[stucky2947]

I should have posted a few pics a lot earlier, but better late than never. I am two years into a frame off restoration of my 1962 Grand Prix. As you can see, it was a mess when I got it, but two years, a LOT of time and the usual buckets-o-$$, this is where I am as of last weekend. This is no bondo bucket, all cancerous metal was removed and new metal welded in its place. I have a 400 bored .030 with tripower backed by a TH400 going in next weekend. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! When I'm done, it will have all new glass/frames, 8 lugs, new wiring, leather interior, and of course, that tripower sound!

[fastgto]

Go man Go, 62`s are my fav, one day I will have one. Keep us posted with more pics.

[66bonne]

You're gettin' there, keep plugging away. Keep us posted along with pix.
Good luck

[Hitman]

Thumbs up here.

[Deadhead]

Another big one saved!

What's the rush? The only thing to get to is the next project!

Keep us posted.

[PITTSBURGH 64]

Now is a good time to grind down the front of the upper control arm shafts to get some positive caster.

[Engine-Ear]

hey Stucky, for a second I thought you posted a pic of MY '62 GP!! (Mine is in almost the same state as yours is)

please send me a PM thru my bio - I would like to pick your brain about your GP project.

great to see another '62 being brought back to life!

viva la DarkSide.

[Dick Boneske]

Engine-Ear,

I'm up here in Winneconne, WI. Can you tell us about your '62 GP? It may be the one I once owned when I lived in Wauwatosa. Mine was white with black interior, power windows, A/C, Autronic Eye, Speedminder Speedometer, Tripower, etc. I sold it to a guy from Wauwatosa, who sold it to a guy that lived on Howard Ave. He left it outside after blowing the engine and not repairing it.

[Engine-Ear]

Dick, that white one was YOURS?

At the moment I can't remember his name but yeah, I remember that car... last time it ran ('95?) it had a 455/TH400. He wanted $4500 in '95 but the body was pretty crusty/chrome pitted/etc. and more than I could afford at the time.

I sometimes wonder where that one went...my hunch is that it was parted out (based on a burst of parts (that matches your description) a friend recently came across)

anyway, sorry to hijack the thread...back to you, Stucky2947!

[Dick Boneske]

When I spotted the car in his driveway in about 2001, he wanted $8K. As you said, it already had bad body rust--looked beyond reasonable repair to me so I passed.

I bought the car in 1972 from the salvage yard across from Kearny & Trecker for $60. West Allis Auto Body painted it. I added the 455 and TH400 after the Roto gave up. The first day I drove it, a girl in a big Ford wagon rear ended me and really crunched the left rear quarter. Parts were easy to find, so we put it together again, and I drove it for 14+ years.

It originally had tan interior, which I replaced from a parts car out of Green Bay--supposedly Vince Lombardi's car when new. It was silver with a black top. The Autronic Eye and power windows came from that car, too.

Did you know that the '62's with A/C had alternators? There was a factory cutout in the hood insulation to clear the top of the alternator.

This was one of my all-time favorite cars, but a bad marriage forced sale in 1987.

[mike nixon]

stucky, she looks good so far. it'll come along if you'll work on it. [ my problem right now with a couple projects].


mike

[Dick Boneske]

Stucky2947,
You probably know this already, but the TH400 will require some hammering of the tunnel to make it fit. I used a long shaft 400, but maybe a short one will fit better--you didn't say which you are using.

You can use a kickdown switch from a '66 big car Tripower or mount one on the accelerator linkage inside the firewall.

One thing's for sure, it will really run nice with the TH400 and a good 400 motor. Mine had a stock '70 455, which handled many Mustangs and Camaros very well.

I also had a '64 GTO at that time, and it was fun, but nothing compares to the solid body on the big Pontiacs!! When you slam the doors, it sounds like a Cadillac. Also, the fit and finish on the side windows & doors is so much better than the A bodies or Firebirds.

[65WJ]

nice color looks similar to the liberty blue on moms gto
Patrick

[stucky2947]

I have the short tail stock TH400. And yes, I found out that the tranny tunnel would need some messaging. I split mine down the middle and will weld what is needed after I fit the TH400. What did you do about the yoke and driveshaft?

[stucky2947]

Hey Pittsburgh 64, (or anyone else for that matter) Tell me more about grinding the upper control arm shafts. Thanks.

[Dick Boneske]

I used a TH400 yoke from a big Pontiac ('65 or newer TH400) and picked a Pontiac Driveshaft from those I had that was the right length. Stock big Pontiac U joints worked with this combo.

You may have to get your driveshaft re-made with a longer tube.

Good Luck!!

[TheMonkey]

Originally Posted by stucky2947

Hey Pittsburgh 64, (or anyone else for that matter) Tell me more about grinding the upper control arm shafts. Thanks.

Hey Stucky- nice project. i have struggled, and so has Jeff (Pitt64) with the alignment on these cars. they were designed for negative caster which worked well for skinny bias ply tires. as soon as you put modern tires on, it makes all sorts of sense to adjust for positive caster by at least a couple degrees.

this means getting the upper ball joint rearward in the car. this is done by removing shims from the front of the upper control arm shaft, and adding some in the rear. unfortunately, there is not enough adjustability available (remove all the shims in front) because the factory did not design for it, and years of frame sag makes it worse. most people can only get to vertical.

most muscle cars can purchase offset shafts out of a catalog or tubular upper A-arms, but we don't have that luxury.

Jeff has ground some of the face off his shaft which is basically the same thing as removing shims to get the alignment there and it sounds like that has done the trick for him.

if you are going to stick with an original sized tire (14" & skinny), you will prob be fine with stock alignment specs, but if you want to put wider tires on you might have 'tramlining' probs, and it even gets worse if you put on 17" tires or something of the like because of less sidewall flex.

good luck, cool car.

here is a post that describes the issue in a bit more detail: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ighlight=shaft

[PITTSBURGH 64]

Stucky, its like Scott said. You'll want at least 2.5 positive caster on the left (drivers) side and 3 on the right.
With a 1/2 degree of negative camber.
1/16 to 1/8 toe in. I think your car already comes with solid upper control arm bushings so may be 1/16" toe in is best.
I used the soft non ac factory springs all the way around with the big Addco front sway bar.
Front spring Moog# 574
Rear spring Moog#5415
(Thanks to Tin Indian for sharing that valuable info with us).

Ram Air Restoration makes some very nice rear control arms for our B bodies.
http://host284.ipowerweb.com/~ramairre/catalog/

[stucky2947]

Thanks for the help/info. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Engine-Ear]

Pitt64, TheMonkey and TinIndian, a HUGE thank-you to for sharing this data...

This summer I should be finished rebulding my GPs front steering, so I am trying to get my brain wrapped around the finer points of how steering works on a '62 DarkSider.