Unusual Hurst SSJ Grand Prix

[ssj71]

Just bought some of the original photos that were to be part of a High Performance Pontiac feature before the magazine folder. Thought you guys might like to see them... along with information from the original owner:

Just wanted to post an update (it’s been a year) since I just received a letter from the original owner of my El Clasico SSJ. He revealed a few tidbits that really surprised me:

1) The original owner, a doctor from Kentucky, was flying back from Las Vegas when he saw an ad for the Hurst SSJs in the flight magazine during that trip. During the flight, he decided he was going to buy one.

2) After he got back home, he headed down to his local Pontiac dealership, Parkway Motors in Prestonsburg, KY and coordinated with his friend who happened to be the owner.

3) The dealership owner made arrangements and got the ball rolling by placing the order for the SSJ. The car went straight from the assembly line to the Hurst/WISCO facility in Roseville, MI.

4) About the same time, the doctor flew up to the Hurst/WISCO facility and had a very long meeting with the folks there to determine what options he wanted, and at the same time elected to get the WISCO El Clasico conversion, adding another set of options from that package.

5) About 4 or 5 weeks later, the doctor flew to Roseville a 2nd time to check on the progress of his custom car. Upon arriving at the plant, he was startled to see the car up on blocks, the interior completely stripped out, an unfinished hole torched on the roof, and the mid-section of the header cut out. Hurst told him it was a work in progress and assured him that he would be happy with the results.

6) A few more weeks passed and the doctor got a call from his dealer-owner friend who told him the car had arrived at the dealership. He went straight down to see it and was blown away by how beautiful it was.

7) Unknown to me, this car also came with a battery-powered radar detector installed by Hurst, as well as a “flying goddess” hood ornament installed as part of the El Clasico package. It was styled after the 1941 Cadillac.

8) The car was used only for a short time (1972-1975) and put in 20+ year storage where it was lightly vandalized. The hood ornament and radar detector were swiped, but not much else was taken from the car (the vandals left the mobile phone, the digital computer, and other impossible to replace items). The short usage explains the low 61,000 miles.

9) The doctor’s sons expressed no interest in the car, so it was sold to the 2nd owner somewhere in the mid 90’s. The second owner did a restoration after the car had been neglected in storage.

10) According to the original owner, he paid a total of $16,000 for the dual-conversion Grand Prix back in 1972. Google a conversion for inflation between 1972 and 2014 and you’ll really see how expensive this car was.

11) The car is a PHS-documented model SJ that came straight off the assembly line directly to Hurst. This is unusual because the SSJ ordering process required that the car be a model J due to pin striping issues, and the SJ emblems in the front fender (which left holes when removed). This car still has its original fenders and the holes are present. It looks like Hurst used their emblems to cover the holes after the “model SJ” emblems were removed.

12) Somewhere during the 1972 run, Hurst relaxed requirements and let this SJ through, as well as a blue SSJ, a silver SSJ, and a green & gold SSJ, all of which are documented.

[Postsedan]

I believe pictures and story have been told and posted on here before.

VERY NEAT HURST GRAND PRIX [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

Dan

[GTO_DON]

That's not true because I have a 70 ssj that was born an sj and its on all the phs paperwork. Polar white/ sandalwood interior 455 car. Got it from Brownsville Texas off Lee.

[ssj71]

70 SSJs were available as any model, 71's and 72's were supposedly required to be a &quot;J&quot; only. I should have been more specific on the years. So it seems that the only years they were tight on the &quot;J&quot; requirements was 1971 since things were much more relaxed for 1972.

I don't believe I posted this stuff before. Those professionally shot pictures are new to this site as well as the originals owner's feedback, unless my memory is failing, which is entirely possible...

Don, what's the scoop on your 70?

[Mr70]

Does it have a Racetronic in it?....I posted this 10 years ago.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...446&amp;page=1

[ssj71]

It does, Mr70. It's the original Racetronic III. Didn't you have some sort of connection to Harmon Electronics?

[Mr70]

No,not at all.
Just my late uncle bought one for his car years ago.

[ssj71]

Do you have any extra literature or instructions regarding those Racetronics?

[Mr70]

Other then that catalog,no.

[ssj71]

Any interest in selling that catalog?