Throughout college, I drove a 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix. It was your basic 70s Detroit 2-door floatmobile, but it did have the big 455 engine. Apparently, that 455 made the car somewhat special, as only 7166 SJ-455s were built in 1975. Further, 1975 was the last year that the 455 was widely available; it was discontinued in 1976.
If I had realized at the time that the car was at least somewhat special, I probably would have treated the old girl with more respect. Instead, I cut off the vinyl top with a boxcutter when it began to peel, utilized a belt sander to blast away rust, and Ace Hardware spraypaint to patch up the resulting bare metal. I’m sure the engine wasn’t making anywhere close to the 200 HP/330 lb-ft. it was rated for, as the duct from the ram-air scoop to the air cleaner was missing. As a final indignity, I sold the car to my cousin, who didn’t bother to register it; he drove it unregistered for two years until it was impounded by Modesto PD. The fine to get the car back was greater than the car’s value.
Pages dedicated to the 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix are here and here.
Tags: oops, Pontiac, the old days