U.S. automakers were feeling the pinch of declining muscle car sales by 1971. The Pontiac GTO, the heralded founder of the mid-size performance movement in 1964, sold just 10,532 units for the year, compared with 40,149 in 1970. Increased emissions controls and rising insurance premiums were at the forefront of the demand problem. This ’71 edition developed some mechanical issues around 1985 and found itself sidelined for 36 years, stored inside until recently. Located in Holden, Missouri, this GTO is available here on eBay where the no reserve auction has reached $5,944.
Model year 1971 would be the GTO’s last year as a standalone model, reverting to option status on the LeMans for 1972-73. In its final year, 1974, the GTO would be based on the compact Ventura with output of just 5,335 cars. This ’71 was street raced during its first 14 years but saw no activity at the local drag strip. The original owner didn’t have the coin to fix the knock in the motor, so it became the property of a local insurance agent who was also a Pontiac fan. The automobile was never fixed, so that work will be left to the buyer. It hasn’t been touched or even washed to remove dozens of years of dirt and grime.
With its original 400 cubic inch, 300 hp V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and automatic transmission, the seller’s car was one of 6,421 built for 1971. Finished in Canyon Copper, the paint on this car is thought to be mostly original with a contrasting vinyl top, both of which are rough at this stage. The sheet metal, although dented and dinged here and then, is what the car left the factory with. The Endura front end clip looks a bit chewed on in a couple of places. The seller says the car is “fairly light in the rust department” but we’d be surprised if something wasn’t brewing where we can’t see.
This GTO came with a Sandlewood interior, which has also sadly seen better days. It came with factory air conditioning, but the plumbing for it looks long gone under the hood. It also has power steering and brakes which were commonly ordered options on the GTO that year. The passenger compartment will likely need gutting and started over even though the indicated mileage is just over 61,000. The car is a non-runner, although the motor turns over, but the original knock must still be addressed.
Like a lot of 1970s muscle cars that gained some street cred, this Pontiac was jacked up in the rear with stock width wheels up front and wide Cragar drag wheels in the back. Originally, it may have had Rally wheels although Pontiac’s Honeycomb wheels would look good. The seller provides a photo album of what this car might look like once restored, assuming this is a project that’s considered financially viable.
One of the ugliest front ends ever.
IMO, Pontiac could not have come up with a better looking front end(& better iconic magazine ads & tv commercials) than the ’68-69 one & should have retained that endura nose thru ’72(or later if GM bothered to research rollover stds & not developed the colonades). As for the ’70-2 rear bumper, it’s ok, but i would have preferred the ’68 bumper used thru ’70, & the ’69 bumper used ’71 thru ’72.
I’m surprised i’ve never seen the other ’68-69 chrome front bumper not painted body color to “resemble” the endura one.
Pontiac did use the Endura front bumper on the GTO from ‘68-‘72. The ‘68 & ‘69 used the same surround with differect grille inserts. ‘70 was a one year only design, and if I’m not mistaken the ‘71-‘72 shared the same nose with different grille inserted. Also optional on the LeMans
That poor GTO, front bumper saw a hit over 5 mph and side pipes and those rear wheels and tires. Didn’t see the bottom but has to be air shocks somewhere. Have to say the price is right if someone is willing to take on the challenge.
It’s got the look and the add on parts of that time , all it’s missing is the sawzall installed sunroof.
I rather like the CB antenna!
How do you feel about the 12″ long throttle return spring mounted to the alternator bracket?!
looks like a Slinky
Tell me what I am missing here. I see a $1000.00 car that needs $5000 worth of work to make it a $3000 “investment”
Talk about a car that needs everything!
There is one word that explains everything about this car, tired. I like this year and model Poncho, but like an old pup I had as a kid it looks dog tired. I can see Joe Dirt driving this. Asking too much green and needs too much work.
It is tired, and more rusty than the seller states in the ad. However, the seller isn’t asking too much, after all, it’s a no reserve auction with an opening bid of $100. The high price falls squarely on undisciplined bidders. Granted, it is a matching numbers GTO, but it needs everything.
Steve R
I feel old. Part of me misses and fondly remembers this look. I remember saving money for the air shocks on my “hot rod”. Nostalgia is a powerful drug. Lol
Looks like it went through Pep Boys with a magnet..Period 80’s mods
This is a great lookin’ car, what are you guys not seeing?
— Joe Dirt
I had a T 37 Lemans with a M22 4 speed, best car I ever owned . I think the run on this car will prove too much cost to repair
Knock in the motor …. Nice
I get that some folks have old stuff they want to sell or get rid of.
This one looks pretty far gone and based on the photos I bet there is a ton of unseen stuff to be dealt with that will make a restoration extremely costly.
This was not my favorite year either, they should have kept the sweet looking front end, and rear end from the prior years IMO…I never understood why Detroit felt the need to restyle sheet metal constantly. The foreign makers tended to go 3-5 years without big changes in appearance, and still managed to take huge chunks of US auto makers market share. Sometimes change for the sake of change is really a great thing.
At least this guy is not asking 30K, but I don’t know what is a fair price for this. Just know it will be really costly to bring this one back.
A “fair” price is whatever the high bid on this car turns out to be. Since it’s a no reserve auction this will reflect the true market. The $100 opening bid shows the seller likely just wants it gone, they did not set up artificial barriers such as a reserve to get in the way.
Steve R
Wow the hillbilly express needs to ride again…but will require lots of work, and money,even an ugly gto should not of been let sit and rot like this, what a shame, my years for goats are 65-67,the rest of them I’d rather have a chrome nosed tempest or le mans.
GrandPa woopies
shelzbot
Clean it up and show it,, that way, for all the youngsters to see how an older generation of “street racers” use to play with their cars. The more things change the more things stay the same.
Seller seems funny, calling the lifted rear end a “real Day 1 look!”. HMMM.
Can you imagine rolling up to a Chevy dealer in late 1983 in this heap to trade it in on a new Corvette? They would have laughed and given you like 50 bucks for it. Today, this is worth more than same ’84 Corvette with 3,000 miles on it.