there aren't many GTOs cooler than a Royal Bobcat, it had the 400 swapped out with a 428 sourced from a Bonneville and worked over by the legendary Detroit speed shop dealership, and this one is for sale

https://silodrome.com/pontiac-gto-royal-bobcat-428/

I just love this part of a bigger photo... I had to slice off the water marked area. Then I learned how important the car in the watermarked area was... a Super Duty 421 Tempest at the Daytona 2nd Continental Race, a 250-miler.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=26555912034081287&set=gm.1751308582811627&idorvanity=226675368608297

at the race when the all-aluminum 427 Mystery Motor made its advent within a pair of Mickey Thompson 1963 Corvette Z06s, this barely noticed Pontiac made an astonishing debut

The Chevy 427 big-block—the first of its breed, was out to punch the automotive world in the proverbial nose— but there was this Pontiac to get around.

And the Pontiac was hustling around the track and lapping everyone, including one poor Ferrari eight times. 

Others were lapped multiple times, too. Even the second place finisher, the legendary A.J. Foyt would succumb, he was 2 laps down

Instead of Chevy introducing the world to a victory with the Mystery Motor, the best they could do this day was to come in second.

But then... the SD Tempest disappeared. 

The Pontiac was sent back to the shop in Indiana and sat for a short time before reportedly being purchased by Mercedes-Benz, who promptly shipped it back to Germany and completely disassembled every nut and bolt for a “competitive” inspection. The car has never been seen again and is listed by most hard-core SD experts as “destroyed.”

https://www.motortrend.com/features/1812-pontiac-tempest-bested-427-corvette-1963

In  1963, Pontiac built 12 lightweight Super Duty Tempests, six station wagons, and six LeMans coupes to assault the 'strips—which they all did, with the exception of one coupe.

It was plucked for the first ever NASCAR Challenge Cup (above race)

https://www.hotrod.com/features/1963-pontiac-lemans-wins-the-nascar-challenge-cup

nice tinted window effect that colors the inside a matching color to the roof

https://outsidethecubicle.tumblr.com/page/7

how Trans Am hood birds were installed at the plant.

The GM plants were cranking out 58 cars/hour at the peak of F-body production, so installers at each station had just about a minute of actual working time to complete their task. 

When Van Nuys first started building Firebirds, decal installation was done as the cars were emerging from the paint curing ovens. Jon said the sheet metal was so hot they had to douse the car with three 5-gallon buckets of water just to be able to touch the surface. Even so, the water evaporated so quickly the decal immediately fused itself to the hood wherever it touched, so the defect rate was over 50%. 

They eventually moved the decal installation operation further down line just before the doghouse was installed. Workers pulled a hood off the overhead conveyor, set it on a jig attached to a turntable that allowed them to spin the hood 360 degrees while using a squeegee to displace air and water trapped under the decal. 

Once the decal installation was complete, the hood was hung back on the conveyor hook (in the same spot) where it would remain in proper production sequence to be mated with the car for which it was intended.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=37461845930072836&set=gm.1536328628015863&idorvanity=765477535100980

weird neighborhood... a LOT of cars sitting neglected in driveways so long the tires go flat, like this Pontiac Grand Prix GT (which I think had an overdrive trans)

 

the 97 Firehawk was a rare Firebird that a lot of people might not remember, made by SLP Engineering but sold through Pontiac's official dealer network, that had a special engine (the ZR1 Vette motor)

SLP took Firebird Formulas and fitted them with a range of goodies. Earlier LT1 cars got a lightweight composite hood with functional ram air scoops, plus Corvette cold air induction, which apparently lifted power by 25 horsepower. Later, a Level II Bilstein Sport Suspension Package and Torsen Limited Slip Differential were added, as well as parts to make the Firehawks stand out.

The 1997 models came fitted with the LT4 V8 out of the Corvette Grand Sport, which makes it extra special. The fast-revving LT4 in the Firehawk has 330 horsepower. These engines have reworked ports, increased-flow-rate injectors, a high-lift cam, larger valves, plus the benefit of higher-compression pistons. SLP Engineering managed to get hold of the last 150 of these blueprint units, says Motor Trend, fitting them to a few 30th-anniversary Camaros, and keeping the rest for Firehawks. The fitment of a Borg-Warner six-speed is the cherry on the cake for this '90s modern classic muscle car.

It's worth noting that all 29 LT4 Firebird Firehawks were outfitted with the Six-Speed manual. The same is true for all 100+ Camaros rolling with the LT4 engine that year.

https://www.hotcars.com/rarest-pontiac-firebird-ever-was-built-for-29-lucky-buyers

I've never heard of a Pontiac Montana until now. 1997 to 2009 successor to the Pontiac Trans Sport,

interesting Pontiac, but dang it, I didn't get enough photos of it

some cars are so smooth, and black, they don't show up well in photos. This is a 49 Pontiac Chieftan

Cool door insert, and I think that's a wheel on the headband, nice touch

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/meguiar-s-booth-at-sema-is-a-hit-features-lsa-swapped-49-pontiac-dubbed-nightmare-260588.html#

Once owned by Arnie Beswick, this 68 Bonneville is ready to be snapped up by a new owner for about 40k

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/the-farmer-s-11k-mile-1968-pontiac-bonneville-ragtop-carries-dragstrip-fame-high-reserve-259458.html#

https://www.allcollectorcars.com/classic-car-auctions/vehicles/1968-pontiac-bonneville-convertible/

This 66 Ventura has been garaged since 1993, has the 8 lug wheels, and a 389. It's on Ebay for 13,500. That's a pretty good price for a cool looking car

https://www.ebay.com/itm/157358633502

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/heated-garage-survivor-this-1966-pontiac-spent-decades-inside-now-it-needs-a-new-home-258448.html?upnext#

lucky young guy!

 Thanks John! 

14 championships in this photo

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3075380952626800&set=g.293156547881991

a collection of swiss cheeses and super duties is up for grabs, the Bobbie Knudsen collection, probably the son of Bunkie Knudsen, the head of Pontiac Motor Division (56 to 67) who was handed the reins of PMD and ordered to turn it around, so it wouldn't be shut down

https://www.mecum.com/auctions/indy-2025/collections/the-bobby-knudsen-collection

The LaJolla Concours was today, so, I'm going to post the cool stuff as time allows, as always, of course. Here's the first of many cool things I saw there, the Pontiac El Catalina prototype

One thing that I rarely see, an underhood emergency repair light

73 Grand Am driven by Gerald Thompson, built by Pontiac engineer Herb Adams.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1075119391313293&set=a.459673352857903

Do you remember Creem magazine? In the 1970s, Creem magazine featured a popular series called Stars Cars

 https://www.vintag.es/2025/04/stars-cars-1970s.html#google_vignette

I just love hood scoops

 https://www.hagerty.com/media/hagerty-community/according-to-you-cars-that-never-got-the-engines-they-deserved

a retired GM engineer swapped the Fiero’s stock Iron Duke cast-iron 4 for the all-aluminum Oldsmobile 225 C.I. V-8.

the Olds 225 was lighter, smoother, much more powerful, and vertically shorter so it fit better.

However, GM had already sold the rights to the engine to Rover, so it was no longer available.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/hagerty-community/according-to-you-cars-that-never-got-the-engines-they-deserved

sweet 73 Formula Firebird!

 Cragars, spoiler and air dam, side pipes, and hood scoops, very cool! Thank you John S!