One for the Grand Prix Guys
 

I purchased this 1971 Model J from the original owners here in CA in early December. I've known of this car for 10+ years back when I had another '71 GP and was building a registry for other cars like mine. Like my last '71 GP, this car is 1 of 52 built with a factory 4-speed. The original owner "Denny" had some trouble getting the car built as ordered. After placing the order, he received a letter from GM asking him to sign a release to accept the car with an automatic. As it turned out, they were discontinuing the manual trans, both the standard 3-speed & optional 4-speed as of May 1st 1971 on the GP and a few other models making the automatic standard equipment. Denny called his dealer and told them that if he couldn't get the GP as ordered, then he didn't want the car at all. Denny got a call back later and was told that the CA Zone Manager, a long-time friend and drinking buddy of the dealership's manager, said he would pull strings to get the car built and it worked. Denny believes this may be the last '71 GP 4-speed built because of the trouble it took to get the car as ordered. Per the build sheet and invoice, this car was was built on April 27th and shipped on April 28th, just three days before the deadline. I would have to guess that if it isn't the last '71 4-speed, it's certainly one of the last few.

I haven't taken many good photos of the car yet, but have a few garage shots. I did get one photo with Denny and his wife Jane with the car here at the house just before they left. And I also have an old photo from when the car was new, notice the paper temp tag on the rear bumper.

Wow! WY cool!!

1971 gp neon
 

Grant,

Holly Sheit. Those first two shots with the sun shining on that paint makes it look like it’s plugged into electricity, like a Neon light.

Congratulations on getting “another” cool rare Pontiac from the Original owners.

C.

I'm not sure if they ressign blue plates. If that's original, it shows how well the car was treated.

Love the car. I remember my dad buying one new in 1971. As I was thinking about detailing the car, I recalled the dual stripe whitewalls. Then I scrolled down and saw the pic with the paper tag. I have a lot of pice when it was nearly new to this day. Never saw a 4 spd. car that I recall.
Good luck with the car, they are still beauties!

stunner.....absolute stunner

----Grant,,,You have done it again. What a special GP. I wanted a 69 GP new but couldn't afford 2 payments and already had a new 69 435 Corvette. Finally by 72 I was able to order a 72. I remember asking about a 4-speed and being told NO! Loved the car I ordered anyway but its a shame they dropped the option.....Bill S

Actually, like the car, the rear plate was restored. I need to have the front one done now.

holy crap that is a beauty! 3.23 rear too. Congrats on the find..

AWESOME CAR!!
My uncle bought a 1969 Grand Prix SJ 428 4-spd new, Mayfair Maize w/black interior, last seen in Pontiac Michigan in 1988. I would love to find that car and buy it.

WOW!! That sounds like a great GP and in a color you rarely see. If I ever hear of one like that I will let you know.

beautiful cool car. has it been restored? how many miles on it?

Thank you! Yes, Denny had restored the car over a 10 year span and it was finished in the summer of 2015. It wasn't a body-off restoration, but most of the car was gone through. The car now has 130K, he retired the car as his daily driver back in 1982 with 115K miles.

Nice Poncho.

Beautiful, love the 4 speed, and the provenance is golden!

Awesome car, Grant. I know Jay Kimball, one of the sons of the owner of Kimball Motors back in the day.

----Grant,,,Did you ever ask Denny why he didn't order the SJ package?.....Bill S

No kidding, that's cool! I'd love to have some plate frames for this car, I wonder if he may have a pair?

Hi Bill, the 3-speed & 4-speed manual was only available behind the 400 so no SJ's with 4-speed were built.

Grant

This looks like a well-maintain vintage car. It looks amazing.

I will ask him when I get a chance.

Awesome Car!!

Rich

I've always liked these Pontiacs. Congrats on a cool car!

An absolute beauty of a car. :Can-I-Have-It:

That looks Awesome.

Thank you!

Took some new photos today...

More...

Last ones...

Someone ordered the right color on that car.

----Grant,,, Are those double stripe tires NOS or are they available somewhere? They just make the car look so original!....Bill S

Bill... no, they are reproductions of the original BF Goodrich tires like it came with new. They do look right on the car.

https://www.cokertire.com/tires/bf-g...whitewall.html

good lord, that is beautiful

Saweeeeet!!

I don't come out of the shadows much, but wow where's that little worshipping/bowing emoji when you need it?

Okay, close enough...:headbang:

Respect, my friend. Love this car

I know right...

:worship::worship::worship::worship::worship:

Is that true in 70 also?

No, this applied to '71 only.
For '70, you could get the 455 4-speed combo in either a Model J or SJ like the one Charley & I once owned.

----Loved that GP. For a long time before I knew you guys I thought the mileage was way lower as the car really looked it. Also, the owner that had it at that time told me it was original miles,,,he lied! I tried to buy it from him, but at that point before he went broke and crazy he wouldn't sell it.....Bill S

I had to post these pictures I took yesterday. These cars were by a barn outside of Austin. The brown GP is an SJ with bucket seats. The blue one is a bench seat. Both automatics.