1975 Pontiac Astre
Josh Campbell, Gilbert, AZ
Best E.T.: 12.595/110
Josh Campbell ditched school one day during his senior year of high school, but he had his dad's approval this time; they were headed to a big estate sale at a salvage yard that was packed with vintage steel. The typical muscle car fare was out of his reach, but Josh was able to pick up two Pontiac Astres for $70 apiece. One was a parts car, but the other was a complete and solid '75 GT, only missing the gas tank.
As soon as he got it home, however, Josh proceeded to rip out the suspension and upgrade it with S-10 spindles, brakes, and a complete rearend since it's an easy junkyard swap for stronger parts. Next, the engine and trans made way for a basically stock Chevy 355ci short-block and a Turbo 350. The first iteration was intentionally mild since it was subject to smog regulations at the time, and Josh drove it daily to Arizona State University, reportedly getting about 10 mpg.
A small-block Chevy is a snug...
A small-block Chevy is a snug fit in an H-body, but it doesn't punish you like many V-8 swaps, since the wide engine compartment leaves room for important stuff. Josh tried to use as many OEM parts as possible in his upgrades; the fan is from a Taurus, the master cylinder is from a Cadillac, and the relays are Olds 88.
If you're thinking this must be the straightest Astre in existence, well you're probably right. Josh made the paint and body a labor of love, spending untold hours aligning panels, blocking, and eventually spraying, wet sanding, and polishing the paint himself. Even the GT stripe was hand traced by Josh, then cut from 3M vinyl by a graphics shop. We're positive they never looked this good new.
Mid 12s have been no problem, but now that Arizona has loosened the smog noose, and he's bought a separate daily driver, Josh has plans for making the Astre more of a dragstrip terror with a bigger cam, higher stall converter, and better headers. Other than that, Josh basically considers it done and still enjoys driving it as much as he did the first time. Plus, he also enjoys all the reminiscing when he takes it out; you don't see Astres much anymore, but a lot of people who see Josh's GT seem to have memories of them to share.
Originally the Astre's interior...
Originally the Astre's interior was a festive red and white, but luckily Josh was able to round up enough parts from Astres and Vegas to swap over to black. The door panels are from a Cosworth Vega, and the seats came from a Vega wagon Josh bought, fixed up, and resold to help fund the GT.
Talk about bad luck! A tree...
Talk about bad luck! A tree fell on Josh Campbell's Astre, not once, but twice! Fortunately damage to the roof was minimal. If you ever wondered if a car cover could pay for itself, here's your proof.
| WHERE THE MONEY WENT |
| '75 Pontiac Astre GT: |
$70 |
| Paint and body: |
$1,060 |
| Interior: |
$1,184 |
| Wheels: |
$350 |
| Engine short-block: |
$1,532 |
| Cam: |
$215 |
| Pushrods: |
$35 |
| Rockers: |
$260 |
| Cylinder heads: |
$1,269 |
| Intake manifold: |
$150 |
| Carburetor: |
$142 |
| Distributor and coil: |
$265 |
| Ignition box and wires: |
$276 |
| Radiator: |
$199 |
| Water pump: |
$72 |
| Cooling fan: |
$20 |
| Suspension: |
$1,538 |
| Misc. parts: |
$1,254 |
| Total: |
$9,891 |
| BY THE NUMBERS |
| '75 Pontiac Astre |
| Josh Campbell, 23 • Gilbert, AZ |
| Total cost to build: $9,891 |
| Engine |
| Type: |
Chevy 355ci small-block |
| Block: |
stock GM, bored .030 |
| Oiling: |
stock pump and pan |
| Rotating assembly: |
GM cast crank, stock rods, |
|
and 10.5:1 Keith Black hypereutectic pistons |
| Cylinder heads: |
Dart aluminum Pro1 with 2.02/1.60 valves |
| Camshaft: |
COMP Cams Xtreme Energy 268H .477/.480-inch lift |
| Valvetrain: |
COMP Cams 1.6:1 roller rockers, |
|
and Cloyes double-roller timing set |
| Induction: |
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold, Holley 750-cfm carb |
| Ignition: |
MSD 6AL box, distributor, Blaster SS coil, and plug wires |
| Exhaust: |
Sanderson headers, Purple Hornies mufflers |
| Cooling: |
Summit Racing water pump; |
|
Tru-Kool aluminum radiator, |
|
and single electric fan |
| Output: |
292 rear-wheel horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 297 lb-ft at 3,700 rpm |
| Built by: |
Basko |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Transmission: |
GM Turbo 350 , stock converter; |
|
Hurst Quarter Stick shifter |
| Rear axle: |
GM S-10 rearend, 3.73:1 gears |
| CHASSIS |
| Front suspension: |
S-10 spindles and ball joints, |
|
CSK Suto V-8 Monza Springs, |
|
Summit Racing 90/10 shocks |
| Rear suspension: |
four-link with Spohn adjustable |
|
upper and lower control arms, |
|
'80s Trans Am springs with Gabriel shocks |
| Brakes: |
stock '90s S-10 discs, front; |
|
stock S-10 drums, rear |
| ROLLING STOCK |
| Wheels: |
Weld Draglite 15x3.5, front; 15x7, rear |
| Tires: |
145-15 Nankang, front; 235/60R15 BFGoodrich, rear |