71 Grand Prix SJ Frame Off, Running and Driving After all these years!
 

Thought I'd post this to thank everyone here for all the help/info I've gotten over the last 11 years owning this car and especially the the last 5-6 years rebuilding.
This was a mostly complete triple black California car not on the road in many years and needed a fair amount of metal work where condensation collected. A nicely optioned car all around with a few PHS/Build Sheet surprises like Formula Steering Wheel, Honeycomb wheels, and Space saver spare. Has it's #s matching 455 that was standard bore. I've added several nice factory correct options with all original parts like 4 speed, power driver seat, pwr door locks, heated rear glass, pwr trunk, map light dome, and yet to install underhood retract. light. I used a lot of NOS parts along the way. I call it a "Day 2 Resto-Mod", suspension and brake mods, wheels, intake and exhaust but otherwise 100% correct as I could make it.
Still a work in progress and that's mostly original paint with only one new fender and patches with alot of original replacement metal. Interior all stock. new vinyl roof. I'll post some pics here but sometime will make a big collection of pics showing details of resto. I re-did everything, everywhere, It looks like a survivor car I guess but all new under and behind the skin. It's all jambed out everywhere with black paint also, Will paint outside body when I'm done having some fun! I got a couple shakedown runs in before It snowed here. Went OK, was a blast, just some tweaking to go etc,

71 GP SJ Project - Running & Driving
 

The engine is making around 475 - 500 hp and specs are,
Butler Perf. short Block, eagle crank, esp Armour rods and crank, SD Performance Dave Bishope CNC ported NOS SR 71 HO Heads, Crower RAiV cam, MSD Ready to Run Distrib., Edelbrock Dual Quads, Dougs Headers, Under drive pulleys, Flow Cooler Water Pump. I'm using a 1971 M21. Car has it's original 12 Bolt I put a Eaton TrueTrac in with 3.42 gears. I have a nice original set of Honeycombs that would not clear my brake upgrades (rear discs also) so now they are the 17" YearOne Honeycombs.

71 GP SJ Project - Running & Driving more Pics
 

There was a ridiculous amount of time and restoration of original dash parts, EVERY switch, wire, connector, plug etc, etc, etc. The Heater A/C box work was very complete and correct, made my own correct seals etc, Replaced he entire rear window channel, a section of cowl where a squirel nested, the trunk floor. lower 1/4s and one drop down, floor patches. Behind every body panel painted with epoxy and 2 top coats, sound deadener etc, etc..... These pics where taken this autumn when we did the shake down runs. What will I do with all this time on my hands now?! I would be happy to help out anyone doing one of these any way I could.

VERY nice!

Makes me feel like a slug for the slow progress on my ride.

Very nice! I love it!

I want to put a 4 speed in my 72 SJ where did you find the cnosole and shifter bucket parts?

Impressive!

Congrats on getting all that done on your own and I'm sure you are excited to have it running after all that work.

71 GP
 

Hey thanks on the thumbs up. I had alot of help from family and some good friends along the way.
I'd been collecting parts all that time and got the 4 speed parts from a couple sources, but mostly from one bunch of parts I bought from a guy who had found a rusted out 70 GP with most of the stuff there and was meticulous in removing them. He even had cut out the tunnel around the shifter hole for location matching. You can see how they used shears to cut the hole since gp floors where not stamped in holes. That was at least 7 or 8 years ago I guess.

The manual trans shifter plate & bucket could be 3D printed fairly easily. The floorpan cut & shifter parts, no big deal, just have to gather up the pieces.

Cool build gpguy, thanks for posting!

4 speed parts & Details
 

At some point maybe I can price out the 3d printing of 4 speed parts again. In the past the price was prohibitive. Also printing in metal does not offer too many options for finishing. The shifter bucket plastic is in repro as used in other A bodies. The ashtray support pieces would be good to do since plastic already.

I've been taking care of the numerous details/loose ends on my GP and making progress. I must say overall most of the difficulties where from the aftermarket parts put in like the headers that led me to relocate the proportioning valve, make new brake lines and remake the backdrive rod to column so the ignition key works right etc.

No time like the present to start again
 

Among the many trials and tribulations on this 71 GP rebuild thought I'd share the story on the clock. My first GP was a 72 J Cardinal red, 400 auto with white top and interior. buckets, was nicely optioned, pwr windows, locks, seat am/fm stereo. It was my 2nd car ever and I was a senior in high school. It was an accident victim so I had to put on a new pass. fender and I painted that to match as best I could. looked decent and after a new lower control arm I was no longer wearing out that tire every week. Did the usual tweaks, carb rebuild, turbo mufflers and opened up the air cleaner housing and that car was beating my friends gto and some others at our local street races at 1 am next to the national gaurd armory. 2 years later or something like that I totalled the car. When the car was at the junkyard I pulled some pieces off,..the Qjet, battery(can't believe it survived since I flipped the car, put it in my girlfreinds Vega) stereo, pass sport mirror and the clock which was working. I saved the mirror and clock all this time since 1982. When building up my dash I got that clock out, (nice original condition)still in a 1984 newspaper wrap and cleaned and oiled what i could with synthetic watchmakers oil. It was still showing the time I wrecked the car, 2am. I installed it in my dash and did'nt power it up untill I had the car running and driving. It still works and is now well past 2 on the dial.

If you ever want to sell, let me know!