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Rebuilt 455! 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ

Make a left turn in Albuquerque, and you might find yourself staring at a clean-looking low-mileage Pontiac! This 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ in Socorro, New Mexico seeks a new owner here on craigslist.org where $7500 seals the deal.  Considering the New Mexico zip code and the rebuilt original 455 cid (7.5L) V8, this sub-79k mile example of Pontiac’s powerful luxury coupe may have plenty of life left to give. Thanks to reader local_sheriff for spotting this sporty specimen.

Pontiac’s mighty 455 looks similar to all its V8 engines from this time period. This one enjoyed a (presumably factory spec) rebuild in 2011 and has barely been driven since. it doesn’t look too fancy, but it will clearly differentiate itself from the 350 (5.7L) powered cars of the era when your right foot grows angry.

Pontiac’s “African crossfire mahogany” gleams in the Southwestern sun. Considering this coupe’s doors are about nine feet long, that might be one of the largest pieces of wood used in an automobile. Turn this door sideways and your extended family could gather around it for Christmas dinner.

The subtle boat-tail aligns with Pontiac’s sales literature from 1973 which suggests this Grand Prix emulates sporty classics like Stutz, Bugatti, and Duesenberg. Whoa! Where do I sign?

The interior of some New Mexico classics looks more baked than some of my high school classmates, but this one looks great. The seller describes indoor storage since at least 1995. This dry-climate Pontiac punches some buttons for me. Is that an 8-Track? If this baby was decked out with power options, or validated as a Super-Duty 455, I’d be web-searching options for an epic road-trip. What 8-track do you suggest for the return trip?

Comments

  1. Avatar mark

    Nice find and if what the seller says is true a fair price as well.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar ccrvtt

    My mother’s was dark blue with a bench seat and a 350, also thankfully devoid of a vinyl top as this one is. One of the cleanest of the colonnade cars with well-integrated bumpers. This one’s nice but the interior has a lot of discoloration and warpage that comes from age and sunlight. 455 is a huge plus and the price seems about right.

    Like 3
  3. Avatar Andy

    I gotta go with Three Dog Night’s “Cyan.” Good record and the right year and vibe for a car like this.

    Like 3
  4. Avatar J_Paul Member

    For what it’s worth, it doesn’t need to be validated as a Super Duty 455—that particular engine wasn’t available in any Pontiac other than the Firebird.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Todd Fitch Staff

      J_Paul – Funny that Pontiac put it in their brochure, then. Do you figure they just apologized when folks asked for it? https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/pontiac/73pfull/bilder/2.jpg

      Like 3
      • Avatar J_Paul Member

        I guess they had to apologize — while the Super Duty was advertised in some literature for the Grand Prix (and GTO/Grand Am), it doesn’t seem like any cars were actually built that way.

        Though it’s fun to imagine, isn’t it?

        (A similar situation happened for the 1970 Camaros—apparently early spec sheets and brochures listed the 454 as an available engine, but they wound up not being produced)

        https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1973-1977-pontiac-grand-prix2.htm

        Like 1
    • Avatar Neil Johansen

      Sorry there you are mistaken. 1973 did have Grand Prix SJ ,,455 super duty. I owned one. Red with black vinal top and black interior. 1973:was last year for SD 455

      Like 0
      • Avatar W72

        Your grasp of Pontiac history is in need of much repair, Neil.

        Like 2
  5. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    In ’73 the low compression pontiac “station wagon” 455 put out only 20!! more foot lbs of torque than the 400 & about 35 more hp.
    A stripper GP 400 would probably have the same performance as a loaded GP 455.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar GeneB

    I’d have to Say Santana…Abraxas, for the home trip. Too many hours listening to it on 8-track to ignore it now…Nice Car, wishin’ it were mine.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar W72

    Looks to be an AM/8 track player installed.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Rattlehead

    lots of help. only the T/A and formula got the S.D. 455. it didnt pass smog for other models.

    Like 0
    • Avatar W

      Don’t forget, the new at the time president of Pontiac Motor Division, Martin Caserio, killed the project for all non F-body applications. Apparently it was too radical for his vision of Pontiac…..

      Like 0

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