[63gpman]

Thanks guys. The clock I got from my Grandma. She is kind of a horder, the beer cans I picked up at auction. Part of trying to support my car addiction has turned into an Ebay kick. I research local auction items, purchase them and sell on ebay. Some things like the beer cans i Just had to keep

The fenders were junk all the way around the lip. There was a patch job done in the past. I took them to a local salvage yard and know exactly where they are along with a few other cars to pick from. I have white ones on the wall that should work... did i miss something?

[MPKind]

Brad, what are you finding for used sheet metal? Any yards near Roch with 65-66 cars? I'm still working on a plan on how to repair the rear quarters on my car. They're not super bad, but bad enough. I only need from the trim line down. Then there's the rear wheel wells, the lower cowl, the doors, the rockers...now I'm depressed.

[63gpman]

Not much used sheetmetal down here or at least the common items needed. I looked everywhere. The lowers on my qtrs need patching along with some wheel well/trunk floor patches, but that is about it. I ended up purchasing the very much crap repop qtrs used from a guy in IA several months back for $80 for the set. I am going to have to do some fab work to get the done but they are at least kind of similar shape. As far as the rockers, doors, cowl items, I may have some luck.

Make a trip down to Roch some Saturday between 9 and 12:30 and I will take you to my spot! By the way, I just got that template sent in the mail today. You should see it Monday or so.

[62 bv]

try steve at Indiana Pontiac he has 5 or 6 65 and 66 and he has a open house on the 23 of this month

[63gpman]

I was able to get the rear tore down and cleaned up a bit. I still have some more cleaning to do and putting new pinion and axle seals in. The gears looked very good with no signs other than normal wear on them.

I did want to confirm one thing. This is a budget frame off resto. To clarify, I will be spending some money and doing the things that need to be done, and will not be just throwing things together. On the other hand, I will not be spending big bucks for major upgrades at this point or to rechrome anything, but may purchase some parts at reasonable prices that I am able to fit within my funds. Frame off resto usualy would cost a ton of money, my hope is to get good deals on things and do all the repairs and painting myself.

You will understand more as things go on.

[63gpman]

Here is an example of what I am talking about. This was just delivered an hour ago from a member on PY (thanks a ton by the way). I did not plan to replace the one that I had, but for the price, I could not resist! I look for deals and I jump on them when they present themesleves.

I don't know about you, but I think this may be as nice as you will find used, available and w/out spending thousands to rechrome. There are some pits and the little black dots, but I am very happy!!!

[MPKind]

That tail panel is SUPER nice. I found one off a car for $40 a couple years ago up in Grasston, MN. It wasn't perfect, but it was an upgrade from my original. I may take you up on that this fall. I can sneak away some Sat morning and check it out. I have a few places up north and west of the Cities. I may have to make a run to French Lake some time this fall. You never know what they bring in.

[63gpman]

Yea, I need to check out French Lake and Rohner's in Wilmar. I have hit a lot of places in the last few years in MN here. Be fun to schedule a time for people to go to each one and have a crew to show up. Make some good time taking parts off of cars if you had some people around.

[gregneun]

Where do you such items? Anyway, glad that you like it. I really didn't know, since I don't have a 65. Tape and boxboard and tape, glad it made it there. The fan shroud and AC brackets seemed like good items to grab to. Other members helped me decide what to get from the lonely 4 door.

Take care,
Greg

[MPKind]

I've been to Rohners. I think I went in 2010. There wasn't much for 65-66 B-Body stuff. I bought a pair of doors to skin for my car, but that turned out to be a big mistake. Paid a lot of cash for $h!+. I did skin the doors, but the bottoms aren't so great. I ended up finding some super clean doors from a local guy for nothing.

Their are a couple other places just north of Anoka Co that are kind of close and easy to browse.

[Stuart]

Les at http://pontiacparadise.com/index.php in Rosemount may have some leads on body parts.

edit: By the way, I finally got around to checking my PHS documents - my car came from a different dealer. Zone 15, dealer 699. Neither dealer shows up on the list over on the Ultimate GTO site.

[mnfatcat]

Admire your tenacity to attack the project, the rewards will be many and well earned. There is a yard up here with some old stuff, will be going in the next couple weeks, will look for 65's.

[63gpman]

In the spirit of documenting of this car, I wanted to add my recent conversation with the original owner Dave.

He and his wife purchased the car in May of 1965 when he was 23 years old. This was the first car that they purchased new together. He ordered and purchased it from Olson Motors in Albert Lea, MN and said that he liked the color of the new Nassau Blue Corvettes so he had to have it on his Catalina. He remembers paying $40 extra for that option. He owned the car from 65 to 69 when he purchased a 69 GTO 4spd. He sold the Catalina to a friend for $1400 at that time. He drove the GTO for a few years and sold it off as he figured he would end up killing himself in it!! (His words) He ended up buying the Catalina back from his friend a few years later and at that time the car was taken apart to redo the body. He got it back, had the motor gone through, heads redone, put it back together and drove it for a few years and sold it back to the same friend he sold it to earlier for $1650 this time! Several years later he got the car back again and did not do anything with it other than drive it here and there. He had picked up parts along the way, NOS and used with intentions of doing a restoration on the car. He got into street rods and now owns an early 30‘s rod that he has stuck a ton of money into. He did not want to spend the money on the Catalina so he sold it to Bill, the guy I purchased the car from, as it was stored there and he did not have the time or money to stick into the car.

I plan to have a meeting with Dave to learn more about the car, some more details on dates that he purchased and sold it and he does have some of the original paperwork for the car along with some manuals and he might have some parts also that he said I can have.

We did not go much into some details that I wanted to learn, but was very enjoyable to speak with Dave about the car and to learn some history about it. Obviously it has been around the block, but he did confirm, as he states, should have under 70k miles on it. I do believe this but also understand why the car has some of the issues that it had.

A few things, what questions would you ask the original owner of your car? Anything that I should try to find from him about the car?

As far as progress, I have the rear end buttoned up and am about to paint it tonight. I will have to test fit the control arms on it and drill the holes for the sway bar to make sure it does not bind and is in the correct position on the car. (any help on location of the bar would be great).

[Deadhead]

If you have the rear out of the car - bolt the brackets up to the bar, and note that it will only fit in one place on the rear. The way the bends etc. are you don't really have the opportunity to screw up other than marking the holes in the control arms.

I did mine on the car, but it is really no different. Make some cardboard mock-ups of the bracket and use them to help you determine the correct location for the holes. I had to slightly elongate one hole for each bracket in the control arm to get them to fit.

[63gpman]

Yea, I get how it goes on, just the location of the holes is all. Here is What I have going for the lower control arms as I did not have the OE brackets with the sway bar. This is before I welded in the 1"x2" stock that I got. It fits like a glove and should add a little to the rear control as well as make it a good spot to bolt on the rear sway bar once I figure out where to put the holes. It should be fairly easy to figure out once I have the rear bolted together. Just a matter of trial I guess.

[BigAquaBonney]

I am impressed by the cleanliness of your garage. Man I wish I could get my act together.

[63gpman]

I have an update on the rear suspension that i will post over the weekend, but I may need to change the title to this tread to just get rid of the budget part. Can a mod do that?

Have you ever found a deal on a part and could not help yourself?? Well I did today and ended up buying a set of long branch manifolds for $200 local. The problem is that I already have the head pipes for the log manifolds and would end up having to spend another $90 on the oil filter spacer along with new head pipes. I have to think about this a little.............I know I can get my money back out of them, but man I want to keep them. Might need to sell a few more things.

by the way, the guy was great and has some other cool items.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hn...318142456.html

[Blackcat]

The Oil filter adapter is not that expensive and rather easy to put on. PY actually should have it. As for the head pipes? Go with the Long branch and have them splice in the new pieces at a local Muffler shop or order the Pieces from Pypes and get it done. You will notice a huge difference in performance and the sound. If not I do have this 71 Chevy Cheyenne that I could use HO's on! (Yes it has a 65 389 under the Hood!)

[63gpman]

Looks like the filter adapter is about $85 after shipping from RARE and about the same from PY M19470. Anyone have a used one or one they need to get rid of?

[Blackcat]

The adapters should come with the correct length bolts to put it on and use. They also come with gaskets. Unless your going to sell the manifolds just save up and get one from the Forum's Sponsor and use it! You'll never regret doing it!

(My truck is still waiting on cheap Ho's)