[71GP76TA]

A little steep on the price IMO. Looks to have originally sold about 30 miles from me.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pontiac-Tran...US_Cars_Trucks

[keith k]

I'm one of those rare people that actually likes trim rings on '70 - '72 T/As... but only when they're the right ones.
Car has the later style wheels, though, so at least the rings match the wheels

[Bentwheelbob]

It's been through the PY grinder at least once, but I can't find the post. Seeems like lots of incorrect stuff and the seller artfully shows only one engine picture with the inner lip cropped. There was a big debate on the black floor pan primer and the exhaust is wrong. The car made at least two laps on ebay with a top bid in the $50's I think.

[71GP76TA]

I thought it looked familiar.

[1971455HO]

I'm not gett'n in on the what ain't right part (chrome valve covers, '73 up wheels, etc) but he sure as hell is good with a camera. I've been wanting to get some real good pictures of my car. That dull red/grey brick paver type street with grass & trees is perfect for a white car. I can't do it, I'm gonna hire it done.

It's a pretty car..is it correct...NO!

If it sells for within $20,000 of that price, it will be somebody with plenty of cash flow and really doesn't care if it is totally correct or not. Lately, there have been TRIBUTE RA IV '69 TA clones sell for $40K to $50K just like the clone Yenko cars.

I must have been crazy to have searched the planet to get what I needed.

[72projectbird]

Sure is nice. Really pricey though.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

There was a big debate on the black floor pan primer

I believe the black floor pans would be correct for this car considering it was likely a Van Nuys car (sold in Stockton).

My original unrestored 70 Formula also has blacked out floor pans, built in Van Nuys and sold new in San Fransisco. Pretty sure most all the Van Nuys F-bodies got the blacked out floor pans while the Norwood built cars were red oxide.

[njsteve]

Van Nuys cars weren't "blacked out" per se, they were just plain black to begin with: Norwood had the red oxide primer submersion tanks but Van Nuys just applied the black primer manually by spray gun.

P.S. if you look at the photo of the rear end cover, you can see a factory hole in the upper bulkhead where you can still see the red oxide primer visible in side it. I would imagine it is a Norwood car that someone blacked out. See orange circle in photo.

[Formulajones]

Thanks for clearifying that Steve, I was on the right track with the plants and black vs red oxide.

I can't say for certain if that floor was red oxide originally or not based off that picture. What I based my decision on is that given the fact this car was sold in Stockton, it's unlikely it was built in Norwood and shipped all the way accross country to sell. It's possible, but I tend to lean more towards it being a Van Nuys car since it was sold on the West Coast.

Mine was the same way, sold in San Fransisco and built at Van Nuys, which makes me believe this one may be in the same boat, makes sense anyway. But when does anything the factory does make sense, lol.

If the seller would have simply put the vin in the add it would clearify that whole deal right away.

[transam1972]

ultimately I do prefer a 72 to 71 (and not because I have one)...I like the grills and revised valance and shaker switches and some plumbing was cleaned up..and I like the perforated vinyl seat/door inserts..I like that this car has a stick..my point is the real deluxe comfortweave that this car has gives the interior a different look, also the deluxe mesh tray and door panels are quite different...71 is trim ringless?..need to fix the heater control and have the engine turned bezel..this cars interior looks to be all original (sorry, front seat covers are replacement) and very nice, however the wrong doorpanel screws stick out painfully...as time moves on even I get more correct (I will still keep my dash chrome bezels though) and will remove my honeycomb trim rings if my car is ever done..and my N.O.S. later door skins and fenders I will deal with...but my problems aside...does that look like the repop Formula steering wheel?..it would be stressless to own a low mileage original but that's not happening

[Formulajones]

Owning a low mile original is actually more stressful in my opinion. I have a couple here, it's much harder to preserve than it is to restore. Then all the peer pressure from others that think you shouldn't have mild patina on a car (it's unavoidable). Some get it, some don't. Survivors have become a big collectors item in recent years, but a pain in the butt to own and even worse than a completely restored car in my opinion. You can't drive them much, adding more patina and mileage devalues the car. At least with a restored car I feel I can do it over again if need be. A survivor is only a one time deal.

[transam1972]

....is theoretically the best...mind you my car is full of it but only 1 or 2 members may have mentioned it...I never thought almost 30 years could go by and it not be fully restored...you know I could make up my own barn find story..man gets a car in 1985, starts some work, gets sidetracked(not widetracked) then 30 years later oh, I got one of those...when I was a punk and bought the car I still and it was a simple repaint..the surprise was it needed quarters so I was (since at the time new GM door skins & fenders were available)..N.O.S. 1/4s were outsourced...since I still amazingly remember 1985 the car to me (the patina) looks the same...I do regret painting the top of the engine and intake...most of the engine paint was gone and the intake manifold paint had burned off and I installed chrome valve covers and lost the originals..also tossed the original engine harness and fenders and could have saved the original parts but I thought differently in 1990...if my life was not in such of a stand still it would be so much fun to see it make it to a paint booth..like the song goes, on some things standard interior to deluxe upgrade I did it my way..but I do believe now to save as much as original and stay as close to stock (even with repop parts)...a perfect example of a car that deserved a frame off and looks showroom new is 165THs car...somewhere in the middle of a true survivior and a full blown resto my car lies...I know I am rambling a bit, but I do have the time..I do fully believe that the 165TH car is unique and will hold its value on whatever amount was invested in it...its when we all cannot agree on a cars true condition (rust rocket to bondo beauty)...that a T/A or a Formula is too far gone to be restored...everything cannot be saved...some are not worth it...if I did have $85k for a TRANS AM it had better be under 20k miles and full of pantina!!

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by njsteve

Van Nuys cars weren't "blacked out" per se, they were just plain black to begin with: Norwood had the red oxide primer submersion tanks but Van Nuys just applied the black primer manually by spray gun.

P.S. if you look at the photo of the rear end cover, you can see a factory hole in the upper bulkhead where you can still see the red oxide primer visible in side it. I would imagine it is a Norwood car that someone blacked out. See orange circle in photo.

no imagination needed...

Someone said it best earlier, this ones been through the grinder before, and it wasn't pretty.

[eaglesan13]

I agree that it would make more sense to build the car in Van Nuys than build it in Norwood Ohio and ship it all the way to the west coast; however, it is not unheard of. Here is the PHS on my old Formula 400, built in Norwood and sold new in Santa Rosa, CA, which is just north of San Francisco. I have personally seen three other cars built in Norwood and sold new in CA. None of the four cars were anything special (in my opinion).

Originally Posted by Formulajones

What I based my decision on is that given the fact this car was sold in Stockton, it's unlikely it was built in Norwood and shipped all the way accross country to sell. It's possible, but I tend to lean more towards it being a Van Nuys car since it was sold on the West Coast.

Mine was the same way, sold in San Fransisco and built at Van Nuys, which makes me believe this one may be in the same boat, makes sense anyway. But when does anything the factory does make sense, lol.

[Formulajones]

Right, that's why I said it's "possible" I just don't believe it's very common or the more likely scenario.

I won't base assumptions from pictures alone that might show a spec of brown somewhere. It's really the serial number we need to see to make a factual statement before everyone starts jumping to conclusions.

[Judge273]

I have seen conclusions jumped to from a rivet...there are 85k plus 71 TA out there for sale and some have exchanged hands. Won't be a white one with AC......

[njsteve]

I emailed the seller asking for the VIN. No response yet.

[Formulajones]

The VIN was PM'd to me. Apparently the car has been sold before. It's an L so the VIN in fact does belong to a Van Nuys car hence the duplication of the blacked out floor pans.

As far as other details I'll let you guys hash that out.

[LateBrakeU2]

Looks like there are two more HO's on ebay. The 72 is certainly the most correct and highest level of restoration, and compared to the 71 white car for 10k less asking there is no comparison IMO. The Lucy blue/ivory is a pretty rare combo- out of the Lingenfelter collection but non matching trans and needs a few things to get it even close to the 72,also ten year old restored car. The seller is asking 89k for it. Let's assume the white 71 is overpriced(some here will say all three are), and not considered. What's a better investment for a long term collector given the facts-- the 72, or the blue 71 for 15 k more? I know the blue has the cache, but the white car is pretty much no excuses and well known.

[njsteve]

Yeah, that's my old 72 you're refering to on ebay now. http://www.ebay.com/itm/121523640696...;3AMEBIDX%3AIT



Feel free to critique her. I can take it. ;-)

This is the car in my build thread: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...433662&page=82