History of Pontiac Engines
Pontiac engines were born as the junior partner to General Motors' Oakland division in 1926, thanks to Edward M. Murphy, the founder of the Oakland Motor Car Company, who had sold out to General Motors some 13 years earlier. During the 1950s through to the 1970s, Pontiac quickly established itself as one of GM's go-to brands for those who wanted performance & style in a mid-range option. That's largely thanks to outstanding leadership from Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen & John DeLorean, who encouraged the brand to go full-on muscle car.
Pontiac's reputation really started to take off with Pontiac v8 engine, which made its 1st appearance back in 1955 - that engine then went on to power some truly iconic cars, including the GTO, Firebird & Trans Am. The engines that came out of Pontiac's yard were pretty impressive, ranging in block size from 287ci to 455ci. The beauty of these Pontiac engines was that they all used the same basic block design, which made swapping out parts much easier and indeed more cost-effective.
Models, Characteristics, and Compatibility
Pontiac 389 V8 (1959–1966): Known for powering the original GTO, this 389-ci engine produced up to 360 horsepower in high-output trims. Today, used 389s are prized for authenticity in GTO and Catalina restorations.
V8 Pontiac 400 engine (1967–1978): One of the most versatile engines, the 400-ci was used in Firebirds and Trans Am. It’s abundant in the used market, with strong aftermarket support for rebuilds. Rebuilders favour it for durability and moderate cost.
Pontiac 455 V8 (1970–1976): The largest displacement engine from Pontiac, known for massive torque (over 500 lb-ft). Used 455s are rarer and more expensive but sought after for high-performance restorations.
Availability & Market Insight:
Used Pontiac engines are typically sourced from classic car dismantlers, rebuilders, and private collectors. The Pontiac 400 engine and 455 blocks command premium prices ($3,000–$8,000 rebuilt), while 389s are slightly lower but highly collectable for matching-number restorations.
The value of a used Pontiac engines depends heavily on block casting numbers, originality, and rebuild condition. Enthusiasts often restore engines to factory specs using OEM parts or mild performance upgrades to preserve drivability.
Cross Compatibility with other Makes
The Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick & Cadillac engines have the same bolt pattern in the bellhousing (from 1965 on), so you can swap transmissions between those GM divisions. What this means is a Pontiac 400 engine or 455 engine will bolt up just fine to a transmission from Oldsmobile or Buick, but you're going to run into trouble trying to bolt it up to a Chevrolet transmission without a bit of extra work, though. It wasn't uncommon for dealerships and hot rodders to swap in a Pontiac 400 engine for sale or Pontiac 455 engine for sale into Oldsmobile 442s, Buick Skylarks, or even early Cadillacs in search of better performance in the muscle car era - and ultimately this wasn't something GM approved, but it was mechanically possible due to the same transmission fitment on the B-O-P units
Reverse Fitment
When Pontiac stopped making its own V8S in 1981, GM rolled out with using Chevy small-blocks and Oldsmobile V6/V8S in Pontiacs. So take, for example, the 1982-1992 Firebirds that used Chevy 305 and Pontiac 350 engines, and many LeMans and Grand Prix models that got Oldsmobile 307s. Really, though its these later GM engines that shared similar mounting points and accessory drives - which makes swapping between 1980s-90s Pontiacs & Chevrolets (for example a Firebird & Camaro) generally pretty easy.
Moon Auto Parts
Moon Auto Parts is one of the popular customer favourite used engines and used transmissions dealers and locator who have collaborated with more than 5000 junkyards across the America. This makes it easy for them to list and last all makes and models of engines and transmissions. They offer a free warranty and free shipping as a complement to help the customers stay stress-free.
