!?

by Gerry Perkins - Grand Prix Chapter Member

I’m going to start my story off by saying my love for the Pontiac Grand Prix started in 1973 when I purchased a ’69 GP Model J. The engine was a 400, the paint color was Verdoro Green with a black interior an black vinyl roof. I don’t recall the mileage that was on the car when I purchased it used from a used car dealer, but I do remember what I paid for it: $2100. My payments were $53 a month. Hey, the good old days before inflation.

I had the car for about 5 years before I heard a little man in the engine block with that little hammer, trying to get out. He did, and that little man turned out to be a rod. Damn, that rod went through the block, and at the time (not knowing any better), I ended up junking the car. I have always had great memories of the car over the years, especially after I learned about turning the air cleaner cover over. Ahhh, that beautiful sound that came out of that secondary barrels on the Rochester carb. When racing other cars like Mustangs and what have you, and how surprised they looked when they got beat.

I loved driving that Grand Prix while looking down that beautiful long hood. I never really had the temptation to replace it until about six years ago, when I discovered that these cars were also available with a four-speed manual transmission. And when that happened, I just had to have one. So then the adventure began!

If any of you have tried to find one of these cars you know they are far and few between. Especially the ones that are in decent shape and haven’t been put through the ringer. But after a year of searching, I happened to get fortunate. I started reading a Hemmings magazine while sitting at a car tire dealer while waiting for my car to be serviced. I went right to the Pontiac section and here was a little ad that said, “70 Grand Prix, 4 speed, Model J... Price confidential”.

I called the phone number in the article and got a return call back. I asked if he had any pictures of the car, there were none in Hemmings ad, that's when he explained he didn’t know how to do that. He would have to get his wife to do it. She sent me some pictures and I liked what I saw, especially after learning that the car was all original, even sporting the factory lacquer paint (Baja Gold).

So now a little history on the GP. I am the third owner, the original owner was a lady, according to the seller that I bought it from. He mentioned that when he bought it from her in 1988, it had 68,000 and some odd miles. He didn’t put but 3,000 miles on it in the 32 years that he owned it! But we all know, after 32 years of sitting around, the radiator gets gummed up, the carburetor needs to be rebuilt, etc. With those issues taken care of and a new set of points & spark plugs, we were good to go!