Opinions please

[TheMainG]

Just bought a nice 78 Gp,black with red interior.The car is all original,no rust anywhere,needs a few small things,301 auto,(boring I know),anyone ever build one?Just undecided if I want to keep it original or build the 402 I have for it.Or maybe go with a 350. Also,as for the color,been thinking about the black cherry.You can check out pic's of it on my site or if anyone knows how to add them here,please do.Ty

 

[oldtinsmith]

TheMainG,
Nice find! IMO, black cherry is a thumbs up!!! If you like to granny drive go with the 301, but if you go with the 402 you can drive like a man possessed at will!

Doug

 

[pencero]

you should run the 301 into the ground until it death rattles and keep building the replacement. After you take it out nobody's coming for that sh*t once its sitting outside is too late and who knows how long it could have went - and how many improvements you might be able to cram in that eng. build in the meantime 😱

 

[Phoenyx]

When I had my 80 GP I did a few things to the 301. rebuilt the carb, had the distributor rebuilt, duel exhaust, and changed the cam (268H Comp). I definitely woke the engine up. But after the cam was all broken in and I started to push it more. I noticed it wouldn't rev over 4400RPM. So I did some research and found that the 301 heads flow so bad (and only 301 heads fit on a 301) that they can't flow over 4400-4500RPM (I don't know if this is the same on the turbo 301s). Was kind like a built in rev limiter lol (and yes I tested it lol). But I wouldn't spend much money on 301 again. Just run it until you have something else ready to drop in.

 

[dogsht]

Drive your Pontiac 301 while you build your Chevy 402. If you don't have a 402 I would look for another Pontiac engine as its a drop in from what you have now and since you have a Pontiac car. Naturally life does not always go nice & neat. Heck I was looking for an Olds 455 for my Cutlass & landed a Cadillac 500 for free when a guy I guy I knew could not take it with him when a job change had him move to an apartment complex. Turned out it was an even better motor and great fun. Which is what this hobby is mostly about.. having building and driving something fun.

 

[kornball426]

If you've already got a 402, I'd build it and put it in... Why not right? Will be a fun ride...

I'd personally leave the exterior black... But that's just me I like black paint. Me personally I'd change the interior color, I feel like red interior is very dated and I dunno something about the way it's so visible from outside the car bothers me. I like the interior to be plain, not really eye catching or fancy. Just comfortable and equipped with a full set of gauges... And as long as it has a CD player and speakers that aren't blown I'm happy. I'd make it grey, black, black and beige, or black and grey. But that's up to you, if you like it I'm not going to tell you to do your car the way I would like it. 😛 black cherry is a nice color... My brothers Monte SS was black cherry with like crimson SS badging and pin striping it looked really sharp (from 10 feet back).