• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

So I posted one of my collector cars on Craigslist..............

TOMLESCOEQUIP

TOMLESCOEQUIP

Just Plinkin Away the $$
And they keep flagging me for removal.

Am I being too open & honest in my description ?

(I did go see Clint Eastwood in the movie Gran Torino )

Your thoughts please:

1970 Pontiac GTO


455, 4 speed

3.42 Posi, power steering, power disc brakes.

I have owned this GTO for 16 years & put approximately 5000 miles on it since I bought it in 1999.

It has been a fun toy in the barn, but with 2 kids in college it's time for it to move to someone else's garage to enjoy it.

Before I get a million questions, here's the lowdown:

This car is not restored, it's a Survivor

Original body panels, one repaint (lacquer) since 1970, before I bought it.

Very nice body panels (not perfect) , some lacquer crazing from age, rust free trunk , floors & frame.

Original interior, in good condition.

SW aftermarket under dash gauges circa 1970

Sun super tach installed in the dash hole where a factory tach would go.

Cassette player under dash, circa 1970's

15" Pontiac rally's (yes it came stock with 14's) & Goodyear Wingfoot tires I put on 16 years ago.

Stock 455, (numbers do not match, 72 0r 73 block by the letter code ) runs very strong !

Muncie 4 speed

Holley spreadbore carb (q-jet replacement) circa 1970's

Hooker super compitition headers (period correct)

Ladder traction bars (circa 1970)

Air bags in the rear coils (vintage 1970's)

Original chrome Pontiac valve covers, I have the base, but not the correct top of the original dual snorkel air cleaner.

Now here's the Deal;

If you want a turn key 70's piece of all American Detroit Muscle call me.

If you want a nice survivor car that hasn't been messed with, call me.

If you ever have owned (or even thought of owning) a full size Chevy Impala with 24" Donk wheels, or an El Camino with the same, I'm not selling it to you !

If you have in your driveway anything Japanese with a fart can muffler, it's not going home with you either.

If you're planning on lowering it & dropping some inbred fuel injected 90's off brand engine & trans, please don't call me.

Asking 22K (about a years college tuition for one of my kids)

There will be no joy rides, if you're serious we go for a drive.

Phone calls only, I will not bother to even read a text message.

No I won't take 15K & an old bass boat in trade.

Rant over, bring it on if you're interested.

This Goat is a great stress reliever after a tough day at work, laying a couple new stripes on the pavement to mark your spot & stress melts away like magic.

Cash or meet up at the bank, no personal checks.

And to the person who flagged my ad, you obviously couldn't handle owning a real "American " car so go back & charge up your Prius & leave me alone !

I'll be burning up some 7.95 / gallon "LEADED" race gas & destroying the ozone layer above your neighborhood !
 

Attachments

  • 0526151831.jpg
    0526151831.jpg
    106 KB · Views: 321
  • 0526151831a.jpg
    0526151831a.jpg
    104.5 KB · Views: 319
  • 0526151831b.jpg
    0526151831b.jpg
    96.2 KB · Views: 326
  • 0526151858.jpg
    0526151858.jpg
    104.3 KB · Views: 321
  • 0526151859.jpg
    0526151859.jpg
    102.3 KB · Views: 316
  • DSC00035.JPG
    DSC00035.JPG
    147.7 KB · Views: 306
First things first, Very Nice Car, one that I would love to have or would have loved when I was younger. I shop Craigslist daily, mainly for heavy equipment and airplane stuff and I don't think a muscle car is in my future.

If you are serious about selling I would personally drop all the verbiage that does not highlight the car and it's features. The story and ridicule serves no real purpose and will turn off the very few that actually would be a serious buyer. As a potential buyer I don't want to have to prove my worthiness to a seller. My cash is what I am exchanging for the goods, nothing else is the sellers business.

Anymore I will either not bother calling on an ad that is not strait forward or if I can't get strait answers when I contact the seller I will move on. Same when I am selling, any jerking around, lowballing without even looking at the item in person and I tell the other guy to move on.

Hope this helps, I hate the flagging feature BTW.
 
The guy I sold my vintage '57 Chevy wagon to last year totally F'd it up by doing exactly what I said I don't want to happen to the GTO.

The '57 was 90% original California paint & I had it close to 20 years. If you could see it now it would bring you to tears.

These are more than just cars, they are American history & works of art on wheels & there's only so many original ones left.

But to some it's only $$$$$$
 
I understand what you are saying, so I guess you have to decide if you really want to sell the car( in exchange for only $$$) or do you want to continue to save a piece of history. The only way to insure that it is kept safe is to keep it. Once it is sold it is cast to the winds. No guarantee the buyer will not resell later on to some idiot. Maybe Craigslist is not the best place to sell such a nice car? Good luck what ever you decide.
 
First of all it is not a collector car. Not numbers matching. Not much bling. The best thing going for it is three pedals and the Muncie with heavy HP Detroit iron under the hood.
Secondly, it is not a survivor that hasn't been messed with.

It is a well modded muscle car with a good pedigree. But it is a compilation. Not exactly what the factory originally assembled.

I would post the advertisement as a well modded GTO and toss the negative comments.
Lastly, after insulting half the potential buyers, you want a personal phone call, no other communications.

That is the antithesis of salesmanship.

You are not giving your daughter in marriage. It's pretty, it's precious, it's hot, but it is iron.

Pictures tell the story of it's condition and the thing looks pretty good. A list of mods and the price will go a long way to putting cash in your hands. But you advertising campaign about it's American heritage and your qualification standards for the buyer is a real downer. And again, a collector, it ain't.

It is a street rod, likely rode hard and put away wet, that looks pretty good for it age. And it's ready to put a permagrin on someone else's face.

BTW, here's a hint. The best way to qualify buyers is to put your price in the AD. High dollars will cull the no accounts looking to steal it, and keep the curious and annoying prospects from bothering you.
 
Last edited:
Frank, the price was listed in the original ad I put up.

The car is as it was in the 1970's & was exactly the way we did them then right after buying them new: upgraded gauges, carburetor, headers & traction bars, bigger tires & a then state of the art engine management system "a Sun Super Tach"
tachometer". The rest of the car, body & interior are original panels & pieces with the exception of the one repaint.

So in my opinion, it is a survivor of that time period with the period correct add-ons as was the custom of the time.

I admit I worded it that way to mess with people a bit.

I sell a ton of equipment online & my standard reply to anyone texting me is this:

Call me.

Weeds out the gmail scammers right away.
 
What are the head casting numbers located just above the center two exhaust ports in the middle of the head, or above the rear exhaust port....

Those numbers will give a clue to what the engine really is... Is the 4 speed a narrow ratio M22? Or the wide ratio M21?

I've been a Pontiac guy for 40 years this year. With those numbers we can tell if it's anything special under the hood.. Nice ride btw. Would look good next to my 72 T/A.

Regards, Kirk
 
Kirk........I'll look tonight. The car is actually running the best now it ever has since I've owned it.

I had a bunch of big block 4 spd cars in the past 30 years, a 66 impala with a 427, & a 64 biscayne we put a 454 in. both cars would thrill you 3 ways:

Accelerating, trying to get stopped with 4 wheel drum brakes, & trying to round a curve on bias ply tires.

The goat does everything well, it was the last year for serious power, has front power disc brakes, front & rear sway bars, & upgraded to radial tires.

It really was tough to beat the way those old bias tires lit up & striped the road !

I had a rear set on my '69 442 that lasted less than 2 weeks. but it was a fun 2 weeks !
 
TOMLESCOEQUIP said:
Frank, the price was listed in the original ad I put up.

The car is as it was in the 1970's & was exactly the way we did them then right after buying them new: upgraded gauges, carburetor, headers & traction bars, bigger tires & a then state of the art engine management system "a Sun Super Tach"
tachometer". The rest of the car, body & interior are original panels & pieces with the exception of the one repaint.

So in my opinion, it is a survivor of that time period with the period correct add-ons as was the custom of the time.

I admit I worded it that way to mess with people a bit.

I sell a ton of equipment online & my standard reply to anyone texting me is this:

Call me.

Weeds out the gmail scammers right away.
Click to expand...

I am a certified gear head. I've bought and sold many new and used cars and trucks over the last 50 years myself. Factory machinery, process machinery and farm equipment. That includes the seventies.

I sell for a living.

Hey, this is a forum. A place for opinions and advice. You got mine.

Just remember, most free advice is worth little more than you paid for it.
 
300 H and H said:
What are the head casting numbers located just above the center two exhaust ports in the middle of the head, or above the rear exhaust port....

Those numbers will give a clue to what the engine really is... Is the 4 speed a narrow ratio M22? Or the wide ratio M21?

I've been a Pontiac guy for 40 years this year. With those numbers we can tell if it's anything special under the hood.. Nice ride btw. Would look good next to my 72 T/A.

Regards, Kirk
Click to expand...

Kirk.......the heads are a 96 casting number which crosses over to a '68 raII or a '71 d port head. The block is a yu number.

The the cars performance sold me 16 years ago when I bought it, numbers matching or not. I / we never worried about the numbers then, just how well it ran............I used to buy CamII racing fuel by the 55 gallon drum & had my own fueling station at the house for my vettes & the GTO.

Then kids/sports/family took over & the cars took a back seat.

Now it's time to move the cars on & start another chapter.............
 
Gorgeous wheels there, Tom.
I recall you posting her pictures a few times over the years.

Wishing you luck on selling it to the best owner who can love it as much as you have.
 
pirate_girl said:
Gorgeous wheels there, Tom.
I recall you posting her pictures a few times over the years.

Wishing you luck on selling it to the best owner who can love it as much as you have.
Click to expand...

Thanks PG, I have 2 real good prospects At least one of which "gets it".

Now to see who has the $$$$.

Local car show on the 19th & it will be there if I still have it then.

Take care Lorelei

Tom
 
TOMLESCOEQUIP said:
Kirk.......the heads are a 96 casting number which crosses over to a '68 raII or a '71 d port head. The block is a yu number.

The the cars performance sold me 16 years ago when I bought it, numbers matching or not. I / we never worried about the numbers then, just how well it ran............I used to buy CamII racing fuel by the 55 gallon drum & had my own fueling station at the house for my vettes & the GTO.

Then kids/sports/family took over & the cars took a back seat.

Now it's time to move the cars on & start another chapter.............
Click to expand...


If those are Ram air II heads no wonder it runs so well..:smile: You can tell by the two center exhaust ports that they are round port heads as RA II heads are the prototypes for the Ram Air IV, the best flowing of the Pontiac heads.. The center two ports do not converge into one single D port, they come straight out with out converging.. All of the round ports received cast iron header type exhaust manifolds. (there was a Ram Air V, that were dealer parts only, not on production engines) No 96 heads are probably not round ports, as they are rare. On a 455 short block Ram Air II's would render a very high compression ratio, like 11 to one or more.. The 71-72 455 HO heads and the 1973-74 SD 455 are round port large chamber heads, and are based on the Ram Air IV heads. Any Pontiac with these round port exhaust's and the taller intake windows that came with them, are going to run circles around most any other Pontiac engine..

Yes compression matters, but head flow rates are more important, and you can run pump gas through those later heads with out regards to lead additive, as they have induction hardened valve seats for unleaded gasoline. True for any heads made in or after 1971.. In 72 they went to the 5/8" peanut spark plugs as well..

For what your car is, I think you have it priced fairly. If it were all stock numbers matching it could be priced at much more than your asking.

Good luck on your sale. I might be doing the same with my 72 T/A, but as of now my daughters are each claiming it when I am gone...:ermm::wink:

I think you will miss her...:whistling:

Regards, Kirk
 
Last edited:
300 H and H said:
In 72 they went to the 5/8" peanut spark plugs as well..
Click to expand...

No peanut plugs here, mine are the 13/16" big monte's !:yum:

One more thing, the stock 70 dist was replaced with a vacuum advance HEI unit & big wires.

I will miss it for sure. One of the reasons I originally bought it was because it wasn't a 70 Chevelle.

And it was red, my favorite color.
 
If you can afford to wait on someone who wants that car and not the crap they can make it into then do it. I understand what you said and I agree with you 100%. You have every right to find a buyer who will take good care of that car. It is your car until you sell it and as such you can call the shots. Good for you imo.
 
Got one coming over from just out of state tomorrow to see it. He thought my verbiage was great & is still laughing about it !
 
MrLiberty said:
I've seen lots of ad on E-Bay and Craigslist just like yours, I think it weeds out a lot of riff raff. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Looks like it's going all the way overseas to Russia !

Buyers agent looked at it today & wire transfer pending on Friday am.

I think the holeshot & the 150' stripes on the pavement sold it ! (Buyers agent had it on video the whole time ! )
 
TOMLESCOEQUIP said:
Looks like it's going all the way overseas to Russia !

Buyers agent looked at it today & wire transfer pending on Friday am.

I think the holeshot & the 150' stripes on the pavement sold it ! (Buyers agent had it on video the whole time ! )
Click to expand...


Be very care full and make sure the money is actually transferred to your account before you let them take the car. JMHO.. Other wise congrads!

Regards, Kirk
 
300 H and H said:
Be very care full and make sure the money is actually transferred to your account before you let them take the car. JMHO.. Other wise congrads!

Regards, Kirk
Click to expand...

Thanks Kirk, this isn't my first round up, it's not leaving until the funds are in my account & non refundable non reverse-able.

This was/is a face to face deal & it's not going anywhere till I'm sure.

Thanks for the heads up & concern.

Take care

Tom
 
Congrats Tom. I do agree with Kirk, but also I'm aware of those buyers agents here in this area of the US. One bought a friends jet ski, and stopped at the Mercedes dealership here to finalize the deal on another car. All to be shipped to Russia. The deal, while a little nerve racking, went down just fine. This was a couple years ago.
 
Doc said:
Congrats Tom. I do agree with Kirk, but also I'm aware of those buyers agents here in this area of the US. One bought a friends jet ski, and stopped at the Mercedes dealership here to finalize the deal on another car. All to be shipped to Russia. The deal, while a little nerve racking, went down just fine. This was a couple years ago.
Click to expand...

It's going to be a wire transfer, direct to my bank without them ever obtaining my personal account numbers for sure !

Car & title both aren't leaving until it's 100% completed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top