PONTIAC Grand Prix (1970 455cid w/rare 4speed, of which only around 500 were made) 

Boy, that is one beautiful car...Those Grand Prixs did EVERYTHING well

I bought my 1972 Grand Prix in Hawaii and brought it back to Northern Illinois. Still have it. Done some incredible work to it!!!

I owned one of these beast and I can honestly say, of all the cars I've owned over the years (and I've owned plenty) the grand prix straight out of the gate stock was the best performer I've ever owned. These cars were criminally underrated as a performance car even though they could outperform just about everything from that period.

FYI - In 1968 John Delorean found out the hood on the Lincoln was to be only a 1/4th inch longer than a 69GP. So he immediately ordered the hood a 1/2 inch longer on the 69GP, making it the longest hood in the industry for 69. Even after Delorean left Pontiac, the Grand Prix still resembled a "Delorean look" until 77 with those long hoods.

Forgot to mention how good the car handles. The 118 inch wheelbase pushed the front wheels forward. The timing cover off the engine aligns just behind the center line of the front wheels. It's technically a front mid-engine car . That makes it drive like a dream. DeLorean's Masterpiece !!!

One of the finest ever produced.

I had a 1972 SJ in 1988 when I was 20. I christened it "The Super Jalopy". Sadly it was a column shifter auto, but it had the 455 4 bbl and would run like a wild animal.

I got a 1972 GP my Dad bought it brand new , I stay by a highway. I can’t tell you how many people have pulled up to my house about that car !!!

I had one of these cars back in 1978 when I was 19 years old, 4 speed, 455 HO, Air leveling suspension, courtesy lights, leather.........the list goes on and on. My only nightmare still to this day I wish that I still had the car. (I paid $1350 w/ 62,000 miles on it) :(

I had a 1969 in San Jose CA with a 4 speed, 428 HO, factory headers, 3.90 posi... It flew SJs were fully optioned cars like this one.. SWEEEEET

Love the 69-72 Grand Prixs.

...bought my 1969 Grand Prix 428SJ(Super Judge) new and stll have it!!!

Back when you could get aGrand Prix with the 428/390 HO engine and a 4-speed!

I have the same engine in my 67 firebird. Bight it from a old friend that wreaked his sj grand prix in 1972, he stored the engine since then. Only 98k miles on it, unfortunately he sold the 4 speed trans in the late 70s but i managed to save the 455 from hibernation, it a torque monster!!

Fabulous car, first car I ever drove was a 69, had a 400 and automatic, the 455 is a nice motor, I own a 73 SJ currently, no where near as fast as that 70, but I gotta say, a 69 428 is a rocket, neighbor of mine had a 69 428 Bonneville in 69, talk about a big car, what an animal, 390 hp, tire shredder, beat a lot of neighborhood cars with that, and it rode great, every option in the book

I was 16 in 1970 and my dad was ordering a new 70 Pontiac Catalina 2 door. Being a young Motorhead I talked him into ordering the 455 4-barrel with dual exhaust and a posi rear. However once the numbers added up he reduced cost by getting the 400 2 Barrel almost had a rare Catalina there. It did have the heavy duty police frame and police seats so it was still an interesting car he kept for 10.

I had to go all the way to Hawaii to get mine!! A 1972 Pontiac Grand prix!! Except, I put a way better engine in her!!! I love it!!!

@80s4U The top 455 in 1970 was rated 20hp less than the 390hp 428HO in 69. Part of why the FEDS allowed the auto makers to increase cubes in 1970 was to compensate for EMISSIONS DETUNING decreasing power. That's why I've always said the 1970 455 was ''a larger detuned 428".

Why these never got the recognition they deserved is beyond me.

I was 16 years old in 1979 and took a 73 Grand Prix with the 400 engine and Turbo 400 transmission and would walk the new Trans Ams of the day. Awesome cars, no doubt.

When I was a kid I had a '74 Monte Carlo with a small block 2bbl and it was slow. My friend had the '74 Grand Prix with a 400 4bbl and that sucker would smoke the tires down the block. Apparently it had a factory posi-rear installed. God I loved those cars.

Truly bad ass. I've always admired these cars when new. A neighbor had one, but not sure if it was the SJ. The fact that they even stuck a 4 speed in it says Detroit was not effing around when it came to satisfying every buyers needs.

@alexeddy79 . All 1969 GP engines 400cid 4bbl 350hp/440 torque 428cid 4bbl 370hp/465 torque 428cid 4bbl 390hp/475 torque (HO) . All 1970 GP engines 400cid 4bbl 350hp/440 torque 455cid 4bbl 370hp/510 torque . Even the 400 is something else, these were always low rated in a 100 degree room (not 60 like Chevy), then lied about even more for lower insurance. Believe me even the 400 will rock your boat.

Awesome piece of machinery right there.

I had a 1969 J model. Torque to the moon and fast! I can only imagine how this SJ must perform

My friends 71 GP 400 (bored to 412) was rated at 300hp (because of 8.4 compression for emissions, down from around 10.75 in 1970). He still did 0-60 in about 7.0. After a RA3 cam & some basic super tuning & headers like RA3 exhausts, I got'er down to 5.5, 13.8 quarter. This while still having the 1971 low 8.4 comp & highway 3.08 axle!!------------->

I have a 2006 Grand Prix. The best I have had. GM bring it back!!

I had a 69 model J 400 Ram Air.I loved the car.Nothing like Pontiac power.

I had a 70 J model 400 cu , Turbo 400 car...Great car .mine was black with no vinyl top ,and I removed the rocker panel and wheel well moldings...Loved that car.

Very nice. I bet it's a beast on take off. Thanks for sharing it. I'll be on the lookout for an ashtray. From Ohio.

Love the 70 SJ model !! Had a friend with a white with baby blue painted top . He put shift kit 4.11 gears and a 700 double pumper n it was one fast fun ride !!What a fast n luxurious ride !!

Rock On! I have a 73. 77 is very possibly my favorite body of the 73-77s. I've seen some 77s in great body condition for sale, and seriously considered getting one for a 455 engine I have. You know they talk about how long the hood is on the 69-72s, but I swear when you put my 73 up to my friends 71 my hood is slightly longer! Doesn't look like it until you put them up side by side.

What a rare, awsome car. I've seen these and they are expensive. I had a 77 GP with a 400 and it was a cool car to drive. I have a 69 lemans now and i'm a bout to buy this same engine out of this grand prix (1970 455 370HP) for my lemans and rebuild it for even more performance and torque. Like 500ftlb isn't enough lol.

I only wish they had dropped in a 428 in a late 60's Firebird. Would have been tought to beat on the street.

My grandfather had a ‘70 SJ as his company car. He was a detective for Norfolk Southern railroad at their Richmond VA offices. At that time a lot of the railroads gave their detectives a specific budget and let them pick their own car out since the job sometimes required a lot of long distance driving and driving in general. He wanted a 4spd but they didn’t want manual cars in the fleet so he ordered an automatic. He always loved Pontiacs so he bought it and kept it as his personal vehicle when they updated the fleet in the mid 70s to more police specific sedans. Around 1979 or so it caught on fire in his driveway one afternoon. My mom called the fire department but they lived far out in a huge county that wasn’t very developed back then so it took them about 30 minutes to get there. By the time they showed up, the car had burned to a crisp. They said it was an electrical issue that caused it. The insurance company totaled it out and he bought himself a new Trans Am. Fast forward to around the early 90s, he gets a phone call one day saying that they’ve found his Grand Prix abandoned in Alabama or somewhere in that vicinity, and that he needed to come get it. Someone had salvaged the vin and a few other components from his burned out hulk and slapped it on another stolen Grand Prix. He told them that car had burned up and he got paid for it decades ago, so whatever they had found needed to be scraped or looked into, but it wasn’t his.

Never lost a race in my 1970. Bright orange, white landeau top, Craeger cams, chrome side pipes, Holley carb, quadraphonic 8 track tape, chrome spoked wheels. Baddest ass car Western High school 1974-75 in Las Vegas haha! Rolled it looking for my girlfriend repainted it pure white pearl. Wonder where it is now.

Wow-Great car-I had the pleasure of driving one of these when I was in highschool. I don't remember if it was a 69 or 70 but it was triple black and the coolest ever! automatic car. I worked for an ad agency and one of the execs had one. I used to fetch it from the garage for him...Always loved these cars...

Dad had a 69 Grand Prix 390 h.p. I won lots of street races beautiful car.

Beautiful car

My first car was the 69 GP. Bought it in 78. I still have it. I need a few more parts and I'll redo her.

This was a tremendous car back in the day, even with a 3 speed automatic. My dad had a 1969 Ford Thunderbird with the 429 V8, which was probably this cars main competition in the personal luxury car class. Don't underestimate that T-Bird, either. From a 30mph roll, it took off like a bird! Though I think the Pontiac was probably a little lighter, and therefore, quicker. Can you imagine how many of these Pontiac could sell (if they were still in business) today they built a retro version, with modern aerodynamics, an 8 or 10 speed automatic with overdrive, electronic fuel injection, with an all aluminum 455 cubic inch V8? My guess is the closest Pontiac you could get to this would've been the Pontiac 2009 G8 GT.......

Omg, who wouldn't want one of these?

My Mom had a 72 GP w/400 and that’s what I drove when I got my license when I was 16, lived that car!!😊

I had a late 60s Pontiac Ventura that came from the factory with the 428 H.O. . It had Chrome air cleaner cover and valve covers from the factory, positraction rear end all white interior on a black car. Reminded me a lot of this one I always liked the Grand Prix and the bigger cars with the big engines. Also owned a 70 Buick Riviera with a 455, positraction. My cars were automatics. The 4-speed would definitely be a rarity

Great car wow! Love it

I absolutely love this car

Legend has it he is still searching for that ash tray to this very day...

A very good friend of mine back in Joliet, IL has one. Silver/black/black with a 4 speed. It was areal hoot to go cruising in it!

@80s4U I agree on both counts--the '428ho' and the 'auto' being quicker. Many people (especially young people today) don't believe that 'some' engines run 'quicker' with automatics.--'Today' they might be right in most cases, but not on these cars from this era. Most people are used to higher revving engines (like many today) that don't make enough low rpm torque to benefit from an auto like a big cube Pontiac. And the TH400 auto was great anyway regardless of the engine with it.

Owned a lot different Manufacturers Muscle Cars in my day. Being an owner of Three GTO's 1966,1969, and 1970 Ram Air III A/C car. I would buy a 1970 Grand Prix set up just like this today. PS: More than 13 Ram Air V Pontiacs escaped the Factory in 1970-1971, Most went to NASCAR, but not All !

I just ran into a gorgeous 4 speed SSJ GP Hurst..... all original Black this weekend in Walkersville MD. I'd send pics of it if I could. Was my first time seeing one..... Pontiacs unicorn

Thank you for making this video LOVE IT! I own a 69 GP 455 stroker “Right Hand Drive” here in Western Australia 🇦🇺👍🏻 I’m curious about the front nose bumper grill at time code 1:22 with the vertical air vents?

I still have this on tape!

GORGEOUS SHARP SWEET LOOKING AUTOMOBILE FARR LOOKING AND BETTER HANDLING THAN THAT MONTE QUEERLO

Nice car. My dad had a 69 4 spd with matching numbers. Had an arson burn our barns down a few years back unfortunately and the car got burnt too. Completely original grey paint white vinyl interior. I can still remember picking the back of the seat when I was small because it was flaking off. Dad had it in Arizona then stored it inside when moved to Washington. And the power windows got stuck all the time ha-ha the things we remember.. Good times

Yep. That 455 should have the casting 64 heads with screw in studs vs the big car engine with 15 heads. That motor should be 4 bolt mains too.

Nice… When Cars were CARS 👏👍👍

Hear that Quadrajet open up.

Had a 1974 Pontaic Le Mans, was a very fast car, even lived in it.

That's AWESOME! NEver heard of this one! I got some vintage MuscleCarTV and TNN slips man, Monte Carlo SS!

So sweet ! I hope you never sell it !

The 66 GP is my favorite. That old 421s were gas-guzzling tire-smoking smiles.

Yeah the people in this video didnt really sound like they knew what they were talking about. It looks like a muscle car to me. Beautiful car. Hope he doesnt wreck it driving like that.

2 yrs ago I watched this video, and didn't know it,was that long ago, until I caught it again on my recommended YT list. And I still wonder , "what gear did they put in this car? 3.08s? 3.23s, or 3.55s? I'm still guessing 3.08s.

Yeah 69-72 are just about everyone's favorite GP. Best looking, best performing, possibly the best built. Even though this is a heavy car some might be VERY surprised to know that according NHRA blueprints -- this 1970 GP is only 28 pounds heavier than a 70 GTO convertible w/455 and 68 pounds heavier than a GTO hardtop.

Your going to cry when you hear this, I took the council out of my SJ back in 1978 to make more room inside, yes 4 speed council and I to this day still cry! ( the ashtray was still in the council) :(

I weighed my 79 F150 and it weighed 3700 something pounds. Then I weighed my 73 Cutlass Supreme with the 350 Rocket and it was 4300 something lol

Yeah I really got to love that car it is sweet one of my favorite of all time the color and everything motor 4-speed everything is perfect on it. And I love Mopars but this car it's nice

Beautiful big block 4 speed muscle car with tons of torque. I'd love it more with factory steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps personally.

@1967PmdGto Big car = longer tail on the four speeds than the goat muncies ,which require a longer trans mainshaft and tail housing. The later short muncies had the 32 spline which is a lot stronger. Your thinking of the yoke which would work . I really dig this SJ video I had a 70 SJ bagger back in 74

Awesome car, but, out of character with a manual transmission. It was Pontiac's Personal Luxury (sporty). CADILLAC-Eldorado Buick-Riviera Oldsmobile-Toronado CHEVY-Monte Carlo. This was a very profitable concept for G.M. back in the day.$$$$

-------> Made me pretty damn proud because in 69 a top magazine tested a 390hp GP at 5.5 to 60, 13.8 quarter, that was with a 428 (16 more cubes) & 10.75 to 1 compression. But that 69 had the milder HO cam, whereas we put a RA3 cam in my friends. Imagine if we did to a 69 what we did to my friends? Holy crap! Here is a cool vid of a 69 FROM INSIDE at a 20mph punch, he has the later 455 (1970 and later). This sounds/seems about exactly as fast as my friends. watch?v=m_ok4OOOD4Y

When I was working at GM Assembly Division Tarrytown NY, one of the guys I rode there with owned one of these. I didn't know they were "rare". Pontiac always got the details right: a HURST shifter for your 4-speed, buddy. We looked at it as what Chevrolet should have done with the Monte Carlo, which we saw as a pretender, soft "personal luxury" car. The GP was Pontiac's 300 letter car...

The only year the high output 455 heads came out and they bolt straight onto a regular 400 pontiac block ;)

I have a 72 Pontiac GP SJ, VERY restoreable in Albuquerque NM 4 sale.

fantastic Pontiac, rare and beautiful. Host is a complete dork

The 1970 455 GTO came with a 12 bolt Chevy rear (as did the 1970 Ram Air IV Firebird). Did this Grand Prix come with a Pontiac or a Chevy rear?

Had to make an ashtray for mine used two automatic ashtrays measure cut weld !

JAN 2021... did you find that ashtray?

Wonder what gear was in it? I'm guessing maybe 3.55s, (4 spd) or at least 3.23s (AC).

Wish they made more cars like that today. With all that power and torque sure hope it came with a safe-t-track differential to manage that power to the rear wheels. All that power with the weight of today's SUV's.

At 4200 lbs,that's why you would never hear a 383 RR guy say he got outrun by a Grand Prix.

Don't Forget The 2+2 ‼️🤗‼️

i owned one.............AWESOME POWER

The "SJ" initials come from the Duesenberg Model SJ, not John Delorean's name.

I blew off every Pontiac, Olds, Buick, Cadillac I ever came across in my 70 LS 6 4spd Chevelle SS. Not to mention every Mopar & Ford and the ever humble AMC. After a while it got to be boring. There weren't that many LS 6's around in 1970. Way more now for some reason.

I picked out my 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix brand new in April 1969;paid cash;have never had the heads off; Protect-O-Plate, factory build sheet, original title. Never raced...all numbers match, I have the original Quadrajet, alternator, fan clutch, and master cylinder...The 427.6 cubic inch engine still runs great because I drove my 1971 Stingray Convertible and 1965 Tri-power G.T.O. for 30 years instead. I am trying to decide whether to restore the Grand Prix or not.What do you guys think?

I wonder if the latter big car Pontiacs had a 32 spline mainshaft. ? I'am having to use the early 27 spline mainshaft for my 68 Cat. It would seem to make sense that they would, I just havernt heard of one.

Had a 1972 GRAND PRIX AND IT BEAT A SS NOVA AND A COBRA JET TOURINO . . DRIVERS

Just for perspective, the 2019 Challenger RT has a curb weight of an almost identical 4,190 lbs, with similar engine output from the 392. Hellcat weighs in at 4,448, but about twice the power.

That is a stunning car! That 455 was an amazing engine. How many of these cars are still around?

That thing looks gothic

Is this Pontiac’s version of a 1970 Malibu with a 454?

if i wer in 1970 and i was a cop and i wanted a car i would drve a grand pre heavy powerfull and pure mean and badass

Im build a 40 over 455, fully ported 69 RA 3 heads eagle H beams rods , KB pistons , luntia cam 575 lift 300/310 adv. Dur. 106LSA operation rang 4400-7600rpm,, 4500 stall, 456 gearing 81T/A fiber glass hood , roll cage 10in. Slicks 1/8 mile care !!!! Hope it runs good !!!love my pontiacs !! Any guess's on ET and MPH ?? THANKS !!

I met a man in Piedmont SC that has 2 of these.

Giving me some ideas for a '69 Cadillac.....

the hood tach was dealer installed.

@215jami I'm mainly an 'engine guy", but I'm guessing you'd be OK, not much difference if any (driveshaft, rear-end, etc wise) between TH400 equipped cars from the late 60s to mid 70s.

Beautiful car. I love the Grand Prixs and own a 2008 one myself. Just a question to anyone who owns one of these earlier 69-70 models, how do the handle? Is the steering sloppy with a slow ratio and 50 million turns lock to lock like most cars of that era? Or is the steering nice and tight with a quick ratio like my 08?