FAQ |
Members List |
Social Groups |
Calendar |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#81
|
||||
|
||||
My wagon was a one owner up until a buddy of mine bought it from the original owner's estate and flipped it to me. It came with a huge stack of paperwork with it. I have the first registration slip from when he first bought it living in San Francisco. Apparently he moved close to the border of Nevada, and there's tons of reciepts for service at the Reno Pontiac dealer, as well as a local garage. The engine has been completely rebuilt twice, heads redone at one point in between overhauls, trans overhauled, front end rebuilt, radiator redone about a dozen times, etc. It was his daily driver until he died.
My '37 coupe belonged to a friend of mine, the late Rudy Diephuis who raced Pontiacs in pro stock back in the day with RAV power. My '67 Firebird was at one time a local street racer's car powered by a small block chevy and ran 12s. I ended up with it years later after it changed hands several times, and put a 400 Pontiac in it. It was originally a Sprint 6 car, and I remember the street racer guy telling me about throwing the 4 barrel stuff in the garbage when he put the chevy in... My '64 LeMans Conv. at one time was donated to Sierra Vista children's foundation or something like that according to the lein sale papers I got with it. Still had it's dealer frames from a Berkeley Pontiac dealership. My '65 LeMans came from a kid I met at Rudy Diepuis's shop. He had it stored in a yard in Hayward, and was paying a lot of money every month to store it along with having several storage units he was paying on to store parts, and was trying to get his storage bills down (Everyone in the bay area has to pay for storage since nobody has room at their house). He wasn't having any luck selling it fast enough, so I was able to trade him a '73 455 core engine, a set of #48 heads, a set of #62 heads, and a set of #12 heads for it. Don't know much about the history of my '69 Bird I've had my '67 Tempest Conv for 20 years. Don't know much of it before I owned it, but a month before I was to start commuting to the bay area to a trade school, I traded my dependable '72 LeMans driver and a project '68 Firebird for it with a shot transmission, a questionable condition '71 GTO YS 400 that had been plopped into it, a top that was shot, and an ignition that used a screwdriver to start it ...and no money to put into it. A convertible musclecar was my dream and I risked my education on the chance to get it. Luckily things worked out and after changing transmissions, and a few other details, it was my only transportation for 2 years and very dependable, although with a very shot frontend. My wife and I had our first ride together in it, and pretty much, I went through both the best and the worst times in my life with it. Needless to say it's my soul, and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Even though I've threatened to sell it several times during the bad times. |
#82
|
||||
|
||||
The car was purchased new at Palmer Pontiac in McKeesport, PA.
The car is equipped as follows as per the original window sticker: WSW 855X14 Rayon 4 speed manual transmission Radio AM & FM Rear speaker - verba - phonic Mirror - visor vanity Mirror - O/S LH remote control Seat belts - custom - front & rear Cluster custom gauge Wheel - drums & hubs - alum ... (8 lugs) Glass - softray - windshield only head rests - applied - bucket seats Springs & shocks - ride & handling Differential - saf-T-track Base price - $3,549.00 Destination - $63.65 Options total - $756.82 Grand total - $4,369.17 This car was special ordered WITHOUT power steering or power brakes.
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles |
#83
|
||||
|
||||
I see you're local here. Did you find the car here, or did you bring it here from back east?
|
#84
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
A friend of mine knew Rudy pretty well... and purchased a lot of parts and a couple of cars from him throughout the years. Your '64 wagon looks familiar.
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles |
#85
|
||||
|
||||
You may have seen the wagon around the area. I drive it as much as possible. A bodies are very comfortable, and still agile.
|
#86
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
I purchased the car earlier this year from the original owners son that now lives in San Jose. The original owner died in 2001... the son had the car shipped out here in 2002. I went over the car with a fine tooth comb regarding rust... It does have some, not too bad considering it was in continuos(sp?) use all its life. The good news is that it was garage kept all its life and is still wearing its shiny original paint. Out of all my cars ... this car is my favorite.
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles |
#87
|
||||
|
||||
I like it.
Ever gone to the BOP show in Madera? It's coming up. |
#88
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
I've heard about it but never been there. When is it?
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles |
#89
|
||||
|
||||
Check it out here:
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkiNC7l...alifornia.org/ It's a fun little show. Last year Les Iden (Wheelspin here), along with Jim Wangers and Big Dave Anderson came up from down south. |
#90
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Sounds cool... We'll be there. Will there a Pontiac caravan heading that way Saturday morning?
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles Last edited by 71GP76TA; 01-22-2010 at 08:46 PM. |
#91
|
||||
|
||||
Possibly. A couple years ago my buddy with a '70 T/A made it. You've probably seen it around. It's his driver. Now another buddy of ours has his '67 GTO together so it's possible. The '67 used to be mine:
|
#92
|
||||
|
||||
Sounds good. If we can put something together... let me know. I met a guy at Kingdon a few months ago with a 428 4 speed '68 GP that is supposed to be going.... I lost his number and don't know how to get ahold of him. Most of the people I know have either Chevys or Fords... so that rules them out.
__________________
Current Pontiacs - 1973 Formula SD455 - #'s auto orig paint 1972 Trans Am - 4 speed orig paint 1974 Formula 400 - Ram Air automatic 1966 2+2 convertible - 421 4bbl automatic 1967 Grand Prix - 4 speed orig paint 1967 GTO - 4 speed orig paint 35k orig miles |
#93
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Chris
__________________
1971 Trans Am - Sold 1977 Can Am - Sold 2002 Trans Am Firehawk - Sold 2004 GTO - Sold 2006 GTO - Sold 1970 GTO - Sold 1972 Trans Am - Sold 1970 Trans Am - Current Project |
#94
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
He went through it again a few years ago and uses it for daily duty nowadays. |
#95
|
||||
|
||||
I bought my 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix from the second owner in 3/20/07. It came with the original Black Ca. plate along with lots of documentation from the original owner, including the original sales invoice from the selling dealer. It also included some repair orders after warranty, protect-o-plate, etc. Being an original CA. car it does not have any body or undercarriage rust, just the normal surface stuff you would expect. After purchase I ordered the PHS documents so have the build sheet and original dealer it was shipped to back then.
It seems the car was originally ordered as a fleet car and sold to Universal Records, which the original owner worked for back then. His wife is the one that sold it to Irwin Tessler, that bought if 4 years before he sold it to me and only put 271 miles on it during restoration. Seems the 90+ y.o. lady was driving it as her daily? driver. The car had 91,013 actual mileage on it when I purchased it. Now being only the 3rd owner and lots of documentation, I believe I made a good buy. |
#96
|
|||
|
|||
My 80 Trans Am had a bullet hole in the fender.
My 73 camaro has a kill switch for the lights, so you can drive with tail lights off or whatever when running from the cops. I am sure that car has a wild story.. |
#97
|
||||
|
||||
I got the complete history on my '70 GTO, thanks to my brother who knew the owner of the car before me. At first, I didn't even want the car but I got it at such a good price ($2300 in 1986 with 67,500 original miles; it has 73,000 original miles on it now) that I could not refuse it!
It's a Fremont CA car and it was bought by the original owner from Farish-Herzog Pontiac Co, 625 I Street, Modesto, CA 95353, in early November 1969. The original owner lived in Ripon, a town just 6 or so miles north of Modesto on Old 99. The original owner passed away around 1983 and his son inherited the car. His son hardly ever drove it so he put it up for sale. My brother knew this man and thought a friend of mine might be interested in it so my brother told me about the car. My friend didn't want it (boy, is he kicking himself now) so I thought the whole thing was old business but, somehow, the owner thought I was interested and he kept calling me and asking me if I was ready to buy. I finally just gave him a lowball figure to steer him away from me, but he accepted it so I had to put my money on the table! My GTO came to Washington State in 1987 and has been in the Olympia area ever since. Before that, the owner said the car never left the Ripon/Modesto area. That valley sun really faded out the paint so I did get the car repainted in its original lacquer mint turquoise color in 1987. I also added factory gauges and a dash tach, but I saved the idiot lights and factory clock if I ever want to take it back to original. I also installed a tilt column with a formula steering wheel and put in an AM-FM mono radio in place of the AM radio (saved all those original parts, too). The water pump had been changed out at one time with a factory-correct water pump but with a newer date code, and the carburetor is a factory replacement (I now have date-correct parts for those items but they aren't installed just yet). The CA EES is installed on it. Other that that, a brake job and new tires, the car is all original. One day, I looked above the gas tank and found the build sheet. I also got PHS documentation. It's a plain jane and the color isn't that great (I understand that, besides orbit orange, which came only on the Judge, mint turquoise is the least ordered color for 1970). We had a week of sunshine awhile back so that allowed me to take it out for its winter spin. We're back to the rain again so it stays inside, high and dry! I also have a '68 4-4-2 convertible, a '69 4-4-2 convertible, and a '71 Corvette base engine coupe. I know the GTO would walk all over the Oldsmobiles in a 1/4 mile run. The Corvette and the GTO would be a good race, though - they are pretty even! Randy C. |
#98
|
||||
|
||||
I got my '68 GTO in a mix-up. Worked at a salvage yard in Portland, or. in the early-mid 70s. I decided I wanted a GTO and one day 2 of them came in on the hook...both 68 coupes. I pointed to the one I wanted [turquois metallic with white painted top...yeah, weird, eh?] and said how much? The boss looks over his paperwork and says "$300 but it's got engine damage of some kind."
I bought it then and there. It was punched in the passengers front corner....ruined the fender and damaged the front lip of the door. When I went to pick up the car after work the hood was missing. WTF? Went to the boss and he said "OOPS! we got the cars mixed up with each other" [again!] ...he gave me a nice yellow hood [which I rattle-canned black primer] and I began looking the car over...hit the key and the 400 cranked right up! Ran great! Slid the Hurst shifter into 1st gear [muncie 4 speed] and the car didn't move.......they had also sold the driveshaft that day before I could get the car gone. I was given any driveshaft in stock which turned out to be a buick special shaft.......U-joints just a teeny bit smaller. [This eventually came back to bite me in the ass really bad] Got the driveshaft bolted in and drove the car home. The other GTO had a bad motor...not mine. I pulled the fender to find a bent frame rail. Chained it to a post in my buddy's shop and straightened it with hammer, torch and come-along. Bolted a set of cragar SS's on it with G and L 60 15s. I loved this car! Handling was great....bolted a Holley spread-bore on the 350 HP engine and it ran even better. Car had a 3.55 limited slip 10 bolt. I eventually swapped it to a fellow worker for a primo 57 Bel air hardtop with a 283, muncie 4 speed. The kid I swapped to blew the 3.55's outta the GTO in front of work the day we made the swap. I suppose I shouldn't laugh because a few months later [with a super hot 327 now] I broke the entire rear axle housing of the 57 burning out over a speed bump.
__________________
Roll around in the excitement |
#99
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#100
|
||||
|
||||
Yes I know my car's history. I was a pile of crap when I bought it.
|
Reply |
|
|