At $36,000, Is This Classic 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix A Great Prize?

Dubbed the "Bat Rod" by its seller because of its black paint and Caddy tail fins, today's Nice Price or No Dice Grand Prix convertible is not just a classic; it's a one-of-a-kind cruiser. Let's see if we like its one-of-a-kind price.

The Irving Berlin-penned song, "Blue Skies," certainly had a life. An immediate hit originally written for a 1927 stage play, it featured that same year in the first talkie film, Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer." Over the following decades, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, and Benny Goodman covered it, cementing its place as a musical standard. In 1978, the song found new life as a #1 hit on the country charts for Willie Nelson. It's most likely Willie's rendition that you're hearing in your head right now.

The 2007 Saturn Sky Redline we looked at on Tuesday wasn't blue; it was silver. Despite a few mods and a handful of miles under its belt, few of us were feeling the blues about our Sky's $7,500 asking price. In fact, that proved to be music to the ears of the 68% who awarded the Saturn a 'Nice Price' win.

Adam West, TV's first and campiest Batman, liked to tell a story about how he and Frank Gorshin, who played the arch-villain the Riddler, were kicked out of a swinging-sixties Hollywood orgy because they refused to break their TV characters. It's safe to say that, while not a full Batmobile experience, today's 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible is certainly a character. Whether or not it has any tricks up its sleeve remains to be seen.

Pontiac introduced the Grand Prix as a Tempest spinoff in 1962, serving as the company's entrant in the burgeoning personal luxury car category. For its third iteration, debuting for the 1967 model year, the Grand Prix received a comprehensive makeover, with a hidden-headlamp nose incorporating both grille and bumper, and exaggerated Coke Bottle lines down the rear fenders.

This Grand Prix goes even more extreme in the rear-end department with the addition of a set of grafted-on tall tail fins donated by a 1961 Cadillac. Those fins, along with the black paint (a 10-year-old respray) and the Cragar mag wheels, give the car its Batman vibes. A subtle Bat logo between the rear seats is the only clear nod to this.

The rest of the car is a stock Grand Prix, with its iconic Pontiac split grille, albeit with a prominent schnoz as the splitter. Though it's a two-door, this isn't a small car by any means. This hails from an era when status and style were measured in wheelbase and overall length.

The interior has been reupholstered in black vinyl with red piping, perhaps in another nod to the caped crusader. It looks to be in good shape, but appears to be missing—at least on the passenger side—the lever to release the seat back for rear seat access. As a nod to modernity and safety, seat belts have been added to all positions.

Craigslist

According to the seller, the car is in good shape but could use some detailing here and there, stating, "what old car doesn't?" On the plus side, it comes with a clean title and a folder "2 inches thick" of receipts for the work done to the car and the parts.

Some of that work is apparent when ogling the engine bay. 1967 was the first year for Pontiac's 400 cubic-inch V8 as the entry-level engine, and that's what this car has under its twin ZIP Code-sized hood. From the factory, the 400 made a claimed 350 (gross) horsepower from its four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. On this Grand Prix, the engine has been dressed up with a cool set of Offenhauser finned valve covers and—the seller says—a matching air filter housing. Other, more practical updates include an Edelbrock carb, a Pertronix electronic ignition system, and an electric vacuum pump to boost braking, necessary because the car has been fitted with discs up front.

The engine is claimed to have been rebuilt, and the owner has added insurance in the form of a towing cooling package and a big-boy radiator. This car lacks A/C (it does have a working heater) and power steering, so its next owner can skip sweating over arm day at the gym. It has lots of other updates, though, and the car is said to run, drive, and stop satisfyingly.

Okay, I get that this Grand Prix isn't really a Batmobile homage. It's not even the right make for that, as the real original TV Batman whip was based on a Lincoln show car. It's also not a stock Grand Prix, with plenty of mods to make it both more practical and more unique. So what the heck are we to make of it? More importantly, what do we think about the opportunity to buy and own it at its seller's $36,000 asking price? Another one, fully restored, sporting the most desirable 428HO engine, and lacking any add-on fins, asks more than double that over on Hemmings.

Alas, I digress. We were talking about this black, be-finned beauty and its $36,000 asking price. 

What's your take on this Pontiac at that price? Does that have you exclaiming, "Holy bargain, Batman!" in your best Boy Wonder impression? Or does that price make you think the seller has bats in their belfry?

You decide!

South Florida Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Revunlimiter for the hookup!

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