[Tom Vaught]

Ok, I saw the "Dog House for the Junk Yard Dogs", where is the 64 GTO???????

Course I went to a guys house one time to look at a "mint" 64 LeMans", ($3,000) that was in about the same shape, that was a wasted trip too.

Some people are on drugs.

Tom Vaught

[Tempest]

Thanks for the replies guys. I had no idea that a dampener would be a dealer/factory item for a street car.

Thank for the pics gomowgto, Interesting, but sad, to see the slow death of a once great automobile.

[GT182]

Originally Posted by gomowgto

And as always, he said he was going to restore it and still there it sits, he says he has so many other projects going on??

Projects? Looks to me like a junkyard. The only projects they do are rippin or cuttin things a part. And thank God he hasn't gotten that far on this 64 GTO.

[Big Banger]

That car reminded me of a 64 GTO convertible a friend of mine found in WA. around 1992. It was parked in the guys backyard under the trees, been there for a long time. Yellow, black interior, white top. 389 Tri-Power 4 speed, dirty wood wheel, tach and a lot of rust. He tried to buy it but it wasn't for sale. I didn't note the location because it was his deal if there was going to be one. It would be nice to know if it still there...

[John V.]

This is probably the wrong forum to discuss this, but the GTO Resto Guide (pg. 239) says the steering dampener was a Factory option in '64 and available as a Dealer Accessory for '64 & '65.

I have tried to research this in the past, no conclusions.

The Service Replacement p/ns for the dampener are in the '66 MPC. But there was not an Accessory Package p/n assigned to it for either '64 or '65 so I'm a bit skeptical of the suggestion it was offered as an Accessory Package.

The Service p/ns include a Shock Absorber Package (complete) but it isn't clear what was meant by "complete". There are separate p/ns for the Shock Absorber (replacement).

There is no mention of it in the '64 Tempest Shop Manual.

I find nothing related to this in the Service Crafteman News. And no mention of any Sales Code for it as an option in the Dec. 19, 1963 '64 Tempest Inspector's Guide.

I can only think of 2 possibilities.

First is that it might have been included as part of the Rally Handling Kit (Sales Code 612, UPC Y96). In '64, this Special Equipment option included the 20:1 Quick Ratio Manual Steering Box, 15/16" dia. front stabilizer bar (std. with the plus automatically added the Heavy Duty Springs & Shocks (Sales Code 621, UPC F40). But it seems that '64 GTOs with this option do not generally include the dampener so I have my doubts.

Second, the dampener may have been added to the All Series Special Equipment Order Form later in the year with its own Sales Code. However, I believe I have decoded Production Manifests for cars with the dampener, never have noted an "odd" code that would have indicated a specific Sales Code for this as an independent option.

Perhaps there is a News Flash relating to the availability of the dampener. Perhaps it was introduced to respond to owner complaints without ever offering it as a Factory option.

I don't know what evidence Zazarine & Roberts had to suggest it was a Factory available option in '64. I believe the '63 Tempest may have had a similar dampener, so doesn't surprise me that it existed.

But so far have not been able to tie it to any Sales Code as a Factory option.

[Big Banger]

Hi John,
I just bought a steering stabilzer for my 65 GTO assuming it originaly had one. The car was ordered with non-power quick ratio steering and the Ride & Handling Package. The second owner added power steering in the 70's and did not keep the original parts. When the time comes that I install the steering stabilzer I will see if there are any signs that it originaly had one.
Mat

[Tempest]

As always, very interesting John, and Thank you for sharing this information.
I would be very surprised if it were a factory option, but as we have all learned, don't rule anything out.

[8LUG]

MPB SEP 15 1964

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Big Banger

Hi John,
I just bought a steering stabilzer for my 65 GTO assuming it originaly had one. The car was ordered with non-power quick ratio steering and the Ride & Handling Package. The second owner added power steering in the 70's and did not keep the original parts. When the time comes that I install the steering stabilzer I will see if there are any signs that it originaly had one.
Mat

Mat - my car has the Ride & Handling package, quick ratio manual steering and does not have the steering damper.

John - thanks for the input. We were probably all thinking the same thing and just hadn't asked the question yet...

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Andre

I'm not sure why they stopped using the steering dampener, but I can tell you that when you straighten out of a turn with manual steering, the steering wheel whips around, and wants to break your arm if you are not paying attention.

This is true...

(lol)

K

[Big Banger]

Thanks Keith. I contacted the second owner yesterday, he doesn't remember a steering stabilizer being on the car when he added power steering. If you able to get the part number off the steering box in your GTO could you send it to me please, I would like to find the correct one.
Mat