Vehicle Description
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 applique
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.