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1972 Pontiac Grand Prix Type J Description

NEW VIDEO walk around added.
Well...All I can say is get ready. Cause if you are not fully prepared for this, you may be caught off-guard.
When I am sitting at an intersection, the folks to my distant right turning left in front of me take their eyes off the road and stare at me. Yeah, they sometimes make me think they are going to hit me head on. Then the folks over on my left that are turning right look over their shoulder and look at me. It is unbelievable. I have owned beautiful Rivieras, Cadillacs, Continentals, etc and I would never have guessed that a Grand Prix would garner this attention.
When was the last time you saw a 1972 Pontiac Grand Prix driving on the road next to you? I would bet it has been a few. That is why I sought this one out. I wanted something different. But, most Pontiacs are low on luxury options. I got spoiled by AC and power windows in other cars.
This particular Grand Prix is really neat. Triple Black. What more can you ask for in a businessman's muscle car? It has Air Conditioning to offset all the sun absorbing blackness. The black vinyl top is an awesome complement to the black paint and black interior. It sets it off with a different texture and also some real class. Power windows make it easy to drop the glass and roll with that nice hardtop look.
Now if you take another look at a bone stock 71 or 72 GP, you will notice some obvious yet minor upgrades to this one. I don't think the spirit of the car is lost in the smoked taillights, smoked front turn signals, and semi-smoked headlamps. It just softened up the front end and made it look a little sinister. The windows have been tinted a light gray and the rear glass medium. I wasn't looking for gangsta, I was aiming for class.
After you get past the shock of the bad ass look, you will start to appreciate the details behind the flash. THE CAR HAS ONLY 73K MILES. One look around and under the dashboard, around the interior, under the hood, in the trunk, you will see everywhere how well-preserved this car is and clearly how well it has been taken care of. Door panels are awesome, seats are really nice, dash pad is almost perfect with no rips, cracks, etc.All 4 windows operate like new. Fast and sure. Turn signals and wipers also operate as they should. AC blows cold and heater blows warm. The clock does not work. Even the stock Pontiac 3-spoke steering wheel is very nice, and I had it custom wrapped in leather to keep the stock appeal, but lose the thin plastic/rubber feel of those old school wheels. The seats are NOW really nice. I am about 6'2" and I was buried on the steering wheel. I had custom brackets made and now both front seats are 4 inches further back than stock. No extra holes drilled in the floor. This is perfect because the adjustment still works for those more normal in height. I can roll all day and not feel cramped.
One of the cool features about this Grand Prix is the driver's cockpit. The dash wraps around to make the driving experience a real pleasure. The center console and floor shifter are a nice way to say "sports/muscle car", but also keep it nice. The glove box in the console closes correctly and right. The long armrests on the door panels make this seem like a Riviera or Cadillac. I LOVE THIS CAR.
The car is 3 inches lower than stock, and done professionally. It has not had the springs cut or heated. They are full custom, specially built springs for this specific car. They had the spring rate increased by 30% which is what any professional shop will tell you is correct for a car 3 inches down. Included with the suspension modification was the drive line attention. The drive shaft was removed and length slightly adjusted for this suspension height. It will still be perfect if a future owner chooses to bring the car back to stock height. The shaft was fully addressed with new joints and a professional balancing.
The wheels are 20" all around. They are brushed aluminum. It is one of the features of the car that gets the most attention. A brushed look is quite rare. Most folks go chrome or, these days, go black. The brushed really gives it that industrial look but also walks the line and stays classy. The style of the wheel is loosely a Rallye 2 inspired look and maybe a Pontiac center cap would make it perfect. The rear wheels are tucked pretty nice and have some lip. Really gives it that custom muscle car look. The front wheels do not rub and can make a full stop to stop U turn. Now, don't get me wrong, a lowered car does not drive like a stock car, but this car does ride nice. It has some pretty low profile tires on it and you know you will feel the road a bit more than with 60 or 70 series balloons on there. It handles nice in the turns although this is not a car built for that. It is a cruiser...low and not real slow.
Under the hood is a 400 motor. Probably the best thing about this car is how it runs. I drove it on a 1000 mile trip not too long ago and it performed flawlessly. When it is cold, push the accelerator to the floor once to set the choke. Then take you foot off and turn the key. No extra work is needed. She will start effortlessly and stay in high idle until warmed up. Then it will automatically drop to normal idle just as she did when she was born. There is no hesitation and no missing. It runs smooth and true. Leave it for a week or 2, come out and start it up the same as previously mentioned.
This generation Grand Prix has disc brakes in the front and drums out back. The car stops just as she should and no pulling from side to side. Never heard a brake squeak.
The exhaust is a Magnaflow system and is perfect for this semi-muscle car/luxury car. Nice low rumble but not obnoxious at all. No exhaust leaks.
Yeah I know this story is getting long. sorry
The car's history is that it was purchased about 20 years ago in the Montreal area from a classic car re-seller. He had it because it was such a low mileage car and clean. The guy that bought it had it shipped to Juno, Alaska. I hear there are only 40 miles of roads there and it is not connected to the Alaska Highway. You have to ferry the car in and out. It lived its life indoors until the weather permitted. Again, that is why the low mileage. NO RUST though.
These cars have the longest hood ever put on a car up to that date. Might still hold that record. John Delorean was the man behind the car. When you are sitting in the driver's seat, you look out over that hood and it brings a smile to the face. Not only the peak of the hood but also the headlamp contours that stretch out onto the hood. Just looks amazing. You can't even see the hood on most of the cars today.
The paint is quite nice, But the best way to describe it is nice, but not stressful nice. Everyone that sees it comments on how beautiful it looks. There are some minor flaws here and there, but there is no rust. The floors are 100% solid, the bottom of the fenders and quarters are rust free, and other than normal surface rust underneath, there is no evidence of a hard life. Don't let those Alaska plates scare you. This is a car you can drive and be proud of without worrying too much about it.
The engine compartment is a little dusty but you will see it is not covered in rattle can spray. It is just a normal looking engine from a car driven fairly regularly.
This is the Model J. There is an SJ and I think they even had a 455 engine. This is not either of those, but you will not be disappointed by the performance of the 400. At least, for how I drive the car, I am not.
Great car and like I said at the outset, get ready. I don't think many folks thought a 72 GP could look like this.
The title is in my name, is currently registered in California in my name, and has CA black plates.
Car is for sale locally.
Enjoy the pics
The street stains under the GP are NOT from this car.