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My '64 GTO in a Basket...
Hello Everyone,
I would like to start out by saying how amazed I am at the level of knowledge and the fantastic atmosphere of this forum. What a great place. I recently picked up a ’64 GTO that is a bit of a basket case and will be hanging out and asking a bunch of questions over the next few years. I have wanted a ’64 for about 25 years, and just found that opportunities to buy them didn’t come up often in my area. After many years of casing cars and seeing that the cost of good projects seemed to keep pace with my available hobby money I decided now was the time. I have quite a bit of mechanical experience, and this will be my third “restoration”. I have prettied-up a ’70 Buick Wildcat, and frame-offed a heavily modified ’61 Willys CJ. However, this will be my first complicated restoration which is more difficult because I didn’t take it apart. In looking through the old posts I know y’all will not lead me wrong… About the car… My GTO is a very late production car (July 27) Pontiac built car with very few options. This car was built with: • 3 speed • Tri-power • Safe-T-Track • HD Suspension • Handling Pkg (it has the steering stabilizer) • 2 speed wiper/washer • back-up lights • soft-ray windshield • push-button radio and manual antenna • rear view mirror • parking brake warning light • “spinner” hub-caps. Oh yeah – Seat belt delete. No dash pad, no console…power nothin’ The good news is that the body with very solid, with the exception of the passenger quarter panel. Here is a glimpse... http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/...psnaqzyx0r.jpg http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/...pskuriqsf7.jpg http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/...psoajvfros.jpg http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3edf7lfi.jpg Also, it appears that the majority of the parts are both original and still with the car. The 3 spd is gone, having been replaced by a 4 spd (an M-22 of all things). The short block and engine peripherals all seem to be original to the car (codes, and date codes). Unfortunately, the heads and intake were stolen from the car when it was stored many years ago. Thankfully, the original tripower carbs had already been removed from the intake and are still with the car. So all in all – a nice mechanical jigsaw puzzle… My plans… I plan on building a nice solid driver – presented as a mild “Day 2” car. I plan to use headers, aftermarket (but period appropriate) wheels, audible cam change, etc. Hidden modifications will include modern ignition, roller rockers, compression changes, gasket matching, etc. The goal is for the car to appear stock, with the exception of the most basic Day 2 changes. I haven’t decided yet whether I will replace the 4 speed with a 3 speed. If I do go that route, it will be a different 4 speed, since I have no desire to keep the M22. I think that I would at least like to incorporate a 3 spd shift knob. Thoughts and comments are appreciated. |
Couple of days of hard work and you'll be good to go, LOL. That M22 is worth some serious bucks to the right guy. You can easily get your 3 or 4 speed and have money left over. Car doesn't look impossible to me, good start and you are at the right place for advice and hands on knowledge.
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I like what you have to work with. My 2-cents is that you will be happier with the M21 transmission and Hurst shifter. Cam, head, engine compression, and gear ratio info is always an interesting topic on the forum. You will find that the members here are always willing to be helpful.
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Looks like a perfect way to start. Sweet car.
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I see you need at least one new quarter panel. I know it is more work/expense but you need to buy the quarter panel from the seam down but the bottom back is a terrible fit, hard to get the wheelwell molding to fit. Buy the patch panel [there are 2, one from Taiwan and one from Canada under Spectra name] and graft the patch panel to the quarter panel. Perhaps others can chime in on the better patch panel. I know one fits better than the other. You will be glad you did this.
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My original 2-cents wasn't quite good enough, since my eyes and fingers didn't match my brain. What I meant to post was: I think you will be happier with the M20 wide-ratio transmission. Lesson learned - read before hitting POST.
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I would put the RA manifolds on and save yourself a lot of messing around. Looks like a real nice car and a good project. Keep us informed and post a lot of pictures.
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Great to see another 64 being saved.
I have a ways to go on mine, enjoy the process and keep us posted.....and welcome aboard |
Good looking project good luck with it.
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Awesome, but then I'm biased!
I do take issue with calling it "very few options". :) I always contend that the GTO option alone takes a '64 Lemans out of the realm of "low option" but in your case, I count at least a dozen options (seat belt delete was an option so gotta count it!). In my book, that qualifies as pretty well equipped. The Rally Handling Kit added the Quick Ratio manual steering box and the HD shocks to a GTO. Other Tempests also got specific Springs and the larger dia. front stabilizer bar with this option. But the larger bar was std. with the GTO option and no special Springs were offered for the GTO. The steering linkage shock absorber has been discussed here from time to time. It is not obvious what triggered the installation or if it was even a factory installation. It did not seem to be related to the Rally Handling Kit. One of those items that just has never been completely understood. It was only intended for use with manual steering (std. or Q.R.) and many if not all may have been added by the Dealer to address wheel "kickback" complaints. But there is no PMD documentation discussing it that I'm aware of, for service or factory installs. Welcome to the '64/'65 world here, look forward to learning more about your GTO! |
What part of Idaho are you from?
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Thanks for the warm welcome...
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Thanks for the info about the steering stabilizer too. I read through the posts and it seemed like those cars with the 612 package tended to have the part. Others without the 612 package also had it - maybe more than one route to ending up with it. I also noticed some posts suggesting that the Tri Power with the 3 speed is a bit unusual. Anything to that? Quote:
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Welcome to "the club".
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I love my M-22 in my car & it is a lot stronger then the other 2 trans that Pontiac offered. I really don't see why you would want to get rid of it. If you go to syn. tran fluid some but not all of the trans whine will be gone. Plus the noise is usually only heard in 1st & 2nd. Of course as I said it is stronger .
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1 Wild Cat-Good luck on your new project, I'm sure you'll have it on the road in no time. I purchased my '64 in Oct. of last year from an ad in the buy-sell forum of this site. The people here are very friendly, helpful and share all their knowledge to help novices like me. I'm a new member too and the questions I have asked have all been answered. There is a ton of knowledge here-Good luck!
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(lol) Seriously - (although I was being serious) one of my first projects as a young engineer was to fix gear whine in a manual transmission. My mentor said "hear that? You gotta fix it." "Fix it?" I said. "I LIKE it!!" This might be a good time to make a move torwards a manual trans with overdrive, since you are still on the fence. Your three speed knob mounted on top of a 5 speed stick might be kind of fun. K |
Welcome!! btw.
K |
Welcome To Forum and THANKS for saving another 64!!!
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Welcome to the Club!
I bought my '64 in June of 1992 for $600.00 - and the strong backing of my wife to "GET IT DONE". Mine needed a ton of work too, but as you commented - most of it was there. First drive was October 1994. I've been driving and enjoying it for over 20 years now. I hope you have a similar experience. |
I bought my '64 GTO new. I had an M-20 in it for about 10 years. From then until now I have had an M-22. In my old age I got tired of the 4.33 gears, so when the posi broke I switched to 3.73's. For me the gear ratios were no longer good. The old combination was great for racing, but now first gear is too high and high gear is too low. I'm almost done with converting to an LGT-700 5-spd. It has a 2.66 first gear and a 0.68 OD. My major accomplishment yesterday was getting the trans seated on the bell housing. Pictures to follow. AND, it first under the current 4-speed hump with no alterations.
B/T/W, I love the M-22 whine. It only does it in the first three gears. |
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