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370 Horsepower 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ 428!

All-new for 1969, Pontiac’s Grand Prix boasted a unique body for the first time. Based on a stretched A-Body (LeMans, GTO), the second-generation Grand Prix filled a niche:  a personal luxury coupe larger than the Mustang-based Cougar yet nimbler and sportier than offerings like the Oldsmobile Toronado, Cadillac Eldorado, and Ford Thunderbird. This 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ in
Trafalgar, Indiana perfectly suits the vision of Pontiac’s then-GM John Z. Delorean. Loaded with options, including a beastly 428 cid (7.0L) V8, air conditioning, power windows, and cruise control, this stylish two-door bristles with power and style. Thanks to wikipedia for some details. The listing here on eBay has attracted modest bidding and a market value of over $13,000, not yet heavy enough to meet the seller’s reserve.

This Castilian Bronze GP runs and drives well according to the seller, and the listing includes close-ups of a paint chip on the hood and rust around the base of the vinyl top. What looks like a recreation of the original window sticker shows a long list of options including the SJ package which brings the big 428 motor, more instruments, power front disc brakes, automatic level control, and a lighting group.

Only the optional high-output 428 made more horsepower (20 more) than this four-barrel 428’s 370 HP. While the listing describes it as a “big block,” the Pontiac engine block of this era utilized nearly identical physical dimensions across V8 displacements. The only thing “bigger,” is how much trouble you can get into with your right foot.

Not merely satisfied with the SJ options, the original buyer (or dealer) added air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, and more! Personally I wished they’d saved the $227.04 spent on the three-speed automatic transmission. Pontiac made a four-speed floor-shifted manual transmission available in the Grand Prix, and a hood-mounted tachometer. Pontiac alone owned the newly christened G-Body for the 1969 model year before Chevrolet came out with their version, the Monte Carlo, in 1970. This car’s overall good condition and long options list should make for a quick sale. Can you picture yourself in this classy Grand Prix?

Comments

  1. Avatar Moparman Member

    I STILL remember the impact on all of us kids when the next door neighbor pulled up in a Verdoro green one with black interior (sans vinyl roof)! This one is a real beauty, and YES I could picture myself in this one! GLWTA!! :-)

    Like 22
    • Avatar JagManBill

      I had a black/no vinyl top over black interior SJ 4 Spd in 1980 for about a month. No ac, radio delete no power steering but did have power brakes. Had to have been a special order (drag?) car. Traded it for a Jag that needed work. Texas summer and no ac with black vinyl? I thought I was going to die. Fun, but HOT.

      Like 5
  2. Avatar Bmac777

    What an awesome car .These were beautiful and would love to drive it , and this one would fly.
    In 88 I bought a 69 GTO with all the options and no motor in it, but did include a 69 370 hp 428 as part of the package. I paid $1600 for all of it.
    Love that engine!

    Like 20
  3. Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

    A keyboard drool guard has been installed. My first car was almost a light blue 1969 Grand Prix with a 400 and a 4-speed manual. The guy was asking $1,000 for it in 1980 if I remember right. My dad thought that it had too many rattles and squeaks, which it did, but man what a gorgeous car that was. Nice one, Todd!

    Like 20
    • Avatar Todd Fitch Staff

      Thanks, Scotty! I had a similar story In rural NW PA, nearly lucking into a ’70 Skylark for a first car. Two-door, red with black top and interior, 350. But I didn’t know diddly about cars back then, other than I liked them, and my folks were worried about rust, etc. I LOVE these GPs and the sister 70-72 Monte Carlo. Sure, you could get a 455 in ’70 but 370 HP? That 428 will do just fine.

      Like 13
  4. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    These Grand Prix were stylish and attractive. This one looks good with the bronze/brown paint and the black vinyl roof. Air conditioning for $421 is almost $3000 in today’s dollars, and the sticker price would be about $40,000 today. So this was a fairly pricey car in its day.

    Like 16
  5. Avatar Steve Bush Member

    Love the 1969-1970 Grand Prixs and would be bidding on this one if I had the cash. My first car at age 19 was a 1969 SJ, light green with a black vinyl top, automatic with pw and driver’s seat and the 428-370 hp engine. Pretty fast and for its day didn’t feel as big as it was. Paid $1100 for it and sold it for the same. Still miss it.

    Like 14
    • Avatar Loren Wentzel

      I bought my 69 J 370hp 428 in 1975 for $1000. Had 62000 miles on it.
      Love that car. Awesome engine !
      Still have it, puts a smile on my face and all passengers every time I mash the pedal to the floor 😎

      Like 2
  6. Avatar 19sixty5 Member

    Beautiful car, love the 69/70 GP. I hope the dash wasn’t hacked up for the stereo, but based on the design, I doubt it would fit in the original opening.

    Like 3
  7. Avatar TimM

    You could get five of these for the 60K the 71 240Z is up to!! At this current price anyway!!

    Like 4
  8. Avatar jerry z

    These cars were ugly new and still haven’t improved with age! It’s amazing how the Monte came out a year later and looked 1000% better than the Grand Prix. When the Grand Am came out in 1973, I thought great no more Grand Prix but no.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Nick P

      Bite your tongue!!

      Like 32
    • Avatar AMCFAN

      I think the look of the GP hands down beats the Monte Cougar and about every other barge. Too many years of seeing the early Chevelle looking Montie’s with rusted quarters. In fact later Montie’s rusted to nothing too. Knew a guy with a 77 and it was big and under powered. Pontiac had a style and this car listed is a perfect example of power and personal luxury. The days when a Pontiac was a Pontiac.

      Like 16
  9. Avatar Andy

    Never liked the look of these cars back in the day and decades later I still don’t. The Monte Carlos are just as unattractive to me. I just don’t like the look of the G bodies.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Troy s

    Stretching the wheelbase allowed Pontiac to go over 400 cubes on a car based on the intermediate(?). 428 belonged in the GTO but rules are rules.
    Thought DeLorean was transferred to Chevrolet in ’68, and had the idea of offering the SS396 Chevelle in less expensive body styles. Shows I don’t know much.
    Sweet looking ride for sure, the 428 makes it very interesting!

    Like 2
  11. Avatar CCFisher

    These are among my favorite cars. I think of them as muscle cars for people with expensive tastes. You take a GTO to the drive-in. You take a Grand Prix to the theatre.

    Like 6
  12. Avatar Cary Dice

    Recall the 4-speed shifter on these was odd in that it had a crook in it the brought the shifter knob closer to the driver.

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Cary Dice

    Recall the 4-speed shifter on these was odd in that it had a crook in it that brought the shifter knob closer to the driver.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar 455RAIV

    Friend had a 69 GP With the 428/390 hp option would really fly – he mentioned how he would play with Camaro’s etc. then leave them in the Dust :)

    Like 7
  15. Avatar wjtinfwb

    While in HS in the mid 70s, I worked as a valet parking runner at the local country club. A regular we called Pops had a ‘69 GP SJ 428 automatic, pale yellow with black top and interior. We all lived parking that car and would take the long way around the lit and facility to feel the torque of that 428. Golf Members asked us to run errands like getting cigarettes, the car washed, etc for them some times and use their car and we’d have a good 4+hours to do it. One of our guys took Pop’s 428 GP by the local high school and performed an epic burnout on the bus ramp. Unfortunately the combo of wheel hop and a speed bump along with the torque of the mighty 428 were too much for the 7 yr old U-joints and the driveshaft dropped to the ground at on the ramp! Car was towed, valet was fired, Pops was cool however and said the car was old and tired, he replaced it with a new Seville. Too bad but a great memory of a fun job and great car!

    Like 11
  16. Avatar Tom Bell

    Agree with Todd in losing the auto–that car begs for a 4-speed. In the era, the A/C would not have been part of it either due to the belief that it would drain 10-15 HP.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Kirschnick Member

    Ain’t bench racing fun . Everyone remembers something of the day .
    I love it .
    428 one the best ( maybe even no. 1) rev like 400 . Granted 6000 ain’t exactly floatin valve like 327 but still and torque!!OMG.

    Like 4
  18. Avatar LD

    I moved into my first house in 1978. I had a neighbor who owned a dark blue 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ 428. I told him that car would be valuable someday since it was an SJ with the 428. He said, “Really? Well I guess I better hold onto it then.”
    But when the next gas shortage hit around 1979-80, he traded it in on a new Pontiac Phoenix (gasp!). So much for holding onto it. Someone got a real steal on a future collectible there.

    Like 5
    • Avatar AMCFAN

      For awhile during the gas crunch many muscle cars and barges suddenly became worthless. My dad passed on a 68 White big block Camaro clean original for $700. The same thing hit truckville in 2006/2007. Everyone was trading in and giving away their trucks and SUVs for econo cars. Older Geo Metros were selling for a premimum IF you could find one. We will see those days again. Those Jeeps won’t be so popular. History always has a way to come back around.

      Like 1
  19. Avatar Todd Priest

    I love these cars. My father had one with the factory hood tach and four speed. It was even featured in Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine.

    Like 6
  20. Avatar Lee

    I had a 70 SJ 455 of course, it was a tire smoking monster! Handled good too. Wish I hadn’t sold it.

    Like 1
  21. Avatar Dan D

    This was mine, a ’75 J with 400. Great car!

    https://1drv.ms/u/s!Au2OSFUGxIwvg9IAaAvgAPQkficx3g

    Like 1
  22. Avatar RONALD SIMPSON

    No such thing as “Big Block” Pontiac.
    Also, just wondering….how do you tell where the car is located?
    The text of these write ups usually say. This one does not, and I can’t seem to determine where it is at from the ad.? I am probably missing it somewhere…if someone could enlighten me, i would appreciate.

    Like 2
    • Avatar DayDreamBeliever

      In the information for the eBay auction, the location is listed as Trafalgar, Indiana.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Bmac777

      Indiana

      Like 0
  23. Avatar Lance

    One of the most beautiful postwar American cars. Unlike other 50 year old examples of Detroit iron, this Grand Prix is fully loaded with desirable options. The automatic transmission is perfectly suited for a personal luxury car. With it’s strong and smooth V8, a manual shifter is not necessary to wring every last bit of power out of a wheezing econobox. This Poncho still looks great after 51:years. Wish they still made cars like this!

    Like 3
  24. Avatar George Mattar

    When Pontiac built the best GM cars. A friend in town has a 69 428 SJ 4 speed. Total body off of a rust free AZ car. He needs $38,000 for it. He knows he will never get GTO money but will not give it away. All NOS parts.

    Like 1
  25. Avatar Oldog4tz

    RNM – Bid to 16,000

    Like 1

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