1969 428 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ - Banished Brute

The year was 1969 and the world was changing, and Pontiac was changing right along with it. John DeLorean saw buyers' tastes shifting toward a different kind of car a few years before, so he ordered a new design direction for his luxury/performance model, the Grand Prix. It would combine throw-back styling cues of the Duesenberg SJ with the thoroughly modern long hood/short deck body shell and fighter cockpit-inspired interior layout. Pontiac's version of GM's G-body was born. The result was a superb, refined machine that would look as good 30 years later as it did for its debut. One such example, still shining as brightly today as it did then, belongs to David Risner of Mansfield, Ohio.

A 51-year-old dealership parts manager for the Craig Smith Auto Group by day, David bought this showboat in July 1998 for a now-unheard-of-sum of $3,000. The SJ-optioned Grand Prix had an odometer reading of 131,000 and was numbers-matching throughout. It also had options like a Cordova top, an automatic trans, an AM/FM radio and 8-track stereo, a remote control mirror, Rally II wheels, variable ratio power steering, a tilt wheel, tinted glass, power windows, and A/C. Sounds like a good deal?

Wait, it gets better.

According to David, "I have always been a car buff, and I have worked in dealerships for 30 years. I had numerous musclecars prior to getting married and raising a family. With our family now grown, my wife and I decided to look for a classic Pontiac."

Searching high and low, David discovered this GP SJ in a local newspaper. He called for more details and to set up an appointment to examine the Pontiac. What he heard was a familiar voice on the other end of the line. As it turned out, the owner was a business acquaintance who felt the SJ didn't fit in his garage-and not just because of its "longest in the industry" hood. You see, he was a Mopar buff, so the Pontiac had to go.

The decision to buy wasn't an overnight one, but with the help of a second opinion from long-time friend Mike Kelly, David discovered the GP's important numbers-matching qualities. At the time, the '69 was painted red and was replete with a black Cordova top. But, as Dave told HPP, "The car was over 90 percent there and only needed some trim work, engine and interior detailing, and some TLC." With the pleasantries and cash exchanged, Dave drove his new ride home. Until the fall of 1998, the SJ served as cruise-in and show transportation. It was toward the end of the year the real fun began.

That October, Dave decided to tend to some of the GP's needs. Giving the Pontiac a good once-over, the missing pieces were accessed. The absent A/C compressor and brackets were found shortly thereafter in a salvage yard, while an N.O.S. air lift pump for the Automatic Level Control system was found at an Ames Performance Pontiac Nats swap meet before the close of the year.