[Judge273]

Anyone got dimension on hood pin locations?

Trying to locate for new hood, and seem to have misplaced the NOS ones. Old hood was not pierced either....sticky situation.



I would think you have a fixed spot on cowl to insert a bolt for reference and mark up from bottom? So, I need diameter of drilled hole?

[UPC-WU2]

Hood pin installation.
http://www.gt-37.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=3404
It's kinda hard to read. I can send a better scan.

Bill

[Judge273]

Thanks Bill,

Can you check and see if yours are in those locations shown? Maybe a clear one would be good too!

[Judge273]

Can someone post a picture of the underside of hood with hood pin plate of a original GT-37?

I know Roger,Bill and others have some for a 71 GT-37.....

[tripower]

Mike, I have my hood off and pins out now. I can shoot some pics or your welcome to come buy for coffee and measurements....

[Judge273]

Thanks Norm! I could use both! Can you send me some pix of yours first?

[tripower]

Here is a pic of the underside. The underside hole drilled through the support area is the same size as the hole drilled through the hood skin. Not sure if all 71 A-body chrome nose hoods have this underside hole on all of them but if they did, you're half way there as it is straight through.

[Judge273]

Big Thanks Norm!

[UPC-WU2]

I uploaded a much larger scan of the hood pin installation drawing. It's at the same link.
It's from the 1971 Assembly Manual.

[Judge273]

Interior Finish questions for the group.

1. There seems to be a debate on the GT-37 having a cover plate over vin.

a.I have heard they didn't and should not be included in resto. Anyone else?

b. I went to Norm's and took some pix, and his car has it.



2. Debate on the shifter for a 71 4 speed for GT-37.

Again on Norm's.



Bench seat shifter thought to be on car.



It seems that Norm's car is untouched and correct?

PS: I got the chrome hurst shifter and black ball already....

Now for some decision details:

3. My car originally came with gauges/clock, am radio, strg whl c/c.

a. It has a tach now. Keep it?

b. Has radio delete plate. Keep it?

c. Has correct steering wheel. Keep it?

d. no woodgrain on dash bezel. Keep it?



Or put a Fat Formula wheel on as I restored?



Lots of questions...Any opinions are welcome!

[The Boss]

If it were mine Mike I would keep the tach & gauges, the radio delete plate and add the formula wheel. As rare & valuable as it is, I don't those changes will have any negative effect.

[bulletpruf]

Only one shifter used on 70-72's - same for bench and buckets. The curved bench seat shifter was used pre-1970. Believe the number on the correct one is 4555. We discussed this at length a few months ago and determined that Pete's book, which lists a separate shifter for 70-72 bench, was incorrect based on personal experience and the 1970 Assembly Manual, which only lists one shifter (69 manual lists two).

I've got a few spare 4555's if you need one.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Here's the thread I referenced - http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=659183&page=2

[Judge273]

Originally Posted by The Boss

If it were mine Mike I would keep the tach & gauges, the radio delete plate and add the formula wheel. As rare & valuable as it is, I don't those changes will have any negative effect.

Chris, I agree with your thoughts.

What about the woodgrain dash? I kinda like the black look as we seem to be in tune. Your thoughts?

[Judge273]

Originally Posted by bulletpruf

Here's the thread I referenced - http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=659183&page=2

Thanks Scott, That is the thread that really opened my eyes!

[Norwood]

I like that "Trans Am" steering wheel I can't wait to drive this one.

[GETRIDAONE]

Mike, My GT-37 has the Vin cover plate also. I would leave the the black insert as is, the whole car was meant to be less expensive (cheap) and that was one of the things GM did to get there. I would keep it simple, the way it was meant to be.

[Judge273]

Originally Posted by GETRIDAONE

Mike, My GT-37 has the Vin cover plate also. I would leave the the black insert as is, the whole car was meant to be less expensive (cheap) and that was one of the things GM did to get there. I would keep it simple, the way it was meant to be.

The vin cover is considered a nice touch. Maybe the T-37 was left off?

So you vote for no radio or trim?

[UPC-WU2]

It was my understanding that cars with Rally gauges got the woodgrain. I'm not sure where I heard that...

My GT-37 has it anyway.

['ol Pinion head]

Dash bezels were supposed to loaded & installed in 70 & 71 233 series cars as follows:
standard (idiot light) dash: black dash bezzle
rally gauge dash: woodgrain (235 series) bezel

This was way it was in nearly all factory builds. When I was running the GT-37 survey in the late 80's-mid 90's, one of the myriad of things I was trying to figure out is what was up with the bezels. My Fremont built factory HO GT-37 was built with std black bezel & rally guage-tach. I bought my GT-37 off orig owners ex wife, nothing had been changed in the dash, still has uncut orig bezel, so I could prove it was original. Through the GT-37 survey I ran across a retiree living in Florida (Harold Hexler) who still owned the original '71 GT-37 he bought new. It is the only one, I've ever ran across with std idiot lights & woodgrain dash, obviously the line had run out of "loaded" T-37 dashes & substituted a standard 235 series dash. Had to be a similar deal with my GT-37's blue dash. I believe one of the '71 magazine roadtest cars was a factory screw-up as well, had rally gauges-tach in a black bezel. All this noted, I'd expect to be dinked in national points judging w/o documentation.

When I first met Bob C & he had just bought the T-37 post 455 HO Engr car, it had its original woodgrain bezel, rally guages & clock (factory hood tach was missing). In sourcing parts for the Engr car's restoration, I sourced a near flawless woodgrain bezel, it even had a factory cut hole for the rear defroster switch. Though this car had been through quite a few owners, the (now radio cut )woodgrain bezel in the car was how the car was delivered. Original owner, I've known since way before Bob found the car.

On the shifter handles, '71's indeed used the 4555 one fits all handle. I'm not real sure on very early '70 model Tempests. I bought an original 3 speed shifter at Pate years ago that said "70" tempest on its tag. I quizzed the seller on it and he stated he'd parted the car & it was just a base bench seat '70 tempest with 350 & floor mounted 3spd. Bob & I made the mistake of thinking this '67-69 style bench seat handle was used &ended up having a 4speed Hurst shifter rebuilt with a replated curved bench seat handle. Still have this handle & its going in a correct rebuilt '68 or 69 Hurst shifter & will be for sale.

plastic VIN escutcheon... have personally parted on literally hundreds on Fremont '71 233 series cars. Other than the parts of the Dakota's, MN, Iowa, MO, Arkansas, nearly every '71 233 series delivered west of the Mississippi will be a Fremont built car. Can't remember an original Fremont built 233 with the escutcheon. My GT-37 is a late March build & doesn't have one, & neither did one of the last '71 1/2's built (an 07A Fremont car) that I hauled in and parted in '97.

Pontiac plant 70's decade A-bodys were seldom sold new in OK & TX, so have studied many when I've been over in Arkansas & Missouri & up north. Been up north quite a bit over the last 20 years hitting yards for interior plastic & detailing parts. Good friend in TX in the mid 90's had an original pre-strike Pontiac built 400-4spd '71 GT-37 project, it came out of S Illinois. I had actually found the car a few weeks earlier but Jason bought it. No plastic escutcheon. Will be heading out to warehouse to look at the Engr car, (12C Pontiac build) believe it doesn't have one either.

When yarding up north, the '70 & 71 Pontiac plant T-37's I've run across did not have the escutcheon. its hard to vouch for them, as several have had windshields changed over the years & a few had dash metal repainted. So many times trying to remove these in partscars, one can easily break the escutcheon. I've also sold nice used ones & no doubt quite a few went on restored GT-37's. My final thought is the intention by Pontiac was not to use them on 233 series cars, its hard to believe that a huge percentage out of Pontiac plant would have received them esp being the home plant.