1962 Grand Prix - What do I do with it?
 

I’m looking for some advice. I have inherited a 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix from my father a few years back. He had owned it since about 1972 and I grew up with him racing it and taking it to car shows. It was a part of the Detroit drag racing scene and has 45k original miles. As it turns out, it’s a ‘28J’ coded engine, which was a 425A tri-power engine; one of 32 produced.

I’ve gone through this car entirely over the last 8 years. New (original) interior, hot running 455 (462), and all kinds of goodies. As it turns out, my father had kept the original engine and transmission for the car, although the tri power setup is missing. I now have them wrapped in plastic and set aside.

Now, what do I do with the car? It’s a great running car that get’s attention wherever it goes. The car isn’t cut at all, besides a big hole in the hood from his drag racing days and could be brought back to original with enough money. The reality is, however, I already have quite a bit into the car and dumping in more money to make the car less drivable/powerful would be a tough sell to mama. Rare Pontiacs tend not to fetch the big $ of other rare brands, so I don’t really blame her.

What would the Pontiac guys do? And what’s the value of such a thing? Thanks in advance and happy to answer any questions.

Drive it like you stole it!!!!
Enjoy it!!!!!

Personally I’d put it back to factory original.

The original 45k-mile engine shouldn’t really need much other than resealing and putting together a correct Tri-Power won’t be difficult, in fact I have a beautiful correct air cleaner for it advertised in the classifieds.

Sell the 462 to offset your costs.

Sorry but that engine with the polished RPM intake and scoop sticking out of the hood doesn’t do the car justice, it’s a rare car and it should have its original factory performance engine installed.

The value always goes up with the original rare performance engine installed. A modified 455 lowers the value and the pool of potential buyers ends up much smaller.

At the very least put a 1965 Tri-Power unit (will accept the correct 1962 air cleaner) on the 462 and paint the engine the correct Pontiac Light Blue to somewhat disguise it to look more like the original 425A.

Asking for permission is harder than asking for forgiveness, just do what you want and mama will get over it. ;)

I would love the look of that car with some 8 lugs

If not original, at least dump the scoop!!
Tripower would be great but a Qjet on a cast iron intake is nice too.
Painted valve covers.
Fix or replace hood. 8 lugs or dog dish caps.

Why did you redo the interior on a 45,000 mile car?

Get a stock hood
Get a Torker 2 intake with square 4150 flange
Get a Holley 850 carb or 750 depending on cam and head performance/flow work)

Done

If you need to ask....
:rolleyes:

Not a GP but a 62 for reference. not mine.
https://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/...736107936.html

Do what you want as it's your car. This is all about your choice not the peoples choice, This is a great looking car by the way. I'd smoke the tires off and do it again and again....

What would I do?? I’d be careful.
First time poster. Is he looking for someone to put their money on the line.
Might be legit. Might not be.
JMHO

I'd drive it. Enjoy cruising. Fix or replace hood as stock. Keep original engine in garage. Drive the 462. Looks nice.

I'd drive it. Enjoy cruising. Fix or replace hood as stock. Keep original engine in garage. Drive the 462 with todays gas. Looks nice.

That is a good looking car. I'd drive it as is through the summer and then try and put it back to as close to original as possible.

What b-man said. Stock-stock. A rare car which should be enjoyed for her uniqueness.

What b-man said but put an afb dual quad setup on a real '61-'63 super duty intake on it instead of tripower. AFBs are better carbs than rochester 2bbls and two of them will give you better performance than trips.

It looks like late heads on it now,put a Bathtub tunnel ram with a pair of 750 AFB,get a hood and put a factory scoop on it and call it good.Tom

For a modest amount of work and expense......leave the 455 in it, get a correct looking TriPower, replace (or professionally fix) the hood and drive and enjoy.

If you decide to sell it, it's a big plus to say the original engine and transmission goes with it......without you having to do the work.

JMHO,
Eric

Thank you for the advice!

You know, That thought had crossed my mind too. The original engine actually has a dual quad intake on it right now (which is not original). The dilemma there is, while cool, I'm just making a Super Duty clone and it's still not original...if that's what I'm going for.