Supercharged Sleeper: 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP – SOLD!

March 17, 2023, Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we can now call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

February 21, 2023 Update – Once week after posting a fresh Craigslist ad, the seller decided to lower their asking price by another $500 to $8,750.

February 16, 2023 Update – The seller replaced their expiring Craigslist ad with a fresh listing. The pictures, description, and already-lowered asking price of $9,250 all remain the same.

January 25, 2023 Update – Three weeks into their one-month Craigslist ad, the seller reduced their asking price from $9,850 to $9,250.

When we think of emerging collector cars from the early 2000s, you’d be forgiven if a mid-sized GM product wasn’t on your list. However, this is a bit of a hidden gem among all the overpriced vehicles currently occupying the so-called collector car space, as you could order various bread-and-butter GM products with a supercharged 3800 engine under the hood. The “wide track” era of the Grand Pix is one of these cars, and given how many examples of this mass-produced sedan were ridden hard and put away wet, it’s incredibly hard to find an example that hasn’t been trashed. This 1999 Grand Prix GTP, last listed in February 2023 on Craigslist in Raleigh, North Carolina, is listed for sale with 87,350 miles for $8,750 (the original ask was $9,850). Comparing that price against the Classic.com model guide shows that the seller is asking for reasonable money, given that the average sale price is now just over $12,000:

The hardest part about wrapping your head around cars like these as a second or third-vehicle purchase is knowing they all used to be such throwaway pieces of American transportation. The Grand Prix of this era was certainly marketed as delivering driving excitement, but it was never seen as a threat to popular mid-sized driver’s cars like the BMW 3-Series. Instead, the Grand Prix littered used car lots and the airport parking garage, more often used as a rental car on your vacation escape than a car you would use to escape after a long day at work. Still, GM’s cars equipped with the supercharged 3800 have developed a bit of a cult following over the last few years as enthusiasts realize that these cars are equal parts sleeper and also a major performance bargain, considering how a pulley upgrade can yield a nice bump in horsepower all while maintaining its stock appearances.

The MotorWeek RetroReview YouTube Channel features this test drive of a 1999 SLP-modified Pontiac Grand Prix GTP:

Truth be told, cars like this Grand Prix make an awful lot of sense for quick flips. You can find them for next to nothing on wholesaler auction sites and even your local craigslist page, as the supercharged drivetrain doesn’t register with non-enthusiasts as a big deal. Whether found in a Pontiac Bonneville or a Buick Regal, the 3800 wakes up any number of mundane GM sedans when there’s an Eaton M90 supercharger bolted to it. The seller’s car is a former Florida resident with no rust issues and is loaded with a leather interior in shockingly nice shape and the GM heads-up display option. The seller has thrown on some aftermarket wheels, which I don’t love and hope the next caretaker ditches immediately. The seller references recent mechanical work, including new plug wires and “gaskets” but doesn’t elaborate on which ones. He is also quick to point out that quoting what the NADA guide says the car is worth doesn’t matter much to him, as he knows this is a special example that rarely comes up for sale in this condition.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Rare survivor Pontiac Grand Prix GTP – Florida Car with 87,350 original miles – low miles per year
Everything works Head-Up Display, Heated Leather Seats flawlessly, Flip-up Sunroof.

240 HP Engine.

If you are trying to value this car based on NADA or KBB, please don’t waste my time. This car is a time capsule and wonderful performance sedan for the price.

My upgrades since acquiring the vehicle:
New ARC 18 Wheels and Newer Tires with Alignment – $1,100
New full Tint – $500.00 included removal of old tint and all NC Legal
New Kenwood Flip up Touch Screen with Apple Car Play/Android Kenwood System Backup Camera and guidelines. New Sony Speakers $2,500
LED headlight and Fog-light upgrade $100
New Plugs and Wires and Gaskets serviced by Thompson GMC in Raleigh.
$5k in upgrades in the past two months.

All recent Documentation, No Rust absolutely clean!
Clean NC Title in Hand.
Accident Free Carfax.”

Emerging classic: should we take a closer look at the supercharged 3800 cars from the late 90s?