1969 Pontiac Grand Prix Model J

Pontiac, bless its beak-nosed heart, turned out some truly unusual cars in 1969, an unforeseen consequence of General Motors' crushingly expensive, inefficient car-for-everyone optioning strategy. Not all of them were GTOs, either. Some of the strangeness extended to Pontiac's still-novel personal-luxury coupe, the Grand Prix.

Here's a USDA Prime case study. It's a Grand Prix Model J, one of the 112,486 Grand Prix models that were built in this landmark year, as the car moved from the full-size Catalina chassis and its 121-inch wheelbase down to the new GM "A-special" platform with 118 inches between the front and rear wheels. The J indicated the standard Grand Prix trim level, a package that also included the base engine, the 400-cu.in. Pontiac big-bore V8 with 350 standard horsepower. This example has been recently refreshed and has a mostly original interior.

Exterior
Straight steel panels are bathed in Dark Blue with just a hint of purple creeping in. A few dings on the hood, and a small area of rust in its very early stages is also on this hood. With its beak nosed front chrome and bezels are excellent. A side view shows a nice badge, as well as a straight and shiny rocker trim on either side. A swept back "B" pillar frames good clear glass but has some rust bubbles on it and the lower rear window panel has the same. The rear bumper with inset taillights is as good as the front-pristine! Dual chrome tipped exhaust are seen under the bumper, and 15-inch Pontiac Rally II wheels are all around and are wrapped in BF Goodrich radials.

Interior
As noted earlier all original with a few faults in the form of some tearing on the door handle (inside) and a chunk of the carpet missing on the bottom panel of the driver's side. The original blue vinyl buckets are clean and mostly straight, and these flank a blue center console. The vinyl covering on the console has a few chips and cracks, and houses the original wood topped shifter, as well as an aftermarket tachometer and dual mini water temp and oil pressure gauges. A trio of deep circular gauges are in the angled inward dash covered with more textured blue vinyl and some wood appliqu below. The steering wheel has been swapped for a rally style smaller wheel. Blue carpet is below and is in good condition, and a tight headliner hangs above.

Drivetrain
400 Cubes of Pontiac excitement reside under the hood of this car and it is rated to put out 350hp. A single 4-barrel carburetor is on top, and a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission is on the back. A very nice presentation on the engine and engine bay front.

Undercarriage
A 10-bolt rear, independent front suspension, and 4 link rear suspension, power disc brakes for the front and power drums for the rear, and dual Flowmaster exhaust hang from a solid rust-free frame, and undercarriage.

Drive-Ability
A solid car which starts quickly and runs swimmingly. It has nice acceleration, good handling with no creaks or squeaks, and a smooth ride. Overall experience was all good.

A nice example of the iconic Grand Prix, a recent refresh to be sure all is running well. Not perfect on the exterior but well within acceptable range for its age, this is Pontiac dipping their toe into the muscle car genre. All buttoned up and everything is just peachy...Uhhhh I mean grapey!....or was that blueberryish?

VIN Decode
276579P276617
2-Pontiac
76-Grand Prix
57-2 Door Hardtop Coupe
9-1969
P-Pontiac, MI Assy Plant
276617-Sequential Unit Number

Trim Tag
ST 69 27657-1969 Grand Prix Hardtop Coupe
BDY PON175666-Pontiac Body #
TR 280-Blue Vinyl
PNT 51C-Liberty Blue, Blue Vinyl Top
03C-3rd Week March Build

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 500 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.