1971 Pontiac GTO – 1970 tribute
According to the partial build sheet I found in this car, this 242 VIN GTO was sold new at Arrow Pontiac in Arlington MA. From the looks of the body/under-body it did not spend much time in New England or it was not driven in the winter. When I bought the car, a little more than a year ago, it had been sitting for several years. It was in a garage just over the North Carolina line, in Johnson City Tennessee.
This car is super cool. It’s a get in an enjoy car. It starts up and runs great. With the lowered stance and the blacked out trim (and tinted windows) it has the vibe of a restomod. The Pontiac 400 pulls STRONG. If you mash the gas petal, you better be prepared as this car (with the anti-spin rear axle) is sending you sideways, with both of those wide 17” Dunlop’s going up in spoke. She’s fast. The throttle response it crisp. It will leave you with a smile on your face.
About the engine, from the casting numbers on the block I can see that this big block 400 is a 1973 – 1974 engine. The 4X heads would also be correct for a 1973 - 1974 400. It has an Edelbrock Torker II midrise intake manifold and an Edelbrock carburetor. Although I’ve not had the 400 engine open, it runs like it has had some significant work done to the internals. My guess is, when it was rebuilt, it was bored .30” over with some good pistons, and a nice cam and crank combo. It has a TON of power. IT MOVES.
Here’s a list of things that I did car since I’ve owned it:
This car is incredibly solid. There are not any holes noted on the underside of the car and NO patches that I can tell other than a small spot in the passenger side quarters behind the rear wheel. It is very solid. Most of the chrome on the car was blacked out, was first sanded and then coated with at least two coats of POR15. Then a black paint was sprayed on. This process, while time consuming, ensures that the black pieces stay black and don’t just scratch off in a few months.
The car came new with factory A/C. That is missing. I didn’t look if there was a heater core, but it’s not hooked up so if it’s there it probably leaks (just a guess). The factory gauges (temp, oil and fuel) don’t work. I didn’t get under the dash to see what is connected or what isn’t. There are aftermarket gauges for temperature and oil pressure that work well. Lights all appear to work well as do the wipers. The radio that is in the car appears original, it does not come on - the horn doesn't sound.
The car drives great. It goes down the road straight. The front-end is tight. She doesn’t wander. The brakes are not over-assisted. They work well and stop straight. It's comfortable, All around, this is a very nice GTO. And did I mention… she runs like a scalded dog.
I love old cars. Accordingly, I am always on the hunt for another. That said, if you have a vintage car that you might want to use towards a trade on this car, reach out to me. These are the cars that I have interest in, not in any particular order:
1968 - 1972 Chevy Chevelle
1968 - 1972 Pontiac GTO
1968 - 1972 Olds 442 - Cutlass
1967 - 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback
1970 - 1974 Plymouth Barracuda
1970 - 1974 Dodge Challenger
1968 - 1987 Chevy - GMC - K-10 or K20
1961 – 1974 Jaguar E-Type
I'm completely okay with project cars, hit me up with what you’ve got, some info and pics and what you think it's (they're) worth. While the cars listed above are not all the vehicles that I’m interested in, they are the ones that I’m most interested in.
Please take the time to watch the videos and feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I have a clean Georgia title in my name.
Edward Racicot - Savannah, GA
828-225-5565 - talk or text
