70 SJ Frame Off Project
 

Last August I saw a add on CL for a 1970 Grand Prix SJ that had been sitting since 2005. The left rear quarter had been backed into by a delivery truck, the repair was started and then the owner lost interest. When I checked it out I found the car to be very solid, all matching numbers, and a local Florida car all it's life. It had PHS documentation and came with rust free parts from Arizona in order to complete the repairs. I have restored many Pontiac's over the years and this one is well deserving of a complete frame off........this will be the first time in my 2 car garage though.

The car had been painted black at some point but I will return it to Atoll blue with black vinyl and black interior

I'm well into it now, so I hope you enjoy the pic's of my progress.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495246680

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495246848

I changed the oil, supplied some fresh fuel via a gravity feed to the carb and it fired right up and settled into a nice idle with no smoke. Drove it around the neighborhood, transmission shifted fine. At that point I started pulling it apart to start on the body.

Rear quarter damage:
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495288214

Found a build sheet glued to the back of the pass door panel

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495288214

Getting the quarter removed

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495288628
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this is great. I love a good build thread and will be following it. keep posting, thanks.

Quarters trimmed, then fitted and welded on.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495376563

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Thanks for posting pictures of your project.Talk about clean .WOW!!! My life's to busy now to even begin to start on my 69 model J or 72 model J projects but seeing people post their progress keeps the fire burning. LOVE those 69-72 GP's !!!!!

Wow 455 HO & lots of options!!! I'm following this also!!

"XXX Customer Order" = Special order car... nice.

Rear filler panel finshed and rear quarters in epoxy primer

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495501907

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495501907

Removed the front clip and started on the front fenders. Check out the Atoll blue on the side of the cowl, first time it's seen daylight in 47 years, it will not be painted over.

Gotta love the Tractor Supply gas tank feeding the carb, allows me to keep it a runner and move it under it's own power.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495501907

Rear quarters in finish body work and a coat of blocking primer. The under hood light is still on the inner fender, it rolls out and works perfectly.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495501907

Very cool!!!

Keep up the good work!!!

Fenders were nice and clean so it didn't take long to get them done and move on to the doors

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495762696

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I think that the fenders are as tall as I am

Doors are in great shape also

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495762696

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Almost all primed

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That quarter you put on was exceptionally nice and straight, good find! I notice a side release button on the bucket seat, recliners or just a temporary mobility seat?

Looking good! You are really getting after it! Have a loaded 390 horse '69 J, I'd love to get to work on. Of all the odd '69 & 70 GP's I've owned, or cut up, one I would have loved to have been able to find just a few years earlier was a triple black 70 Model J with the XF 455 & 3.07 posi 12 bolt. Though a J, it was optioned up with pwr bucket, Dix belts, & rally gauges. The clincher, car originally had black leather buckets, at the time I thought it would have cost a small fortune to recreate the covers. Having dealt with several upholsterers on other restoration projects, it honestly wouldn't have been that far out in price range.

Nice catch ! Yes, the second owner (I'm the third) added tilt wheel and reclining bucket seat from a '70 that he had parted out. I'm thankful for the tilt wheel because I have long legs but that's also when the original Formula wheel was discarded, He said that it was pretty much shot. The build sheet refers to it as a Simulated Leather Str.

With the doors finished, it was time for the hood and trunk lid. While both were very solid, trunk lids always require a lot of finish work to get them straight. Note the blue stains on the floor around the perimeter of the hood, there were many layers of paint on this car, the original blue, two blue re-paints and a black repaint.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495846443

I then cut in the underside of the trunk and trunk jamb

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495846443

I work for a large auto group here in south Florida and they have a full service body shop. They were kind enough to let me use a spray booth to paint it on a slow Saturday.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1495847288

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That sure is one long hood !

Wow, you're really movin' on this! Looks great.

wholly cow you are quick getting to the gun.........and it looks great!!

Impressive work going on there. Those are such cool cars. Thanks for posting your work.

Paul

Motor and trans out and disassembled. The motor was standard bore and had not been apart other than to do a timing set. Had original head gaskets with notches and date code original oil pump. With the way it ran I was surprised to find there were three broken top rings, number five piston had a broken ring land and number six piston skirt was cracked. Years of too much timing and not enough octane !

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496193019

4 bolt Main XF block, I guess they had a hard time stamping the VIN that day

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496193019

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Numbers matching PR transmission

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496193019

Thank you all but I really don't work that fast. I started on the car the first week of September and was in the spray booth the third weekend in February. I started posting a little bit at a time and will continue to do so, until I get to where I'm at now.

still 10x's faster than me........

Thank you for posting and sharing! Great job!! You are going to love this car when it is done = just beautiful!

I love Atoll blue, have you considered leaving the top off by chance?
Keep it coming and nice find!

Removed front and rear suspension from the frame, then separated the frame from the body.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496619626
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496619626

While cleaning up the frame I found the VIN, stamped twice, and frame info.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496619626
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496619626

The frame restored to black.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496619626

Coming along.......whats your expected done date?

I too love the color and no, I'm old school and just love the look of the vinyl top on A and G bodies. Also, it is a all number matching SJ, so I want to keep it as built.

I'm further along than the pictures at this point so about 6 to 8 weeks ......... I hope

Pressure washed the underside, plenty of factory blue over spray with faded primer and some light surface rust.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496792984

Prepping the floor and firewall. Found the paint/roof trim code on firewall.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496792984
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496792984

Underside finished in red epoxy primer.
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Done, complete with blue over spray, undercoating and fresh black firewall.
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very nice........!!

Everything installed on the frame and detailed
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496974616

Getting the frame in position and reattached
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496974616
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Cleaned and rebuilt the rear end. That positrac fluid tag on the drain plug is the original one, both it and the drain plug were buried under about one inch of crud.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496974616
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1496974616

Nice work

GM used also that limited slip red plastic tag on their trucks in that era. My '70 Blazer has the same thing on it's 12 bolt.

Progressing nicely..........well done!!

Front and rear suspension assembly

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497489703
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497489703

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497489703
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497489703

Rolling again

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497489703

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497490310

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1497490310

any updates you can share?

Well, hello again ! I've been busy with a new job, and a hurricane among other things, thankfully we got through it unscathed.

Time for the vinyl top
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1505691210

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1505691210

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1505691210

All done, time to get the motor and trans back together

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1505691210

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1505691210

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1505693199

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Together and ready to go back home.

Great thread and a nicely optioned SJ! Such a fantastic job you're doing, will be following this to completion.

Some more progress:
Motor and trans installed
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1509227187

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1509227187

Headliner in
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1509227187

Dash assembled and interior going together
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1509227187
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1509227187

Looks great! Forgot to mention earlier... nice to see the rear vinyl top seams below the glass done correctly!

Thank you, people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them that's the way they were done when new.

Outstanding work Sir, love it!

Very nice car! Great job. I will be following this as well. Makes me very excited to start on mine in the near future.

Wow. Gorgeous car and outstanding work on your part. You are very talented.

I am curious...can you explain with some detail what I should be looking for with that top. I'll be replacing mine.
Thanks
-Andrew

Sure turned out nice! GLWS
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...j/2018188.html

Is that #28 Blue?

If it is, I was gonna paint mine a different blue, but that is beautiful!

Nice work as usual Tom, glad to have you and your expertise back in the neighborhood.

Interesting info on the vinyl top seams...I have seen a few supposedly original cars and they were like this pic from the brochure.

How did I miss this car being for sale....How much was it listed for?

That brochure illustration is not correct, all of '69 & '70 GP original vinyl top cars I've owned or others I've seen had the seams further outboard to cover the body "quarter to rear deck filler seam" so it will not show under the vinyl when glued down. Most all of the inexpensive replacement tops are incorrect and have the seams more inboard like that brochure photo.

I followed the thread not realizing it was just being built to be sold. I honestly didn't think the money was there for our GPs yet to do a complete frame off to have room for profit. I'd like to know what it sold for also