[Dustin68]

The day we brought it home, February 24th, 2008



15 months later:



Our goal was to drive it to our first car show on Fathers Day 2009 which we accomplished. This required 30-40 hours a week non-stop. Now we're building a performance engine and taking our time.

Doug & Dustin

[JohnTN]

We street rodded a 1939 Olds in solid condition -- frame-off restoration took about 1200 hours, most of it hired out labor to a shop.

[Junkyard Dog]

Originally Posted by Dustin68

The day we brought it home, February 24th, 2008



15 months later:

My 8 year old son looked at those pictures, and his jaw dropped open. He said, "That's what it is going to be like working on the GTO, except it won't take so long, because it does not look all junky!"

LOL!

To answer the original poster, however, 4 or 5 years ago, I was driving my GTO, and my son loved it. I pulled the motor, stripped it down, bought aluminum heads and a roller cam and custom pistons and H Beam rods, and BAM . . .

Financial ruin. (unrelated to the GTO)

So it is just sitting there in pieces . . .

I had a forum member here at the house looking at it to sell it to him about a year ago, and my wife, who always claims to hate the "ugly, old" GTO, called me aside and convinced me not to sell it, pointing out that it would always be something I would regret.

So I sold a few guns to get us back on our feet that month (including my only machine gun . . . sniff). Things have improved some since then, and every month my financial outlook improves, so I will get back on the GTO one day . . .

And to think I was almost completely debt free when that happened.

Real estate. Stupidity. Not a good mixture.

[ta man]

My 1980 trans am I have currently I bought in decent condition in 2001with a rebuilt 455.I upgrade or fix it every spring drive it all summer. Before it was on the road swapped heads,headers,new exhaust,shocks,tires and frame connectors.2003 dragstrip first run 14.5 down to 14.1.Bigger exhaust and tailpipes down to 13.8.2004 installed continental 3200 down to 13.5.2005 had heads ported valve job down to 13.2 2007 installed new cam had wrong cam for years and 3.42 gears down to 13.00.Spring 2009 SD KRE heads,roller cam,3 inch exhaust down to 12.11,fall 2009 replaced short block with another 462 some minor carb work down to 11.88.Other than performance work I've bought a set of sill plates and numerous back tires.I have another car in the works looking to have it ready in a year and a half.

[old66tiger]

My car has been a rolling restoration...Every year it gets something new. This year it is 4 wheel disc, upgraded suspension and new wheels and tires. Last year, it was the 5-speed, the year before that was the engine...etc. I only spend money when it lands in my pocket or I get the side jobs lined up to pay for it.

BTW...I have owned the car for 12 years now and it is still not 100% done.

[johnreeves]

My 69 firebird took 4 years too get it road reliable. It was a basket case. I originally bought the car for the engine that was in it. 400/670 Head .Turns out I rebuilt the car and used another engine. I have the one that came in the car stored. Funny how things work out.

[goatman65]

Bought my GTO in march 1983.Fair but driveable condition.At that time I bought for my daily driver.It was in primer with fair to shi**y bodywork,OK interior and a 400 with a bad cam lobe and slight rod knock.Rebuilt the 400,drove it from Pa. to Ca. in 1985.Drove it back from Ca. to Pa.in 1987.Parked it under a tree in 1987 until 1992.Started a frame-on resto in 1992 that lasted until 1994.It has been 'freshened-up' many times since then but as they say,You never really finish a project'.

[performerrpm]

i drove and took my car apart several times since i got it but the last time i took it apart its been a work in progress for almost 8 years, though i did get to drive her one more time a couple years back which helps accorse then i offset that by changing directions and undone a good part of what i had finished and tho iam almost back to that point where i could drive it, i have made progress in other areas.

one thing i learned tho.....make a plan.....keep it til finished then make changes as neccesary

[The Boss]

I've had my 68 for over 20 years now, still collecting parts for it, and still haven't driven it.

[Murf'sDad]

Bought it new in 1976, drove it full time for 3.5 years, occasionally for another 6.5 years, stored it for 20 more with 35K miles on it and just started working on it again in '06. Hopefully on the road and screaming in '10.

Stewart

[PLAY400]

Well I guess it doesn't end. Have rust showing up in all my seams. Was not rusty before we used aircraft stripper and took the whole car down to bare metal. Shop that is doing the repaint says we did not get all the cleaner out of the seams and are seeing the results. Really cheeses me off to have to paint it again because the whole reason for stripping it was to have thin paint as the car had previously had a color change and I didn't want to go over it. Anyways it is stripped of all weather stripping, moulding and interior ready to go back into the shop.

[Old Bird]

Picked up the 67 bird in 1983. was our daily driver for nine years. The wife would load the kids up in the car seats as they were growing up ( we had the car before the kids so we call it our first child) Moved to different home built a shop and parked the car. Very slow to no work done for years as we helped put kids through college. 16 years in the shop and the last year and a half has been every spare minute and dollar put into it. Wanted to have it ready for a big local car show at the end of the summer. Had some engine issues the day before the show and missed it again. rebuilt the top of the motor since then and it is ready for next year. Just to bad the weather is getting cold and starting to snow. Will be ready for Spring just wash it and go.

[ITSBACK]

Mine has been off the road for a solid year now. With three kids and not a lot of time its at the point now where the body should be off some time this week if I can find time to get the body bolts out.

[Old Goat 67]

Thanks for the thread!

It's the journey, right?

Makes me feel better anyway.

Charles

[rememberfireball#22]

I bought my 68 Goat in June of this year. I stripped it and repainted in my makeshift paint booth. I went to K-Mart and bought a couple of rolls of sheet plastic and lined the walls and floor and painted the car in my barn. Very surprised by the small amount of trash. I've seen cars come out of $75,000.00 paint booths with more dirt in paint than I had. Anyway, I put a couple of extra coats of clear because I figured I would be color sanding and buffing trash out of my paint.Let it set for two weeks and then spent one full week rubbing the paint out. Interior was already finished, did not need any interior work, only a good cleaning. I started on it in last of June and went to my first car show with it last week. I drive it now almost every day.

[ITSBACK]

Nice

[Tripower455]

8.5 years from this:



This:

[Murf'sDad]

Nice finish.

Stewart

[68GTOSCA]

Gentlemen:

I will only say - if you are thinking about completing an complete frame off restoration. You are in for an hell of a journey. I started mine about two years ago. Rebuilt the frame, transmission, the rearend had PPR / ken rebuild the motor.

It not the money - its the time. It alway on my mind. My daugther calls the GTO my son, my wife calls it my second wife and is only half joking. I am doing all the body work so I estimate another two years.

[moneypit]

I've had the 37 about 4 years now. Drove the first year with the flathead 6 running on 5 cyl's but it was a blast. Pulled it in the garage with the intent of doing a valve job and a little frontend work. Head bolt broke off in the block, priced the frontend stuff and the stock rebuild stuff. One thing led to another, now it has a Fatman frame stub with all the fancy tubular control arms, coilovers, and power rack and pinion. All the mounts and crossmembers are done and the rearend is in. I'm in the process of plumbing the brakes.
Hope to make a maiden voyage early next summer. I have freinds ask "what are you going to do with the interior?", " what color are you going to paint it?" Hell, I just want to drive it again, it's got paint, it's got seats, I just want to take a long drive in the country about sunrise with nobody else on the road!