Y' know, part of the appeal of the Grand Prix to me, and especially of the 73-77 models, is that they are not really considered "collectible." The cars themselves can be found very cheaply if you look, and parts, while not widely available as repops, are cheap and relatively easy to find used. And because Grand Prixs were never really considered collectible, many were sent to the boneyard in relatively nice condition after the first head gasket popped or tranny burned out; unlike most of the GTO's and Trans Am's etc. where people kept them and fixed them and ragged them out again and put lots of garish crap all over them - but they didn't send them to the boneyard like the Grand Prixs.
But as far as myself, I have always loved GP's much more so than the average person or car enthusiast; ever since a friend in high school had a 73 SJ 455. He bashed the front end in on ludes (hey, it was the late 70's...) but that car still hauled butt and would lay a patch of rubber with the wheels still smoking away at 45 mph. Bone stock, and actually a bit on the ragged side. Back then, NOBODY thought of Grand Prixs as anything more than grandma cars, and you could get a nice GTO for $500 so why bother with a Grand Prix? But even back then, I could see what the GP was really about - and as they years went on, I wanted one more and more. The more that I looked at GP's, and started looking closely at what they were made of, the more that I realized that, when properly equipped, they are the equal of the more famous GTO's and Trans Ams in every way. Engines? The same, except on the very rare, extreme high end (no RA 4,5 or SD455, other than that, the same). Handling? Can you say wide track, or RTS? And most of the GP's came properly equipped - until the 350's and especially the 301's started being put in them, all GP's were hot and you couldn't order a lame one if you tried.
And even with all that, I still would never pay $400 for a cluster. I'd say "let him keep it" at that price but unfortunately there are people out there who pay these stupid prices and drive up the price for the rest of us.
Believe me - just because this is my first GP, it's not anywhere near my first project. I am well experienced in how this type of thing goes.
I got my first Harley years before the doctors and lawyers and yuppies etc. started buying them. Talk about prices going up...so I know what I speak of. I am not wealthy, I don't even care to be - I like my life the way that it is. I could make WAY more money in my field if I wanted to be on call 24/7; but that's not worth it to me. I value my time much more than money. We only go around once here, and I want to spend as little of that time at work as possible.
But I sometimes get tired of people throwing money around and driving up prices for things that have traditionally been the province of the working man. Aren't there enough BMW's and Lexuses out there for these folks?
Please forgive my verbosity on this thread - the subject is one that is very close and personal for me. Yeah, it gets personal when the yuppies
cause the price of a Harley to double...yeah it's personal all right. This is along the same lines, but not nearly as big as that.
OK, rant over. Move along, nothing to see here...
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