[63gpman]

This is intended to help me and my fellow DIY Full Size Pontiac Friends with a little motivation to get their stalled restoration completed. Rules are as follow.

1. Must be a full size Pontiac of any year!
2. Post a link of your resto thread onto this thread
3. First 3 to complete their resto will get a neon clock from me!

I hope this brings a little fun or maybe some motivation to us. I know it is not much but maybe it helps??? It certainly can't hurt. Feel free to chip in for prizes or thoughts as well!!

[63gpman]

Here is my stalled resto.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=708574
Started tear down the winter of 2011.

[ho421]

Im embarrassed to say but my car was torn down in 2004, the year i joined this forum. But im not sure i qualify. I used a restoration shop to finish the body work and paint. It goes back as soon as he has space to install front clip, headliner, windshield and side glass. The rest is on me. This project has emptied my wallet.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...hp?albumid=955

[Engine-Ear]

Ooof... here's my tale of inaction:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=523467

The GOAL is to get my Wreck Room sorted out (as in get rid of a lot sh!t that I don't have room for) while getting the GP's rolling body-on-chassis into body and paint by 12-31-15.

Obviously, fixing things around the Ranch will be favorable with the YF so I will try to balance this.

...man I feel like I'm at a support group meeting for some reason.

[63gpman]

Originally Posted by ho421

But im not sure i qualify.

Sounds like you are doing a lot of work on your own, I would say you are exactly the person that would qualify!

Rules are subject to being very open on how we look at them, just trying to figure out a way to start a fire under your and my a$$!!

Yes, this is a support group of sort and we must all start out post with "Hi, my name is ...... and I have a restoration problem!!"

Crazy how life gets in the way. Either in the form of time or money. I have had issues with both. I have 3 little ones, 7, 4 and 2 along with my regular job. I support my habit by selling parts on the side and trying to flip projects. This way I am not taking funds away from my family for my crazy addiction. Problem with doing this is that it takes time away from working on the project that I am trying to fund. My personal definition of a double edged sward!!

[62cat]

Im going to try for norwalk. As long as the money is available.

[MPKind]

You have a bit of a lead on me. I'm still repairing rust, and hoping by some miracle a front left quarter becomes available. I should make a new thread with pics that track the restoration.

[LASJayhawk]

Dang, now I got to get started on the 2+2.

MP, what exactly do you need? I cut the quarters off a fairly solid 65 GP.

[Ziggy]

Matt - definitely a support group! I've been working on my '63 convertible for over 5 years. I wish it was just because of time and money that caused the delay. A lot of ups and downs. Dad's the original owner and I hope to get her done before he passes. He will be 90 next year. He was married to my Mom for 66 years. Mom unexpectedly passed this past September followed by one of my best friends I played college football with. Along with some other family medical issues this year, holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas were very hard for us. Good news is that my son and his wife told my wife and I this Christmas that we will be grandparents next year.

I need to get focused and get the '63 convertible done as I have another '63 waiting in its wings. Dad's also got a "cherry" 76 GP sitting in his garage. Last titled in '82 that he asked me to "freshen-up". But, life's changes have come into play. PY's event in June is my goal but, Norwalk May be more of a reality.

[Deadhead]

This kind of stuff pre-dated any support groups. That is why guys started hot rod clubs! What I really need is a Tony Robins or similar $ motivational kick in the a$$. A pile of cash is gonna get these projects done way faster than anything else. Build a new building, get the body man to do the car then reassemble after someone else builds the engine. If I did not do so much myself I'd be done!

[Kochtanek]

Hi my name is Tom and I have a restoration completion problem .

Maybe by admitting the problem I might have a chance at actually completing the project.

About six years ago I purchased a 1961 Bonneville Sport Coupe with no drivetrain. It had very low mileage and we believe it was purchased to haul illegal freight (moonshine/drugs?) in rural Arkansas back in the day. That's another story...

I bought it because I had a 4 door StarChief as my 2nd car back in the late 60s, and it represented the higher end of class for the '61 Pontiacs (I know, I know the Ventura and shorter chassis are the preferred investments). This one was Black over Red and I am just a sucker for that combination. So I began the restoration soon after acquiring it. First I located a 428 block and built a "stroker engine" using the 455 crank and .30 over pistons. That still sits down the basement, haven't even broken it in as yet. Then I began to strip the paint down to bare metal and put solid coats of primer/sealer on the body. Even went underneath and did the pans, etc. Then some young vandals came by where I had it stored and smashed all the glass. I was so distraught that I stopped the effort. That was about five years ago. In the mean time I have acquired a few items, most notably a set of five 8 lug wheels and a few other Pontiac-specific parts.

Since then I switched gears and did a makeover on a driver quality 1962 Belair 2 door sedan. Occasionally I dragged the Bonneville out and did a little here and there, but never got back to it with a full swing. I kept telling myself that I didn't want to get "upside down" on a vehicle that did not have great value. I find it's hard to properly restore one of these full time passenger cars on a budget. My body man skills are amateur at best, and it's hard to get a black car to look straight. I spent about $2000 just in materials painting my Belair about 2 years ago, but I didn't prep as much as one could and the final effort turned out, well kinda amateurish. That vehicle is no longer street legal as I've decided to make a drag car out of it (it has a fresh dual quad 409 in the engine bay). Plans are to continue that drag car effort into 2015, so it's hard to tell how much time and money I can commit to the Bonneville in the coming year. But it would be nice to get back to that effort, as I feel that my labor to date on her is starting to degrade.

I made the decision to "retire" from one of my two "day jobs" starting August 31, 2015 so that will give me a bit more time. Prior to that I hope to construct a suitable shop space that I can drag the various cars to for storage and for repair. With that in place, I hope to pick up the pace a bit and maybe get back to the Bonneville.

I track the value of these cars on Ebay with some regularity, and it seems I might be better off just saving up the dollars and getting a finished one, but that would be admitting defeat. I have to admit, looking at the Bonneville in it's current state makes me feel like I have let it down. Perhaps this Forum can provide the motivation to set that right!

I have been assembling sort of bucket list as of late, and one goal is to take a car to the Bonneville Salt Flats and try to hit the 130 MPH mark. It would be a stretch, but how cool would it be to drive the Bonnie to the salt flats and make that attempt in a freshly restored driver?

Cheers!
Tom Kochtanek

[joeg]

Hello all, motivation has never been an issue with my project. I share the same problems others have experienced on this forum. Spouse and my own "big C" health issues, being a father, grandfather, great grandfather. Supporting friends and family with their projects as well as home projects and of course working two full time jobs. Now with winter upon us I have no room to work on the Bonnie as she consumes most of the garage. Getting close, I was able to finally install the hood this weekend and now I have to start the alignment process of the front end in the spring. It's been a long road over 6 years now... Hope all will get motivated and start turning wrenches in the upcoming year.

[62cat]

We should try devoting a little time per day possibly. Even if its polishing small parts. I was doing this for awhile and got a lot accomplished. I will be going back to this routine.

[Engine-Ear]

Originally Posted by 62cat

We should try devoting a little time per day possibly. Even if its polishing small parts. I was doing this for awhile and got a lot accomplished. I will be going back to this routine.

For me, I am going to put in one hour per day in my Wreck Room...I won't be able to work on the GP but just processing a table full of parts from a Cat I stripped this year will be a good start.

[webfoot]

My garage is cold (uninsulated and unheated) so I generally don't get much done in the winter. It is not supposed to be above freezing at all this week.

I just got mine this summer, but have not done much to it. Hoping to be done with what little bit of rust repair it needs this spring and begin blocking/priming around summer. I was about to put the front suspension back together but I found out my lower A-arms were unusable, and had to get another set. Have not had a chance to remove the old ball joints & bushings or clean them up yet.

[Engine-Ear]

Originally Posted by webfoot

My garage is cold (uninsulated and unheated) so I generally don't get much done in the winter. It is not supposed to be above freezing at all this week.

Mine, neither... t'was 25 and sunny today so the overhead was up, radio was blaring and I put in an hour of organization. Food for the soul.

[real61ss]

.. t'was 25 and sunny today so the overhead was up, radio was blaring and I put in an hour of organization. Food for the soul.

You gotta be kid'n

[63gpman]

+25 is a heatwave. It was -19 in North Dakota (visiting my In-laws) and I spent the day outside in a salvage yard picking parts from 9am - 2pm!!!

P.S. I'll be getting a few things on epay and the for sale section soon.

[LASJayhawk]

It's cold here, by Vegas standards anyway. Getting down to the upper 20's at night and highs about 50. But...

The high NYE is looking to be mid 30's and dropping below freezing by around 10 PM. And it is forecast to snow. 1/2 million drunks and snow should make for an entertaining evening.

[62cat]

Heres some updated photos. Its in bodyshop purgatory. Our shop so only me to blame. Body is 95% done all edged belmar red. What do you all think about dash panel. Im on fence with it. I was going to machine finish it and spray some candy over it.