[UPC-WU2]

Was cruising thru my GT-37 PHSs tonight and jotted down some notes.

From my collection of 43 GT-37 PHSs for 1971:

15 "early" cars (eyebrow stripes).
28 "1971-1/2" cars (sword/bayonnet stripe).

35 cars (81.3%) built with 350-2bbl.
1 car (2%) with 400-2bbl.
5 cars (11.6%) with 400-4bbl.
0 cars with 455-4bbl.
2 cars (4.6%) with 455HO.

Not a single car from Arlington so far.

25.5% were built with Cordova Top.
1 car with 2-tone paint.

7 Canyon Copper
6 Lucerne Blue
5 Cardinal Red
4 Starlight Black
4 Sandalwood
4 Quezal Gold
4 Tropical Lime
3 Cameo White
2 Castillian Bronze
2 Aztec Gold
1 Limekist Green
1 Rosewood

Always looking for more PHSs. If I had 58 PHSs for 1971, I'd be up to ONE PERCENT of the build. I have 9 for 1970, 10 for '72 LeMans GTs, one for '73, one for '74, none for '75-up.

Eventually I will get my online registry built and online.

[Judge273]

Low registry and or survival?

[trishieldchief]

Great stuff UPC.

The attrition rate on GT-37's and GT cars will be very high.

After first repaint these cars would look like regular bench seat Leman's and thus would have been parted out and crushed.

[The Boss]

Damn, not a lot of them left!

[pggto]

Have you documented some of the ones in the junkyards around WI?

Here's the PHS from the one I had a few years ago.

The car was originally white, I bought it as is.

[UPC-WU2]

Thanks Man, I didn't have that one.
I know there are a few in junkyards around here. I suspect there are a lot more GT-37s out there than we realize. People probably don't take the time (and expense)
to run the PHS on them like the more valuable cars. As Trishield said, they just blend in after the original paint and stripes are gone.

Originally Posted by pggto

Have you documented some of the ones in the junkyards around WI?

Here's the PHS from the one I had a few years ago.

The car was originally white, I bought it as is.

['ol Pinion head]

No '71 Pontiac A-body's were built out of the Arlington plant or the Baltimore plant, every source that has previously published those two plants as producing '71 Pontiac A-body's is mistaken. The lowest production Pontiac A-body plants for '71 were Framingham & Oshawa, & that is reflected in well researched '71 model year GT-37 production as well.

From the early 90's when I was mailing out the GT-37 Survey, corresponding with owners, & reproducing the reflective stripes, til today, have accumulated invoice copies, factory buildsheet copies, or just VIN numbers & other pertinent information on over 800 '71 & 71 1/2 GT-37s. Have noted it before, but due to the prolonged UAW strike of the Fall of '70, a good guesstimate from going through all accumulated data is 71 & '71 1/2 GT-37 production was split roughly 50-50.

[2002Z4CSS]

How many of these cars are still out there?

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

How many of these cars are still out there?

Would hazard between 10 & 15% of '71 and '71 1/2 GT-37s still exist, maybe more. At least every month I hear of, or see info on another real one that I have not run across before. Mention that, and am far from one who scours the internet, Craigslist, Hemming's, so am sure have missed a few that have been for sale, or even owners story's documenting one. Many years ago, POCI lost my support, so don't read Smoke anymore... more cars missed. Also dont make the swappers like I did for many many years. Got tons of leads on GT-37's when I was working swappers every other weekend.

While the Guide to Musclecars article in '86 on Sawruk's 71 1/2 had its share of errors, the article did raise major awareness on these cars & many entry level hobbiest, long time GTO hobbiest, along with flippers, & puppymill builders began dragging well worn GT-37's out of the weeds, & saving them from the crushers. Have personally examined well over two hundred, as yard cars up to original owner cars. If all the 1971 GT-37 production had been 400 4bbl drive trains & more powerful optioned (factory HO cars), my own belief is the there would have been much more of a performance reputation around them early on, & many more would have most likely been put aside earlier. With so many of the production run being the entry drivetrain (350 2bbl) cars, many many have met their demise. Hope this helps.

[pggto]

Here's a silver with blue sword stripe. I bet this car looked pretty nice when new. The yard owner said it was a pretty nice car when it came in. Then why stack a Chevelle on top of it! Was hoping to stop at this yard again this summer, I'll get the VIN. I had a pic of the VIN, but I can't seem to find it

[UPC-WU2]

That silver with blue stripe would have been a sweet car when new. Blue interior would've been even better.

[py71lemans]

Originally Posted by pggto

Here's a silver with blue sword stripe. I bet this car looked pretty nice when new. The yard owner said it was a pretty nice car when it came in. Then why stack a Chevelle on top of it! Was hoping to stop at this yard again this summer, I'll get the VIN. I had a pic of the VIN, but I can't seem to find it

See if you can get the whole car.

[2002Z4CSS]

How many where ac cars? I was told mine is one of 3 percent that had ac.

[Diego]

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

How many where ac cars? I was told mine is one of 3 percent that had ac.

I've never seen numbers from the GM Heritage Center, but that doesn't mean the data doesn't exist (I'm doubtful of such).

I show 60.7% of A-bodies had AC, but that wouldn't mean you can apply that percentage to GT-37s as the percentage is based on the aggregate.

['ol Pinion head]

Factory AC was very common on '71 production GT-37s with 350's and 400's with automatic transmissions, ESP ones ordered for the Southwest, Southern Plains, Texas. & Southeast zones. Any percentage figure like 3% is bogus. Out of just one dealership, I have invoice copies on over twenty 350 2bbl auto '71 & 71 1/2 GT-37's, all optioned with C60 Airconditioning. Optioned with a HD 3spd or a 4spd and C60, now that is fairly uncommon. Personally, am not a fan of AC on what's supposed to be a lightweight stripper type vehicle, the extra weight takes away from straight line performance. That noted, the typical 350 auto\AC equipped GT-37 was not sold originally to gearheads.

[trishieldchief]

I remember seeing a 71 GT-37 in Texas for sale a few years ago, it had the GT-37 option and AC.
Manual steering,manual brakes, 350 2bbl 3 speed on floor, no creature options other than AC.

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Factory AC was very common on '71 production GT-37s with 350's and 400's with automatic transmissions, ESP ones ordered for the Southwest, Southern Plains, Texas. & Southeast zones. Any percentage figure like 3% is bogus. Out of just one dealership, I have invoice copies on over twenty 350 2bbl auto '71 & 71 1/2 GT-37's, all optioned with C60 Airconditioning. Optioned with a HD 3spd or a 4spd and C60, now that is fairly uncommon. Personally, am not a fan of AC on what's supposed to be a lightweight stripper type vehicle, the extra weight takes away from straight line performance. That noted, the typical 350 auto\AC equipped GT-37 was not sold originally to gearheads.

That would make sense, my car came N.C.

[Polar Goat]

I bought this around fifteen years ago. It will be off to the boneyard in a few weeks.
350 2bbl car. Quezel 3sp.

[tripower]

Bill here is one more early eyebrow stripe Canyon Copper in the classifieds/Craigslist. I have some more I will send you.

[UPC-WU2]

Thank you. I will take all that you have.

That CC car came off the Pontiac line just a couple of days before mine.