@@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 😂
@@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!
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...😆
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.
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...
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 😢
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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….
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.
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.
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.
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. 🥰
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. 🤔
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.
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!
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".
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
* 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. 👊😎👍
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!
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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
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.
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! 🤣👍🍻
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.
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.
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. 😂
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
I'm not sure that the black PMD cloisonné center caps are correct on this subject car, but no biggie. And now that we see the Monroney Sticker, the Rally IIs aren't even correct - the car was shipped with Honeycombs!!! I'd keep those everyday, over Rally IIs. Now do the Can Am!!!😅 Or did you already? You have so many videos now that it's hard to remember - or I'm just old... The '73 GTO, the Grand Ams, the '74 GTO, and the Can Am, were an interesting, and often overlooked, chapter in Pontiac history.
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.
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.
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
1.Dual exhaust with X crossover. 2. Loose the Air Injection (Smog Pump), block-off plate the egr. 3. Run straight vacuum line from carb to distributor (no plastic in-line delay switch), and lighter distributor weights. 4. Re-jet carb, and weaker (faster) secondary opening diaphragm. 5. 3 angle valve job and mill-off .020" heads... In a weekend under the hood, 2 hours at a muffler shop, week waiting on reworked heads...then 2nd werkend to re-install heads... The lazy, poor mileage, 200hp. 455?? Add 3-5 mpg, AND make 325 horsepower and 400 pounds torque...QUIETLY, and so much NICER to drive than stock...I did these things to MANY 305,307,350,400, 455s V8s (250 sixes too in their own way!)...was fun to coax ba k the HP in those days!
I have to wonder if sales would've been better if you could get one with a 350 or even whatever six Pontiac was using in '73 (probably the Chevy 250) since it arrived just in time for the first gas crisis.
Beautiful car. I sure do miss Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles 😢
DAMNED OBAMA!
@@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547 Why are you blaming it on Obama? LOFL 😂
@@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 😂
@@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!
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...😆
The early 70-era Grand Prix had some super comfortable buckets that held you in place.
I had a 77 SJ, can confirm.
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.
That’s a beautiful Grand Am. Always loved those.
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.
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...
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 😢
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.
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.
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.
They should have used stronger door hinges, dash materials and quality weatherstripping.
@@Humandriver5280Yes, those big saggy doors.
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.
I love them
That bodystyle is underrated.
I owned a 73 Le Mans and found it a perfect balance of size power and comfort.
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!
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.
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.
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….
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.
My first car was a 73 Buick Regal. I sure miss that ole girl, what a great reliable and stout automobile!!!
These Pontiacs were awesome. Better looking than most of the former muscle cars out there at the time. Very underrated vehicles.
Beautiful car, one of my favorites of the era. As was Chevy's 1974 Laguna S-3
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.
The bumpers on this are very tasteful. Subtle.
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.
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. 🥰
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. 🤔
Had a 73 Grand Am. Did a Few things to it. Simply a Long Highway Ride. No complaints.🇺🇸🛣️
I loved the Pontiac 400ci automatic to a posi-traction rear end. That badge looks like this had a 455ci
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.
I have always thought these were good looking cars and Pontiac was brave enough to style them this way. Glad they did.
My dad has a 1973 and 1974 grand am. The are beautiful machines
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!
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".
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.
this one is very pretty indeed that front is unique
I've always loved the console & automatic shifter in these cars.
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
Under appreciated when new, a rare find, today.
I always liked these, not as much as the GP's, but they were very good looking cars! I miss Ponitiac.
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.
So nice. Had one in San Antonio Tx in the Army. Great car to get around in the city.
0:15 "Pontiac needed a new FORMULA to attract buyers..." 😝
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.
I liked the sound of the horns on this model.
I love this year of Pontiac and Can Am
Interesting vehicle, love the large haunches on the quarter panels and the angled towards the driver IP was another nice touch.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
* 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. 👊😎👍
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!
Wow I’d forgotten have beautiful that car was.
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.
My dad had a blue 75 when I was a kid, beautiful car and super comfortable but man was it gutless for a 400ci
Yup, that's the first year for the catalytic converters... That's why I drove a '73 for a decade.
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!!
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.
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.
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?
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?
Ya the chev/chevelle laguna was awesome the S3 was very cool
The 4 dr hinges likely had a chance, those big GM doors weighed a ton
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.
My first car was a '74 Lemans Sport Coupe. Looked a LOT like this Grand Am. Beautiful cars.
I had a 73 Grand when I was in high school. I really miss that car.
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
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.
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! 🤣👍🍻
IMHO, the 71 Lemans was one of the best looking cars ever.
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.
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.
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. 😂
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.
This car is just spectacular inside and out.
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!
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.
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.
Great content 👍🏻
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!
A high school friend had one of these. It still looked cool with only primer as the paint..
My sister had this exact car with the exception of a black half vinyl top and black interior.
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
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?
The best thing about these cars and the Grand Prix is the dash. Very attractive and functional. I am not crazy about everything else.
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.
People across the street from me had one when I was growing up, I remember it well!
Seriously stylish. Aged very well.
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. 😊
Gorgeous car, and love the NACA-style hood scoops.
I'm not sure that the black PMD cloisonné center caps are correct on this subject car, but no biggie. And now that we see the Monroney Sticker, the Rally IIs aren't even correct - the car was shipped with Honeycombs!!! I'd keep those everyday, over Rally IIs.
Now do the Can Am!!!😅 Or did you already? You have so many videos now that it's hard to remember - or I'm just old... The '73 GTO, the Grand Ams, the '74 GTO, and the Can Am, were an interesting, and often overlooked, chapter in Pontiac history.
You're right. The Rally II center caps from 73 up would be solid metal with a red arrowhead emblem in the center. No plastic.
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
Find a pile of rust and you found that era LeMans. They sizzled in the dealer lot.
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.
I remember the Lemans 2-door coupe had the same spectacular lines.
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.
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.
$6,596.97 in 1975 is around $37,750 today (January 2024) so this was not a cheap car to purchase.
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
With a 1979 Toronado next door!
I prefer the GTO on the other side
Mom had a '77 Century. Same platform, but her dimmer switch was foot-operated.
1.Dual exhaust with X crossover.
2. Loose the Air Injection (Smog Pump), block-off plate the egr.
3. Run straight vacuum line from carb to distributor (no plastic in-line delay switch), and lighter distributor weights.
4. Re-jet carb, and weaker (faster) secondary opening diaphragm.
5. 3 angle valve job and mill-off .020" heads...
In a weekend under the hood, 2 hours at a muffler shop, week waiting on reworked heads...then 2nd werkend to re-install heads...
The lazy, poor mileage, 200hp. 455?? Add 3-5 mpg, AND make 325 horsepower and 400 pounds torque...QUIETLY, and so much NICER to drive than stock...I did these things to MANY 305,307,350,400, 455s V8s (250 sixes too in their own way!)...was fun to coax ba k the HP in those days!
Back in the day I owned a 1976 Pontiac lemans with this same body style.
Not a GM guy but those are handsome cars. Great lines.
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.
I have to wonder if sales would've been better if you could get one with a 350 or even whatever six Pontiac was using in '73 (probably the Chevy 250) since it arrived just in time for the first gas crisis.
I had a 76 442 with the blocker off quadrajet. But it did have a five speed, and swivel buckets...