Jay Leno's Pontiac passion: restoring a Navy vet's '65 Grand Prix

When a set of wheels leads to a restoration

Jay Leno's garage has caught Pontiac fever, and it started with a simple wheel sale that turned into something much more meaningful.

According to Hagerty, the story began when Leno purchased a 1968 Firebird Sprint a few years back — the rare six-cylinder overhead-cam model that fits squarely in the unicorn category. After featuring the car on his blog, a caller enquired about buying the 14-inch wheels Leno was replacing with 15s.

That caller turned out to be a Navy veteran with a 1965 Grand Prix hardtop sport coupe, fitted with a later 400 engine and automatic transmission. Leno sent the wheels free of charge, only to discover they wouldn't fit — 1965 was an oddball year with a unique bolt pattern that matches nothing else.

A project worth taking on

As the veteran, now in his 80s, found the restoration increasingly challenging, Leno stepped in to take over the project. The decision was made to return everything to original specification, including the factory wheels and paint colour.

As is often the case with classic car projects, there was considerably more work required than initially apparent. But the result speaks for itself — the '65 Grand Prix is a stunner with its fastback roofline, endless quarter-panels, wheel slats, and that distinctive "air slot" grille.

The Pontiac performance era

Leno's enthusiasm for these Pontiacs stems from the marque's golden era under John DeLorean in the mid-1960s. While Chevrolet produced excellent cars, Pontiac was effectively GM's performance division beyond the Corvette. The Firebirds handled slightly better than their Camaro cousins, and of course there were the legendary GTOs.

The original owner, now 88, will soon be invited back to drive his former pride and joy — a fitting end to a story that began with a simple phone call about a set of wheels.

Source: Hagerty