If the pages of Barn Finds are an accurate guide, Pontiac’s GT-37 is a rare beast. This is only the fourth example we have featured in over a decade, and it is undoubtedly the best. This car’s appeal is heightened by the drivetrain combination, offering performance that eclipses the legendary GTO. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting a classic that is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Tiffin, Ohio. You could drive the GT-37 home with an asking price of $44,000 OBO.
Some paint and stripe combinations work better than others, although their appeal is often a matter of personal taste. Take this GT-37’s Cardinal Red paint and Gold stripes. I find the look extremely appealing, but others may not find it particularly attractive. The seller indicates that this Pontiac sports one repaint in its original shade. One indisputable fact is this car’s overall presentation. The paint possesses a depth of color and shine that you could sink into, while the stripes are crisp and clean. There is no evidence of shrinking or checking, and the car’s muscular stance is accentuated by the Rally II wheels. These wear trim rings that weren’t standard fare in 1971, but they could have been a dealer or later addition. The glass is crystal clear, and the chrome sparkles as impressively as the paint.
Pontiac released the T-37 in 1970, attaching that badge to what was previously designated the Tempest Coupe. The GT-37 joined the party as a genuine muscle car that could be ordered with the same drivetrain as the legendary GTO. Buyers not concerned with the cachet of owning the real deal could slip behind the wheel of the next best thing. As a bonus, the GT-37 was typically lighter than an equivalent GOAT, allowing the latest offering to score a narrow victory over the ¼-mile. The first owner equipped this GT-37 with a 400ci V8, a four-speed M22 manual transmission, and power assistance for the steering. The ET of 15 seconds is not too bad, especially when an identical GTO takes 15.2 seconds to complete the same journey. The seller claims that this GT-37 has a genuine 38,000 miles on the clock without mentioning verification. However, they hold a range of documentation that may remove any lingering doubts. It appears that this classic is in excellent health, making flying in and driving home a viable option.
I began to wonder whether this Pontiac would reveal any significant faults, and we must focus on its interior to locate one. The dashpad is cracked above the gauge cluster, with the edges warping as a result. The new owner could attempt a DIY approach to its restoration, throw a cover over it to hide the problem or splash around $650 on a replacement pad. Otherwise, this interior presents acceptably for a driver-grade classic. The Black vinyl upholstered surfaces are in good order, the carpet is clean and free from significant wear, and the headliner looks tidy. It appears that someone has added an under-dash gauge cluster that could be easily removed, but I’d retain it as cheap insurance to monitor the health of that beautiful V8.
The 1971 Pontiac GT-37 is an oft-overlooked member of the muscle car world. The company produced 6,589 examples in 1971, with 718 buyers ticking the box for the 400ci V8. Those featuring a 455 are rarer, but you won’t see one of these classics on the road very often. The seller’s price is well above the market average, but do you feel it is justified for a car that offers better performance than a legendary GTO?
Why wasn’t this model more popular ?
No hoodscoops, poor publicity, lower compression in ’71, GTO name?
It was also competing against the Le Mans Sport, which came with the endura front bumper and GTO style hood. There are several GT37 dealer brochures available for viewing through Google, it just seems like they were ignored.
Steve R
Some facts in order, just shows to go nya’ how influential a name came be. Take the moniker “GTO”,,legendary status, a “GT37”? Pfft, please,, but apparently, 5,000 people in 1971, chose the GT37, half as many GTOs sold that year. I read, the GT37 base listed for $2800, a GTO, was almost $3400, and similarly equipped GT37s could cost that much. Only 54 had the 455 GTO motor. It’s a nice car, for sure, but have people really gotten used to paying 10 times the original amount for everything?
This is a nice Pontiac, and thinking along the lines of what Stan said it seemed like a good idea at least on paper, it should’ve been more popular. But as a kid I remember GTOs, and Lemans were all over the place. But a GT37? I dont ever remember seeing one in real life. Thinking along the lines of Howard I agree, if you went to a Pontiac dealership for a performance car, you were most likely going to for the gusto and by a Goat. Its great that this has been restored and is in such great condition, and definitely a good conversation starter at a Cars and Coffee for sure. I’m with Adam as far as the color and stripe combination it looks right together.
A former boss of mine pulled up to work one day driving one of these. The body shop gave it to him as a loaner car while they were painting his Lincoln.
It’s a nice looking car, but the seller needs to provide documentation for his claims, especially so considering the asking price.
The M22 would be highly unlikely with a 400, but could be easily verified by showing the Protecto plate or with PHS documentation. The air cleaner is the generic dual snorkel unit that was common at swapmeets for decades, it does NOT have anything to do with Ram Air as the seller stated in the ad.
The 400 4spd is nice, a buddy had a 1970 400, 4spd GT37 that he found in Autotrader for $1,000 while looking for an inexpensive V8 4spd American car. He wanted to find a second GT37 and looked at several, most were beat to death, all had 350’s. Most GT37’s were equipped with a 350 2bbl and were far from a performance car, though some people were smart enough to upgrade the drivetrain, like this cars original buyer did.
Steve R
Thinking back to that 72 GT I remarked on the other day – the gent in town with the Quezal gold GT had an M20 with the 400. I was always under the impression that only the 455 got an M22. Could be wrong about that though. Maybe it was possible to order? I do know that the combo of a 400 with a 4 speed is a pretty rare car, no matter which Muncie it has. Nice Pontiac.