[FMile Pontiacs]

Hey guys. I posted a thread in the lobby, and thought I might post a link here. Advice needed and appreciated. Lots of Pics.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=790060

[Judge273]

If you sell it. Someone else will yank the engine and add power..

[AJD1964]

I would say first establish a goal.

If you sell the car - the buyer will likely clone it to a Goat. if so, their profit margin will be a priority, so expect hits from low-ballers that belittle 350 2bbl cars. The T41 front clip helps value., and is worth several $K by itself. It seems everybody wants to add that to their Lemans these days.

If keeping the car, and it were me, I would just enjoy it as it is; a nice "cruise-in" driver. Maybe add affordable upgrades as time goes on; wider rally's, sportier tires maybe, custom steering wheel, etc.. And with a black interior - makes life a lot easier. If you MUST have more power - maybe beef up the 350/350 a little bit, without breaking the bank. Pull the 2.73 gears, to maybe 3.36, but I would not go any more than that with an AC car, and the factory only offered 3.08 as an option with AC.

Nice Car!!

[F ROCK]

wow!
you're a hot rodder right?
that's one hot rod right there.
someone estimated 6K, i think?
around here that's probably 9-11K in that condish with that history and mileage.

i say hot rod it.
you only really need an exhaust and some gears right?

i put a wing, and a hood tach on mine.
my 350 2bbl ran GREAT. i eventually put a performer and qjet on mine (because it's fun right?) and then i found a '71 GTO 400ys and put that in there but only because it was cheap and fell into my life. my 350 was fine, sounded great w/ pypes 2.5" and street pros.

take advantage of this great deal you've found.
any "hotrod" change that you make can likely be reversed back to original easily.
my 2 cents

[Eric71T37]

I did not know of my '71 prior to finding it back in 1995, but it was all original and a one-family owned car since new with 95K original miles. I had specifically searched for exactly that car...a '71 T-37 or LeMans 2-door hardtop without vinyl top. I bought it with the intention of doing exactly what I have done over the last two decades. I never contemplated keeping it original (it was all numbers matching 350/350/2.78 drivetrain, one repaint in original color, tired jade green bench interior, original steel wheels with wheel covers, etc).

I personally like the non-Endura nose better, so I never considered making a one-of-one T41 T-37. I have carefully modified the car in ways that most people never even notice or realize is incorrect for the model. I rebuilt the front suspension to GTO specs, upgrading the brakes to power discs from manual drums at the same time; I found a late '71 455 and added '71 96 heads; converted the interior to Sandalwood buckets with console using a rust bucket '71 LeMans Sport as a donor; found a 12-bolt with 3.31 gears from a 455 HO GTO and added a posi, plus rear disc brakes, 15x7 Rally IIs with correct caps; and finally had it repainted in the correct original color a few years ago. I added the factory tinted glass and custom sport steering wheel out of the '71 Sport parts car, and correct GTO/GT-37 rear valence and splitters. Just last week I finally added correct Sandalwood deluxe seatbelts sourced from a '71 GP.

In the end, I now have the car I set out to build twenty plus years ago, and I love it (and so do my kids). It is "correct" down to the 455 emblem in the left grille. I cruise it regularly and have been in a local show or two. Nobody has ever said, "Hey, that's not right...T-37s didn't come with bucket seats or four wheel discs or splitters!" In fact, if anyone says anything at all (must be the green paint) it is usually, "My mom had one of those, same color and everything!"

I kept the original 350 2 barrel engine and 350 trans around for a while, I guess thinking they were the "numbers matching" drivetrain for my car. I still have the original 10-bolt rear and wheel covers. I should get rid of them as I will never put them back on my car.

I like your car. I like it just as it is, whitewalls and all. I like the originality and story behind it. The color is not my favorite, but it is so appropriate for the era (and original) I'd just fix the rust spots. I wouldn't even fix the bumper...gives it character. I'd put a different steering wheel on it but that isn't a permanent change. If it were my only classic Pontiac I'd probably upgrade the drivetrain just as I did to my '71, but if I acquired it today, I'd leave that alone...probably just add duals and a four barrel. Really cool find. A well-aged time capsule.