The Poor Man’s GTO That Nobody Bought- The Pontiac GT-37 455 HO

[@Surfzap63]

I had a 1971 T-37. It was a great first car. Handsome, substantial and planted. I always put low mile used Goodyear police radials on it via a family connection. It handled well but with the inline 6 was not quick. It was very reliable and easy to work on.

[@andrescer]

my dad had a lime green pontiac tempest he bought brand new in 1969. I always loved the Pontiac brand. GM murdered a great brand.

[@Mikeysixkiller]

I remember one of these, it was around the mid or late 80s. A guy had one with the 455HO. He had the motor blueprinted, put slicks on, and it ran 12.7 quarters and the front wheels lightly came off the ground.

[@davidharner5865]

@@Mikeysixkiller so good to hear a story about someone doing things right, including running that engine!

[@larryok8156]

Can't believe being 53 years old that this is the first im learning this. Great video!

[@Slowgroovin]

This is how modern muscle and pony cars need to be today: stripped down with the biggest engine possible, instead of being heavy, $80,000 luxo barges. Cars like the T-37 were how muscle cars were originally intended to be.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

todays muscle cars are boat anchors fully loaded with every power opt know

[@1badsj]

I have heard of both the T-37 and the GT-37. I knew that you could order a 455 in them. Read about them in the 80's. Never seen one in person until the late 90's. A buddy in HS has a 70 LeMans Sport. I owned a 70 LeMans Sport in '96-'97. Both were 350-2bbl. Thanks for sharing this story.

[@terryoquinn8199]

I’m a Mopar man but when I was younger and poorer , I drove whatever I could afford at the time . Nothing “nice” but I did have some fast cars . My favorite Pontiac was a 1972 Lemans Sport 4 door grocery getter that I paid $275 for in 1977 . It was kinda rough looking but it had a 400 / 400 Turbo in it that just flat out flew ! I would spot “nice” cars 1 , 2 and sometimes even 3 lengths before dusting their butts at the other end . That car was impressive and made a lot of people very angry , not to mention a bit less rich . Man I loved the good old days ! I guess I’ll have to learn to live with my new Last Call Challenger Hellcat Jailbreak in Plum Crazy purple that will dust about anything except possibly another Mopar ! A Super Stock or Redeye or Demon is about all and depending on the driver , who knows . I’ve been street racing for a lotta years . Track time too in an 11 second Duster for a while . I love the smell of racing fuel in the morning ! Take care all and drive like you know how to ! Peace ☮️ !

[@bvward]

I remember the package. I had a neighbor that was a Pontiac salesman. He often brought home interesting cars. I would love to build a 4 door sleeper Lemans with a manual trans☺

[@terryoquinn8199]

I had a 4 door Lemans Sport , ‘72 , with a 400/400 Turbo that looked like hell but ran like a bat out of hell ! I sent many people home , embarrassed by my beater !

[@charlesdalton985]

I always thought the GT-37 was Pontiac's real answer to the Road Runner. The Judge was supposed to be, but then they moved it up market. On a personal note - when I was a kid a guy on our street had one. He was about 10 years older, so we all looked up to him. I believe his was a 400, but not certain. Thanks for highlighting an overlooked car.

[@cuda426hemi]

Did Pontiac have a car that wouldn't get killed by a cheaper '71 440 6 barrel Road Runner? I won't even mention the HEEMEE. Nobody had an answer for the '68 $2700 Road Runner certainly not a straight 6 Poncho ! LOL

[@terryoquinn8199]

Mopar or no car !

[@gearmeister]

Nice! I didn't know about the GT-37. The T-37 would even be a good choice for slamming in a big block, because we all know that sneaking up on a Pinto could be hazardous to your health 😂😂😂

[@cameronturner7475]

I had a 70 t-37. Bench seat, manual brakes, manual steering, radio delete, key and a heater, 3 speed floor shift but, it had the 400 HO and it would move.

[@michaelvarble4392]

In 1973 we had a car in the running at a dirt track in saluda Virginia 55 Chevy. In the next higher division was pretty much an outlaw division like if it ran you could be in the class. One guy had a nova with a 427 set back 12 inches but got beaten really bad by a lemans with the inline 6 overhead cam. In 50 laps the lemans was ahead by three laps on the 3/8s mile track

[@drd1924]

Thats really cool to know, some of my friends would buy a Lemans and fit the GTO stuff on it for a poor mans GTO Inline 6's have some definite potential but to beat a 427??? Nuts

[@davidharner5865]

Yorktown was my home for many years, know that track.

[@terryoquinn8199]

I’ve been to that track many times in the very early ‘80’s . Saw the fastest car there get beat badly on a Saturday night because the driver couldn’t drive it ! He would outrun everyone in the straight away but get destroyed in the corners ! I wanted to set up my ‘73 Barracuda for dirt but I needed it to get to work in ! Oh well , probably better off , I had a family to support . That track was called Virginia Raceway , I loved going there on Saturday nights . Take care everyone !

[@JohnWalter-i8n]

I remember the T 37. In '69 my parents bought a Tempest Sport. 350 with a 2 speed automatic. $2992. It was my pops daily driver until I acquired it in '77. By then 2 cylinders needed plug extenders it burned 2 quarts of oil per tank of fuel. No matter I cut it to dual cherry bombs and beat the hell out of it.

[@allanjechorek4381]

Reminds me of my 1967 Barricuda. 273 4 barrel that smoked like hell. It still beat most small blocks I came up against.

[@davidharner5865]

Three speed with a Hurst shifter! I Am assuming this is the 'Heavy-Duty' Trip.

[@milesgraham9645]

Saw a t37 455 for sale in Saskatchewan several years back. looked like a nice car. c$65k at the time.

[@timteevin4517]

I lived through that era as a teenager, street racer. And I never heard of that combo. !!

[@allanjechorek4381]

Thank you for being so thorough and no AI voice.

[@AllenSymonds]

In 1978, I bought a 1970 Lemans with a 250 six cylinder and a 3 sp. This was my college car. It was actually pretty fast because this was before detuning in 1972. I think it had about 210 hp and cost me $1500.

[@davidharner5865]

Congratulations!

[@olikat8]

@the 9.30 mark- girlfriend in HS, the family had one just the same color combo they bought new. But, 16 years of Michigan & Ohio winters, and her older brother were not the nicest to it. It was sitting in the driveway (Enon, Ohio) about the mid'90's and somebody bought it. They definitely had their work cut out trying to bring it back. Hopefully it happened, don't know

[@scottpeters8640]

Being a Pontiac GTO fan since before I even got my license, I must say I have never heard of this model. I would assume insurance would have been cheaper on this over the GTO.

[@Red-rl1xx]

I saw one in a car magazine (might have been a late '80s issue of Muscle Car Review) where this guy wanted to buy a '70 Judge but the elders at his church told him that wasn't the image they wanted to project. So, he wound up ordering all the Judge equipment on a GT37 convertible.

[@drlarcey]

I was born in 1966. That was a very wonderful trip on memory lane as a child growing up. My parents both had Volkswagen buses. My father also had a 356 about the time I was eight or nine years old. I got rid of the German thing And we got a 1968 impala super sport silver with the black land down top and the horseshoe shifter was it was a beast. It was definitely different than the Porsche. I was the Porsche but I also grew up about 1000 feet from a Chevrolet dealer that had all five brands, so was no nothing walked past a lot of brand new Corvettes and Chevelle and who is a young kid. I used to get to watch daily brand new cars and it was amazing. It was amazing back then that was very informative documentary that you put together, buddy that was awesome.

[@lorimcquinn3966]

While a couple friends owned GT37's when they were new, I've never seen one w/ a 455. They were both 350's w/ 4 speeds.

[@opera93]

Same here….. 455s , rare? Etc.

[@lorimcquinn3966]

@@opera93 I guess it's basically a poor man's GTO. I wouldn't mind having a GT37 w/ the 350 though, that said, prices on old cars have went crazy in the 4 years.

[@MilfordHeavenMercadoPach-im7jk]

You dude are giving me more surprises with today's video of gt-37 that few people know 😮 so thanks and have a good day bye now.

[@No_Malarky]

Thru 1986/`87 I had a `72 LeMans Gt (American model) which meant some Canadian parts here up north didn`t fit make & model. Though not my fastest it held it`s own in a straight line. Bright orange with the silver/black reflective side stripe & black interior. Acquired for $700 running & driving well.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I love all the GM cars in this body style.

[@davidharner5865]

@@The_R-n-I_Guy so very yer!

[@wintermute1]

I recall that car and option package but unfortunately no stories.

[@mechanicman8687]

Yeah, my favorite car of the past. Just have to learn how to change the clutch

[@stevenherbert4779]

Watching on the Big Screen and shared it with my Landlord who loves these things 😇

[@allanjechorek4381]

Just remember Pontiac never had a big block.

[@UberLummox]

Heard of the T-37 but not the GT-37. Very cool!

[@bruceh92]

Wouldn't it be ironic if public awareness of the T-37 Pontiac grows to the point where it's no longer a hi performance bargain because there's not enough of them to meet demand so it becomes more sought after than, say, a Judge, which costed way more when new and becomes worth more than the Judge. That does make sense? Ultimately, the best deal is to buy a plain Jane 350 car or six cyl and build something from it. Thus is the cheapest way to go.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Never heard of the GT-37. Never even heard of the Lemans based T-37.

[@buggerall]

Thanks. never heard of it but I'm from the Netherlands so that might cut me some slack. Get better soon.

[@heavyearly2232]

I had a subscription to Hemmings muscle car, and they featured one of these, one that was racing in F.A.S.T meets at that time. Neat car, but the Oldsmobile cutlasses were so much better looking( My Dad bought one).

[@rarecars3336]

I would agree I prefer the look of the Cutlass, especially the Cutlass S

[@davidharner5865]

And I Am a Skylark fan! All were beautiful cars, amongst the most attractive automobiles ever made.

[@UncleRobsGarage]

I knew a blue gt 37 in California in San Luis Obispo.

[@daniellatimer1876]

I've seen a few GT-37 models at the Woodward Dream Cruise.

[@emilypeters8888]

So why would you want the 455HO vs the 400 in the 1970 gt37 because at 345 horse, the 1970 400 had 20 more hp than the 1971 455 and 10 more then gto 455 so the 1970 gt37 with the 400HO would seem like the sweet spot especially if you could order a 4 speed or something similar just saying the 1970 with the 400HO would have been lighter and likely faster.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

On the track? Yes. On the strip? Mmmm, not so much

[@bvward]

In 1971 horsepower ratings went from Gross HP to Net HP...

[@WhiteKnightCutlass]

Car manufacturers were known for fudging hp numbers, and then of course there was the switch from Net to gross hp to really screw everyone up, but I'm pretty sure insurance companies and the rates they charged were one of the main reasons for the discrepancy, but also to keep the numbers somewhat SECERT to the other manufacturers

[@MegaBob12311]

Not sure that the weight would have been much different. Unlike the Chevys 350/400/455 Pontiac engines were all based on the same block with varying bore and stroke. All had iron heads and cast manifolds with HO cars getting an aluminum intake.

[@ShaneArdoin]

455 should have a lot more Torque, and as others said '71 engine specs were stated as Net vs prior model year's Gross

[@jpc123voice]

Always been a top fan of Pontiac. Fact, I even seen John DeLorean at grocery store I worked at. My first 2 cars were Pontiacs. I would take an GT-37 over a Judge just based on rarity and more towards a sleeper look.

[@donstor1]

The thing about that 455 was that it was heavy and that made the whole front end heavy. If you got loose with that thing it wanted to spin but if you could keep it straight, it was fun and fast. It also liked to run hot and mine got an oversized radiator. Wish i had that thing today.

[@marko7843]

Sorry to tell you this old boy, but you obviously don't know Pontiac... Pontiac did not have separate small blocks and big blocks! Ergo, the 455 was the same block as the 350, and might have actually weighed less because they bored out more iron.

[@highoctanememe3617]

i first one i ever seen was on polebarngarage a few years ago

[@richardturk7162]

The big goofy 20 inch wheel look ridiculous. Muscle cars came before the GTO. 62 and 63 Ford and Chrysler were doing the muscle car thing.

[@Charles-q4t8y]

What about "Custom S"?😮

[@tacoheadmakenzie9311]

A friend had a '69 Custom S with a 350 HO and a four speed.

[@Charles-q4t8y]

@tacoheadmakenzie9311 yes, I remember those running around, didnt know where they fit in to this hierarchy. My buddies Hot Mom had a 71 LeMans "Sport" looked like a GTO interior wise, but it had "Skirtz" always thought it was Kool Lookin' Machine...

[@bryantint1339]

Never heard of it. I just know Pontiac Catalina.

[@BenMarvin]

3:44 > austere Who even talks like that? Somebody has been giving their thesaurus a workout.

[@rarecars3336]

Got a thesaurus for Christmas LOL

[@UberLummox]

Who even has a problem with that. Too big of a word for ya?

[@BenMarvin]

@@UberLummox Yes, I have a learning disability and prefer more common automotive nomenclature.Vroom vroom, car go fast.

[@UberLummox]

@@BenMarvin Nomenclature?????? Who says that!!!

[@Tony-q8f6o]

My buddy had a gt37

[@Tony-q8f6o]

How many?

[@craigm2484]

👍🏻

[@RCH45ACP]

Look up the word austere. You don't know what it means.

[@magnus9165]

Pure corporate BS rhetoric. How dumb do you think your audience is? The prices went up for profits. What high priced muscle tech? Get real, we all know why prices go up in the USA, corporate greed.

[@mikeymadnez]

I watched one rot in Philadelphia

[@rarecars3336]

Well that's unfortunate

[@michaelbrooks1458]

GM stands for general motors Buick Pontiac Chevy. Buick GSX 455 CHEVY Chevel/ Nova Pontiac Tempest/ LaMans yep!

[@davidharner5865]

Huh?!?