To most hobbyists, the term "421 Super Duty" conjures up thoughts of a stripped-down Catalina ruling the high banks of Daytona or the finish line of the nearest dragstrip. But rarely is the engine equated with the sporty yet luxurious Grand Prix of that same era. Why? Probably because only 16 high-performance hobbyists thought of that in 1962. Dana Bailey of Columbus, Nebraska, is grateful someone did!
The 421 Super Duty engine was introduced at the end of the '61 model year. Basically an enlarged 389 Super Duty, the components were shipped to factory-backed racers to make Pontiac an even greater on-track threat, and the combination proved highly successful. But because rule changes mandated that engines had to be factory installed, the 421 SD became an option for the Catalina and Grand Prix in the '62 model year. Sadly, its demise came during the height of its glory in the '63 model year when GM pulled the plug on factory racing.
O'Neill, Nebraska, native Fred Eby was one who took advantage of the new factory-installed option in '62. In an audiotaped recording Fred recently gave to Dana, Fred recollects venturing to Jerry Spady Pontiac and Cadillac in Hastings, Nebraska, and trading his '61 Olds Starfire convertible for a new Grand Prix with the 405hp 421 Super Duty engine. He also added such convenience options as power windows, a power driver's bucket seat, tinted windows, a windshield washer, a Safeguard Speedometer with low-fuel indicator, full interior lighting, and a rear-seat speaker for even greater comfort.
Fred's Grand Prix was built on Tuesday, June 26, 1962. According to Dana, "Fred made arrangements to take delivery of it at the Pontiac, Michigan, assembly plant the following Friday, then drive it back to Nebraska. But upon arrival, he was informed his car wouldn't be ready until Monday." So Fred had no choice but to stay the weekend and pass the time on a local golf course.
According to Fred's recording, a Pontiac Motor Division limousine drove him to the vehicle assembly plant on Monday morning where he was given a full plant tour. At the end of the tour, he was directed into a dimly lit room where his new Super Duty Grand Prix emerged from under a curtain as it spun on a turntable before him. He was even allowed to drive his newest acquisition directly off the assembly plant grounds. Talk about the royal treatment!
Fred had the undercarriage coated with rust-proofing material in Michigan, and he had a push-button Wonderbar radio and electric antenna installed at his local dealer. Over the next few years, the SD/GP was driven regularly. And the presence of a service-replacement Borg Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission is evidence that it was raced as well. In fact, according to Fred, his Grand Prix was a consistent mid-12-second quarter-mile performer with only traction enhancements. But as powerful as it was, Fred later traded the SD/GP to Marcellus-Ritter Chevrolet and Oldsmobile in Ainsworth, Nebraska, for a new '66 Corvette.
Ainsworth-local Harold Luther recognized the Super Duty engine and quickly signed his name on its title. Legend has it that Harold street-raced the Grand Prix regularly and eventually lost his license. So he pulled the original engine and sold it to a local racer. But before doing so, he removed the valve covers and many of the unique Super Duty components such as the exhaust manifolds, generator, harmonic balancer, pulley, and starter, and installed them on a used '63 389ci two-barrel engine that went into the Grand Prix. Harold then sold the car to his sister Audrey Wilson.
Even with the manual transmission and 4.30:1 rear-axle ratio, Audrey used the Grand Prix as daily transportation well into the late-'70s. And though the body had only accumulated around 35,000 miles in that time, the non-original 389ci had seen better days. So Audrey decided to garage the rare model as opposed to driving it any longer. Nearly 20 years passed until her son, Waco, decided to make it roadworthy in the mid-'90s and drive it sparingly.
Enter eventual-owner Dana Bailey. Dana learned of the Super Duty Grand Prix through friend Darwin Sieh, a known Pontiac hobbyist. According to Dana, Darwin was approached in the early '80s by an ex-A.J. Foyt mechanic who remembered the SD/GP from its early racing days and inquired about its existence. Darwin knew nothing of it but always kept the thought of that car in the back of his mind.
Several years passed without a trace of the SD/GP until Darwin mentioned his conversation with the ex-Foyt mechanic to fellow hobbyist Dave Peutz, who owned a copy of historian Pete McCarthy's renowned book Pontiac Musclecar Performance 1955-1979, which contains the VINs of practically every early-'60s Pontiac originally equipped with a Super Duty engine, including the Grand Prixs. Dave ran the sixteen SD/GP VINs through Nebraska's DMV, and the two were astonished when Wilson's registration appeared.
Dave contacted the Wilsons inquiring about the rare piece of Pontiac history. Waco informed him that the Grand Prix was not for sale. A year or so passed before Dana and Darwin contacted the Wilsons asking about the car. They were also told it wasn't for sale but were invited for a look. When they arrived, however, the two were informed by Audrey's husband that the car, which Dana says "was very straight with minimal rust," was indeed for sale but at a price that neither could afford. Within a few months, Waco approached Dana with a reduced price. Dana negotiated with cash, and in May 1998, the SD/GP had a new home.