Best Pontiac of all time!

Gotta go with the crowd here, my first exposure was the BANDIT, I was just seven. My first fast ride was in a '78 solar gold, 400/auto owned by my older cousins' boyfriend(she still has him, he doesn't have the car!) I was eight or nine. First really quick 4-gear ride was in a 78 TA with a built 400. Presently building a 79 Formula with 400/auto (please see "5C vs 6X?"). Second place has be 2nd gen GTO, what can I say that hasn't been said?  
A little help... 'cause we don't all have to learn the hard way!

I would have to say the 77 Bandit is the most popular, but as for the best, it has to be the 71 TA.  

ahh  a 75 455 Ho owner! hi brother still got your marbles? I do thank god! we will chat  

Simple and by far this credit belongs to the 455 HIGH OUTPUT of 1975. I said original 455 HIGH OUTPUT, hand made in Canada under John Deloreans directions.
It's not forgotten, it was a prototype image advertize car. Pontiac took a loss to build this unit. Limited run to 800 or 900.
For thoes who understand what I speak... Don't pull over for if you turn it off it will take forever to start. However a trick exists in a serious situation. You can take a small wire with a clip on it, clip it to the positive terminal and then ark it out by a few taps or scratchs on the alternator..this will restet your problem...and if your running a chrome alternator, ummn ??? may I ask why?  

1975 455 HO... no question about it at all. Limited to 875, under the order of John Delorean. What vehicule made in 1975 even came close? Think of the grin youd have today driving something thats about 25% plus more power than the vette. thats what happened in 1975. NO COMPETITION.  

THE TEMPEST WHICH STARTED THE MUSCLE CAR ERA not the gto so i feel the tempest deserves that title later laid to rest by the gto but the best pontiac of all time is any one you own    

Its the 1975 455ho. Period, no questions. This magazine can't even find one! Too fast..Just like the W25, No not w30! Ever hear of a Porsche 911 RS? of course not  for these cars are so powerful off the production line that they are rare and under rated. Advertizement cars...the 75 is pontiacs ONLY rare one, by John Delorean who hated Corvette.  

further to this Bandit craze, what engine pulled all the work for the movie? sure not chinas computer tech but rather a 455.  

To me the best Pontiac of all time is the 1978 Trans Am.  

I think the best pontiac would have to be from 1970 to 1973 firebird or transam for the reason of the bodystyle for that time. The other reason is the 400 or the 455 engines with X vin code was the most horsepower for a stock engine.  

Every generation had its' best Pontiac.  There were the early 55 & 56 Safari station wagons.  The 57 Star Cheif fuel injected 347.  58, 59, & 60 were the best cars on the road for their time, and classic body styles.  Early 60s brought the 421 that dominated stock car racing.  And didn't do to bad at the strip.  Mid 60s was the GTO, late 60's through the 70's Fire Birds, and the last American muscle car, the 4th generation TA.  They are all great cars - how can you pick the best.  My favorites were the ones I owned: 39 2door, (1st car) 56 coupe (3 on the tree), 69 RAM AIR IV Judge (Lime Light Green), 67 Ventura HT that stayed in the family for 250K miles with only timing change change at 100K, and my 02 Yellow Collector's Edition convertable.  My vote for the best of my cars would have to go to the 69 Judge.  I was single with a lead foot and lucky I survived to trade it in.  The most fun to drive has to go to the WS6 CE rag top.  

hmmm...lots of good replies. but personally I think the best Pontiac of all time ended up not even being a Pontiac at all. It seems that the powers that be in GM saw it fit to "steel" from Pontiac the Banshee and give to (yuck) Chevrolet the Macco body style Corvette. yes folks the Corvette Macco body style was create by Pontiac but wasnt allowed to overshadow the chevy people...Other than that the best produced Pontiac has got to be the 72 Grand Prix SJ 455 4 speed cars. My mom had one and it ate up a family friends 71 Hemi 'Cuda on a few occasions without a problem. that is why now I have a Pontiac arrowhead emblem tattooed on the back of My head...soon as figure out how to upload a pic here I'll post one...lol  
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I guess it depends on what you like, but my vote would go to the '64 Tempest GTO.  Here's why. I spent most weekends at Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach CA in 64/65, and in terms of jawdropping performance, The GTO just took over as the hot street car.  Almost all "performance' cars of the day were 14 second cars. The fastest were high 13's, but were very expensive.  I saw dozens of new, relatively cheap GTO's suddenly show up at the strip, and with just a set of headers, knock down 13.40's all day long.  Most new owners were a full second or more quicker than their old cars.  Smiles abounded. And Jim Wangers made sure the whole country knew about it.  

PhatDaddy:
Well,I have to say my 1975 Trans Am. I say this because it is the forgotten bird. It sucked right out of the factory. That was the year that they stopped putting in 455's and choked off the 400's with epa stuff. They put the turn signal lights in the grill and got everyone mad. Which I think makes it look awesome. But.........the style... the shape... the lights in the grill....wow. I took my stock 400 and with a mild rebuild made it into a nice street and drag car. I got the car @ 3995 lbs to go 12.64 in the 1/4 mile. Thats with the car being totally stock and all pontiac. I now have a 455 in it which with the small carb and still being mostly stock going 11.94. It should be in the low 11's or high 10's next season. I smoke my friends 2002 Trans Am each time we race. Maybe just because I own a 75 that I love them so much but everyone talks about the GTO or the 77 thur 79 Trans Am. You hardly ever hear or read anything about the 75. This car has won three Championships and doing it with style and grace. Id like to see just once someone say Hey those 75's rock.....Just my two cents PhatDaddy

Even though my favorite is the 77-78 Black and Gold SE T/A --Pontiac powered 400 of course. I like how guys like you step up for more performance with their Classic PONTIAC powered T/A'S--GTO's etc. I would say for stock performance  my pic would be the 73-74 SD455 TRANS AMS and Formulas--I had a 74 SD455 T/A--VERY FAST. My friend in Switzerland owns a nearly stock 73 SD455 4 SPD T/A--Got to ride in it just recently--WOW . Took me up the local HILL CLIMB PAVED TRACK--The most fun since I was on one of the scariest Roller Coasters--GOOD DRIVER TOO   .  

well in the begining I had only looked into firebirds as far as "Smokey and the Bandit." I was all for 77-78 Trans Ams then but I just recently bought a Trans Am of my own. Its a 75 with a 400/350 combo with posi and disc brakes all around. At first I hated the front end and was going to swap it with an earlier bird front end and would have taken a 77-78 if thats all I could find but after looking at it each day after ariving from work it has started growing on me. i think the 75 Trans Am is one of my definite favorites. I cant really pick one to be on top because I have favorites from each generation. and if it were a GTO i had to pick it would be either a 69 or 70 judge in that white with blue and yellow stripes.