My 78’ Pontiac GP/SJ 454 build

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78BB-Pontiac

Apprentice
May 6, 2019
85
105
33
St.Paul, Minnesota
Hello Gbody fans. I’m pretty new to this sight but thought now is a good time as any to start a build thread on my recently purchased 78’ Pontiac GP/SJ. I’m sitting up in a crane at work and the roll mill is down, I get pretty board.
From what I can tell it’s been here in Minnesota since around 2009 and is a original Idaho car. The previous owner passed away and was sold by one of his sons.
The car is rust free and came with a 1979’ 454 truck motor installed. The internals are stock and has a bunch of new aftermarket parts under the hood.

Holley strip dominator high rise intake.
Edelbrock 750 carburetor.
Billet distributor.
Aluminum four core radiator. 170* thermostat.
Dual electric fan set up.
Chrome 150 alternator.
Polished aluminum water pump.
Summit electric fuel pump.
Oversized front coil springs.
Oversized front sway bar.
New rear coil springs
Dual Flow masters.

That’s about it that the car came with. I have since had to strip the underside of roof from surface rust and coat with POR-15 rust preventive coating. I also put a sound barrier on to of that.
I have a headliner coming any day now from stock Interiors.
I also wanted to tint the back and side quarter windows. My back window had the defrost lines in glass but found a old Gbody cutlass at you pull our parts in Rosemount, Minnesota that had good Clear back glass I got for $22.
My car was a landau roof car but luckily the previous owner had both back quarter Window interior panels from a non-landau car sitting in the trunk. I don’t plan on putting a landau roof back on it.
When I got the car I noticed it had two small patches of surface rust inside trunk on both sides just behind the inner wheel well.
I have since sandblasted both spots and coated with POR-15. Real happy it was only surface rust and didn’t eat metal!
Another nice thing about this car, it has all its trim except the side panel trim which I wouldn’t put back on anyway.
This car has a 700R4 that I plan on changing to a 4L60E or 4L80E. The car has a 10 bolt 411 in rear that will need to be a 12 bolt. I also plan on aluminum heads and bigger cam in the 454. It’s not near where it needs to be at the moment! Any suggestions are more than welcome!
These first pics are from the day I picked the car up in a snow bank I had to shovel myself before the flatbed driver showed up. The car sat all winter and fired right up.
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carl

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Feb 15, 2017
32
12
8
really nice GP. enjoy it. wouldn't mind seeing some under the hood & interior pics.
 
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78BB-Pontiac

Apprentice
May 6, 2019
85
105
33
St.Paul, Minnesota
I hope the seller knocked a few hundo off since you had to shovel it out. That, or you got a smokin' assed deal.
Lol.. I hear ya’ shoveling snow sucks!
Not sure if a got a deal, it didn’t matter. I had to have it!😉 I’m the right owner for that car and will make it much better than it is today.
The way I see it we are only the caretakers of these cars. I see them as a important part of American automotive history that will be here when we are gone. I see myself as the owner of that car to be obligated to take care of it for the next owner. I will try and save money building that car. But I really don’t care how much money it takes to finish how I want it. I’ll just work more OT up in the crane at work to pay for it!😉
 
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motorheadmike

Geezer
Nov 18, 2009
8,976
27,522
113
Saskatchewan, Truckistan
Colour me interested.
 
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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
Those viscount seats are awesome. I'd ditch those seat covers yesterday though haha.

What parts of MN do you call home?

Nice GP!
 
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Jay.D

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Jul 18, 2017
17
12
3
St.Paul, Minnesota
Those viscount seats are awesome. I'd ditch those seat covers yesterday though haha.

What parts of MN do you call home?

Nice GP!
The front seats need recovering and their going to be real hot this summer. Those seat covers will be much cooler.
I grew up in White Bear Lake, Mn. Now own a house on St.Pauls Rockin East Side if you have ever listened to KQ92 back in the 80’s.
 
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Texas82GP

Just-a-worm
Apr 3, 2015
7,981
18,676
113
Spring, Texas
Forget the 4L60E behind the big block. Go 4L80E. I couldn't keep a 4L60E behind a 5.3 with a cam.
 
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TURNA

Rocket Powered Basset Hound
Jul 24, 2009
10,941
19,990
113
Socialist NY
Before you ditch the heads I would check the casting number on them.

That is a really good intake to use/waste on peanut oval port truck heads
 
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