# My 1971 project dilemma, any advice, guidance, council, a good therapist?



## SpeedSLC (May 24, 2015)

Well first off this could end up being an expensive restoration job with it having front end damage. I have however found some necessary parts so I am headed down the right path: endura nose, front valance, headlight buckets, hood. I have a bit of autobody experience but not to the extent of replacing a front end so i'm going to go to a professional on this one for sure. I have had it for about two years, took it to my friend's mechanic shop right after buying it and he got the breaks working, put in a new clutch and gave it a tune up but other than that and the front end parts I bought it has just been sitting(2+) years. I was finally able to identify the motor as being numbers matching but haven't gotten into it enough to see if everything else is. It's a 400 4 speed with the basic factory package (no a/c, no power windows etc.). I just feel in over my head. I bought it because it was just too hard to turn down. I had a 70 camaro I restored in my early twenties but had to sell it, have a 1971 ford F250, and I suppose I figured why not a 71 GTO. I have no info on if the motor was rebuilt but my mechanic told me it runs so smooth that it had to have been rebuilt so this was one of the deciding factors for the purchase. 

Some thoughts for discussion: is the body work for the front end going to cost me an arm and a leg? I know I need to find more matching numbers than just the block stamp but as far as value goes how much importance goes into the rest being numbers matching? What do I need to match numbers on besides from what I have learned from research is the carburetor and transmission? From just the overall look what feel do you get for the car? 

I know I sound like a dummy but i'm eager to learn...


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## SpeedSLC (May 24, 2015)

*A couple more pictures*

I have tons more but this should be enough for now.

Thanks everyone, I have been visiting this forum a lot since I bought my car and have learned so much, it's a fun community


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Appears fairly solid and the donor parts you have for it appear to be in really good used shape. The grilles are 72's from a T41 LeMans, but they can be sold to recoup for correct replacements. The coresupport top will need to be removed in order to dolly the wrinkles out. Lot of spot weld to drill out from underneath, but can be done.

Looking at the engine pic, def Fremont installed engine with the partial VIN stamped high (though I cant make it totally out). One of my HO cars was built out of Fremont aprox two weeks later, it's original block is stamped up there as well. Being a non AC '71, the 5 blade flex fan is correct, should be a 480033, not the earlier "346". Being a non AC 400 4spd 71, my own opinion it's a good candidate, and worth restoring.


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## SpeedSLC (May 24, 2015)

*Bend in the frame and passenger front fender pushed back into passenger door*

The passenger door doesn't open because of the fender being pushed back into it. You can see someone did open it at one point and bent the edges


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## SpeedSLC (May 24, 2015)

*oops*

Those were the wrong pictures, these are the ones that show the damage I was talking about. It might be hard to see the bend in the frame from these pictures


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Looks like a real solid candidate for a frame on resto to me. Welcome to the forum.


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## CHEVEN (Sep 1, 2013)

Car is awesome ....you guys out west have it easy


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## Nightshade 68 HO (Mar 11, 2014)

I do not see why that frame cannot be pulled. I would heck the rest of the frame for rot...since the sheetmetal has minimal, I doubt the frame has any...Love the 71's. The first 71 I ever saw at 16 back in 1990, I could toss a buddy through the quarters and out the other side....NY, rust and rot capital of the nation!


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## SpeedSLC (May 24, 2015)

CHEVEN said:


> Car is awesome ....you guys out west have it easy


I have heard this a couple times, is it because of less moisture here, low humidity? I'm sure it's the desert environment but are there other reasons for this?


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

SpeedSLC said:


> I have heard this a couple times, is it because of less moisture here, low humidity? I'm sure it's the desert environment but are there other reasons for this?


Mainly salt on the roads used in the Midwest.
Ca. cars can be rusted out if they are located close to the ocean, the salt air can do them in over time.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Coastal cars are some of the absolute worst, they will literally rust from the roof down. Over the years have sold numerous nice solid A pillars, dash assemblys, roofs, and even B pillars to to fellows from coastal Kalifornia, MD, NJ, CT. About 20 years ago, sent so much nice rust free '67 GTO sheet metal to a fellow in Florida, I was like, your restoring the car has to be a labor of love. My exact words were he could have come back west and bought a solid builder '67 GTO from me for less money than what was being spent spend on primo used sheet metal and road freight, then he still had ahead thousands in metal replacement labor.


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