Ready to Enjoy: 1972 Pontiac Grand Prix J-Code
Barn Finder Jack M referred this Pontiac to us to review and I would like to thank him for that. This is a really attractive looking car, and you will find it listed for sale here on Craigslist. Located in Acworth, Georgia, it is listed with a clean title. The owner has set a price of $17,500 for this Pontiac.
This Pontiac is not perfect, but I must take off my hat to the owner for not only revealing the few issues afflicting the body, but also providing good, clear pictures so that we can see them for ourselves. This is the first of two known rust issues, which is on the pillar on the driver’s side. This may have been the result of a chip or scratch, but it may also have been the result of an improperly fitted windshield. Either way it would pay to address this one before the rust spreads under the glass.
This is the other rust area, which is a few bubbles under the vinyl top on the driver’s side. I also don’t like the look of that piece of tape under the back window, so I would be inclined to get both of these investigated and rectified as soon as possible. Out of sight isn’t necessarily out of mind.
I’ve included this shot to demonstrate how solid this car is. You don’t find many 46 year old cars that are as clean as this. This indicates a car that has been well cared for, and that hasn’t seen many salty roads.
That interior looks fantastic. Once again the seller goes to great pains to point out any flaws, even though there is nothing visible in the provided photos. Apparently there is a small tear in the headliner, but it is camouflaged by the shoulder belt. If it does become an irritation to the new owner then a good upholsterer should be able to fit a “blind patch” behind the tear to close the tear and prevent it from spreading further. Other than that everything appears to be really nice in here, and even the original AM radio is still in situ.
Under the hood is the numbers matching 400ci engine backed by a TH400 automatic transmission. Recently the car has been treated to some work which has included a new master cylinder, sway bar bushings and end links, AC Delco spring-over heavy duty shocks, spark plugs and new custom exhaust which the seller says sounds amazing. The only negative issue is that at some stage in the last few weeks the clutch for the air conditioning compressor failed. While the rest of the system operates as it should, the clutch will require replacement.
Looking around the market this 1972 Pontiac is priced at about the top end of the offerings available at present. However, none of the cars that I have located seem to be quite as clean as this car is. As I said before, full credit must go to the seller for being so candid about the few faults on this particular car. What I like about it is that it’s a striking looking car that you can get into and drive straight away.
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Comments
Unfortunately being in Georgia it will most likely wind up with a lift and some 28″ spinners. Sad!
That is a highly inappropriate comment unless you have another version of what it stands for than the one I heard when I was a kid. Wow.
Well at least now we know what you stand for.
Ummmmm…not necessarily:
P eople
O bviously
N eglect
T hat
I t’s
A
C hampion….
You’re welcome….
That’s a good one I haven’t heard before. Also I’m surprised at the PC world we live in now that the original comment had to be removed. Sad times. Also : People
On
Narcotics
Think
Its
A
Chevy
Yes I know, “Pleased Owners Never Take In Another Car”
People on narcotics think it’s a Chevy
The 1969-1977 Pontiac Grand Prix models were the most stylish in that era…a perfect blend of luxury with a hint of sport. Performance intermediates lacked the creature comforts like air conditioning and automatic transmission typically found on a Grand Prix. Sadly, th
e rust and air conditioning failure on the Georgia car could get expensive.
I had those wheels on my ’79 Grand Prix back in the 80’s. There were 20 cars in town with these wheels and 19 sets of center caps. None of us were ambitious enough to fasten them semi-permanently so it was a rotating nest of thievery.
in 1973 in dallas there was a cruising street “FOREST LANE”
and there—there was a FEDMART parking lot—
on fridays and saturdays that was the hang out—
some kid would bring his moms new triple white SJ GP that looked like this beauty and do 40 mph donuts on the asphalt…huge donuts…40 yards in diameter—
one night he caught a curb and flipped the car 1 1/2 times onto the roof
Beautiful car; although I’m partial to green on my classics, that white looks extremely sharp on this body style. A gentleman’s cruiser… very classy.
And the Pontiacs keep on coming!! Beautiful “John” version of the famed Grand Prix!
This looks like a lot more fun than a belly button Trans Am.
I own a ’69 G.P. Model J with 12k miles on it. A couple of years ago a so called Pontiac collector came from the East Coast and wanted me to come down $500 from my 14k price. I asked him if the car was as described and he said it was. I also told him the price was firm before he came out here. The prices have gone up since then and it would not leave my house for that previous amount.
Pete, do you still have your 69??
Had the privilege of driving a Chevelle Laguna in that same era. Basically the same, without the Pontiac’s 400 and superior styling. A fine machine for the price of a bargain-basment Korean compact, and a few minor repairs. Looks ready for a cross-country road trip, and I would have to drive it every day.
I had a 70. I loved that car. The dual headlights I think give it a better look. However I like this one too. A luxury GTO!
Back in the DAY i Actually owned 3 Pontiac Grand Prix’s a 69 a 70 and a 73 my favorites were the 69 and 70 both were SJ models with the 455. I also owned a 70 Buick boat tail Riviera with a 455 i painted it Imron black metallic. I also owned Many Chevelle SS model’s mostly BIG BLOCK convertibles.i also owned Many Camaros including a 69 Z28 that i painted Imron black metallic with silver pearl stripes. I also owned MANY other Pontiacs a 64 gran prix quite a few GTO’S that i bought with bad or missing motors and then I’d buy a wrecked SS Chevelle big block to use the motor as a power plant. THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!!!!
And the cars were Reasonable Priced!!!!
I also had a few vetts that i bought reasonably. :-)
As the writer said, that sure is a fetching automobile. I especially like the white, contrasted with the black vinyl top, riding on the magnum 500-style wheels. The whitewalls are consistent with the theme as well, and not so wide as to look gaudy. That said, the almighty tin worm LOVES living under vinyl, and that’s going to be a pain. On my plasti-roof Cutlass, it was an incessant battle keeping the top from looking like a past her prime woman in a much too small swimsuit.
WOW! I love this car, it seems a little pricey, but in this instance ,you get what you pay for.
My Dad had a ’71 – I think it was a J – with the 400. It was a sort of bronze color with a darker bronze vinyl top and a matching darker bronze interior. Not the most attractive color combination. But what a beast that car was. Lots of giddy-up. It’s a very masculine car, with the forever-long hood and short rear deck. Really fun to drive.
You couldn’t get a 455 in a ’69 Gran Prix, 428 was the biggest offered, ’70 was the first year the 455 was available. Now if this car was a factory 4 speed (super rare) I’d be all over it, except it would be closer to $30K
Yep…one classy car…always thought them pretty darn sexy lookin’ going down the road…as I’ve mentioned before a friend’s big sister bought a new 1969 Silver SJ with black top and interior. She held onto it for decades….think it disappeared from her house about 2005.
I got married in a 72 SJ, fast 455!
I picked up a 72 sj when we lived in Huston TX looked just like this one only it had a set of cragers on it. The car had several mechanical problems that would not let it pass state inspection. Two weeks later i had it legal and then my wife claimed it as hers. She loved that car some time more than me but one day in Houston a metro bus jumped the light. And car was totaled it was a sad day on a good note no one was hurt. That was back in the 80s we have another 72 that my son brought from TX in restoration processes lots of TCL but it’s getting there. For those of you that have never been behind the wheel of one you’re missing out!!
That’s a nice clean Pontiac to cruise around in!
In the early 80’s there was a dark 70 455 4 speed SJ for sale in Richmond for I think $4500, clean enough to eat off of and man did that thing torque. Another one of the rare Pontiacs I looked at but was too cheap to make the deal on. AArgghhh…..
I found and bought a 1972 GP SSJ Hurst white / gold. 1 of 6 made that year, so I was told.
I paid $300.00 for the car. Being the car had been a daily driver and full of rust from front to back. In short she was tired but all I saw was this amazing car , it was love at first sight.
After 3 years , 2 different parts cars and hack job auto body shops. I ended up with just a 1972 GP.
I was a kid with dreams, worked hard and spent every dime into getting the GP to its once glory shape.
A dream that never happened.
The only good thing that came from this was learning about restoring a car in such bad shape.
Learning about signs of shady repair shops and learning about my inner voice, knowing when I am being taken.
That was 29 years ago when i fell in love with my SSJ And those lessons have helped me in ways I would have never dreamed of.
A kid, with dreams