My Pontiac is a '72 Grand Prix, Model J-a real honey. We call her "The Golden Anaconda" because of the factory code-63 Anaconda Gold paint.
This isn't my first Pontiac though, that was a '70 GTO convertible, which I purchased in September 1976. I loved that car. I drove it for several years until one night it was destroyed by a drunk driver who rearended it at a red light.
My next Pontiac was a '76 Grand Prix and it was also a nice car. As the years went by, I always had some type of GM musclecar or street rod, but Pontiacs are special and I always wanted to get another vintage one.
In September 2007, I came across a '72 Grand Prix at a vintage car dealer near my home in Spring Grove, Illinois, and it was love at first sight! It was a 61,000-mile car that had spent all it's time out on the West Coast. The Grand Prix was strikingly beautiful, with its Anaconda Gold paint and tan Cordova top. It had a near-mint saddle-colored bucket-seat interior.
When they were new back in 1972, I thought they were the best-looking cars on the road. They had character, they were distinctive, and they had power . . . lots of power! My GP has the same YS-code 400 motor that came standard in the GTO. With its long 118-inch wheelbase and 26-gallon fuel tank, these are magnificent road cars.
When I fire up the motor, this car talks to me, it has a soul. They sure don't make them like that anymore. I've only had my baby for a short while, but we've had some good times. When I'm driving down the road on a sunny summer day and the Beach Boys are playing on the radio, it's like I'm back in time. They're the good old days that everyone remembers! There are cruise nights almost every night of the week and car shows just about every weekend, and we hit them all.
My Grand Prix gets a lot of attention and I think it's because there are so few of them out there today. The Grand Prixs are some of the finest cars Pontiac ever built and seem to be overlooked in today's market.
In HPP's 2006 three-part series on the Grand Prix, "A Grand History," Rocky Rotella stated in the conclusion that "the sporty attitude and large-cube engines of the Grand Prix make it an affordable alternative to the high-dollar Firebirds and GTOs that seem to rule the market." I agree with Rocky 100 percent.
We enjoy this hobby as a family, from my very supportive wife, Michelle, to my son Derek, 13, and my 11-year-old daughter, Haley, who constantly asks, "Daddy, when I get my license, can I drive 'The Golden Anaconda?'" It's nice to know the next generation is going to move our hobby forward.
After spending eight weeks detailing the engine compartment of my GP, following the guidelines in the HPP story, "Rattle Can Roll Call," the whole family traveled with me to the 2009 POCI/GTOAA Co-vention where we received First Place in the POCI Popular-Vote Stock class. It was very rewarding. I would like to thank my wife, Michelle, for letting me pursue my hobby even though sometimes I don't even know what I'm pursuing.
My Pontiac and Me spotlights reader experiences with their own Pontiacs in their own words. To be considered for publication, submit several high-quality color
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My Pontiac and Me
c/o Christopher Phillip
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Tampa, FL 33619
or christopher.phillip@sorc.com
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