One-Family-Owned 1973 Pontiac Grand Am Colonnade 400CI 4-Speed

[alsancle]

Now for something completely different.   This is pretty cool.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-pontiac-grand-am-2-door-colonnade-hardtop-manual/

 

 

This 1973 Pontiac Grand Am was purchased by the seller’s father as a birthday gift for her mother in 1973, and ownership was transferred to the seller in 2016. The car is finished in Burnished Amber over a brown interior and is powered by a 400ci V8 paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Equipment includes air conditioning, power steering, power-assisted front disc brakes, 14″ steel wheels with covers, an Endura nose, Crossfire African Mahogany trim, a Rally gauge cluster, a replacement Holley carburetor, dual-outlet exhaust, and a Pioneer CD stereo. This Grand Am is offered service records, manufacturer’s literature, purchase documents, and a clean Texas title in the seller’s name.

 

 

[Gearheadengineer]

Cool indeed!  I have never seen one with three pedals before. And looks to be in very nice condition. 
 

 

[alsancle]

I expect it to sell in the 15-18k range.   I threw a 7500 bid at it but should be out bid shortly.

[alsancle]

The paperwork is awesome!

 

 

[alsancle]

Would it be a crime to change the wheels?

 

[avgwarhawk]

26 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Would it be a crime to change the wheels?

 

 

Yes it would.  The one for sale here looks just right with the wheel treatment it has and the color of the paint.    

[alsancle]

17 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said:

 

Yes it would.  The one for sale here looks just right with the wheel treatment it has and the color of the paint.    

how about the tires?  Invoice says GR70-15 radials but maybe some wide ovals which technically qualify?

 

[avgwarhawk]

Just now, alsancle said:

how about the tires?  Invoice says GR70-15 radials but maybe some wide ovals which technically qualify?

 

 

Yes on the wide oval!    

[TerryB]

Says trunk seal leaks.  My 1973 Chevelle SS did too.  Must have been a zero cost option in ‘73.

[plymouthcranbrook]

I never even knew that Pontiac offered a four speed on anything but the Firebird by 1973.  Another bite of data I might remember(or not)

[JamesR]

3 hours ago, alsancle said:

The paperwork is awesome!

 

 

 

 

I wasn't old enough to buy a new car (or a used car, for that matter) in 1973, but I certainly remember all the grown ups cringing because mid-priced new cars were creeping up towards $5000. That was unheard of. New cars were supposed to be around $3000 (I remember them saying. 😄)

[alsancle]

26 minutes ago, JamesR said:

 

I wasn't old enough to buy a new car (or a used car, for that matter) in 1973, but I certainly remember all the grown ups cringing because mid-priced new cars were creeping up towards $5000. That was unheard of. New cars were supposed to be around $3000 (I remember them saying. 😄)

Total on as delivered invoice shows 5139.00.

 

I’m strangely fascinated by this car.

[TAKerry]

Great looking car. I have always liked those Grand Ams. Not many 4 speeds, I understand the 4 speed center console is quite hard to get ahold of. Fortunately this one looks darn near perfect on the inside.

 

Def. change the wheels. Rally II's would even look nice.  I was at an all Pontiac show this summer and there were 3 Can Ams! Hardly ever see one, let alone 3.

[Brooklyn Beer]

The AM radio cost more then the safe t trac rear and you got a big break with the 4 speed over the turbo 400 of 46 bucks.  Imagine going into dealer today and trying to do this. You might get some extra plastic trim for $112.67 but with fake plastic chrome inserts it would be $197.52

[alsancle]

This is an interesting comparison.   The engine seems NOM and the four speed was added or I would be off the Grand Am and on to this.  Much more pop in the appearance.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284480904283

 

 

[Dosmo]

I had the opportunity to drive a friend's brand new '73 LeMans quite a bit.  We took it to the Daytona Speed Week in 1975.  I drove most of the way back, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the car ran and handled.  I believe it had a 350/automatic combination.  The coupe was black with red interior that I suspect was a sort of vinyl, rather than leather.  

 

I like this Grand Am.  A slightly more aggressive-looking nose than on the LeMans, this seemed to be somewhat of an uncommon car, even more than 30 years ago.  I wouldn't touch a thing on the car, except maybe to lose the whitewall tars.

[TerryB]

I think the Laguna S-3 replaced the Chevelle SS.  They seemed more of a mix of sport and luxury.  Triva time, there is a Columbo episode where a whole bunch of S-3s are seen in the background at a facility that is experimenting with alternative fuel cars.  The cars are all white with red stripes.  I wonder how much GM paid for that promotion.

[roysboystoys]

4 hours ago, Dosmo said:

I had the opportunity to drive a friend's brand new '73 LeMans quite a bit.  We took it to the Daytona Speed Week in 1975.  I drove most of the way back, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the car ran and handled.  I believe it had a 350/automatic combination.  The coupe was black with red interior that I suspect was a sort of vinyl, rather than leather.  

 

I like this Grand Am.  A slightly more aggressive-looking nose than on the LeMans, this seemed to be somewhat of an uncommon car, even more than 30 years ago.  I wouldn't touch a thing on the car, except maybe to lose the whitewall tars.

I had a 73 Lemans coupe , burgundy. I got it minus engine and bought a wrecked Catalina with a 400 engine and swapped it in.

Great driving car , just the right size , fast enough for me. Someone talked me out of it and I moved on to the next one.

This is an unusual model , make someone a great car , and you won't park next to another at the cruise in. 

[JamesR]

6 hours ago, alsancle said:

 

Those were stylish cars in two door form. Nice lines. The '75 Laguna incorporated the 5mph bumpers into the design very nicely, IMO. They suffered from only one styling deficit, at least in the eyes of Chevy culture: they weren't the previous generations of Chevelles they were always being compared to. The lack of a two door hardtop or a really high HP engine option clouded people's view of them, but I'd love to have one, especially with the insane prices of earlier Chevelles.

[John S.]

This would make a nice companion car to the low mileage 1973 GTO with the 4 speed. 

[TerryB]

When I bought my 1973 SS new in July 1973 the dealer had a 454 SS parked beside it.  It sure looked good but at that time I was driving 100+ miles total to work and back each day so no 454 for me, the 350 2 barrel would be fine.  There are times I wish I bought the 454 but I’d still be paying off my gas credit card bill from back then😀.

Edited October 12, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[JamesR]

25 minutes ago, TerryB said:

When I bought my 1973 SS new in July 1973 the dealer had a 454 SS parked beside it.  It sure looked good but at that time I was driving 100+ miles total to work and back each day so no 454 for me, the 350 2 barrel would be fine.  There are times I wish I bought the 454 but I’d still be paying off my gas credit card bill from back then😀.

 

Just curious, Terry...how much more money was the 454 SS than the model you bought?

Edited October 12, 2021 by JamesR (see edit history)

[TerryB]

I remember my car costing in the mid $4000s.  It did not have AC which was not unusual for my area of PA.  Given the price of things at that time I would say it was $5000ish sticker price.  It might have been a 4 speed, I can’t remember for sure.  Mine was automatic with a posi rear.  I do remember it was black.

[Jim Skelly]

9 hours ago, TerryB said:

I think the Laguna S-3 replaced the Chevelle SS.  They seemed more of a mix of sport and luxury.  Triva time, there is a Columbo episode where a whole bunch of S-3s are seen in the background at a facility that is experimenting with alternative fuel cars.  The cars are all white with red stripes.  I wonder how much GM paid for that promotion.

Most of the '74 Laguna S-3s seemed to be white with the red landau top and stripes.

[alsancle]

This car sold years ago but the phony ads live on.  It was only 40 miles from me and I should have looked at it.

 

1974 Chevelle Malibu 454 4 speed- Super rare 1 of only 18 doc. fact M21 Malibus

https://topclassiccarsforsale.com/chevrolet/91710-1974-chevelle-malibu-454-4-speed-super-rare-1-of-only-18-doc-fact-m21-malibus.html

 

 

[Jim Skelly]

How many did have the 4-speed trans?

[Ed Luddy]

23 hours ago, alsancle said:

This car sold years ago but the phony ads live on.  It was only 40 miles from me and I should have looked at it.

 

1974 Chevelle Malibu 454 4 speed- Super rare 1 of only 18 doc. fact M21 Malibus

https://topclassiccarsforsale.com/chevrolet/91710-1974-chevelle-malibu-454-4-speed-super-rare-1-of-only-18-doc-fact-m21-malibus.html

 

 

I traded my 1970 Chevelle Malibu 350 convertible in on a used 1974 ElCamino SS 454. It was loaded, A/C, power windows & locks, tilt, cruise and swivel buckets. It was rusted bad by the spring of 1978 after having one body job already done. Drove it thru the Ontario salty winters.

[TAKerry]

On 10/12/2021 at 12:17 PM, TerryB said:

I think the Laguna S-3 replaced the Chevelle SS.  They seemed more of a mix of sport and luxury.  Triva time, there is a Columbo episode where a whole bunch of S-3s are seen in the background at a facility that is experimenting with alternative fuel cars.  The cars are all white with red stripes.  I wonder how much GM paid for that promotion.

Also a couple of Triumphs in the fleet.

[TerryB]

2 hours ago, TAKerry said:

Also a couple of Triumphs in the fleet.

Yes, wasn’t the “bad guy” driving a British import?

[TAKerry]

Yea, he was driving the Triumph. Part of the plot he purposely wrecked into another car to cover up the damage from running over the victim.

[alsancle]

On 10/11/2021 at 12:04 PM, alsancle said:

I expect it to sell in the 15-18k range.   I threw a 7500 bid at it but should be out bid shortly.

sold for 21k.   I was close.

[TAKerry]

Thats a good sale price. 

[JamesR]

The other day I met a guy at my storage facility with a '73 two door Cutlass...another cool car that I overlooked for many years. It had nice original paint and a perfect interior...as nice as the grand am. There was a problem with the engine, though. It's strange that I find myself looking at these as cool old cars...never expected that to happen. 😄

[alsancle]

Cool video  on a white version of a 400 four speed car.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by alsancle (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

I've read reviews of Grand Ams in old magazines.

The reviewers were very positive about this car:

Its performance was much better than the typical

mid-sized Pontiac.  However, I've also read that 

buyers tended to dislike the rear-end styling of all

the Pontiac mid-size cars that year;  Pontiac made

it more typical and likeable afterward.

 

Here's a rear-end view of that Grand Am that sold:

 

[John_S_in_Penna]

Here is a rear view of a 1975 Pontiac to show

how the styling was improved after buyers'

objections to the 1973 rear styling:

 

 

[alsancle]

You learn something new every day.

[EmTee]

Sorry, but I don't really see that update as a styling enhancement.  I think the main gripe at the time with the '73 was the high liftover for the trunk opening with the horizontal tail lights.  The reach was exacerbated by the huge rear bumper...

 

That said, I'd really like to have a '73 Grand Am coupe.  Too bad the Grand Am never received the SD-455...

Edited January 9, 2022 by EmTee (see edit history)

[philip roitman]

1973 Four Speed 454 Laguna SS just sold for $50,000 not including Fee at Mecum Kissemee. A 1973 Stage1 4 speed sold for $52,000 a few years ago after being offered to me for $35,000. ( I had 6 at that time, now down to the 3 best)  My rust bucket/bondo queen but nicely painted/good driver sold at Indy Mecum it is a 73 Stage1 4 speed for $32,000 two years ago and the driver knew all the issues with the car Non Matching #'s Rust/bondo Tarred Chassis and trunk, etc, etc. He loves the car. The colonnade cars as they are named are going up in value. 1973 Stage1 four speed Stage1's only 92 built and less than 10 known to exist. Last year for four speed production. 1973 Colonnades all GM makes Auto or manual trans are very rare these days.

 

[alsancle]

20 minutes ago, philip roitman said:

1973 Four Speed 454 Laguna SS just sold for $50,000 not including Fee at Mecum Kissemee. A 1973 Stage1 4 speed sold for $52,000 a few years ago after being offered to me for $35,000. ( I had 6 at that time, now down to the 3 best)  My rust bucket/bondo queen but nicely painted/good driver sold at Indy Mecum it is a 73 Stage1 4 speed for $32,000 two years ago and the driver knew all the issues with the car Non Matching #'s Rust/bondo Tarred Chassis and trunk, etc, etc. He loves the car. The colonnade cars as they are named are going up in value. 1973 Stage1 four speed Stage1's only 92 built and less than 10 known to exist. Last year for four speed production. 1973 Colonnades all GM makes Auto or manual trans are very rare these days.