[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455_GTO

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.
.

Wow....They may not take them back but I sure would give it the ol' College try. That's a big expense to eat. I would think that if a rim is bent from the factory, you might not be expected to realize it until after they were mounted.

[Too Many Projects]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

Wow....They may not take them back but I sure would give it the ol' College try. That's a big expense to eat. I would think that if a rim is bent from the factory, you might not be expected to realize it until after they were mounted.

I was gonna say the same thing. If they are new repros and came bent, I would be sending them back...

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by Too Many Projects

I was gonna say the same thing. If they are new repros and came bent, I would be sending them back...

Have to agree with the other two posts

[Thumpin455_GTO]

I'll call Summit today and see. They needed 2 oz of weight to balance, which is a bit much for a new wheel. The tag on them states if they are painted or tires mounted Wheel Vintiques will not take them back, you own them.

If you get those wheels, be careful of them being bent or really out of whack before you mount them. Will update once I talk to Summit.

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455_GTO

I'll call Summit today and see. They needed 2 oz of weight to balance, which is a bit much for a new wheel. The tag on them states if they are painted or tires mounted Wheel Vintiques will not take them back, you own them.

If you get those wheels, be careful of them being bent or really out of whack before you mount them. Will update once I talk to Summit.

They should guarantee that they will be round not BENT.....

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455_GTO

I'll call Summit today and see. They needed 2 oz of weight to balance, which is a bit much for a new wheel. The tag on them states if they are painted or tires mounted Wheel Vintiques will not take them back, you own them.

If you get those wheels, be careful of them being bent or really out of whack before you mount them. Will update once I talk to Summit.

I'd approach Summit and let them deal with Wheel Vintiques. If they are defective, doesn't seem right that you should have to eat that.

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I'd approach Summit and let them deal with Wheel Vintiques. If they are defective, doesn't seem right that you should have to eat that.

Agreed. If they had been on the car for a while that would be a different story, but finding this upon mounting of the tires should qualify for an exchange.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Pushed it is outside do do some shop cleaning and parts moving, so here it is with some sunlight, the new wheels, and more parts on it. Checked the runout on the wheels and they arent bent, so I dont know whats up with that shop. Some people just cant run a balancer I guess. Might need to invest in one sometime. I'll call Summit and see what they can do about it if they are bent, its hard to tell with a dial indicator and an old rear end.





This is the project for tomorrow. Tore into it today, and it looks like one I rebuilt years ago but didnt run. Still want to pull it apart and check everything just to be sure.

[Garry Sr]

Spaghetti, food of champions.

[Greg Reid]

I really like that car. I've always wanted a '65 and even in that color.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Well Greg, if you have a 69 GTO or LeMans I have another 65 LeMans post that is originally mayfair maize, its going to get rebuilt soon, and I would be willing to trade. Will only trade it for a 69 though.

Boring update not enough to show pics, but have gotten lots of the small things done. The Th350 is rebuilt, just need to clean the valve body, get a detent cable and the speedo gear out of another trans and its ready to go in. If I can get the detent in then there will be a transmission in the thing soon. Spent today cleaning parts, pulling clutch packs and pistons out and replacing the seals. No extra parts so I am pretty sure it went back together right. If it works good then I still have the knack for the three speeds. Just concerned because it went so easily.

Spent 4 hours on the doors, adjusting the strikers, moving the windows around so they seal up and dont run into each other. What a chore that is on a near 50 year old car that has been rebuilt as much as this one has. Turn the screw and tighten the nut, roll the window and see how it does... do it again, and again, and you get the idea. 4 freakin hours of doing that crap. I think my mother in law will be able to open the door now, and not shatter the door glass when the door closes, so that is good. Need to get the door panels on and install the window cranks. I think I will jam the rear windows so they dont roll down, those things are sticky and I dont want to be tearing into it every week because someone rolled it down and broke something.

Rebuilt the alternator too, now its a 100amp fry small rodents with current while running a stereo capable. The harness I got for it is set up for an internal regulated alternator and HEI, just to simplify things.

Soon it will go up on jackstands for what hopefully is the last time, install exhaust, make sure the suspension is tight and secured, run the cooler lines for the trans, and bleed the brakes. Then the last thing will be spraying some bed liner in the wheel wells to minimize the road noise and make it look black under there.

If I wasnt so sore today I would still be out there doing all the little things, like the carb, oil filter, radiator hoses, etc. It feels like this stuff takes even longer than the body work and welding.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455_GTO

Well Greg, if you have a 69 GTO or LeMans I have another 65 LeMans post that is originally mayfair maize, its going to get rebuilt soon, and I would be willing to trade. Will only trade it for a 69 though.

Nope...don't have anything beyond what you see in my sig. Maybe I'll luck into one someday. The first GTO I was ever aware of when I was a kid was a Gold/Gold '65 4spd that belonged to a neighbor. He used to pull it out into the street every once in a while and boil the tires just for fun. I've had a soft spot for '65 GTOs ever since.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

The brakes are causing me some trepidation, I dont trust my flare work, but its rare I have leaks. A big leak on this thing would be heartbreaking to have it sprayed all over a panel or something. Will bleed them when I get it up in the air to put the 350 in and finish the work under there.

Spent a few hours out there today enjoying the 50+ temps. Its about freakin time. This is what I got done, among a few other small things.

Cleaning the back seat, it was nasty so some hand cleaner and a toothbrush were called into action.



Still not great but lots better.



Decided to just go ahead and get this done, even if I need to fix the rear window fitment. I can always tape off the interior or just yank the stuff out of the back if I need to reweld something. It looks damn near hospitable in there.



Also got the rear door panels in, the fronts can go in tomorrow. The transmission is buttoned up except for the pan because I am waiting on the detent cable to show, might be in tomorrow (hopefully) and then I can put that thing in there and get the shifter connected. Then I wont worry about it rolling away or into things. I am leaving some things out because I want it running, the other small stuff can be done later once its drivable.

I found out the hard way that the accelerator pedal mounting pins wont take much torque, the stupid thing just snapped right off when I tightened it, not even grade 3 hardware there. Need to find some better quality parts for that.

[olde-goat]

I had the same concern about leaks in my new brake system, I decided to spend the extra money and used silicone brake fluid. Turns out it was a good decision as one of my flares did leak and I could have ended up painting again. Once I fixed the leak I only needed to wipe up the spilled fluid and no paint damage.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Todays effort was cut short by the Houdini dogs, and subsequent fence repairs, but over the last couple days progress has been made.

The interior is coming along, and the window felts are all in so it looks more like a car now than it ever has since I have had it on the yard.






Tomorrow the gauges will go in, and the final few bits including the package shelf. Tonight the sill trim will get worked over and hopefully I can polish it up and clear it. Otherwise it will look like crap with the rest of the car being decent. Too bad nobody reproduces those pieces, sure would be nice to get new ones.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

I still have to keep telling myself, "ITS NOT A SHOW CAR" because I keep wanting to fix the spots I dont like on it and repaint it, and rework a few places I really dont like how it turned out. Its a driver, and Dave doesnt want it too nice or he will be afraid to drive it. I see some of the others being built and to me this one looks like crap.

The transmission is in, need to run the cooler lines and put the dipstick tube in it, make a modulator line for it, add some fluid then it is done. The driveshaft is already in there bolted up and ready to go. The ST300 shaft does fit a Th350 perfectly, thanks GM.

I have a list of small stuff I need to continue and get it running, going to pick that up tomorrow and hopefully fire it up this week. Still need to order some resto parts like a headliner, arm rest cushions, and GTO plates for the door panels to finish the interior. Might as well buy an alignment tool so I can set up the front ends here, for $200 total it only takes two or three cars to pay for itself, so that will be on the way from Summit. Ive done enough alignments I think I could do this one in my sleep.

Here is what the office looks like right now.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Thumpin455_GTO

I still have to keep telling myself, "ITS NOT A SHOW CAR" because I keep wanting to fix the spots I dont like on it and repaint it, and rework a few places I really dont like how it turned out. Its a driver, and Dave doesnt want it too nice or he will be afraid to drive it. I see some of the others being built and to me this one looks like crap.

I know exactly what you mean by that.. I feel the same way about mine..but I live on a dirt road and road rash is a given out here on the very first ride..
Personally, I think that one looks great. Right up my alley, aesthetically speaking...

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Quite a bit has changed since I updated this. Having issues like I did three years ago, but I am working on getting the GTO drivable this year. Mainly I want it out of the shop and drivable so I dont have to push it anymore.

Have gotten lots done on it in the last few weeks, tons of small things and some big stuff too. The biggest is now it runs, and the brakes work. Havent tried the trans yet, but it should be good.

Here is a video of it running. I dont have the Pypes system under it yet, so its just head pipes off the manifolds right now. I am still breaking in the cam, so I cant let it idle. The bottom end can handle the 4500 I revved it to, so no worries there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84ZsTx6feG4

Here is how it looked right after the first fire, just a bit of smoke coming off the hot parts.

[Too Many Projects]

It's looking great. Dave should be a happy camper soon !

Mine is stuck with an ill-fitting trunk floor. Too many other concerns to get back on it.

[Old Blue 66]

Congrats. Its alive!!!