1971 Cutlass sx

[Jeff Lee]

A different point of view...

Race it. Rare or not, I don't see '71 SX 455 ever being worth a fortune. You can buy fairly decent '70 W-30's for less than $50K. Probably 15% less for a '71 W-30? And then there's that big issue with the 1971 documentation (unless you have a build sheet or original window sticker and matching #'s engine & trans), 1972's have a W in the VIN to prove 455 came with the car, '71's do not have a VIN that determines engine code. Without complete documentation, everybody suspects a clone with a '71 BOP & Chevrolet.

So if you want to restore it and drive it; great. Restore it and sit on a lawn chair at car shows get's really old in my opinion. But if you take it out and race it, you'll have real fun. Race it in Pure Stock if that's in your region. Save up for a "real" Stock Eliminator engine & trans and drop it in later on. And there's plenty of room (I think) for a 9x 30 slick on that Cutlass so other than a roll bar, your not changing much on the body.