The 1975 Pontiac Grand Am: The "Luxury" of the Grand Prix + The "Sport" of the Trans Am

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Rare Classic Cars & Automotive History

Rare Classic Cars & Automotive History

Күн бұрын

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@davidkastin4240
@davidkastin4240 11 ай бұрын
Beautiful car. I sure do miss Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles 😢
@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547
@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547 11 ай бұрын
DAMNED OBAMA!
@davidkastin4240
@davidkastin4240 11 ай бұрын
@@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547 Why are you blaming it on Obama? LOFL 😂
@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547
@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547 11 ай бұрын
@@davidkastin4240 Because it's true that the B.S. bailout of GM ("Too big to fail") conducted by Obama's administration included the termination of the 2 BEST GM divisions, Pontiac & Oldsmobile. The bailout was more as a reward to UAW for getting him elected. You must not be very smart to not know this. LOFL 😂
@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547
@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547 10 ай бұрын
​@@davidkastin4240 Because with his Crony Capitalism, Obama killed off the 2 best GM divisions, Oldsmobile & Pontiac. "Too Big to Fail" B.S. He bailed out GM, as long as they killed off Pontiac & Oldsmobile, for the sake of the UAW, as a reward for getting him elected. That's why, Jack Arse! EAT MY SHORTS, MoFo!
@DanEBoyd
@DanEBoyd 11 ай бұрын
I've always liked these cars a lot. A kid in my high school had one with a 4 speed! But it got wrecked. He was doing >100 MPH on a US highway and got pulled over, but the cop didn't give him a ticket. He thought he was safe, but - his Dad was listening to the police scanner back home...😆
@toddburgess6792
@toddburgess6792 11 ай бұрын
I cry over the loss of my 73 Grand Am. I was too young and didn't appreciate what I had. The Lumbar Support adjustment with the bucket seats was heavenly.
@keepamerica2astrong280
@keepamerica2astrong280 11 ай бұрын
Back in 1979 I had a 73 Grand Am 400ci with a 4 speed in dash tach. And yes those seat were amazing ! It was a goldish color. Front and rear sway bars. Absolutely loved that car. I have been looking for one for years. There is crap out there but no nice ones. Love the soft front nose. And for some reason I loved the horn sound. Loudest most obnoxious horn back then. Had the Real wood veneer. Still kicking my self for selling. But I will still keep looking for one...Thanks for bringing back all those memories...
@jamesjoslin7586
@jamesjoslin7586 10 ай бұрын
I’m in the same boat brother. In the early 80s I had a ‘74. 400, automatic, black with the NACA hood, white/black/red interior. As a stupid 24 yr old I beat the crap out it. The quarters were rotted somewhat, and when it started popping thru the carb I knew the camshaft was shot. Ended up junking it. Big mistake. I loved that car and should’ve taken better care of it. Now.... looking for another one. All thats out there are super expensive cream puffs or rotted out junkers. Who knew they’d become so rare and valuable 😢
@thegoldendog7991
@thegoldendog7991 10 ай бұрын
I feel your pain. I had a ‘70 Mustang in the late ‘70s in high school. Loved it but couldn’t see the future. Oh the good old days.
@mutantryeff
@mutantryeff 11 ай бұрын
The early 70-era Grand Prix had some super comfortable buckets that held you in place.
@SpookyEng1
@SpookyEng1 10 ай бұрын
I had a 77 SJ, can confirm.
@fearsomebeard4290
@fearsomebeard4290 11 ай бұрын
That’s a beautiful Grand Am. Always loved those.
@pennywise8182
@pennywise8182 11 ай бұрын
The whole GM colonnade lineup was futuristic when they came out in 1973 compared to the 1972 lineup......Lower,wider,sleeker.....I always liked them all.Especially the Grand-Am/Lemans line.
@pcno2832
@pcno2832 11 ай бұрын
These cars also had better structural integrity than GM had traditionally offered. The beefed up B-pillars might have been intended for safety, but they did wonders for the handling and resistance to squeaks and rattles. On the down side, the 2 door models no longer had opening rear windows (though the flow-through ventilation was much better than it would be in the post-downsizing models) so air conditioning would have been considered a necessity for some buyers.
@Humandriver5280
@Humandriver5280 11 ай бұрын
They should have used stronger door hinges, dash materials and quality weatherstripping.
@jeffrobodine8579
@jeffrobodine8579 11 ай бұрын
​@@Humandriver5280Yes, those big saggy doors.
@weegeemike
@weegeemike 11 ай бұрын
I agree. Love the colonnade cars. I'm glad that now they're getting older, they're finally getting some respect and admiration. With the way these looked, it really felt like GM went backward in the late 70s/80s with the rectangular '78+ A/G body cars.
@EyesWideOpen61
@EyesWideOpen61 11 ай бұрын
I love them
@HomerJ1964
@HomerJ1964 11 ай бұрын
I've got a 74 in my garage awaiting restoration. It's actually my second. I had one when I was in high school back in 1981.
@brianhdueck3372
@brianhdueck3372 11 ай бұрын
The collision of themes these Pontiacs presented was beyond the scope of my appreciation back in the day. I have warmed a little to them but still find the styling confusing. Still it’s an interesting presentation Adam. Thanks for sharing this history.
@bgensel
@bgensel 11 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video! My first car was a silver 1974 that had a burgandy swoosh from the nose to the end of hood and over the louvered side windows. I loved that car and ultimately put in a burgandy interior, SPDP intake, bigger Holley carb and headers. Then girlfriend, now wife of 40 years hated that i spent all my money on it and not her. Ultimately got a 1978 powder blue Grand Prix and gave Grand am to my little brother. He promptly crashed it and i watched him drive it in the local demolition derby. Memories….
@madmike2624
@madmike2624 10 ай бұрын
My first car was a 73 Buick Regal. I sure miss that ole girl, what a great reliable and stout automobile!!!
@markdc1145
@markdc1145 11 ай бұрын
One of the few cars of the era that had a somewhat nicely integrated impact bumper. The magazine ads were also very appealing focusing on interior luxury and all that mahogany wood!
@calharv9439
@calharv9439 11 ай бұрын
My mother had an 1974 avocado green Luxury LeMans with a 350, but with a 4 bbl carburetor, that looked just like this but with Landau roof and rear fender skirts. At 16 yoa, it was pretty fast for me. Some fun times.
@jamesweddle184
@jamesweddle184 11 ай бұрын
Beautiful car, one of my favorites of the era. As was Chevy's 1974 Laguna S-3
@MrLeftfootlouie
@MrLeftfootlouie 10 ай бұрын
That bodystyle is underrated. I owned a 73 Le Mans and found it a perfect balance of size power and comfort.
@jimbo97
@jimbo97 10 ай бұрын
My first new car was a '73 Grand Am coupe, silver like this one with the 455 engine and a manual sunroof! After 5 years, I got the remodeled '78 Grand Am coupe with a power sunroof. I loved them both. 🥰
@OLDS98
@OLDS98 11 ай бұрын
Thank you Adam. It was good to hear the history about Grand Am again. I recall this Grand Am and the one from the late 70's. There was a El Camino concept version of that one also. The car was not a sales flop starting in 1985 model year. The Grand Am carried Pontiac for many years in the ahead until the G6. I recall reading the 1985 Grand Am was supposed to be the new Grand Prix because of this fuel crisis that never happened. When things changed, this car became Grand Am. This was during the great downsizing at GM in the 80's. I recall seeing a GTO concept during the late 80's or 90's that was supposed to be a GTO, but it never happened. They also said G6 stood for sixth generation Grand Am. This Grand Am was "More Pontiac Excitement To The Gallon".
@Freesavh1776
@Freesavh1776 11 ай бұрын
I've always loved the console & automatic shifter in these cars.
@wiiambarnarx8485
@wiiambarnarx8485 11 ай бұрын
These Pontiacs were awesome. Better looking than most of the former muscle cars out there at the time. Very underrated vehicles.
@philip4193
@philip4193 11 ай бұрын
The unconventional styling of those Grand Am's [and the boat-tail Buick Riviera's of the same era for that matter] just looks absolutely gorgeous today when viewed through classic car enthusiasts' eyes, however I can certainly see why those looks may have been polarizing back in the day when compared to more bland mainstream designs on offer. Just love the long, sharp, arrow-head lines of the hood combined with the beautifully-sculptured rear end.
@jefferysmith3930
@jefferysmith3930 11 ай бұрын
Using 8 as a multiple makes this a $52,000 equivalent MSRP car! Combine that with finance terms of what? 36 mo. …maybe 48 mo.? No wonder they didn’t sell that well.
@rightlanehog3151
@rightlanehog3151 11 ай бұрын
Adam, The blue interior totally transforms the impression of the overall look of the car. I like this Pontiac Grand Am 'A body' but I wonder how long you will keep us waiting before you feature an A body Kojak Buick Century. 🤔
@Flies2FLL
@Flies2FLL 11 ай бұрын
I think I remember the commercials for these cars in which the announcer grabbed the center nose of the "endura" front end and squeezed it. It's literally flexible, which meant it bent quite a bit before it broke, thus reducing any repair costs. Great video!
@jamesengland7461
@jamesengland7461 11 ай бұрын
The bumpers on this are very tasteful. Subtle.
@mutantryeff
@mutantryeff 11 ай бұрын
I loved the Pontiac 400ci automatic to a posi-traction rear end. That badge looks like this had a 455ci
@DanEBoyd
@DanEBoyd 11 ай бұрын
It does, you can pause it when he showed the dealer Sticker. It also came with Honeycomb wheels, and not those Rally IIs - plus it would've had metal center caps with the red Pontiac Arrowhead, if it had been born with the Rally IIs.
@kennyclark284
@kennyclark284 11 ай бұрын
Not sure of the specs but the 4door version’s suspension was a masterpiece. Very smooth and compliant with total integrity and complete control especially when loaded. I loved these cars.
@charlesdalton985
@charlesdalton985 11 ай бұрын
Well done, thank you. I think some of the greatest competition the Grand Am had was the Grand Prix. When released, the Grand Prix set sales records. I think many buyers were Cross shopping the two models at Pontiac dealerships. Regardless, you are correct, they really were very, very good cars.
@fuadbastaki8293
@fuadbastaki8293 11 ай бұрын
I liked the sound of the horns on this model.
@travishall67
@travishall67 10 ай бұрын
My first car was a '74 Lemans Sport Coupe. Looked a LOT like this Grand Am. Beautiful cars.
@cardo1111
@cardo1111 11 ай бұрын
Interesting vehicle, love the large haunches on the quarter panels and the angled towards the driver IP was another nice touch.
@gixxer750r3
@gixxer750r3 10 ай бұрын
I loved this car when it came out. I wanted one but couldn't afford one at the time. I haven't seen one in years. Great car.
@walterwright8454
@walterwright8454 11 ай бұрын
I always liked these, not as much as the GP's, but they were very good looking cars! I miss Ponitiac.
@dragon81heart
@dragon81heart 11 ай бұрын
To me one of the better looking cars of 1975 (well, maybe not the sedan as much lol) But what still makes me chuckle is the 455 V8 with a single small exhaust.
@chitown1098
@chitown1098 10 ай бұрын
I always loved both the 2 and 4 door Grand Am, especially the ‘73. Just a beautiful car. My dad seriously considered getting a ‘73 Grand Am in the 4 door sedan with the cool honey comb wheels. Unfortunately he was too loyal to Oldsmobiles.
@embiggens1
@embiggens1 10 ай бұрын
Got in a head-on collision with one of these when I was a kid riding in an '83 Accord. I can still remember that point coming at me.
@silicon212
@silicon212 Ай бұрын
I don't know how I missed this video. I used to have a 1975 Grand Am in the 90s that was even the same color as this one, it had a 400 engine under the hood with the maroon interior. I miss that car.
@calebwegman2269
@calebwegman2269 10 ай бұрын
My dad has a 1973 and 1974 grand am. The are beautiful machines
@gerardgalletta6943
@gerardgalletta6943 10 ай бұрын
I had a 73 Grand when I was in high school. I really miss that car.
@alvindavenport5657
@alvindavenport5657 10 ай бұрын
My friend had a newish 75 Monte Carlo with the 305 V-8. Certainly not a fast car by today’s standards, but with a 16 year old driver on a long straight road, it was capable of pretty good speeds. We were traveling along at about 95-100 mph when a black 73 Grand Am caught and passed us like we were parked. The Pontiac’s passenger was standing in the seat waving at us through the sunroof. It was a humbling experience to say the least, and one I haven’t forgotten nearly 40 years later. Always respected the early Grand Ams after that. The Pontiac owner also had a Greenwood Corvette, so he knew performance cars and wasn’t afraid to drive them.
@StickCannon
@StickCannon 11 ай бұрын
this one is very pretty indeed that front is unique
@KO-pk7df
@KO-pk7df 11 ай бұрын
I have always thought these were good looking cars and Pontiac was brave enough to style them this way. Glad they did.
@patrickgr1547
@patrickgr1547 11 ай бұрын
That is a good looking specimen. I always thought the Grand Am was introduced to make a 4 door Grand Prix offering. Just my take on the genesis Grand Am. Small trunk but the rear seat is spacious. Radial Tuned Suspension.
@robertdesautels8715
@robertdesautels8715 10 ай бұрын
So nice. Had one in San Antonio Tx in the Army. Great car to get around in the city.
@85TransAm406
@85TransAm406 11 ай бұрын
0:15 "Pontiac needed a new FORMULA to attract buyers..." 😝
@hawk00055
@hawk00055 11 ай бұрын
This car is just spectacular inside and out.
@arnesahlen2704
@arnesahlen2704 8 ай бұрын
I recall first seeing the 'double torpedo' Pontiacs - to me shockingly beautiful! The '73s had even less trunk space (sleeker design, horizontal lights) so this shape gave improved carrying capacity.
@bluesfanman1
@bluesfanman1 11 ай бұрын
My first car was a ‘75 LeMans Sport Coupe with a 350 2bbl. It was 1983 and I just turned 16. What a great car. Wish I still had it. It was white with a red pin stripe and red interior.
@travishall67
@travishall67 10 ай бұрын
Dude, my first car was a '74 Lemans Sport Coupe also with 350 2bbl. It was 1985 and I was 17. I got in so much trouble with that car. Blew up the motor, had a 400 put in it, eventually a 4bbl, headers, glasspacks, air shocks, everything redneck you can think of. That car sounded SO GOOD and got off the line surprisingly quick for weighing about 2 tons. Good times! 🤣👍🍻
@MarinCipollina
@MarinCipollina 10 ай бұрын
Thanks for this one, Adam.. I recall the Grand Am well.. My neighbor had a 1973 silver with black interior and 455 engine. It performed well for the era.
@markwilliams5606
@markwilliams5606 10 ай бұрын
Had a 73 Grand Am. Did a Few things to it. Simply a Long Highway Ride. No complaints.🇺🇸🛣️
@kellismith4329
@kellismith4329 11 ай бұрын
We had a monte carlo, it was a chore to make our luggage fit in the trunk when we took trips. One of my uncles had the buick century that was quite similar but kind of weird in ways
@douglasrizzo9210
@douglasrizzo9210 10 ай бұрын
Under appreciated when new, a rare find, today.
@Sedan57Chevy
@Sedan57Chevy 10 ай бұрын
For sharing the rooflines, I think GM did a pretty good job at having unique styling for the different colonnade intermediates. The '73 Buick Century is my favorite, but the torpedo-sided LeMans, and the later quad light Grand Prixs and Cutlasses I think are extremely attractive cars. And who can forget the dramatic Monte Carlo!
@middleclassretiree
@middleclassretiree 10 ай бұрын
These GM colonnade cars were beautiful in my mind when they came at I was 11yrs old and fascinating by cars and by 78/79 when I got my license they were very affordable I personally liked the Chevy laguna my neighbor had one in blue over white interior. Yes they weren’t great performers like the cars of the 60’s but they were good for the day and they woke up pretty easily when they were retimed or the recipient of a performance cam and liberated of the smog controls . Thanks for the memories
@sf-dn8rh
@sf-dn8rh 10 ай бұрын
LOVE IT. Would love to see an episode on the 75 Malibu classic or Laguna as my family had one with the swivel bucket bucket seats. I love to find another one of those
@banditta4life66
@banditta4life66 10 ай бұрын
I owned a 73 Grand Am with the 400, maroon/maroon velour. I absolutely loved it even though the rear quarters were about shot from rust. I got her back in 88 in a trade for a BMX bike. Had to put a timing chain in and drove it hard for 6 months and traded her for a 75 Nova and a 77 Grand Prix.
@markwilliams2620
@markwilliams2620 10 ай бұрын
They came from the factory with installed rust. I never met one without the Ferrous Oxide option. I wonder how much Photoshop Adam had to do with this obviously doctored image?
@robertvance1873
@robertvance1873 10 ай бұрын
I love this year of Pontiac and Can Am
@misterhipster9509
@misterhipster9509 11 ай бұрын
Had a 73 GA 4dr in silver, 400 2bbl single exhaust, upgraded to Q-jet and dual exhaust, amazing improvement in power, didn't help mileage. Screwed a 350 into the engine bay w/all the period mileage tricks, didn't help, finally went to a 455, what the Hell, big power, and mileage was still 10 mpg just like the other two engines. It was a fine highway car, beautiful black interior, damn shame about how rust takes our nice cars from us. Had a couple Grand Prix's then came across a year old 81 Bonneville Brougham, 17k miles, loaded and a diesel. Kept it for over 10 years, wife loved it. Only way to get mileage in the era, unfortunately most people didn't have the patience for diesel ownership. Kind of like things are going for the unknowing suffering w/electric vehicles today.
@paulparoma
@paulparoma 10 ай бұрын
The best thing about these cars and the Grand Prix is the dash. Very attractive and functional. I am not crazy about everything else.
@michaelwhite2823
@michaelwhite2823 11 ай бұрын
These were cool. I don't get the sedan version. The downsized 1978 was a really cute car. It was a great size. GM always had the best options for mid size and later even compacts. Are you going to do a video on the Laguna too?
@kellismith4329
@kellismith4329 11 ай бұрын
Ya the chev/chevelle laguna was awesome the S3 was very cool
@kellismith4329
@kellismith4329 11 ай бұрын
The 4 dr hinges likely had a chance, those big GM doors weighed a ton
@HfYr-p3e
@HfYr-p3e 11 ай бұрын
I liked the look of the Grand Am, it was like having a Grand Prix just a little shorter, the Grand Prix & the Grand Am were fitted with genuine mahogany wood in the dashboard and console, you made sure to keep that wood polished or getting it replaced would be costly from what I've read in the past, if i had the money I would love to find one of those!!
@rorypacker4501
@rorypacker4501 10 ай бұрын
We had a ‘73 4 door. A great car. It handled extremely well and was exceptionally comfortable. It was expensive at the time and given the state of the economy and fuel crisis it impacted sales. Dan Jedlicka of the Chicago Sun-Times called it a “Buck Rodgers” car being futuristic, relatively fast and rakish.
@Awsom47Merc
@Awsom47Merc 11 ай бұрын
* We talked my friends mom into buying a 73. Maroon (Florentine Red) with maroon interior. 400 4barrel automatic. While it was no racecar it got out of it's own way. It did corner well. I believe it was the 1st yr for radial tires and even had a plaque stating it had "Radial Tuned Suspension" which was probably a gimmick. When we checked underneath it looked pretty standard. Maybe larger sway bars but not much else that was identifiable to us. I can't remember ever seeing a more door one but then four door cars weren't very sporty so we ignored em. 👊😎👍
@forterierocks
@forterierocks 11 ай бұрын
My dad had a blue 75 when I was a kid, beautiful car and super comfortable but man was it gutless for a 400ci
@marko7843
@marko7843 11 ай бұрын
Yup, that's the first year for the catalytic converters... That's why I drove a '73 for a decade.
@carlc5748
@carlc5748 11 ай бұрын
GM's engines would have performed better had they used the Honda designed CVCC head (negating the use of a lot of emission devices) that they installed on a new 350 ci equipped 1973 chevy impala that Honda ran through emission's, and delivered it directly to show GM executives, proving that it could work.
@MostlyBuicks
@MostlyBuicks 11 ай бұрын
I remember when my cool great aunt came by with her new Grand Am. She was my grandmother's youngest sibling. My grandmother and her young sister loved cars. I regret turning down a chance to buy one in the early 1980s. That very car ended up on a magazine cover. On a related note: STILL lament the demise of the true hardtop, both 2 door and 4 door.
@desertmodern7638
@desertmodern7638 11 ай бұрын
Gorgeous car, and love the NACA-style hood scoops.
@leonardpoindexter5289
@leonardpoindexter5289 10 ай бұрын
Wow I’d forgotten have beautiful that car was.
@matthrivnak6572
@matthrivnak6572 11 ай бұрын
People across the street from me had one when I was growing up, I remember it well!
@michaelbuzzee1964
@michaelbuzzee1964 10 ай бұрын
My first car was a 1990 Grand Am Le w the Quad 4 and an auto 3 speed. Would love to see a video on this gen Grand Am! Love these videos! keep up the great work!
@michaelnault5905
@michaelnault5905 10 ай бұрын
I had a mid-70's Grand Am. It had the base 400 engine. It wasn't fast, but it was bought used for a daily driver, and was reliable and fun to drive. A friend had a similar year Grand Prix. I liked the styling of his car better. They were good cars for the time.
@jonmoore8995
@jonmoore8995 10 ай бұрын
Nice feature as usual. Reminds me of the CanAm. If you could feature one of those someday that woul be great. Agree with your viewers these are fantastic styled cars, surprising the didnt sell better.
@michaelwitas9482
@michaelwitas9482 10 ай бұрын
I personally preferred the rear styling of the 1973 models but the later Grand AM's are good too. My grandfather's powder blue 1976 Luxury LeMans 4 door sedan was quite similar but had a front bench seat with a pull-down center armrest instead of bucket seats. I remember taking it down to Chicago for one of the auto shows at McCormick Place. It was a good highway cruiser in its day. The dash had a fake wood covering that looked reasonably convincing. Although the car had a lot of glass compared to previous mid-sized Pontiacs, I do remember that it did not feel overly roomy inside. It was OK but not what I would describe as spacious. The Milwaukee Police briefly used the Pontiac LeMans Enforcer squad cars (a stripped down police version of the Grand AM/LeMans) before switching to the Ford LTD II.
@NorlandBoxcar
@NorlandBoxcar 10 ай бұрын
A high school friend had one of these. It still looked cool with only primer as the paint..
@donaldhollums3278
@donaldhollums3278 11 ай бұрын
The Aussies made their own versions of 4-door sporty and muscle cars from their Holdens, Fords and Chryslers. It appeared to work very well. Their reasoning was the extra two doors made it easier to carry their Mates around.
@davidfoulk3078
@davidfoulk3078 11 ай бұрын
Was a 4 speed available in 1975. I owned a 1974 Grand Am and I can remember reading in my owners manual about the 4speed option.
@MUUKOW3
@MUUKOW3 10 ай бұрын
I loved the Can Am ,it caught my attention as a teen ! I would like to find a nice one and put the engine back to pre 72 spec to give it some giddy up and hit the road.
@martinliehs2513
@martinliehs2513 10 ай бұрын
It's funny how many of us took the great styling of the cars from the 60s and 70s for granted. Would be great if that tradition, along with the colour options, could be revived in this age where cars look like angry appliances. That said, the 2.5 liter V-6 in my Lexus puts out the same power as the 7.5 liter V-8, and the 6 speed automatic provides the gearing to make up for the torque shortfall.
@jayweiss4378
@jayweiss4378 11 ай бұрын
Great content 👍🏻
@dodgyg3697
@dodgyg3697 9 ай бұрын
Seriously stylish. Aged very well.
@louislepage5111
@louislepage5111 10 ай бұрын
I couldn't stand the 73- 77 Pontiac Colonnades when i was a kid , but mellowed with age , ended up owning a 75 Lemans Sport. 😊
@darrellsaunders4267
@darrellsaunders4267 11 ай бұрын
IMHO, the 71 Lemans was one of the best looking cars ever.
@CDKDC
@CDKDC 3 ай бұрын
I ordered a "73 GA from a Pontiac/Datsun dealership in Downers Grove, Ill. Love that name, Downers Grove, sounds like it's from a Twilight Zone episode. The first thing the salesman said to me was, can't get you the SD motor. That's what I wanted, was advertised as available, a $600.00 option. What a letdown, so settled for the regular 455, a/c, manual sunroof, posi rear, honeycombs, tilt wheel, dual exhaust, etc., etc. Loved that car, was white with oxblood interior. Had it for over 30 years, finally sold it for what i paid for it, like an idiot. Man, wish I still had it, but, will keep my '96 Impala SS forever.
@hotpuppy1
@hotpuppy1 11 ай бұрын
I always liked those. The engines were sort of weak for 400's and 455's, but had potential if you wanted to swap parts. People down the street had a 74 or 75 Olds Cutlass 4 door with bucket seats and console. Similar features. Nice cars when you look at them.
@michaelbyrne8860
@michaelbyrne8860 10 ай бұрын
I was working a Pontiac Dealership in Chicago "71-72" and I believe the Grand AM had interest but getting one on the show room floor was not that easy! But the Trans Am and the Grand Prix's were still huge sellers especially both models with a 455 and a manual transmission were beast! on the Chicago Streets! The Grand Prix's with those setups were sleepers! You could look good and smoke your competition too! The One Grand Am that the Henderson Pontiac Dealership finally was a white? Or off white with red & blue pin stripes it looked more like a touring car than a sports model maybe color scheme? And it had white leather seats and interior! But a 455? Or 400 with a 4 speed! It kind of reminded me of the Lemans model?, they had a model that had a GTO front with a Lemans ass! But with the 400 in it! It was fast because of it's short base! But I only saw a few come through the dealership! I thought that's the look they were going for with the Grand Am?
@cybair9341
@cybair9341 11 ай бұрын
I remember the Lemans 2-door coupe had the same spectacular lines.
@Darren51283
@Darren51283 11 ай бұрын
This was an alternative version of the Lemans, with the more significant differences being the nose, seats and dash. Other less significant differences would be the tail lights, hood scoops and steering wheel.
@tjd1956
@tjd1956 10 ай бұрын
A friend of mine had a 73 or 74 grand am with a 4 speed manual and I had a 74 grand prix with the 455 at the time, great cars
@charleshensley9503
@charleshensley9503 11 ай бұрын
My sister had this exact car with the exception of a black half vinyl top and black interior.
@jonclassical2024
@jonclassical2024 11 ай бұрын
Enjoyed this Adam. My roommate in college had a brand new 1973 Grand Am 2 door....I was surprised you didn't mention the swivel-out bucket seats....the dash, the tiled toward driver center counsel and those seats were my favorite.....I can't recall if it was just the driver side or both that swiveled for easy of entry and exit.
@dcamp3062
@dcamp3062 10 ай бұрын
I wondered if those seats swiveled! Had a ‘73 Chevelle SS that had them. They were the best part of the car sadly, it leaked and burned a lot of oil.
@grand73am
@grand73am 10 ай бұрын
That would be very strange since Pontiacs, including the Grand Am, never came with swivel bucket seats. Swivels only came in Olds and Chevy. The Grand Am bucket seats were distinctive in that they had reclining seat backs and lumbar support adjustment, both of which were not common in American cars at the time. But no swivels in the Pontiac.
@grand73am
@grand73am 10 ай бұрын
Pontiacs, including the Grand Am, didn't have swivel buckets. The distinctive thing about Grand Am bucket seats was they had reclining seat backs and lumber support adjustment, which most American cars of the time did not offer. But no swivels for Pontiac. Swivels were offered in Chevys and Olds. @@dcamp3062
@jonclassical2024
@jonclassical2024 10 ай бұрын
@@grand73am ...very strange indeed....I am 70 and don't remember much but on this I am pretty clear.....it for sure was a Pontiac and I recall sitting in drivers seat and him showing me how it swiveled out to allow easy ingress/egress. Could it have been an option? I relooked at the Olds Cutlass and his car was not that. I can't recall if it swiveled out a full 90 degrees or more like 45 degrees...pretty sure it was a lever and not powered. I thought the car was a "dream boat" as I was driving a base 1970 Ford Custom 500 at the time! Lol
@MrJayrock620
@MrJayrock620 10 ай бұрын
I can honestly say I’ve never seen one of these in person before, and I’ve been going to cruise nights since I was 2
@markwilliams2620
@markwilliams2620 10 ай бұрын
Find a pile of rust and you found that era LeMans. They sizzled in the dealer lot.
@elizabethcherry920
@elizabethcherry920 10 ай бұрын
Someone I knew had a 73 variant that was green with a tan Interior back in the early 80s, by 1990 it was rotted out and gone, I miss riding in this car.
@larryfromwisconsin9970
@larryfromwisconsin9970 11 ай бұрын
My sister had one of these, I'm not sure of the year. Hers was white with red and blue pin stripping that accentuated the body curves.
@ohcrap3263
@ohcrap3263 10 ай бұрын
My uncle had a 76 model with a sunroof. I remember my cousin closing it on his brother’s neck . He was stuck and we left him there. Boy did we get in trouble!
@paulhardman2515
@paulhardman2515 11 ай бұрын
Not a GM guy but those are handsome cars. Great lines.
@ssimon84
@ssimon84 10 ай бұрын
Mom had a '77 Century. Same platform, but her dimmer switch was foot-operated.
@jimurrata6785
@jimurrata6785 11 ай бұрын
My stepmother had one of these in black. She managed to total it in the _PARKING LOT_ of a bar.... Ah yeah, the '70's when disco biscuits were all the rage. 😂
@lordmaul3
@lordmaul3 11 ай бұрын
Back in the day I owned a 1976 Pontiac lemans with this same body style.
@blue06lt
@blue06lt 11 ай бұрын
$6,596.97 in 1975 is around $37,750 today (January 2024) so this was not a cheap car to purchase.
@rjbiker66
@rjbiker66 11 ай бұрын
RTS was picked up by GM Holden in about 1977. Transformed the handling/ride of range of Holden cars - Gemini (chevette), torana, kingswood/monaro and statesman/caprice
@TastySurrealBowl
@TastySurrealBowl 5 ай бұрын
My first car ever was a ‘74. We called those “airplane taillights” because they were aimed more up than back 😂. That 400 with the 4bbl carburetor could fly.
@dionrau5580
@dionrau5580 11 ай бұрын
I had a 76 442 with the blocker off quadrajet. But it did have a five speed, and swivel buckets...
@perryallen7663
@perryallen7663 10 ай бұрын
Suggestion: mention a price range for good/very good condition examples today. Helps people understand if the vehicle is in their affordability spectrum.
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