Faults:

The car sat for 4 years before I bought it off the original owner's brother-in-law.

Had to replace the master cylinder and clean the carburetor due to it sitting, and also replaced the fan clutch and thermostat for piece of mind. After that it was good to go. The only other problem along the way was the main ground wire was corroded where it met the engine block.

General Comments:

I bought and drove the car as a classic for the 4 years that I owned it. It was the GM light green in color with matching vinyl interior, white quarter Landau top and finished with the Pontiac rally wheels. Base model with A/C, radial tuned suspension and 8-track as options (good enough for me).

Equipped with the new for the year Pontiac 301 V8 and 400 turbo Hydromatic automatic trans, which I believe was available on all 1977 GP's.

This is in my opinion the most beautiful generation of the GP. Such a striking and radical design that was both formal and sporty looking. Driving this car was a thrill. My favorite experience was sitting behind the wheel with that long hood in front of me that came to a "V" point with the "GP" hood ornament at the very tip. I'll take ANY year from 73-77 (77 being my favorite). Everybody commented on this car and it got looks and thumbs up all the time. 1977 also marked the biggest sales record with over 280,000 produced due to the true rumor that 77 was the last year of the big body GP; also the last year for a standard V8 as the cars were downsized in 78 with the Buick V6 as the base engine.

The interior was also an awesome design with the cockpit style dash with round gauges and vents. Mine was bench seat & column shift which I prefer. Even the bucket seat-console versions were cool with the whole center console kind of tilting towards the driver.

The power from the engine was left to be desired. Though durable and smooth, the 301 just didn't have enough guts to move a car that was 4,000 lbs plus. It did work better in the downsized cars the following year. Mine had the funky 2bbl carburetor that looked like a 4bbl, but had no secondaries. I changed it to a GM Rochester 4bbl carb along with the proper intake, and at the time it wasn't a fun thing trying to find parts for an engine that was built for only 4 years. Internet sources weren't there yet, the back of the Old Car Trader magazines were a big help. I also added a posi rear end. All said and done, neither really added much more power. It seems there were too many 77's equipped with the 301. The optional Pontiac 350 and 400 were a better choice, even though those too were choked on power.

The 301 may have looked the same as other Pontiac V8's, but it had its differences with a shorter deck and less counterweights on the crankshaft.

Some say the 301 had occasional pinging and lower end issues, I never experienced that. When taken care of, these engines will outlast the car.

The 73-77 Grand Prix is really starting to become true collector items. The cool thing is there are noticeable differences in each year as far as grille patterns, tail lights and head light treatments (you don't see that today). 77s are probably the easiest to find. 73-74 are the best performance years as emissions regulations required catalytic converters from 75 and beyond.

Watch out for rust; rear quarter windows (especially vinyl top cars), bottom of the doors and the front of the hood.

I had to sell mine after 4 years. It was a reliable classic that could have been driven anywhere. I do plan on owning another in the future. Any of the years, but I won't do a 77 with the 301.

The 4 years of owning this car were one of the best times I ever had.

Faults:

The only thing I had to do was change out the radiator, due to neglect from the descendant of the original owner and purchaser. Other than that, the car didn't need anything major. It was well maintained.

General Comments:

I sold the car in 2008 after I purchased the car I really wanted (Boattail Buick Riviera). But I admit I am now second guessing myself for selling the car. I sold it because I didn't have room to keep it.

The Grand Prix was sooooo fun to drive! Always reliable. Starts up on the first crank. Drives and handles smoothly on the highway.

I admit that the Grand Prix actually drives and handles better than the Riv, although the Riv has a bit more power. Actually, I enjoyed driving this car more than my late model cars!

The interior was well maintained and the body was straight with no dents. It could've used a paint job, but I didn't have time to get it done. Everything was all original.

I just recently saw another 77 model Grand Prix for sale. I'm strongly thinking about purchasing it!