1973 Pontiac Grand Am Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The 1973 Pontiac Grand Am was the newest GM offering on its A-body platform, an attempt to incorporate the interior comfort, handling and reduced size characteristics of foreign cars into American-engineered cars. Slated at first to be a GTO, it was switched at birth and received its own model line when the GTO got incorporated as an option in the LeMans. The 1973 Grand Am was offered as coupe or sedan (and one station wagon -- that's right, one). It was marketed as a performance tourer, a roomy midsize family car, albeit one with a powerful engine second only to the Camaro and Corvette.
Under the hood you had a variety of options. The 6.5-liter 400 block V8 engine with a 2-barrel carb rated at 170-hp, while the 4-barrel version came in at 200 hp. These were paired with a Turbo Hydramatic 4-speed automatic. Much rarer was the 400 4-barrel engine paired with a 4-speed manual. A powerhorse 7.4-liter 455 V8 engine hit 250 hp with the Hydramatic transmission.
Inside, the 1973 Grand Am resembled the Grand Prix, and featured deep-set reclining sports seats, a wood instrument panel, headlight dimmer switch and a choice between leather or corduroy seats (this was the '70s, after all). To be performance-oriented, it was built with a heavy suspension, large anti-sway bars and 15-inch tires. Though sharing an A platform with such cars as the LeMans, Grand Prix and Buick Century, the Grand Am distinguished its exterior styling with two hood scoops, louvered rear quarter windows and six small vertical grilles bookended by round headlights. Drivers loved the engine performance, smooth ride and sports handling of the 1973 Grand Am.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1973 Pontiac Grand Am
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by Steve K
Apr 16, 2022
In 1973 it was a comfortable Corvette . Fast , good handling ,comfortable . An all around great driver. I owned a brand new one in 73 . The same exact colors and layout as the one in the article . Big enough to get my complete set of drums into and still take a girl to the gig in comfort . We still had relatively cheap gas so it was great !Apr 16, 2022
by Anonymous
Feb 25, 2013
LOVED this car, until my ex husband blew it up.
This car was super fast.. 400 cid.
God awful yellow, naughahyde seats, yellow yellow and more yellow.
Reclining seats, super roomy... huge trunk, center console, automatic.
Dual exhaust..endura front bumper..Feb 25, 2013
by Anonymous
Jun 03, 2012
I drove this car 12 years so he was 15 when I parked him. I had an engine fire when the car was 9 yrs old with 112,000 miles on it. (I had a new gas pump put in a day or two earlier and was told it was cross threaded causing the fire?) I had the car repaired by some kid who helped me put out the fire. He did a pretty good job but I had to drive the car the next 6 years without a speedometer so I don't know how many miles the engine had on it. When I was 27, I started to rebuild my car. I dropped in a factory new 400 turbo transmission. I had a bad front left fender and it needed body and paint so I took it to a custom car shop a where a friend worked and layed out $1000 to get the work started. My friend disappeared and the car was moved. I finally tracked it down three months later but when I showed up at the paint and body shop, my car had been chopped. They tried to sell me my own parts before they knew I was actually the owner. They sent me two miles down the road to look at the parts which is where I found another Grand Am being rebuilt using the dash, back left arm rest and tires (They were new, Grand Am tires with no mileage on them). The Police would not help me because as it turned out, they had been working undercover for two years going after both companies, one owned by a County Judge, the other running drugs. I lost my car...the only revenge I have is that they were too stupid to realize the transmission was brand new and didn't touch it. I sure do miss that car though! I wonder if they have Grand Ams in heaven...probably!Jun 03, 2012
User rating:
by Steve K
Apr 16, 2022
In 1973 it was a comfortable Corvette . Fast , good handling ,comfortable . An all around great driver. I owned a brand new one in 73 . The same exact colors and layout as the one in the article . Big enough to get my complete set of drums into and still take a girl to the gig in comfort . We still had relatively cheap gas so it was great !Apr 16, 2022
by Anonymous
Feb 25, 2013
LOVED this car, until my ex husband blew it up.
This car was super fast.. 400 cid.
God awful yellow, naughahyde seats, yellow yellow and more yellow.
Reclining seats, super roomy... huge trunk, center console, automatic.
Dual exhaust..endura front bumper..Feb 25, 2013
by Anonymous
Jun 03, 2012
I drove this car 12 years so he was 15 when I parked him. I had an engine fire when the car was 9 yrs old with 112,000 miles on it. (I had a new gas pump put in a day or two earlier and was told it was cross threaded causing the fire?) I had the car repaired by some kid who helped me put out the fire. He did a pretty good job but I had to drive the car the next 6 years without a speedometer so I don't know how many miles the engine had on it. When I was 27, I started to rebuild my car. I dropped in a factory new 400 turbo transmission. I had a bad front left fender and it needed body and paint so I took it to a custom car shop a where a friend worked and layed out $1000 to get the work started. My friend disappeared and the car was moved. I finally tracked it down three months later but when I showed up at the paint and body shop, my car had been chopped. They tried to sell me my own parts before they knew I was actually the owner. They sent me two miles down the road to look at the parts which is where I found another Grand Am being rebuilt using the dash, back left arm rest and tires (They were new, Grand Am tires with no mileage on them). The Police would not help me because as it turned out, they had been working undercover for two years going after both companies, one owned by a County Judge, the other running drugs. I lost my car...the only revenge I have is that they were too stupid to realize the transmission was brand new and didn't touch it. I sure do miss that car though! I wonder if they have Grand Ams in heaven...probably!Jun 03, 2012
by John 4
Sep 06, 2011
If you are looking for a classic to restore and enjoy that is way,way,off the beaten path, this may be your baby. While parts are harder to find, etc. this is a very rewarding car to restore and show due to it's rarity, it's uniqness, and it's swoopy, flowing lines. Pontiac cross bred the Grand Prix with the Trans Am to get Grand Am this year. They did this in response to Mercedes and BMW bringing cars that were performance AND luxury oriented to the US market. This was something new to Americans in those days. Cars were either sport or lux, but not both. With the GA, this market segment had an American made choice with better looks, at a better price.
Driving this car is a treat, as there is nothing quite like looking out over that cool hood feeling the car launch onto the open road to freedom cruising. Hoods are so small and so sloped now, you are lucky to even see them ahead of you, and they are no big deal if you could see them.
Remember "Pontiac builds Excitement" adds? They were true then. They became true with the G8 and Solstice again, but too late. The Chinese love Buicks. The American market sold more Pontiacs than Buick and Saturn combined, but China is the greater "up-side" market for the future, so....toss Pontiac into the garbage. GM is making weak attempts at Buick to build "performance" cars to try to attract Pontiac enthusiasts. Ha. I see nothing like my G8 GXP in anything but the Cadillac CTS-V at 1/3 more $$. Dodge Charger R/T is the rough equivalent to the G8.
This is the first GA, and Pontiac is no more. Buy it, keep it. It will appreciate in value, unlike the stock market, the dollar, the real estate market,or business in the USSA. It would serve GM right if the USSA again resurges into the USA in economic dominance over the world. They would need Pontiac, and eat some crow.Sep 06, 2011
by Anonymous
Aug 23, 2010
This was my first car - All American paint scheme, White with Red,White,Blue stripe. Originally a 6.5L car, I rebuilt twice and finally replaced with a 455HD. I certainly surprised my share of unsuspecting Camero's, Chargers, Mustangs, etc.. What a great machine to drive. It handled so well, with good rubber it could pin a corner till the oil pulled away from the pick-up in the pan. Eventually, I had to modify the oil-pan to accomodate my spirited driving in this car. Still own it. Someday I may restore it. I will always be a Pontiac fan - God rest PMD.Aug 23, 2010
by David E
Jun 09, 2010
biggest cahallenge to date . restoring a 73 -77 gm a-body car . no one makes hardly any reproduction parts for these cars. this is the ultimate 70's personal performace/luxuray car. high option car .the best thing on the build sheet is the optional 400/4brl dual exaust. thecar is nimble. sits up high and ablast to driveJun 09, 2010
by Todd S
Mar 26, 2010
What a cool car this was. It was bright yellow. Had a very nice four-barrel, 400 engine in it. Very fast, very eye-catching. The first car I ever called my own. Lots of fun. I tore it up cause I was young and destructive and stoopid, but I wished I had kept it and restored it. It might be worth something. :) Mar 26, 2010
by Anonymous
Apr 07, 2009
My very first car was a new 1973 Pontiac Grand Am 4-door sedan in Slate Green - one heck of a car for a high school student back then! (Only now do I appreciate how good I had it!) The emission-choked 400-4V engine was a shadow of Pontiac engines of only a few years before, but following the procedures in the Emission Control Bypass Manual (published in Michigan or Wisconsin) helped immensely. Handling and ride were exceptionally good for the day, with an excellent dash layout and very comfortable seats that provided good lateral support. The AM/FM/Stereo/8-track (remember 8-tracks?) was pretty good, too, with the antenna hidden in the windshield. On the downside, the trunk was small, and build quality wasn't something to rave about. Still, I kept the car for 11 years - it was arguably the most fun-to-drive SEDAN of its day. I note that after I got mine, two of my friends ALSO bought Grand Ams - one traded an almost-new Celica GT for a USED Grand Am - that says something!Apr 07, 2009
by Anonymous
Sep 18, 2008
My 1973 Pontiac was a awesome car painted it 4 times going from white to 3 differrent reds 400 small block all refone new cards headers crager rims Bf goodrich white letters 50s smoked them off in 2 days detroit locher rear end 400 trani Gm obvioussly nice leather interior console tunes from the wahoo too many girls in the backseat. What a eye catcher motor done 385 horespowerSep 18, 2008
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