With a new model due to be launched the following year, 1977 marked the final year of production for the 3rd Generation Grand Prix. That final year of production also heralded some pretty substantial changes in direction for the Grand Prix which set the tone for years to come. This 1977 Grand Prix SJ is a nice looking car with only a couple of very minor flaws. It is located in Tucson, Arizona, and is listed for sale here on eBay. At the time of writing, bidding is sitting at $5,000.

When you look at the Grand Prix, it is amazing to consider that it was parked from 1987 until 2016. It was then that the owner purchased the car and undertook the process of returning it to active duty. The outside presentation of the Pontiac is nice, although there are a couple of small issues that prevent it from being perfect. As is so common, the nose of the car does have some stone-chipping, but that really is unavoidable. The paint on the trunk lid is a little bit faded courtesy of the Arizona sun. The rear bumper and filler panel has some damage on the right-hand side. By the sounds of it, the exhaust has broken at some point, and it has swung up and hit the back of the car on that side. This is a relatively common occurrence on some cars, and it isn’t difficult to fix. One aspect of the car that appears to be truly faultless is the red vinyl top. It really does look brand new.

One of the major changes that occurred during the 1977 model year for the Grand Prix could be seen under the hood. Whereas in the past the base engine for the car had been the 350 V8, for 1977, this was changed, with the 301ci now the standard engine. This didn’t have a huge impact on the Grand Prix SJ, as the standard engine for that model remained the 400ci engine which produced 180hp. Those horses found their way to the rear wheels via a 3-speed automatic transmission. After its extended slumber, the Pontiac was kicked back into life 3-years-ago, and now runs and drives really well. The owner says that it could use new tires in the near future, but it is fitted with new brakes and a new exhaust from the cross-over back. The owner also claims that the car has covered a genuine 43,000 miles. While he doesn’t indicate whether he holds any documentary evidence to back this, the extended time in storage makes this claim feasible.

The interior of the Pontiac is a vision in red, and while there are a few things that would need to be attended to in a bid to make it perfect, it still isn’t too bad. The carpet has faded a bit, and there is a small crack in the dash pad. This need not be the end of the world, because there are upholsterers who can repair this if the crack doesn’t become too big. The owner also refers to a tear on the driver’s seat, but to me, it looks more like a seam separation that could possibly be repaired. There is also an aftermarket stereo fitted into the dash, but since the dash hasn’t been cut to fit it, the original 8-track player could be returned to its rightful place. The rest of the interior looks brand new, while the factory air conditioning is said to blow ice cold.

There are really two things to like here. The first is the car itself. It looks great, and it really just oozes style and class. The condition is pretty impressive, and I wouldn’t be embarrassed if it was parked in my driveway. The second thing to like is the owner. He goes out of his way to identify the faults in the vehicle, which is an approach that I find to be really refreshing. If I were on the hunt for a car myself, those two factors would make bidding on this car a tempting proposition.