[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by davidgto

Todd,
This is Dave in SC. I just saw your site on here. Amazing resto you are doing and for a great cause. You are a talented young man and a big heart to boot, building this car for someone else.

I looked for the PHS on this car, and I think it was discarded since I did not know how to contact you. One thing I do remember, is the VIN number on your car. If my memory is correct, there are a bunch of zero's and the last two digits are 65.

To me, this car is special if for no other reason, the 65th car in 1965. It needed to be restored rather than parted out. Looks like from the work you are doing in the resto, you were the man to revive it.

Keep posting your progress. I think you and your efforts will go down in PONTIAC history. You have my vote.

Good to hear from you Dave, and thanks. It didnt look this bad when I stopped in to look it over. Its ok if you dont have the PHS on it, and it does have the 000065 vin. Sometimes I wish I could have found a better car, but why should this one get scrapped when some nutjob like me will fix it? The Cougar guys have a term for this sort of thing, ECI for east coast idiot. Its only rust, and I have a welder, some old hoods, and plenty of free time.

The coolest thing to me about it other than the vin is how easy the suspension and everything under it came apart. Up here and back home in Nebraska the suspension is almost always rusted so bad you just cut the bolts off and start over. The top half caused lots of time spent thinking how best to fix it, but otherwise it really isnt that bad. The cowl was a nightmare but most of it gets covered up anyway, so the patches dont need to be perfect.

Ive been doing little things on it lately, and I moved the Mustang out of the shop to make more room. Once I have this 700R4 together I will start back on the body work.

As for it going down in history, well maybe as an example of something most people would not do.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Oh and I almost forgot. She isnt my ex now, we figured things out and actually got married back in March. Its a long story, but with a happy (so far) ending. So now Dave is my legal father in law, and I am a year late getting him his car, since he just turned 66 last month.

[Old Goat 67]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455_GTO

Oh and I almost forgot. She isnt my ex now, we figured things out and actually got married back in March. Its a long story, but with a happy (so far) ending. So now Dave is my legal father in law, and I am a year late getting him his car, since he just turned 66 last month.

Good! Betcha that made Dave happier than that darned car!



Charles

[RustyNutz&Rodz]

Originally Posted by 440sixpack

I'm always impressed how you rust belt guys can save a car I'd run from screaming like my teeth were on fire. I felt abused having to put some patches in the lower rear quarters.

Keep it up it looks like you're winning.

It's great to see a car like this brought back to life. We tend to be a bit spoiled on this coast

However, the worst rust carnage I've ever seen was actually on a native California car. It was an original owner 66 GTO that spent its entire life outside of a beach home. The salt air attacked the car so badly that all lower moldings had fallen off. There were large holes in literally every body panel.

Keep up the good work....looking forward to seeing more pictures of your progress.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

I am half way through a Mustang that is as bad as this, worse in some areas, but the windows werent rusted out at least. If they are worse than the Mustang, they usually get scrapped. I guess when you have more time than money you take on a project like this. Maybe its more time than brains too...


I didnt have the trunk lid on when I welded the filler panel in, so it had 1/4" overhang when I closed the trunk. Had to pop the spot welds and make it all fit right. I think its pretty close this time, and once its welded in I can weld the other quarter panel on. Once that is done, then its time to start on the doors and finish the cowl.

This is what I had before, can you say oops? I know I can, and many other expletives.



Here is how it looks right now, still need to reweld it.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

I have to weld up the filler panel behind the C pillar and the quarter is done. I havent ground the welds down yet, but it is pretty darn straight considering where the quarter came from, and what I had to do to get it on there. The car had been hit in the rear quarter right above the wheel so I had to make things fit and move them back. The door lines up nice, and even closes good. Not bad for my first full quarter replacement.








The door was full of filler where it got hit and they sorta pulled it out then just slathered on the bondo. So I ground all that out a while ago and decided to fix it tonight. You can see the rusted lower corner in this pic too. The dent was about half an inch deep, and when the metal is stretched that far it gets ugly fast when you try to bump it out. So I just cut right down the middle of it, and welded it back together. It is only a slight low spot now, so it wont take 1/2" of filler, maybe 1/8" instead. Really I should have just replaced the entire lower section, but I need a piece for the quarter right behind the door, and what is left will work great.

Messed up door.



Patch cut out and you can see the rusted under structure here along with the cut through the deep dent.



Here is the patched inner and welded up dent. Not the most time efficient way to do it, but it works. Sorta.



And the patch welded in and ready to line up with the door edges while folding the seams. It has a low spot that I will work out later, did a little of it before I came in tonight and it seemed to be easy to fix.







This is the rusted front half, I am going to use a patch from something else instead of cutting more of the door skin patch. Its tweaked a bit on this end, and it would be easier to make a patch than fix this one.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Here is the patch I did on the last rust hole in that door above. I just hacked up a scrap piece and welded it in. Nice and smooth, came out surprisingly well.



Ground the welds on the quarter too, now the door will close better.





Patched up the A pillar I had left, and finished the cowl so I can weld in the lower window frame.



Started on the rusted dash, this one is better than the original, but still had a large hole in it. I used a piece of the quarter panel I frankenstiened last year for a patch, put a nice bend in it and welded it up.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Here is what I got done today. Finished the dash patch, came out ok, needs some work but its presentable and it gets an overlay anyway. Also decided to install the dash and the lower windshield channel, and it came out prety nice. The glass actually fits so I am happy with it. Just need to finish weld it.

It has a dash it it again, and its solid. It has been a long time sine the dash was an actual part of the car and not just sitting in there.

[Old Blue 66]

Thats a ton of work. Great thread to watch. Thanks for your detailed posts.

[Old Goat 67]

DEFINITELY has more FIRE than I have anymore!

Saving a GTO, HELL YEAH!

Charles

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Im just bored and feel I owe Dave, this has more meaning than giving him a wad of cash, at least to me. I need something to keep me busy, that is why I am not looking to make money on this stuff, I am just enjoying myself as much as possible since I cant work a real job anymore. This is a hobby, I dont want it to be anything more than that.

Got more welding done, its getting into the home stretch, I dont need more metal at this point, just a hood. I need all the small parts and an entire interior now. A back window would be nice to get too. The front window channel is done except for a bit of die grinder work in one corner. So I hit it with POR, brushed some on the fender where it was pitted and called it a day.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

The passenger side quarter had some rust pitting, and had been hit with a crappy repair, so it got cut out and I have a patch for it I will weld in tomorrow.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

My day got cut short, had to help someone with a 3rd gen bird engine swap. Still got the quarter patched, but I need to finish it and work the wheel well lip a bit. Seems to line up good with the door and will require lots less filler. It would be nice if I could get to where I dont use filler, but my metal working skills arent that good.

[ReelFun]

That is looking good! In the first photo the dollys on top of the quarter panel almost look like they are spelling out GTO.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

One is an old speaker magnet I use to hold panels together while I weld. Great tool to have around, used to have two more but cant find them. Must still be stuck to a car somewhere.

[dld]

Thumpin455

could you tell us the build plant of your car?

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by dld

Thumpin455

could you tell us the build plant of your car?

Sure, how do I tell on a 65?

[dld]

letter in vin number. or body tag on f/w. Curious because you car has red primer. See interior inner panels.

Thanks, Don

[Thumpin455_GTO]

I goolged the vin decoder, should have just done it instead of asking.. Already knew that much.

It was built in Pontiac, so it makes me wonder if the steel used in it came from the mine near here. I know Henry Ford used to won mines up here so he could control all of his suppliers, did GM ever do the same?

[dld]

Thanks for reply. not for this thread. but interesting that its red from pont. plant.