Any love for decloning ?
 

Hello buddies !


Some of you might know my car if you have followed the racers/boost section over the years... I've had my car for almost 20 years now and have strong Pontiac roots.

My car originally is a 69 Custom S btw ! ohh and a 6 cyl OHC on top of that.. LOL

I've been kicking the idea over the last couple of years to turn it back into a Tempest ( too many GTO's out there... kind of a feeling)... well I never really did the full blown clone deal but most of the parts are on it.. it certanly will always be a custom ride for sure.

So I have acquired some parts over last couple of 3-4 years, certainly not an easy task being in the middle of the Atlantic ! I know this is going to add a ton of weight to my car but I plan of taking that back elsewhere.



So as of now.. current parts gathered

Nice flat hood from a 70 Lemans parts car that I got for 100 bucks local (the whole car)

Perfect 69 Tempest ( Tempest only ) rear lenses for 25$ at Daytona Turkey Run last november. A STEAL... The bezels I have since restoring the car initially..

NOS 68 chrome bumper at a local vintage car club part pile... what a SCORE! For 150 bucks...... I KNOW it's a 68, but who likes the 69 witch nose anyways !

RH fender I have (it currently has a whole fiberglass front) and the bumper brackets i've had for years, it still has a steel core support in it though.



KRIS.


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i like GTOs..i love odd Tempests.....its all about personal choice...if i wanted to change my cars, i would do it, and wouldnt care what others think for a minute.,,

do your thang....

The car appears well built & dialed in. Maybe the next step would be to find a good restoration candidate & rescue that and continue racing the "GTO"?
This very well may be the best of both worlds :)

Man, the body work on that car looks outstanding..

I agree with everyone's comments, especially marxjunk, look at it this way, it's one of one, unique because of what you've done, or are going to do, nobody has one just like it.

That being said it's a beautiful car but I understand the de-cloning thoughts, Tempests are rarely seen in there original form, possibly the rarest of the a body's left.

The better you like it, the more I like it, I appreciate someone else's taste, what if we all had the same scheme in mind, how droll right?

My Father had a 67 Tempest, loved that car, OHC-6, 3 on the tree, NEVER see one.

Guy at the local car show had one but cloned it, all except he couldn't bring himself to change the tail panel "liked the lights", I honestly couldn't stop lookin at the tail lights. :D

If it's grown stale on you, Bust a move!


Frank

Edit: BTW I agree with you on the bumper ;)

I have a 68 GTO ... but to be honest, I'm more of a Tempest guy ... I'd be happier if my GTO was a Tempest. Just something old school and "pure" about a Tempest ... specially one optioned the right way.

In my opinion, I'd declone it. I'm a little biased since I remember well when my dad brought home a brand new liberty blue Custom S! Don't see many around these days.
There weren't many Custom S(s) making more rare than a GTO.
You have a conflict of statements with the GTO equipment against the '69 (Tempest, LeMans) Custom S quarter marker lights. No cutting required.
You have accumulated the parts.
Besides, you can always put the GTO parts back on it if you choose!

Maybe leave the hood...

LeMans

Tempest

Custon S....?

Yea, get the Flat Hood pin compatable and Paint it Starlight Black.
Yea, get a Chrome nose grilled-up.
Tail lenses into the rear bumper maybe; thatsa lot of work

Above all: keep the Fender fronts clean and clear of any piercings, emblems, and such.

It's personal choice, I left my car a lemans because I like chrome bumpers. I think that makes a car look like an older muscle car. I do have the GTO hood, I like the look.
I think your car the way it is is beautiful. Build another looks like that one is done!!!

LOL !

I love the answers and respect all the views.. But none of you are turning my decision of decloning it and making it more enjoyable to me while at it (I hate the flimsy front end and pin on hood)...

It’s going back to the Tempest trim... It has grown on me over the years. Chrome bumpers, flat hood, Tempest rear lights and I might even do a dog dish on Weld Pro Stars !

KRIS


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I have the dog dish on my lemans with weld draglites!!

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Now we are talkin’ !



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Your car will look fantastic either way!

Your car looks great as is I wouldn't change anything. Enjoy it!

While I think the car looks great as is. I have become somewhat partial to many of the standard firebirds, tempest / lemans
& other base models. It's so common to see GTO's & Trans Am's, that one might think thats all that was ever produced.
That makes the standard cars stand out in my opinion. I still prefer the look of the 2 door hard tops over the 4 door coupes,
but even those 4 door cars are still pretty darn cool to see. They are almost nonexistent now & they used to be everywhere in the early 70's

I would have a hard time undoing your car..

I think your car looks great.

I also think your following statement nails why you should put it back to a Custom S:
Although I make no qualms about voicing my opinion when I don't like a car, I wholly agree with the idea that "it's your car, build it the way you like it".

Iceland huh - that's pretty cool!

I love a GTO hood, but I'm all for personal choice. Hard to argue with a car that pulls the wheels off the ground!

7 years later ..... :-)


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