[Thumpin455_GTO]

Mad thrash on this and a couple other projects this week, have been sleep deprived. Right now it is almost 0200 here, but I had to tie up the lose end for the regulator parts before sleep.

Spent almost an entire day getting the front sheet metal on so the fenders dont hit the doors and line up somewhere near the other parts. Finally painted the grille surround and filler pieces that bolt under the headlights behind the bumper. I think I am done painting this thing, except for under the hood, need to detail that and make the engine purdy now. Here it is in the light today while the clear on the other parts was drying in the shop.





Apparently aftermarket windshields are slightly bigger than the one that was in this when I did the metal work around it. While putting the trim on the glass shattered. It was stuck on one of the trim tabs. Now I need to pull it out and rework the front and rear channels to the trim will fit. That will probably wait until next year so I can get the rest of it working right. It also means having to paint the roof, or most of it after I fix the channels. I was being extremely careful with it, guiding the trim on and apparently a small pressure point will do lots of ugly.

You can see where the glass broke here. Annoying and disheartening but not earth shattering. I might actually send it out to a shop to have that done so I know the glass will fit easy.



Reminder of what it looked like when it arrived from South Carolina, before 1800+ hours of my life were spent getting intimate with it.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Getting a bit more done, found some spots I need to refinish. It will probably wait till next year, then respray the whole car after fixing some bad spots. Nothing major, so it can wait until the car is together and running. Gives me a reason to fix some stuff and make it look better.

Tomorrow the bumper and headlights go back on, then a few more small front end pieces and the engine gets the attention after that. Right now its getting a Th350 I rebuilt back in 01 but never ran, so that is up very soon as well.

Despite having to shoot the paint again in the near future, it feels like the home stretch now.

[64woodwheel]

Did that trunk latch show up?

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by 64woodwheel

Did that trunk latch show up?

It sure did. You got it off a 64 didnt you? Have to drill it to use it with the 65, not a problem. I can still use it to hold the LeMans decklid down after I drill one or the other. Thanks again for that, those things are nearly impossible to find except for guys who have these things laying around. Its why I bought an entire car for parts. After getting that part from you, the doors, trunk lid, and hood all latch now. Only the doors did when I started on this thing.

Later tonight it will look more complete, headed out to put more parts on. Hopefully there will be a video of it running soon.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Been cleaning parts and putting stuff on. Bead blasted the intake a couple days ago, it should be on tomorrow, need to get some paint to make the engine purdy again. Started cleaning the 2.56 geared rear that came in the LeMans, and once the wheel cylinders are changed the brakes will be good. New lines, hoses and everything cleaned and shiny. The small stuff takes almost as long as the big stuff, mostly because there is so much more small stuff. Didnt I say that already somewhere in here?

It finally looks like a GTO again, not a half put together car.

[chipster]

Got all the parts you need?

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Dont know yet, more crop up that were never there, but most I can get off the LeMans.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Spent the last three days cleaning the shop so I could put the Mustang back in there, and get both 65s in too. Lots of moving stuff. While the GTO was outside, I took some pics in about the worst light I could find. Nice and harsh, sorta washed out and it shows every ripple and goof up in the paint, well as much as yellow will show. I can imagine a dark metallic with heavy flake in it on this thing, you would see EVERYTHING even in the dark. For what I started with, I guess I didnt do too bad.

This thing really needs wheels and the glass fixed. It looks so lame with the beater wheels under it. At least it looks like a car again!

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Took the wheels off the 70 GTO and put them on this one. I think they look ok on here, but need shorter tires up front. They are going to rub. These will work until I can get a set of Rally wheels for it.



Pulled the Centerlines off the 79 TA and put them on the GTO, then the wheels that were on the 65 are now under the TA. Not much happening other than this, been fighting a respiratory thing. Soon the 65 LeMans will get started, hopefully it can be drivable by next June, along with the GTO.

Here is the 70 with the Centerlines on it. I think the RWL looks pretty good..

[27jalopy]

My favorite Pontiac color! Looks cool!

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by 27jalopy

My favorite Pontiac color! Looks cool!

That makes two of us. Every time someone gets a Mayfair Goat, the first thing they do is talk about what color to paint it. I love Mayfair, especially with a black interior.

[indymanjoe]

Glad to see the car coming along Yooper LOL. i have...5ish 15inch rally 2's for ya,if ya want them.can't promise when we will be back in Da UP,wife and i were up last weekend, but let me know.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by indymanjoe

Glad to see the car coming along Yooper LOL. i have...5ish 15inch rally 2's for ya,if ya want them.can't promise when we will be back in Da UP,wife and i were up last weekend, but let me know.

That would be great if you want to pass them along. Dave goes downstate all the time, he is in Detroit today, so maybe at some point we could work something out.


The Mayfair Maize is growing on me, it looks nice in a base clear, but tends to wash out to white in pics or bright sunlight. Really hides the mistakes quite well though.

[indymanjoe]

I'm 4 miles east of 23 off M-59, easy on easy off.They are yours..

[Thumpin455_GTO]

I know it isnt the correct color for a 65, but its the color I paint all my engines, even the Fords. The T bolts were laying around so I figured why not give them to Dave? The covers came on my 70 GTO, but they wont fit it with the roller rockers it has now, so they go on the 65 with its stock rockers.

Been having some health issues lately so I havent gotten much done. It appears I am sensitized to isocyanate which is in clear coats, hardeners and activators among a surpising number of other things like foam insulation. Causes difficulty breathing and doesnt show up on normal tests. Been this way since August, so I am behind in everything. Changing the wheels around took me two days with lots of rests.

When I can move around and not feel like someone is standing on my chest, I will get to cleaning the brackets and finishing the plumbing on this thing. Really it isnt far from being drivable, but until I can work on it not much will happen. Cold weather has set in now, so it might be a while before its running again.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Not sure if I mentioned it or not, but back in August I got sick, real sick. Couldnt breathe and the Doctors couldnt figure it out. Turns out it I was sensitized to isocyanate in clear coats. Everything was messed up in my lungs until January when it started clearing up. Finally able to do things now, but I am so freakishly out of shape that I hurt after an hour or two. Gotta be super careful with paint and all the crap that goes with it. If I get near the stuff now the symptoms will come back, so its MOPP4 for me anytime I am around the stuff.

Lately there has been progress, but mostly it is cleaning things and getting parts together. Winter always ends up with the shop being trashed, so tomorrow might be a day where I get out there and make space to do things again. It all was just shoved in to get it out of the snow. Crap is everywhere and its annoying the hell out of me. You know its bad when I am like damn, I gotta clean this crap up.

Stuff happened and I ended up working on beaters instead of on the GTO, but here are pics of what I have done. The th350 is clean, it looked like it came from the bottom of a grease pit, then drug through a large pile of topsoil, thick crud all over it, but now its nearly clean enough to rebuild.




The control arms and backing plates waiting to go back on. If I can scrounge up a swaybar this thing should handle much better than it did when new.



Need to bead blast and paint the diff cover, but the rear is ready to go now. All painted after sandblasting it and getting the rust off. Thats a bunch of crap on the floor isnt it? Maybe you guys think I am so fast because I dont bother cleaning up out there.





Thinking about spraying some bed liner in the wheel wells, keeps the sound down, protects the metal, and looks nicer than overspray. Looks kinda sad with no rear under it. The boxes of new drum brake parts are up by the front wheel.





Still need to get back to work under here, but I have almost all the stuff I need to get the engine running. Mechanical fuel pump, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, ignition parts, radiator/mounts, and most of the other crap. Just need to run trans cooler lines, but I wont bother with that until the trans is in there with the radiator so I know where to run them.

[Too Many Projects]

Sorry to hear about the health issue. Gotta take care of the lungs from now...

You keep plugin along and it will get done.

I finally got my '67 back in the shop after a 2 year hiatus. Picking up the frame tomorrow from the frame shop where I work part-time. It had a slight diamond from an old accident. It's all straight and square now. I need to put the body on to bolt the 1 piece trunk pan in location for welding to the new wheel wells and tail panel.

[BLACKGP]

Hope everything goes well and you get Daves GTO done before summer ends. Good luck!!!

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

Sorry to hear about the health issue. Gotta take care of the lungs from now...

You keep plugin along and it will get done.

I finally got my '67 back in the shop after a 2 year hiatus. Picking up the frame tomorrow from the frame shop where I work part-time. It had a slight diamond from an old accident. It's all straight and square now. I need to put the body on to bolt the 1 piece trunk pan in location for welding to the new wheel wells and tail panel.

Good to hear the 67 is underway again, that thing was as bad as this one. We are nuts for rebuilding such rusty cars.

Originally Posted by BLACKGP

Hope everything goes well and you get Daves GTO done before summer ends. Good luck!!!

I want it running well before our two days of summer are over!

Its getting there, the only big things left are fixing the window channels, which will be after its drivable, and rebuilding the transmission. The lines are all done, just need to install the interior, dress out the engine, install the exhaust, and hook up the wire for the fuel gauge. Im wanting to do the interior after I get the windows in right, so I dont have to clean it all up again with sanding, welding, and painting it. Kinda a catch 22 with the channels.

I should really figure out what gears I need for the speedo, I doubt they will be right since it has a 2.56 gear set in it. The rear is under there, but I needed new bolts for it so I ordered them yesterday. Once they get here I can tighten everything and install the shocks.





Oops missed some of the frame when I shot the black on it. Better get that done next time I am under it.



The cheap wheels I ran on the 70 for ten years have an offset that puts them into the lip on the quarter. Even without the 275 tire it would still be set too far out in the well. So it needs a different set of wheels.



So I ordered a set of these in 15x7 and it will probably get 225 or 235 tires depending on where the outer lip ends up in the rear.



A couple months ago I sprung for a decent exhaust system. I figured Dave would want it to sound good, last a while, and not leak all over the place. So its getting as 2.5" system with an X pipe and Summit mufflers I have had for a long time that were never installed. I want the trans in before I go installing the exhaust, its just easier to get things done without it under there.



Tomorrow the engine will get what it needs. I rebuilt an HEI that was used last in the 90s, so that will get stabbed in, the oil put in and primed with my home made primer, after I get the radiator and wires all run where they need to go. Right now I have a rebuilt Qjet (gas) that ran great on everything I put it on so it will get that first. If it doesnt like this engine I have a Holley or two for it. It should be able to smoke that rear tire as long as you stay in the throttle, its not a wimpy 400. This engine was a good performer in the 70, so it should be lots of fun in a lighter car.

This thing is keeping me up at night, waking me and not letting me go back to sleep and all around driving me nuts that I havent been able to do much for months. Its nice to have my motivation back, but some sleep once in a while would be nice.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Some stuff came up and I didnt get to do everything I wanted to do yet, but its still moving along.

Cleaned up the engine bay, waiting for the brackets to dry so I can put it all together.



Had to repaint the alternator bracket, had something on it that fisheyed it bad.



Pulled the alternator apart, bead blasted the housing then cleared it. Shot some metallic blue on the fan and pulley too. Just a little different without being gaudy. I knew this one worked so it got cleaned up and put back together. I had rebuilt it a long time ago and barely ran it, so its just been sitting collecting dust.



The Rally I wheels showed up, found out two of them were bent and they are new.



Unfortunately they mounted the tires before they found the bent ones, so now I own them and cant send them back. Annoying to say the least.



Once the weather isnt so moist here, I will put them on and roll it out in the sun for some shots.