5 potential Pontiac project cars under $20K
Even though the brand has been retired for more than 12 years, Pontiac fans are still loyal and make up a big portion of the muscle car and classic car market. We have several Pontiac owners on the Hagerty media and valuation staff, so the watercooler chat frequently includes mentions of Poncho project cars and potential future project cars thanks to the Hagerty Marketplace. We skimmed the listings to find some prospects that span a wide variety of enthusiast niches, from light and sporty coupes to big and comfy cruisers. Being realistic, we started with the most affordable and worked out way up. Which one of these five, each under $20,000, is your kind of driving excitement?
1977 Pontiac Trans Am
Yeah, this one’s rough, and it doesn’t have an engine, but bear with us. This is a real Trans Am and its asking price of $6500 could make it a good place to start on the ’77 Trans Am of your dreams, especially if numbers matching isn’t your bag. Want to build a Bandit tribute? Here it is. Looking to welcome the aftermarket with open arms and build a Pro-Touring beast to conquer canyon roads and your local track? This could be the one.
1985 Pontiac Fiero
GM’s first production mid-engine car, the Fiero was billed as an economical commuter but its light weight and mid-engine design naturally made it a fun driver, too. This well-preserved 1985 model is equipped with the largest, most powerful engine option, a 2.8-liter V-6. GM’s 60-degree pushrod V-6s of the era weren’t known for incredible performance, but the Fiero made the most of it. We love the red and tan combo here, and just know it would look amazing at RADwood. We’d find every excuse we could to get behind the wheel of this little beauty of it found its way into our collection.
1968 Pontiac Grand Prix
We’ve always advocated for late-’60s and early ’70s full-size coupes. Many of them had great lines and came with the same burly V-8s that turned mid-size coupes into muscle cars. This 1968 Grand Prix is a great example, as it packs a Pontiac 400 V-8 behind its stylish perimeter grille and hidden headlights. The engine bay is almost as clean as its white-upholstered interior and the asking price is right at the current #4 (Fair) value. This was the last year for Grand Prix on GM’s B-body platform, but the chassis lived on well into the 1990s and saw lots of suspension and brake upgrades over the years, so OEM plus modifications are a piece of cake.
2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP
The Solstice created quite a buzz when it was launched, with its design translating nicely from concept to production. It sold well and received solid reviews thanks to its spirited handling and solid grip. While its 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder base engine wasn’t anything special, the GXP model received a direct-injection 2.0-liter turbo four good for 260 horsepower that gave the compact roadster a solid shot of performance. GM Performance Parts also offered a warranty-backed Stage 1 kit that included a MAP sensor and a tune to add 30 more ponies and a boatload of torque for those that wanted to really surprise the pony cars of the era. This GXP comes with relatively low miles and some fitted luggage, which is good considering the convertible’s strange trunk situation. It’s an awful lot of top-down fun for $15,000.
1972 Pontiac Grand Prix
Pontiac moved the Grand Prix to a long-wheelbase version of the A-body platform in 1969, giving its personal luxury coupe unique proportions. Chevrolet would follow suit with Monte Carlo in 1970. Like the Monte Carlo, the Grand Prix would offer upscale interiors and some powerful V-8 engine options. This clean example is powered by a 250hp version of Pontiac’s 400 V-8 and its interior, chrome, paint—possibly Lucerne blue—and vinyl top look to be in great condition. This one needs nothing, so if you’re looking for a turn-key cruiser it might be your best bet.
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One of my fellow Mopar buddies (we are all closet Pontiac fans) just picked up an 80,000 77 Trans Am, black/gold with red interior 400ci auto. Total creampuff survivor car. $13k. They’re still out there.
Nice find. As a former 1965 Belvedere Mopar Mochine 426 Wedge owner & Mopar super fan and current 88 Pontiac Formula cream puff survivor 5.0 FI, 5 speed T-top owner I’m envious. Someday I too will trade up to a 77 Trans Am. Lol
I’ve never driven a Fiero, but I am told they are a middling performer/handler prone to rattles. I am inclined to believe it, if my experience with the Solstice GXP turbo was any indication of Pontiac prowess. Actually it was a Saturn Sky turbo, but same, same. I was thinking these boosted twins were under-valued and presented an opportunity for a healthy upside. After-all they are two-seater drop-top turbos for relatively cheap! Then I drove one. A low miler. OMG. What a clunker. It thumped and bumped along over uneven surfaces with echoes of thuds. The steering was numb, the shifter was ponderous and the performance was…myeh. I ran away and made strong money on a car I (and apparently others) respected. You can find plenty of Boxster S cars for just a little more money. And what a difference in driving experience.
I’d take that ’68 Grand Prix for sure, but I would immediately get rid of those wheels and clumsy looking tires (reminds of a 4-year trying to wear his dad’s dress shoes). Would also add rear wheel skirts to bring her back to its original design intent -that being that a gentleman’s (or woman’s) muscle car with grace.
Back in the early 80’s I had a Black/Black (no vinyl) 70 Model J w 455/4spd. But in TX it had no AC so I flipped it fairly quickly. Some time ago I found out that it was extremely rare (like under 400 copies built). Regret selling it now, didn’t then. That dang car was HOT
I have a 74 Grand Prix with 68000 and change miles. Not the top of the line for that year but the 400 runs great. Interior is nearly perfect. We cruise on Sundays with it if it’s not too hot. (no AC). It’s black with red interior. Love it!👍♥️ Wish I could show a picture of it
The Grand Prix needs nothing Just Drive it and you will Love the ride
They did find the cause. Most were exclusively with the 84 model. The 2.5 Iron Duke engine would not fit in the car. a redesigned sump and Oil pan worked but they didn’t change the dipstick. Oooops. This resulted in the reading showing correct while it was actually a quart low. also a wiring harness was directly over the manifold and would melt resulting in fires. They fixed everything and there really weren’t that many fires for the percentage of cars sold. no one died and there were 10 minor injuries.
If GM had spent the money on Oldsmobile rather than other distractions (like Saturn) maybe that business case could have looked different. Take it further… if Saturn had been “the new Oldsmobile” maybe that would have lasted longer (granted what Saturn started as and what it finished as were two very different visions).
The Pontiac killing is a silly excuse. GM things are all shared platforms barely changed versions of the same thing in most categories. USA sell Chev Pontiac Cadillac, China sell Buick Cadillac. Something like the Camaro you sell Camaro for 2-3 years then make it a Trans Am for the mid-cycle refresh. They could have treated Pontiac like the Denali trim line as well… only the “we build excitement” spec version gets badged as a Pontiac (and a split grill) and stop overlapping with Chev on all the base spec models.
In Canada Pontiacs had chevy engines 50s-up. Not sure too many you could even get a “real” Pontiac engine.
The obvious choice is that beautiful blue ’72 Grand Prix. I was assuming the Aztec would win out but I guess they still run over $20,000.
Obviously the ’72 Grand Prix is at the top of the class. I guess the Aztecs are still running over $20,000.
Sad that large American brands like Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Plymouth and Mercury (maybe more) are all gone just in the last 15 years or so. I’ve been driving since 1980 and have only had Fords and Mercurys. I myself feel good about never buying a foreign nameplate. Now I can’t even buy an American nameplate sedan so it will be an SUV instead. I feel good about never buying a foreign nameplate. My American cars never left me stranded. Many call me an anti globalist dinosaur. Actually, I’m proud of that and always will be!
I am wondering if I should hold on to my 2002 Grand Am GT or sell it. 3.4L, 13,600 miles, everything on it is original except the battery. Always garaged, never driven in the winter and never seen rain. Exterior and interior pretty much mint.
Absolutely. I just bought a one owner with 38k miles in really good shape (no rust or Bondo, very good interior) for $18k. Granted it’s a 5.0 and not the more desirable 5.7 GTA, but it still turns heads in it’s Bright Red with silver lower body panels. My inner neglected teenager is now well satisfied.
i owned an 84 6000 STE. What a beautiful and powerful 2.8 V6. interior and dashes were exclusive to the STE. Those Euro bucket seats are now in my 65 C10.
What many miss with Pontiac is their true history. They were a dying division in the 50’s till Bunkie Knudsen and John Delorean arrived.
John was an engineer of vision. He gathered a group of engineers and set out to change Pontiac. We all know of his work to create the GTO and Super-duty cars.
What gets lost are the many things he tried to bring but was stopped. Rules were broken on many of the cars he approved and even after he was gone the best cars were cars that stepped on GM rules.
John had plans for a two seat sports car early on. The Banshee was a prediction of the 68 Vette. So much so it is the one non Corvette invited to the Bloomington Gold.
He wanted DOHC V8 engines with fuel injection. He supercharged show cars to show what could be done, 4 wheel disc brakes were killed for the 65 GTO as were radial tires in the 60’s. Electronic ignitions were offered before anyone else.
He tried to get his own car but was forced into sharing the Camaro. So he made significant changes with the suspension and engines. From an inch lower to traction bars and more.
After he left Herb Adams brought us the Trans Am and the SD455 till GM killed it. Yes rules were broken.
The Fiero was killed 3 times and funded to an outside engineering firm. It then was sold as an economy car to get approved but all intents were to be a sports car.
The 1988 suspension and 1990 GT were where they really wanted to start but The lack of money prevented this.
Once GM killed the true Pontiac Engines the pulled the heart out of the Pontiac line. Yes they had interesting cars but they were just better styled Camaros.
The Fiero was the last true Pontiac. It was only sold by Pontiac, it was built in Pontiac, it has a Pontiac 4 cylinder and even the V6 was a Pontiac rework of the GM corporate engine.
I have owned and loved later Pontiacs but they always were more GM than Pontiac.
In the End it was too late and economics caught up.
In this day and age of SUV and CUV models Pontiac would have struggled. Even Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang sales are a fraction of what they once were.m
Pontiac was hemmed in by price so they Could not easily do their own cars like Cadillac V series.
Today most mfgs just sell a volume brand and a luxury brand and GM just caught up. GMC is the exception as the Denali line has made it very profitable.
Buicks going Electric now as it is the white space for GM to play. It is more China than American.
Times changed and GM changed too late to understand Pontiac. Lutz did but there just was too little money to save them.