1973 GTO - what could have been

[olredalert]

----Must have been, Jake, as thats the only one I had during that period. It was a good old GP. I had to fix the edge of the trunklid twice while I had it but cant remember touching another thing. Bought it in Naperville at a gas station down the street from Stretches first shop. Sold it to a guy from northern Indiana, I think.
----Joe,,,I was just about to post just how rare it would be to find a saddle leather GP and this one falls in your lap. WOW!!! Looks very nice. Does it need a new home?.....Bill S

[RAIIIT/A]

olredalert - I would consider cutting loose of it as I am running out of garage space.

[GTO_DON]

Steve I was there also looking at that Grand Am. The Sd engine was not dealer installed in that car. I spoke with the owner at length and know the previous owner. The original owner bought what he could over the counter and installed it himself a few months after he bought it and it does not have a true SD block in it.. Anyway It was a very cool car!!!

[njsteve]

GTO-DON, What car did you bring to the show?

I always loved those 73 Grand Ams. I remember when they first came out. As kids we would always go up and squeeze the beaks on those cars because the urethane noses were such a new and innovative technology.

[StealthBird]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GTO_DON</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Steve I was there also looking at that Grand Am. The Sd engine was not dealer installed in that car. I spoke with the owner at length and know the previous owner. The original owner bought what he could over the counter and installed it himself a few months after he bought it and it does not have a true SD block in it.. Anyway It was a very cool car!!! </div></div>

Don, so is that invoice that was posted above a fake? It appears the dealer installed the SD-455, as the invoice shows the total price of the car? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif[/img]

[njsteve]

Not necessarily. I think that invoice reflects what the original owner ordered in Feb 1973, but then it didn't get built that way by Pontiac, so he then put the engine he wanted, in the car on his own.

Back in early 1973 Pontiac was advertising all sorts of vehicular applications for this new SD engine. After months of waiting and waiting, Pontiac killed the other applications and restricted it to Trans Ams and Formulas, and further restricted them by permitting A/C only on the automatic transmission equipped F-Bodies. No A/C in a four-speed SD455.

[GTO_DON]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: StealthBird</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: GTO_DON</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Steve I was there also looking at that Grand Am. The Sd engine was not dealer installed in that car. I spoke with the owner at length and know the previous owner. The original owner bought what he could over the counter and installed it himself a few months after he bought it and it does not have a true SD block in it.. Anyway It was a very cool car!!! </div></div>

Don, so is that invoice that was posted above a fake? It appears the dealer installed the SD-455, as the invoice shows the total price of the car? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif[/img] </div></div>That was the way the original owner ordered it but like steve said it did not come thru that way. If you turned the page in the guys book it had the original bill of sale minus the sd engine and the money credited back. The owner told me that the guy got a ram IV service block and used that.

[GTO_DON]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">GTO-DON, What car did you bring to the show?

I always loved those 73 Grand Ams. I remember when they first came out. As kids we would always go up and squeeze the beaks on those cars because the urethane noses were such a new and innovative technology. </div></div>Your a Trans Am guy at heart, I had the 77 special edition Bandit Trans Am there. I was playing my Wings greatist hits 8 track all day and the battery didnt die. Did you get a pic of it?

[njsteve]

Sorry, no photos. Nice car, I checked it out while walking around the show. I too, was surprised that your battery lasted that long!
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

[olredalert]

----Joe,,,You have a PM!!!....Bill S