Because the vehicle had spent the majority of its life in the humidity-free desert, the original body panels were rust-free, but the unrelenting climate dry-rotted the Endura nose and original interior. Accordingly, he sourced a new front bumper, seat covers, carpet, headliner, door panels, and other interior items from Ames Performance.
He also rebuilt the non-original motor to stock specs, retaining the block it had when delivered, the crank and rods, and installing 0.030-over, TRW, cast-aluminum pistons. The heads and carb were also rebuilt and are said to be original, as is the intake.
Highland Auto Body in St. Paul, Minnesota, sprayed a Dupont/Acme Lucerne Blue (code 26) in a base/clearcoat formula returning the Judge to its as-new appearance.
This Judge was upgraded after...
This Judge was upgraded after its restoration with correct 14x7 Honeycomb wheels shod in reproduction Polyglas G70x14 rubber. Rally IIs originally came on the vehicle.
At its first and only national judging-the GTOAA Nationals in Niagara Falls, New York, in July, 1995-the Judge scored 392 out of 400 points, easily earning Gold Concours-Restored status. "The points that it lacked were all minor; the 455 H.O. decal on the air cleaner had a pucker in it, and the master cylinder had a run in the paint," Jon says.
Courting A Collectible
Troy Allison, a 46-year-old retired GM engineer and GTO collector in Palatka, Florida, bought the Judge in 2007. Although it had been through at least three subsequent owners after Jon, it appeared to still be in concours condition. "I've been waiting a long time for a '71 Judge," Troy says. "I just couldn't find the right one, so I continued looking until this one came along,"
He paid top dollar for this rare piece of Pontiac musclecar history, and since acquiring ownership, he added a Formula steering wheel and a rear decklid-mounted luggage light. He also swapped in an original-style exhaust system featuring 21/4-inch, aluminized pipes; stock-design, IMCO mufflers; and 2 1/4-inch tails provided by Classic Exhaust of Geneva, Ohio. Along the way, Troy discovered that an unknown owner had upgraded the rearend to a factory Safe-T-Track differential, and someone had added a chrome passenger-side mirror outside.
Conclusion
To prove this retired Judge still has what it takes to win car shows, Troy entered it in the '08 Wide Track Warriors show in Kissimmee, Florida, where it took Best in Class, as well as Best Choice Award from Paul Zazarine. It followed with a First in Class at the National Parts Depot (NPD) Oktoberfest and a Best in Class at the BOPC Florida car show (both in October 2008).
The 455 H.O. callouts appeared...
The 455 H.O. callouts appeared on the air cleaner, front fenders, and on the rear spoiler, shown here.
"I think it's a fitting tribute to its original owner that my Judge looks as good today as it did when he (Leroy) picked it up after returning from overseas duty," Troy says. "When I retired from GM and started my own business, I had to sell my GTOs, and that really hurt. Now, the '71 Judge is my favorite Pontiac in my collection, and I plan on keeping it for the rest of my life.
"I especially want to thank my wife, Tammy, for putting up with my Pontiac passion. It was one heck of a judgment call to buy it, but I think it was worth it."
Given dismal sales in 1971 for a variety of reasons that could not be blamed on the Judge, one could argue production should have stopped prior to that model year. We would argue, however, the '71 Judge is one of the best Pontiacs ever made with regard to both looks and all-around performance.