74 grand prix

[mongo88]

Hi all------ a noobie to the forum.............I just purchased a burg w. burg int. '74 GP model J w/ 70k original miles for $1500.......it is virtually rust and dent free, some rust behind the front and rear wheel openings.....no rust in the trunk and the floor pan is immaculate...........I searched for anything '74 here and came up with basically nothing.....Are there any '74 GP owners here??? I have a few questions I'd like to ask of everyone here.....1st off, I am going to need to bleed the brakes first and foremost........at minimal, ANY pointers or things to be careful of would be appreciated....2nd ? is what fuel additives are people using due to the ethanol in the gas these days, or is this something I shouldn't be concerned about?????? Any thoughts and replys would be greatly appreciated, Thank You in advance...........Oh-----The '74 also has a full white landau top - not only in the back of the roof..........can anyone tell me why this is?????????? I am also a proud owner of a '98 GP GT.........

[Larry]

Congrats on the nice find! Is it a "J" or "SJ"?

I have checked all over and find no reference to landau tops vs. fulltop. It isn't mentioned in John Gunnell's or Tom Bonsall's books. Bonsall's "Pontiac: the Complete History 1926-1986" shows a 1973 and a 1974 GP with full tops. I think it was the later models that all seemed to have the half (landau) tops.

As for the brake bleeding,you don't mention how much experience you have in that department. It is a reather simple process, but will try the patience of a husband-wife team on a good day! There are a number of bleeding kits, but the old fashioned way with lots of rags and coordination of the pumper and pumpee works fine too. Let us know how much info you need there.

One warning though, and perhaps it has just been me, but I have found Pontiacs of the mid-60s to late-70s to be pretty rough on master cylinders. Why.... not a clue. But I went through a few on my cars... especially a '77 Can Am. Be sure after a good bleeding to be especially careful to watch for any bad pedal feel. They seem to like to surprise you as you back out of the driveway and just keep going! Fortunately, with the dual cylinders it is usually just a quick scare. Often they will "pump back up" and seem fine for a while, and then fail again. Rebuilts are probably still readily available from NAPA or such. If not, we have supplers giving our members discounts that can help.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks,
Larry

[super]

Does the J or SJ designate if it is a 400 or 455 car or is it just a trim package difference?

[mongo88]

It is a model J - this means it is a 400 - I think the SJ has extra trimmings, inc. power windows, etc... a little better suspension package and of course the 455 - ..........the interior of this car is pristine.....leather buckets, no cracks in the dash, headliner is perfect, 1 issue is the console "woodgrain" decal is lifting....I am the 3rd owner and know the car has been garaged its whole life, which is why it is in really nice shape with low original miles....I actually haven't picked it up yet, it is 3 hours away nestled in a garage, that is why I am inquiring about bleeding issues.....It has been sitting for 3 yrs. and I haven't decided if I am going to trailer it or try to make the brakes good enough to drive it home.......I am leaning on trailering it home, as issues might arise during bleeding...ie: the bleeding nut breaks off!! or like you said the master is shot..... but either way soon I will have pics to show!.. any thoughts on the fuel additive issue???????? thanks for the replys...............

[Larry]

If the car hasn't been driven for a few months, or if someone has warned you that the brakes might be "squirrely", it would probably be best to use a trailer for the pick-up voyage.

As for the fuel questions, you don't mention where you are in the country or what the level of ethanol is that you are finding in your area. If you are seeing 10%, don't worry about the car's operation. 10% is pretty mild. Actually ethanol is kinda neat in that it actually likes higher compression and if we ever got to 100% ethanol, we might be back to our 10 or 11 to one compressions again. With ethanol, the higher the compression, the better its efficiancy.

For a real good (and in places complicated) explaination of ethanol fuels, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel

Anxious to hear your progress and see some pictures.