[79 Phoenix]

I just bought this 71 GT-37 the other day. Floors, trunk, frame seem to be solid. Just one small hole in trunk and lots of surface rust on frame. The body is pretty rough. It needs passenger lower quarter and both front fenders are totally rusted out (probably braces too) down low behind the tires. Rear pan under bumper is totally rusted out and front pan under bumper is mashed in.--.probably not salvageable.

It is a base GT-37 with 350 and 3 speed manual on the floor. I am the third owner. It has been sitting in garages since 1992. Right now it doesn't run. I plan to replace the gas tank, line and possibly rebuild carb if I need to just to get it running and see what I've got. Engine does turn and as far as I know has 187,000 miles on it. Also needs cap, points, rotor and plugs... But first I need to redo the brakes as it has none!

I will be posting progress here on this long-term project.
I am not that familiar with Pontiac engines so when I get that far I will definitely need some advice I also need info on Pontiac parts sources. . I guess that's all for now. Hopefully I will figure out these pictures so I can show where it's at here the outset. My plan at thai point is to rebuild the car stock/original...but we'll see.

[Shiny]

Congrats on your new project!

[mysticmissle]

awesome

[SD455DJ]

Great find! This would be a neat car to upgrade the engine to a 400 4-bbl or 455HO! Good luck with the build!

Dennis

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

Great find! This would be a neat car to upgrade the engine to a 400 4-bbl or 455HO! Good luck with the build!

Dennis

Thanks! That thought has crossed my mind... We'll see how things go.Here are some more pictures.

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Shiny

Congrats on your new project!

Thanks!

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by mysticmissle

awesome

Thanks! Here is a picture of the one I had just before I sold it 42 years ago...

[KSZR]

You don't see many in this color combo. Good project!

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by KSZR

You don't see many in this color combo. Good project!

That's true...I read somewhere that the black/gold is a very rare combination they came up with the last half of 71 (,although I'm not sure that's true.). I like the black paint/gold stripe better than the gold paint/black stripe I had years ago.

Here's a current picture of the trunk...

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by KSZR

You don't see many in this color combo. Good project!

Quezal Gold/w red & black stripes as well as Quezal Gold & the black reflective stripes were fairly popular colors on GT-37's. The two different golds, Cardinal Red, Limekist & Tropical lime, along with the white/blue (as 71 1/2's), IMO, were very popular ordered colors.

Rosewood is IMO, the rarest ordered color all year. Nordic Silver was also quite rarely ordered. The Starlight Black/Gold sword stripe combination was ordered more than the often repeated rumblings from Mr Sawruk. Have to keep in mind, his casual observations were from a limited period of time, at one assembly plant. Thats where the "50" comment came from, versus the actuality of close to half of all GT-37's built that year were built as 71 1/2's.

Pontiac A-body's were built at 5 assembly plants for '71 w Pontiac & Fremont cranking a ton of them out. Through actively compiling the GT-37 Survey in the late 80's-mid 90's, along with actual GT-37's that have ran across since then, have info on over 800 '71 & 71 1/2 GT-37's.

['ol Pinion head]

79 Phoenix, In a few of your darker lit pictures, your new '71 1/2 almost looks likes a Wilderness green (very dk green) '72. Had to blow up the pictures & look much closer

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Quezal Gold/w red & black stripes as well as Quezal Gold & the black reflective stripes were fairly popular colors on GT-37's. The two different golds, Cardinal Red, Limekist & Tropical lime, along with the white/blue (as 71 1/2's), IMO, were very popular ordered colors.

Rosewood is IMO, the rarest ordered color all year. Nordic Silver was also quite rarely ordered. The Starlight Black/Gold sword stripe combination was ordered more than the often repeated rumblings from Mr Sawruk. Have to keep in mind, his casual observations were from a limited period of time, at one assembly plant. Thats where the "50" comment came from, versus the actuality of close to half of all GT-37's built that year were built as 71 1/2's.

Pontiac A-body's were built at 5 assembly plants for '71 w Pontiac & Fremont cranking a ton of them out. Through actively compiling the GT-37 Survey in the late 80's-mid 90's, along with actual GT-37's that have ran across since then, have info on over 800 '71 & 71 1/2 GT-37's.

Thanks for the info. Wish I had a lot more! Who is Mr Sawruk?

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

79 Phoenix, In a few of your darker lit pictures, your new '71 1/2 almost looks likes a Wilderness green (very dk green) '72. Had to blow up the pictures & look much closer

I can't seem to figure out how to post the pictures larger. I format them with Microsoft Paint. Then load them with the attachment button (paper clip) and they show up as thumb nails that you have to click on to view larger. BTW if you blew the picture up larger you maybe saw how bad the qtr panel is.

[trishieldchief]

Nice GT-37 project car you have ,Black with with Gold sword stripe is really sharp.

[SD455DJ]

John Sawruk was a PMD engineer and historian later in his career. He special ordered a new 71 1/2 GT-37 as a young engineer that was black with the gold stripes, 400 4-bbl, TH400, 3.55 Safe-T-Track, PS, PDB, Formula wheel, and the H-D frame. Scott Tiemann of Supercar Specialties restored it back in the 1990's and was the car that put the spotlight on the little-known GT-37 at the time.

These pics should serve as inspiration for you as you restore yours.

Dennis

[KSZR]

Originally Posted by 79 Phoenix

Thanks for the info. Wish I had a lot more! Who is Mr Sawruk?

He worked for Pontiac back in that era. Bought a new 71.5 with the same color combo as yours. Was his family car, then sold, bought back and restored. He used to come to POCI convention and often spoke. Neat guy, very smart. Has passed away.

[SD455DJ]

I'm also in the throes of a "refurbishment" of an early (12C) GT-37 that is the opposite of yours when it comes to the option list. It's Canyon Copper with white guts and the red/white 'eyebrow' stripes. I have a thread on it that...https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=790693

I'll be watching your progress with interest!

Dennis

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by trishieldchief

Nice GT-37 project car you have ,Black with with Gold sword stripe is really sharp.

Thanks!

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

John Sawruk was a PMD engineer and historian later in his career. He special ordered a new 71 1/2 GT-37 as a young engineer that was black with the gold stripes, 400 4-bbl, TH400, 3.55 Safe-T-Track, PS, PDB, Formula wheel, and the H-D frame. Scott Tiemann of Supercar Specialties restored it back in the 1990's and was the car that put the spotlight on the little-known GT-37 at the time.

These pics should serve as inspiration for you as you restore yours.

Dennis

Thanks for the info and the pictures. Gives me something to shoot for!

[79 Phoenix]

Originally Posted by KSZR

He worked for Pontiac back in that era. Bought a new 71.5 with the same color combo as yours. Was his family car, then sold, bought back and restored. He used to come to POCI convention and often spoke. Neat guy, very smart. Has passed away.

Thanks!