in 1968 I bought my first car from a neighbor. a 1963 Grand Prix. 421 with tri-power and electric everything inside.and A/C. Ran great !!! Good memories.
One of my favorite cars growing up was the 63 Grand Prix, 63 Rivera, the XKE fastback, 63 thru 64 Galaxie XLT hardtops, 63-64 Mercury Marauder, Studebaker Avante, 61 Oldsmobile, 67 Eldorado, 61 Impala bubble top, 62 Grand Prix, and 62 thru 69 Impala SS
When I was in the 9th grade, one of my classmates (a senior) had a 1963 Pontiac Catalina. He purchased the car special order with the 421 SD and 4 spd. His dad owned a body shop, so he 'frenched' the rear taillights into the trunk lid and filled the old light bezels to look like a GP. He raced that car on weekends and frequently swapped the intakes he used. The car came with the tri-power from the factory, but he often used a 2-4 bbl set up for racing. It was a beautiful car that made a lifelong impression and love for the '63 year models. The car was a real beast and he often did burnouts by the school on lunch break!
Did not have a 63, but my father bought a 64 in silver with a black interior, bucket seats and console. Beautiful machine and I wish I could find it again, but as they say, you can never go back. Too bad...
LOVE the '63-'66 full sized Pontiacs. The '65 is my favorite, but they're all beautiful. The Coke bottle shape, the stacked headlights, the super cool rear tail light treatment on the GP, the great horizontal dash with the pods, plus - best of all - the Chief Pontiac high beam indicator. The next generation ('67-'70) just look flabby in comparison. Thanks, Adam, for this terrific video.
After reading your post, I somehow didn't feel so alone about how I feel about cars, actually American cars to be exact. I guess there's a lot of us scattered around the country, maybe there's enough of us out there that the Big Three will bring back some of our favorites, with all the great styling from the late 50s and all through the 60s, but with modern technology. I guess we can only hope!
The 1963 GP is a classic! As a kid in the 1960's, I was a diehard Pontiac fan, loved all of them, especially the GTO's! The walls of my room were covered with Pontiac posters, and I built many models of them. Sad that Pontiac is no more.
These are beautiful cars. I almost bought an automatic 389. One of the first cars I ever drove was a 1963 Oldsmobile Starfire which is the same body. I admit I prefer the Starfire, but as I grow older I think the Grand Prix looks more “mature” in the sense everything isn’t chrome dipped on the Pontiac making it much cleaner.
A friend of mine, his mom had a 1962 Ventura and his dad had a 1963 Grand Prix. They both were white. I was 10 years old and thought that these cars were absolutely beautiful. I still do. Thanks for this wonderful post
I have been restoring my grandfathers 63 oldsmobile starfire. It has the same curved rear windshield as this car. Only these two models in 63 and 64 used that glass. Its really hard to find if it breaks! The Pontiac is beautiful! I love that color and interior combination.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane. The Grand Prix like many other cars of the period set a tone for Pontiac. The thing that stands out from the 60's most cars had a big style change from year to year. You could actually read the model year on the taillights.
Interesting transmission note, In 67 when the Firebird came out the base 3 speed manual was a Ford Mustang top loader 3 speed. Jim Delorean specified it due to better durability. discovered by myself back then changing my Uncles Firebird 326 's oil,,, at the time I had a 66 Mustang GT with the 3 speed trans and was surprised to see the Ford emblem on the Firebird trans.
With items like Lucite steering wheels and the Eight Lug wheels, it's easy to see how no one could hold a candle to Pontiac in the 1960s, when it came to fine details.
Adam, I feel confident that Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Indians would approve of this Grand Prix. All in all it is clear that Pontiac was building momentum towards the ultimate achievement of their 1965 Bonneville. 🤩
When I was a kid, my Dad bought a used ‘64 Bonneville wagon. It was by far the most beautiful car we ever had, no comparison to the Ford wagon we had previously or the Dodge wagon we had later.
All of the advertising for the ‘63 GP showed a midnight blue color, and the first few thousand cars were done in that same color, made it appear that there were more of the cars on the road.
This GP shown looks concours. Wow! I was 8 years old when this was new and remember those and the GTO’s. My father drove a 55 Cadillac convertible until 1965 when he traded it in for a 65 Galaxie 500 convertible. Not nearly as cool as this Pontiac. In 1977 I had a cherry 64 Galaxie 500 XL. Maroon with white vinyl buckets and black carpet. That was a stunner. But as a kid Pontiac’s from this area had the wow factor.
My mother had a '63 Bonneville, same red as this story, white interior. Optioned with 421cu in, 8 lug finned brakes, electric vent windows, electric antenna. Was a dealer demo. I left many black streaks on local roads. Beautiful car.
What a beautiful car! General Motors did an excellent job with design on their early-mid 60's cars. My granddad had a 63 Chevy Impala coupe back in the day. That was one of my favorite cars from when I was a kid. The Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs were all gorgeous during this time period. Absolutely timeless designs.
I was fortunate enough to buy a 1963 GP in 1980 with 58,000.miles. The original owner religiously brought it in for service at the Pontiac dealership where I started my career in 1972. White with the deep red interior, 8 lugs, AC, power windows, the 303hp 389 and the infamous Rotohydramatic. Adam, everything you said about this transmission is true. I was lucky the original owner changed the fluid and filter every 2 years so I never had a problem with it, but that 1-2 shift was annoying. I only drove the car in fair weather about 600 miles a year. Replaced every suspension bushing front and rear along with springs, shocks, and the entire brake system. It rode and drove like a new 1963. Unfortunately the lady I was married to back then insisted I sell it in the late 80's because I spent too much time and money on it keeping it in like new condition. Wish I still had it today.
Something about women who make you get rid of all your fun stuff...they seem to have insecurity to the max. My dad got rid of his motorcycles and fun cars, and my mother was still a hapless wreck. Not for me...guns bikes, fast cars. Date 'em but keep them out of your business. Thank you God.
Pontiacs were great during that time period. A neighbor had a 421 "Bonny" with a 421 that was legendary. It did the longest burnouts and allegedly "buried the speedometer". Shenanigans aside, it was a really nice car.
Every time I see one of these 63 Grand Prix, I fall very deeply in love with them. Same goes for the 65. Pontiac outdid themselves regularly in the 60s, both inside and out. I've never been able to decide if I prefer the 63 or 65...
My all-time favorite Pontiac! And perhaps my favorite car of the 1960s. But your '65 and '66 Pontiacs have given me a greater appreciation for the succeeding generation. They were all beautiful cars.
Great video. When I was a kid my neighbor had a navy blue '63 GP. I thought it was beautiful. Still is one of my favorite cars. Thanks for a reminder of what a special car it was.
I had a '63 Grand Prix when I was in my 20's, this would have been around 1974. Mine had a replacement later model 428 4bbl HO mill with the original Borg-Warner 4 speed, silver, with power windows. Loved those "hidden" tailights, beautiful white bucket seats and those 8 bolt wheels! Also a large stock vacuum gauge was located down by the shifter, intended to conserve fuel, lol! Needless to say, it hauled ass. You just never see these at car shows, wish I still had mine!
P.S. Agree about the Rotohydramatic, what rubbish! Had one in a '64 Olds 98 with the 394. 1st to 2nd was brutal, a real slushbox! The badly needed GM turbohydramatic came out the following year.
1 of my most favorite of my Dad's cars were the '63 GP and of course the other was '69 GP. I had a '69 Firebird too and a last gen GP. Miss Pontiac too.
I loved these when they were new. I was a little kid and already a hopeless car nut. Then someone in my hometown bought a white ‘63 brand new. I was hooked.
I don’t know, Adam - I think you might be short-changing the ‘62 just a bit in the exterior looks department - that was also one GORGEOUS automobile! Although I will grant you that the interior on the ‘62 is where the styling advantage of the ‘63 really shines by comparison…….👍 What a stunning restoration on the subject car…….😮
I still remember how beautiful I thought the 1963 Grand Prix was, when I first saw it. I was in my early teens, and there was a Pontiac dealer not far from our house. I used to ride my bike over to see one. It was on the front of the lot, in dark blue. Thanks again for triggering memories about the cars I loved.
It's a very handsome car and a year or two ahead of its competition (not just Ford and Mopar, but the internal divisions as well). Always thought it was strange that the 62 received all the press - 'dechromed!' - yeah, well, it still had curved windshield posts and the side sculpting. This was the year GP made a statement. Unfortunately for it, it was also the year of the Riviera, and as good as the GP was, the Riv justifiably got more attention. Always thought they should have gone just a little more upmarket on the interior - maybe give it standard leather. Slight image boost and likely no sales penalty. I remember the GP continued giving you real wood for a good while - the 73 had it still. That rear window is almost unique - shared with the Starfire.
Memory lane: Almost bought one of these, as a teen driver, in the mid 80's. I kept shopping for older 60's cars, but my parents wouldn't sign off on something that old. This one, and 50's Studebaker were my heart's desire. Ended up driving crappy, beater, 70's cars which were hand-me-downs from other relatives.
@@eth39232 it would be a nice option vs. cookie cutter SUVs but probably not financially viable. OTOH my 2008 G8 is right at home on the road even today.
@@eth39232 yes I would. What I think should have been done is that individual models were kept and sold at all GM dealers. They could have made a retro GTO, Oldsmobile could have developed the Cutlass . I realize the last GTO was a flop and GM could have done better. I sure miss the old days. Maybe it wouldn’t, idk.
JUST ABOUT ALL CAR DESIGNS HAVE TAKEN A DIVE IN THE PAST WE WANTED TO CHECK OUT THE NEW CARS PEOPLE WERE BUYING NOT THESE DAYS IF YOU HAVE SEEN ONE YOU HAVE SEEN JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM!....////
Of all the cars I owned through my life, only 2 had an interior design that impressed me: My 84 Fiero and my 63 Parisienne with red interior, bucket seats, console and the 3 round chrome gauges angled towards the driver. Every time I sat into that car, I could not help but notice the art. Thank you for reminding me of that dashboard.
My Dad had one, bought new from S&H Pontiac in Harrrisburg PA. 4-speed (with Hurst shifter), leather interior (black), wood steering wheel, 8-lugs, seat belts ($22 option), 3.42 rear axle ratio, reverb rear radio speaker. Great car. I couldn't talk him into Tri-Power or the 421 option, until he bought a '64 Bonneville convert with even more options...
Thanks for the tour. Pontiac designed and built beautiful cars, I owned a 1964 Pontiac Strato-Chief , it was my first car, it was a literal barn find that I bought in 1975.
My dad had a 63 Grand Prix. Beautiful clean lines similar to GMs thoughts when the 67 Eldorado came out. Simple design is often the best. The 65 DeVille and 61 Continental also appreciated for almost slab sides.
I really like the early Grand Prix!! I fondly remember my aunt's 65 Grand Prix with the 8 lug wheels, translucent steering wheel & tri power!!! She drove with a lead foot too!!! Thanks Adam for showcasing the Grand Prix!!! 👍👍🙂
Seeing this gorgeous GP, with its classy lines and elegant walnut-trimmed interior, and knowing what a derivative, plasticky mess it turned into in its last years is almost enough to bring one to tears. But that’s probably the fault of those meddling bean counters, right, Adam? 😁
Starting in high school, during the summer I always had a Chevrolet performance car for fun, a 60s Buick Riviera or Pontiac Grand Prix as a driver, and in the winter I drove a 66 Impala wagon as my winter beater. The styling on the Riviera and the Gran Prix was in my opinion the nicest-looking cars of the era.
The '63 Grand Prix was and remains a beautiful automobile. My parents bought a '63 Star Chief, four-door, 389 which I was soon driving. A great sedan. We traded my '62 Tempest for a '65 Tempest Custom Convertible and the '63 Star Chief was traded for a '66 Star Chief. The '65 Tempest went for a '67 Firebird. Our neighbor bought the '63 Bonneville convertible which was also a beauty. Two of my friends added their '67 GTOs to the mix. I have always felt that the 1960s Pontiacs were beautiful (a little biased I suppose). Thanks for another great video.
Great overview. I own a ‘63 Pontiac. It’s a great car. I had the roto hydramatic and I finally pulled it out due to trans leaks and poor shifting. I installed a 4r200 OD trans and it was the best decision ever with the car. Mine still has the original 389 Tri-Power.
I'm biased toward the 62. My neighbor had a Catalina from new with the roto-hydramatic 389 2bbl. My older brother bought it in 74 or so and we spent many hours working on it. We converted it to the four speed dual coupling like the Bonniville's and Cadillac's had and then later a TH400.
Nice presentation. I own a 63 Lemans and it had some trim similar for that year. It should be noted 63 was the only year for the 336 engine and only in the Lemans.
My grandparents purchased one of these new in 63. I remember riding in it as a kid. My grandma would always mention how much "get up and go" that Pontiac had, and my grandpa said that those eight lug wheels were a PITA to keep balanced. He sold the car in 1973 after the "slim jim" transmission let loose.
See above. My grandparents had one too. Funny, we had groovin’ seniors for grandparents! What color was theirs? Oh, and they swapped it with a 1970 GP in the same color. Maroon/maroon. All the push button options!
@@markmeachen6927 Light blue/green with matching pleather interior, 389 4bbl, slim jim automatic, eight lug Dayton aluminum wheels. I believe it was a late 63/64 model because it had the GP logo in the grill not on the Pontiac arrow in the center. It also had painted surrounds around the headlights.
@@markmeachen6927 Unfortunately traded up to a 71 Cadillac Coupe in 73, Still a good car by todays standards but not on the same level as that GP. They owned Cadillacs up until their 70's. Grandpa will be 96 years old this April. Grandma passed 4 years ago.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I knew nothing about the early Grand Prix. Very well put together video. Compliments to whoever detailed thar engine bay and their attention to detail.
Loved the 60's Pontiacs - the Grand Prix's were great and my fav was the '66 GTO with the coolest tail lights ever.(drove my Dad's 61 Catalina back in the day, it had plenty of power and looked great in Bristol Blue)
Great video Adam. I love the ‘63-‘64 GPs, the ‘65s looked too big in my opinion. The GP roof line was shared with another GM car the Oldsmobile Starfire hardtop.
In 1972/‘73, I was a high school student. I had a great friend who had a ‘64 Grand Prix with a GTO 389 four barrel, automatic trans, and pretty short gears in the rear. That car was quick! We spent many nights cruising and every so often we would surprise a mustang or Camaro. The car had a dark aqua paint job with matching interior. Bucket seats and console shift completed this terrific and beautiful ride. Great memories from a long time ago. Thanks for the well done video!
Thank you for the information and photos. It is interesting learning about this era of Pontiac and the power and combinations. It is nice to know where the Pontiac circle gauge theme started. This was Pontiac driving excitement indeed. Driving Pontiac. This 1963 captures what Grand Prix was supposed to be. The 1969, 1976-1977, 1981-1987 and 1988, 2004 did that too. It stayed true to the themes most of the run. Thank again Adam.
@@DanEBoyd I am not a fan of the single headlight front end design on cars. It is awkward looking among other reasons. It looks cheap and it is what you expect on an economy car. There are a lot of cars over the years that had them that it turned me off. The 1975 is not different from 1976-1977 other than interior styling and front end design. My late uncle had a 1971-1972 and a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. My other uncle had a 1978 Grand Prix. The 1970 had the dual headlights. I left it out by mistake.
Great video Bud. This was one of my favorite Pontiac's. My neighbor bought a brand new one when I was a teenager. Then when he sold it I was short $300.00 short of buying it in the early 70's. Exact same car except a beautiful white paint job and white interior. Gorgeous.. This video brings back some great memories. Thanks.
As stated by me before...Memories of my father's 65 Laurentian. I forgot about the chief head for the high beams. But I remember the orange/red bars of the heater. I also recall being stung by a wasp after it was sucked through the front windshield defogger because when it was in use, it would actually blow the air underneath at floor level and that wasp ended up climbing my leg and stinging me. Crazy..but a true story...lol
I love these detailed spec vids. My uncle had a 62 Bonneville with the 4 on the floor. I tried looking up specs, and it appears it had a 389 with two 4-barrel carbs. Hard to know reliable specs without the engine code. It was either maroon or dark red with black interior. I was just a kid but was obsessed with that car back in the early 60's
@@UberLummox , per the 1963 Pontiac prestige brochure, a 4-speed was available on all full size models in the lineup, including Bonnevilles and Star Chiefs.
Great review and beautiful car. A few comments on engines. This car has the wrong air cleaner, those are aftermarket. The factory air cleaner was a large black unit that covered all three carbs. Also in 1963 the 4 bbl version of the 421 (353 horse) was also called an HO, there were only HO and SD 421’s in 63. Also the optional 389 tripoter was 313 not 318 horse. Lastly that particular at sits too high. Even Catalina’s and bonnevilles sat lower than that and the GP used unique springs that lowered the car an additional half inch..
I'm a FoMoco man but i have a love for Pontiac's my favourite being the 67' 2+2 fastback,the front end is beauty in my eye.But i also love the 63' Grand Prix.
Adam, you made a vid on my favorite year for Pontiac, 1963. The headlight bezels really made the front of the car stand out, they were toned down for 64 I guess to save money? My dream car would be a 63 Pontiac Catalina super duty. Adam, a big thanks for this one.
I’m keeping the dream alive, I’m currently driving a 2009 Pontiac G6 GT, fully loaded ( missing only the adjustable pedals switch ). March 19,2023. It has 170,000 klms or 110,000 miles, a runs like a top, due to my rigid maintenance. It is also using a Stage 2 performance chip, and Cold Air Intake. Pushing close to 260 hp. Waiting for better weather to install my stock chrome rims with the new tires from Uniroyal, called “Power Paws”, went from stock 225/50/17 to 235/50/17, hope it corners even better. It’s my favorite car of my life, 67 in July and still rolling. 😂🇨🇦👍
Beautiful car, love the tri-power and 4-spd combo. My Rotohydramatic blues story involves a 63 Olds 98 Sport Coupe in beautiful light blue, with the Ultra High Compression 394ci engine. The car was only a couple of years old when my dad acquired it, and it was the first car I rode in at over 100mph. Sadly, dad let it go after just over a year, as the tranny failed twice while pulling our 17’ StarCraft outboard. Sigh. The Grand Prix's were the only other cars on the road that I considered to be as good looking, or possibly as fast to my 10 year old brain. Great videos, hope you get to do one on the 63 Olds Sport Coupe someday 😊
Good presentation. Hats off to Bill Mitchell, GM's styling boss, who put those sharp, pants-press creases in the sheet metal. He got the idea from seeing high-end car designs in Europe and was a noticeable step away from Harley Earl's bulbous designs of the '50s. In the engine compartment, I couldn't keep my eyes off the Delcotron alternator which was new in '63 (vast improvement for the charging system).
I believe the dimensional commonality between the 326 and 389 was what truly gave the GTO the jump on the other GM makes. Chevy, Olds and Buick all had separate smaller motors as well as the big fellas. Their production lines would be much more involved to get the big blocks into the A body.
Dashboard layout is fantastic.
in 1968 I bought my first car from a neighbor. a 1963 Grand Prix. 421 with tri-power and electric everything inside.and A/C. Ran great !!! Good memories.
Beautiful Grand Prix 👍👍
RIP Pontiac. We miss you.
Pontiac was the car of choice for us teenagers back in our day. We didn’t care if it were a firebird, GTO or Grand Prix. We had em all
I had two Firebirds
My brother bought a new 67 Firebird 400, 4 speed, black on black.
I never realized how handsome those mid 60s Pontiacs are. That interior is stellar.
Great old car … just beautiful
One of my favorite cars growing up was the 63 Grand Prix, 63 Rivera, the XKE fastback, 63 thru 64 Galaxie XLT hardtops, 63-64 Mercury Marauder, Studebaker Avante, 61 Oldsmobile, 67 Eldorado, 61 Impala bubble top, 62 Grand Prix, and 62 thru 69 Impala SS
Pontiac had the best looking GM cars of the 60’s. My uncle had 1966 model and I was so jealous that we didn’t have one.
I love the 62-77 Grand Prix’s. My favorite always being the 69!
69 with a 4 speed.
I really must compliment you on your editing. Slipping in quick pictures of other models/years for comparison purposes is a great addition. 🎉
That interior! 😍😍😍
Magnificent piece of Detroit Steel!
My late brother - in- law had a '63 Grand Prix. All white. It was a joy to drive.
The way those temp controls roll out the blue or red color is cool.
One of my favorite Grand Prix's! Had to wait until 1964 for the Turbo 400 transmission.
When I was in the 9th grade, one of my classmates (a senior) had a 1963 Pontiac Catalina. He purchased the car special order with the 421 SD and 4 spd. His dad owned a body shop, so he 'frenched' the rear taillights into the trunk lid and filled the old light bezels to look like a GP. He raced that car on weekends and frequently swapped the intakes he used. The car came with the tri-power from the factory, but he often used a 2-4 bbl set up for racing. It was a beautiful car that made a lifelong impression and love for the '63 year models. The car was a real beast and he often did burnouts by the school on lunch break!
I would be ecstatic to own any Pontiac from 60-68, they were beautiful!
Did not have a 63, but my father bought a 64 in silver with a black interior, bucket seats and console. Beautiful machine and I wish I could find it again, but as they say, you can never go back. Too bad...
Wow, what a beauty.
One of my favorite cars, very beautiful design.
Liked the 63...loved the 62...both a work of art
LOVE the '63-'66 full sized Pontiacs. The '65 is my favorite, but they're all beautiful. The Coke bottle shape, the stacked headlights, the super cool rear tail light treatment on the GP, the great horizontal dash with the pods, plus - best of all - the Chief Pontiac high beam indicator. The next generation ('67-'70) just look flabby in comparison. Thanks, Adam, for this terrific video.
After reading your post, I somehow didn't feel so alone about how I feel about cars, actually American cars to be exact. I guess there's a lot of us scattered around the country, maybe there's enough of us out there that the Big Three will bring back some of our favorites, with all the great styling from the late 50s and all through the 60s, but with modern technology. I guess we can only hope!
The 1963 GP is a classic! As a kid in the 1960's, I was a diehard Pontiac fan, loved all of them, especially the GTO's! The walls of my room were covered with Pontiac posters, and I built many models of them. Sad that Pontiac is no more.
These are beautiful cars. I almost bought an automatic 389. One of the first cars I ever drove was a 1963 Oldsmobile Starfire which is the same body. I admit I prefer the Starfire, but as I grow older I think the Grand Prix looks more “mature” in the sense everything isn’t chrome dipped on the Pontiac making it much cleaner.
A friend of mine, his mom had a 1962 Ventura and his dad had a 1963 Grand Prix. They both were white. I was 10 years old and thought that these cars were absolutely beautiful. I still do. Thanks for this wonderful post
I have been restoring my grandfathers 63 oldsmobile starfire. It has the same curved rear windshield as this car. Only these two models in 63 and 64 used that glass. Its really hard to find if it breaks! The Pontiac is beautiful! I love that color and interior combination.
Thank you for the trip down memory lane. The Grand Prix like many other cars of the period set a tone for Pontiac. The thing that stands out from the 60's most cars had a big style change from year to year. You could actually read the model year on the taillights.
I miss Pontiac. I owned several over the years. My favorite GP is the 1977 model. I used to own an 84 GP
My dad had a lot of transmission trouble in his 64 Bonnieville.
Interesting transmission note, In 67 when the Firebird came out the base 3 speed manual was a Ford Mustang top loader 3 speed. Jim Delorean specified it due to better durability. discovered by myself back then changing my Uncles Firebird 326 's oil,,, at the time I had a 66 Mustang GT with the 3 speed trans and was surprised to see the Ford emblem on the Firebird trans.
That would be John DeLorean.
With items like Lucite steering wheels and the Eight Lug wheels, it's easy to see how no one could hold a candle to Pontiac in the 1960s, when it came to fine details.
Great car to feature - thank you for this.
Thank you for your posts, always a pleasure to watch! Peace Adam
In my opinion I feel the Gran Prix the 63 was indeed the best... My favorite car!!!
Love the turn indicator is in the shape of the Pontiac arrowhead logo.
That's the high beam indicator.
Adam, I feel confident that Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Indians would approve of this Grand Prix. All in all it is clear that Pontiac was building momentum towards the ultimate achievement of their 1965 Bonneville. 🤩
Both incredibly stunning
I had 1972 Grand Prix. I paid $2400 used.
When I was a kid, my Dad bought a used ‘64 Bonneville wagon. It was by far the most beautiful car we ever had, no comparison to the Ford wagon we had previously or the Dodge wagon we had later.
All of the advertising for the ‘63 GP showed a midnight blue color, and the first few thousand cars were done in that same color, made it appear that there were more of the cars on the road.
@@rickr442 Nocturne Blue
This GP shown looks concours. Wow! I was 8 years old when this was new and remember those and the GTO’s. My father drove a 55 Cadillac convertible until 1965 when he traded it in for a 65 Galaxie 500 convertible. Not nearly as cool as this Pontiac. In 1977 I had a cherry 64 Galaxie 500 XL. Maroon with white vinyl buckets and black carpet. That was a stunner. But as a kid Pontiac’s from this area had the wow factor.
My mother had a '63 Bonneville, same red as this story, white interior. Optioned with 421cu in, 8 lug finned brakes, electric vent windows, electric antenna. Was a dealer demo. I left many black streaks on local roads. Beautiful car.
What a beautiful car! General Motors did an excellent job with design on their early-mid 60's cars. My granddad had a 63 Chevy Impala coupe back in the day. That was one of my favorite cars from when I was a kid. The Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs were all gorgeous during this time period. Absolutely timeless designs.
I was fortunate enough to buy a 1963 GP in 1980 with 58,000.miles. The original owner religiously brought it in for service at the Pontiac dealership where I started my career in 1972.
White with the deep red interior, 8 lugs, AC, power windows, the 303hp 389 and the infamous Rotohydramatic. Adam, everything you said about this transmission is true. I was lucky the original owner changed the fluid and filter every 2 years so I never had a problem with it, but that 1-2 shift was annoying.
I only drove the car in fair weather about 600 miles a year. Replaced every suspension bushing front and rear along with springs, shocks, and the entire brake system. It rode and drove like a new 1963.
Unfortunately the lady I was married to back then insisted I sell it in the late 80's because I spent too much time and money on it keeping it in like new condition. Wish I still had it today.
Still have that woman?
She left 12 years after the car did
Something about women who make you get rid of all your fun stuff...they seem to have insecurity to the max. My dad got rid of his motorcycles and fun cars, and my mother was still a hapless wreck. Not for me...guns bikes, fast cars. Date 'em but keep them out of your business. Thank you God.
My friend's Dad in '63 bought for his brother's College Graduation present almost that exact GP, same color, but his was an auto! Extremely COOL!!!
Pontiacs from the 60's are underrated, they're right up there with the 63' Vette, 300SL, E-Type.
And the rest of the most beautiful cars ever made
Pontiacs were great during that time period. A neighbor had a 421 "Bonny" with a 421 that was legendary. It did the longest burnouts and allegedly "buried the speedometer". Shenanigans aside, it was a really nice car.
Every time I see one of these 63 Grand Prix, I fall very deeply in love with them. Same goes for the 65. Pontiac outdid themselves regularly in the 60s, both inside and out. I've never been able to decide if I prefer the 63 or 65...
My parents had a 64 same color as this one but had black interior. It was a beautifl car. Had the 389 with 4 bbl carb.
It is AWESOME.
My all-time favorite Pontiac! And perhaps my favorite car of the 1960s. But your '65 and '66 Pontiacs have given me a greater appreciation for the succeeding generation. They were all beautiful cars.
GTO comes to mind…
1964 was a real beauty too
remember them fondly, beautifully designed and engineered when GM ruled
Great video. When I was a kid my neighbor had a navy blue '63 GP. I thought it was beautiful. Still is one of my favorite cars. Thanks for a reminder of what a special car it was.
Our next door neighbor bought one of these in 1965...dark blue....the interior and dash were fantastic!
I had a '63 Grand Prix when I was in my 20's, this would have been around 1974. Mine had a replacement later model 428 4bbl HO mill with the original Borg-Warner 4 speed, silver, with power windows. Loved those "hidden" tailights, beautiful white bucket seats and those 8 bolt wheels! Also a large stock vacuum gauge was located down by the shifter, intended to conserve fuel, lol! Needless to say, it hauled ass. You just never see these at car shows, wish I still had mine!
P.S. Agree about the Rotohydramatic, what rubbish! Had one in a '64 Olds 98 with the 394. 1st to 2nd was brutal, a real slushbox! The badly needed GM turbohydramatic came out the following year.
1 of my most favorite of my Dad's cars were the '63 GP and of course the other was '69 GP. I had a '69 Firebird too and a last gen GP. Miss Pontiac too.
I loved these when they were new. I was a little kid and already a hopeless car nut. Then someone in my hometown bought a white ‘63 brand new. I was hooked.
Loved these cars when I was growing up. The 65 is my personal favourite.
I don’t know, Adam - I think you might be short-changing the ‘62 just a bit in the exterior looks department - that was also one GORGEOUS automobile! Although I will grant you that the interior on the ‘62 is where the styling advantage of the ‘63 really shines by comparison…….👍
What a stunning restoration on the subject car…….😮
I still remember how beautiful I thought the 1963 Grand Prix was, when I first saw it. I was in my early teens, and there was a Pontiac dealer not far from our house. I used to ride my bike over to see one. It was on the front of the lot, in dark blue. Thanks again for triggering memories about the cars I loved.
Love the Chief!!
Absolutely beautiful works of art!
Certainly on of the most beautiful Pontiacs ever built. Always loved the Grand Prix of this era... Thanks for posting !
She's a real beauty. One of my favs!
Yes, a real beauty! Also liked what Cadillac did with stacked headlamps in 1967-68.
It's a very handsome car and a year or two ahead of its competition (not just Ford and Mopar, but the internal divisions as well). Always thought it was strange that the 62 received all the press - 'dechromed!' - yeah, well, it still had curved windshield posts and the side sculpting. This was the year GP made a statement. Unfortunately for it, it was also the year of the Riviera, and as good as the GP was, the Riv justifiably got more attention. Always thought they should have gone just a little more upmarket on the interior - maybe give it standard leather. Slight image boost and likely no sales penalty. I remember the GP continued giving you real wood for a good while - the 73 had it still. That rear window is almost unique - shared with the Starfire.
Memory lane: Almost bought one of these, as a teen driver, in the mid 80's. I kept shopping for older 60's cars, but my parents wouldn't sign off on something that old. This one, and 50's Studebaker were my heart's desire. Ended up driving crappy, beater, 70's cars which were hand-me-downs from other relatives.
Your video output is getting massif, without the content suffering. Great job. Keep them vids coming😅
Wow ! Stunning. I was and still am upset for GM killing off Pontiac.
I’m upset about them killing off both Pontiac and Oldsmobile. I was an Olds guy and I still think they made a mistake killing off LeSalle.
Would you really want Pontiac around today considering people only want pickups and crossovers?
@@eth39232 it would be a nice option vs. cookie cutter SUVs but probably not financially viable.
OTOH my 2008 G8 is right at home on the road even today.
@@eth39232 yes I would. What I think should have been done is that individual models were kept and sold at all GM dealers. They could have made a retro GTO, Oldsmobile could have developed the Cutlass . I realize the last GTO was a flop and GM could have done better. I sure miss the old days. Maybe it wouldn’t, idk.
JUST ABOUT ALL CAR DESIGNS HAVE TAKEN A DIVE IN THE PAST WE WANTED TO CHECK OUT THE NEW CARS PEOPLE WERE BUYING NOT THESE DAYS IF YOU HAVE SEEN ONE YOU HAVE SEEN JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM!....////
The white bucket seats and the steering wheel - so gorgeous!
Of all the cars I owned through my life, only 2 had an interior design that impressed me: My 84 Fiero and my 63 Parisienne with red interior, bucket seats, console and the 3 round chrome gauges angled towards the driver. Every time I sat into that car, I could not help but notice the art. Thank you for reminding me of that dashboard.
My Dad had one, bought new from S&H Pontiac in Harrrisburg PA. 4-speed (with Hurst shifter), leather interior (black), wood steering wheel, 8-lugs, seat belts ($22 option), 3.42 rear axle ratio, reverb rear radio speaker. Great car. I couldn't talk him into Tri-Power or the 421 option, until he bought a '64 Bonneville convert with even more options...
Thanks for the tour. Pontiac designed and built beautiful cars, I owned a 1964 Pontiac Strato-Chief , it was my first car, it was a literal barn find that I bought in 1975.
My dad had a 63 Grand Prix. Beautiful clean lines similar to GMs thoughts when the 67 Eldorado came out. Simple design is often the best. The 65 DeVille and 61 Continental also appreciated for almost slab sides.
I really like the early Grand Prix!! I fondly remember my aunt's 65 Grand Prix with the 8 lug wheels, translucent steering wheel & tri power!!! She drove with a lead foot too!!! Thanks Adam for showcasing the Grand Prix!!! 👍👍🙂
Another winner, Adam…thanks!
Seeing this gorgeous GP, with its classy lines and elegant walnut-trimmed interior, and knowing what a derivative, plasticky mess it turned into in its last years is almost enough to bring one to tears. But that’s probably the fault of those meddling bean counters, right, Adam? 😁
The Grand Prix was a highlight from 1963 to 1972
Starting in high school, during the summer I always had a Chevrolet performance car for fun, a 60s Buick Riviera or Pontiac Grand Prix as a driver, and in the winter I drove a 66 Impala wagon as my winter beater. The styling on the Riviera and the Gran Prix was in my opinion the nicest-looking cars of the era.
Superb GP!
The '63 Grand Prix was and remains a beautiful automobile. My parents bought a '63 Star Chief, four-door, 389 which I was soon driving. A great sedan. We traded my '62 Tempest for a '65 Tempest Custom Convertible and the '63 Star Chief was traded for a '66 Star Chief. The '65 Tempest went for a '67 Firebird. Our neighbor bought the '63 Bonneville convertible which was also a beauty. Two of my friends added their '67 GTOs to the mix. I have always felt that the 1960s Pontiacs were beautiful (a little biased I suppose). Thanks for another great video.
Great overview. I own a ‘63 Pontiac. It’s a great car. I had the roto hydramatic and I finally pulled it out due to trans leaks and poor shifting. I installed a 4r200 OD trans and it was the best decision ever with the car. Mine still has the original 389 Tri-Power.
I'm biased toward the 62. My neighbor had a Catalina from new with the roto-hydramatic 389 2bbl. My older brother bought it in 74 or so and we spent many hours working on it. We converted it to the four speed dual coupling like the Bonniville's and Cadillac's had and then later a TH400.
Nice presentation. I own a 63 Lemans and it had some trim similar for that year. It should be noted 63 was the only year for the 336 engine and only in the Lemans.
My grandparents purchased one of these new in 63. I remember riding in it as a kid. My grandma would always mention how much "get up and go" that Pontiac had, and my grandpa said that those eight lug wheels were a PITA to keep balanced. He sold the car in 1973 after the "slim jim" transmission let loose.
See above. My grandparents had one too. Funny, we had groovin’ seniors for grandparents! What color was theirs?
Oh, and they swapped it with a 1970 GP in the same color. Maroon/maroon. All the push button options!
@@markmeachen6927 Light blue/green with matching pleather interior, 389 4bbl, slim jim automatic, eight lug Dayton aluminum wheels. I believe it was a late 63/64 model because it had the GP logo in the grill not on the Pontiac arrow in the center. It also had painted surrounds around the headlights.
@@markmeachen6927 Unfortunately traded up to a 71 Cadillac Coupe in 73, Still a good car by todays standards but not on the same level as that GP. They owned Cadillacs up until their 70's. Grandpa will be 96 years old this April. Grandma passed 4 years ago.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I knew nothing about the early Grand Prix. Very well put together video. Compliments to whoever detailed thar engine bay and their attention to detail.
Loved the 60's Pontiacs - the Grand Prix's were great and my fav was the '66 GTO with the coolest tail lights ever.(drove my Dad's 61 Catalina back in the day, it had plenty of power and looked great in Bristol Blue)
Great video Adam. I love the ‘63-‘64 GPs, the ‘65s looked too big in my opinion. The GP roof line was shared with another GM car the Oldsmobile Starfire hardtop.
Oldsmobile Starfire was based on the Ninety Eight C body. It had zaftig proportions, but was considered to be somewhat of a muscle car for the era.
Friend of mine had a blue one and the steering wheel was so cool looking when the sun shone on it. It would give off this like blue glow.
Excellent work Adam. Thank you. ‘63 Ponchos are my favorite!
Adam. I noticed that a lot of this dashboard was carried over to the 65 Bonneville. My grandfather had the 65 Bonneville.
Have you seen Adam's 65 Bonneville? There are several videos on this channel.
In 1972/‘73, I was a high school student. I had a great friend who had a ‘64 Grand Prix with a GTO 389 four barrel, automatic trans, and pretty short gears in the rear. That car was quick! We spent many nights cruising and every so often we would surprise a mustang or Camaro. The car had a dark aqua paint job with matching interior. Bucket seats and console shift completed this terrific and beautiful ride. Great memories from a long time ago. Thanks for the well done video!
Thank you for the information and photos. It is interesting learning about this era of Pontiac and the power and combinations. It is nice to know where the Pontiac circle gauge theme started. This was Pontiac driving excitement indeed. Driving Pontiac. This 1963 captures what Grand Prix was supposed to be. The 1969, 1976-1977, 1981-1987 and 1988, 2004 did that too. It stayed true to the themes most of the run. Thank again Adam.
Not the '70-'75?
The '71-'72, with single headlights and the boat-tail, are my favorite Grand Prixs.
@@DanEBoyd I am not a fan of the single headlight front end design on cars. It is awkward looking among other reasons. It looks cheap and it is what you expect on an economy car. There are a lot of cars over the years that had them that it turned me off. The 1975 is not different from 1976-1977 other than interior styling and front end design. My late uncle had a 1971-1972 and a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. My other uncle had a 1978 Grand Prix. The 1970 had the dual headlights. I left it out by mistake.
Great video Bud. This was one of my favorite Pontiac's. My neighbor bought a brand new one when I was a teenager. Then when he sold it I was short $300.00 short of buying it in the early 70's. Exact same car except a beautiful white paint job and white interior. Gorgeous.. This video brings back some great memories. Thanks.
As stated by me before...Memories of my father's 65 Laurentian. I forgot about the chief head for the high beams. But I remember the orange/red bars of the heater. I also recall being stung by a wasp after it was sucked through the front windshield defogger because when it was in use, it would actually blow the air underneath at floor level and that wasp ended up climbing my leg and stinging me. Crazy..but a true story...lol
I love these detailed spec vids. My uncle had a 62 Bonneville with the 4 on the floor. I tried looking up specs, and it appears it had a 389 with two 4-barrel carbs. Hard to know reliable specs without the engine code. It was either maroon or dark red with black interior. I was just a kid but was obsessed with that car back in the early 60's
Far as I know, the only stock 2 x 4 bbls. Pontiac was the racing Super Duty 421" rated 405 HP and more like 490 HP...
@@BuzzLOLOL That, and you couldn't get a 4-spd. in a Bonneville either, right?
@@UberLummox - I don't know about the 4 speed offerings...
@@UberLummox , per the 1963 Pontiac prestige brochure, a 4-speed was available on all full size models in the lineup, including Bonnevilles and Star Chiefs.
@@tristanstrasse WOW, unreal!!! Thanks for the info.
Great review and beautiful car. A few comments on engines. This car has the wrong air cleaner, those are aftermarket. The factory air cleaner was a large black unit that covered all three carbs.
Also in 1963 the 4 bbl version of the 421 (353 horse) was also called an HO, there were only HO and SD 421’s in 63. Also the optional 389 tripoter was 313 not 318 horse.
Lastly that particular at sits too high. Even Catalina’s and bonnevilles sat lower than that and the GP used unique springs that lowered the car an additional half inch..
I'm a FoMoco man but i have a love for Pontiac's my favourite being the 67' 2+2 fastback,the front end is beauty in my eye.But i also love the 63' Grand Prix.
Love seeing these beautiful cars that I grew up with and learning a lot more about them from your terrific videos. Cheers~
Such excellent content coming from you! Thank you!!
Adam, you made a vid on my favorite year for Pontiac, 1963. The headlight bezels really made the front of the car stand out, they were toned down for 64 I guess to save money? My dream car would be a 63 Pontiac Catalina super duty. Adam, a big thanks for this one.
I’m keeping the dream alive, I’m currently driving a 2009 Pontiac G6 GT, fully loaded ( missing only the adjustable pedals switch ). March 19,2023. It has 170,000 klms or 110,000 miles, a runs like a top, due to my rigid maintenance. It is also using a Stage 2 performance chip, and Cold Air Intake. Pushing close to 260 hp. Waiting for better weather to install my stock chrome rims with the new tires from Uniroyal, called “Power Paws”, went from stock 225/50/17 to 235/50/17, hope it corners even better. It’s my favorite car of my life, 67 in July and still rolling. 😂🇨🇦👍
Beautiful car, love the tri-power and 4-spd combo. My Rotohydramatic blues story involves a 63 Olds 98 Sport Coupe in beautiful light blue, with the Ultra High Compression 394ci engine. The car was only a couple of years old when my dad acquired it, and it was the first car I rode in at over 100mph. Sadly, dad let it go after just over a year, as the tranny failed twice while pulling our 17’ StarCraft outboard. Sigh. The Grand Prix's were the only other cars on the road that I considered to be as good looking, or possibly as fast to my 10 year old brain. Great videos, hope you get to do one on the 63 Olds Sport Coupe someday 😊
Good presentation.
Hats off to Bill Mitchell, GM's styling boss, who put those sharp, pants-press creases in the sheet metal. He got the idea from seeing high-end car designs in Europe and was a noticeable step away from Harley Earl's bulbous designs of the '50s.
In the engine compartment, I couldn't keep my eyes off the Delcotron alternator which was new in '63 (vast improvement for the charging system).
I believe the dimensional commonality between the 326 and 389 was what truly gave the GTO the jump on the other GM makes. Chevy, Olds and Buick all had separate smaller motors as well as the big fellas. Their production lines would be much more involved to get the big blocks into the A body.